"ACAPPELLA MUSIC - 2"
Larry Yarber
"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord" (Colossians 3:16).
Last week we ended our article with a partial quote from Adam Clarke about Amos' condemnation of David and his use of the instrument in the worship of God, "Woe to them ... That chant to the sound of the viol, and invent to themselves instruments of music, like David;" (Amos 6:1-5). We continue Mr. Clarke's comment here, "The late and most eminent divine, the Rev. John Wesley, who was a lover of music, and an elegant poet, when asked his opinion of instruments of music being introduced into the chapels of the Methodists said, in his terse and powerful manner, "I have no objections to instruments of music in our chapels, provided they are neither HEARD nor SEEN." I say the same though I think the expense of purchase had better be spared" (Adam Clarke, Clarke's Commentary, Vol. IV, Isaiah/Malachi, Abingdon Press, New York - Nashville, pg. 684). , Adam Clarke, (a Methodist, and one of the world's best-known Bible commentators), and John Wesley, (founder of the MethodistChurch), condemned the use of the instrument in New Testament worship.
Other great scholars of the past agree with Clarke's and Wesley's assessment of this practice. Martin Luther, founder of the LutheranChurch said, "The organ in the worship of God is an ensign of Baal." John Calvin, the founder of the Presbyterian Church stated, "Musical instruments in celebrating the praises of God would be no more suitable than the burning of incense, the lighting of lamps, and the restoration of other shadows of the law." When asked why he did not use the organ in worship, Charles Spurgeon, argumentatively the greatest Baptist preacher to have ever lived quoted 1st Corinthians 14:15, "What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also," and added, "I would as soon pray to God with machinery as to sing to God with machinery." For twenty years Mr. Spurgeon preached every Sunday to 10,000 persons at the Metropolitan Baptist Tabernacle in LondonEngland. Alexander Campbell said, "... But to all spiritually minded Christians such aids would be as a cowbell in a concert." And, J. W. McGarvey commented, "We cannot adopt the practice without abandoning the ground upon which a restoration of New Testament Christianity can be accomplished." While none of the above quotes prove instrumental music in New Testament worship to be right or wrong, they do reveal the attitude of many of the prominent religious leaders of yesteryear toward the use of the instrument in New Testament worship.
In our first article on Acappella Music, and in this article as well, we have learned that both secular and religious history credit the entrance of the instrument of music into New Testament worship to Catholicism, about 666 AD to 1,075 AD. It is interesting to know that the Eastern branch of the Catholic Church, the Greek Orthodox Church, never did accept this practice and still doesn’t use the instrument of music in worship to God, unto this day.
In our next article we will continue to explain why the Churches of Christ do not use the mechanical instrument of music in New Testament worship today.
If you would like to submit a Bible question for us to consider, please write to Larry Yarber – 2534 Oak Ridge Drive – Mountain Grove, Missouri – 65711: or call 417-962-5229 (home), or 417-247-0017 (cell). We look forward to studying God’s Word with you!