Comments From Others - Can musical instruments be used in Church services?

COMMENT#3:

Do you know what the Greek translation for "psalm" is and are you willing to put it on this site? What will be used to sound the end of time as we know it? Were instruments used in the temple David built for God to honor and worship our him? Is God not the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow? Is it your position that instruments used in worship to the Lord is a sin?

CLARIFICATION#3:

First I want to address your statement “are you willing to put it on this site.” This sounds like you think if we were taught something, and searched the scriptures and found it to be so, that we would not be willing to change our beliefs. This would be very foolish. We are commanded to be taught.  

John 6:45 It is written in the prophets, “And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.”

 We are also commanded to search the scriptures to find out whether or not they are correct.

Acts 17:11 “These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.”

A major problem with most religious people today is they attend a church because it’s close to their house, it’s the church their family grew up in, or the daycare facility it has is great or any number of reasons except for the right reason. The right reason being the church follows the tradition of the apostles and not the traditions of men. Giving God full authority. Unlike the church of Christ, which is locally ruled by Elders and giving God’s word full authority, most churches have some type of creed and are attached to an organization that would make it impossible to change their belief when taught the truth. So they try to make the beliefs of that church right through creeds and man made traditions. They play on words in order to justify their own desires. This site is here for many reasons; one reason is to expose the deceitful doctrines of men.

2 Corinthians 10:4 “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) 5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.”

We will not only put this on our site, we will also teach the truth about it. It’s now left up to you to search the scriptures and find out whether or not they are correct. We always give the book, chapter and verse to help people with this.

Your comment: “Do you know what the Greek translation for "psalm" is?

Let me start by giving the meaning of the different words in Eph. 5:19

  Eph. 5:19 “Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord”

SPEAKING is from LALEO, which means uttered by mouth, regardless of whether it is done merely as expressions of speech or performed by singing. In this verse it is used only in the form of singing. PSALMS is from PSALMOS, which Thayer defines, "a pious song, a psalm." HYMNS is from HUMNOS, and Thayer defines it " a sacred song, hymn. SONGS is from ODE defined " a song, lay, ode." and Thayer explains it to mean " in the scriptures a song in praise of God and Christ." MAKING MELODY is from PSALLO. This word originally referred to a musical instrument and is defined again by Thayer's lexicon, "to cause to vibrate by touching, to twang; to touch or strike the chord, to twang the strings; to play on a stringed instrument, to play the harp: to sing to the music of a harp." Many words in the old classical language came later to have a more restricted meaning, and that is the case with PSALLO so Thayer defines it further: "In the New Testament to sing a hymn, to celebrate the praises of God in song." Since the word literally has reference to a musical instrument, Paul uses it figuratively, he tells us what instrument Christians are to play, namely the heart. SPIRITUAL SONGS means those exhibiting the effects and character of the Holy Spirit as taught in the New Testament. Any composition that combines the qualities of PSALMOS, HUMNOS, and ODE would be a scriptural song, and such a composition is possible according to a footnote in Thayer's lexicon. In Col. 3:16 Paul writes on the same subject.

Col. 3:16 “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.”

Notice there is some difference in the wording as to what is to be accomplished by the singing. The brethren are to teach and admonish each other. To teach means to impart instruction and to admonish means to insist on doing one's duty with an intimation of danger in neglecting it. SINGING WITH GRACE indicates that the service is prompted by the grace (favor) of God. To do as God instructed we must be thoughtful and sing from the heart. Otherwise we will not be pleasing to the Lord, nor will we be able to communicate the message to others effectively. See I Cor. 14:15.

1 Cor. 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.”

When was the last time a piano or a guitar told you anything? Remember we are to speak to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. A piano can't talk. It can only make sounds. I used to find organ music relaxing, but usually I took the opportunity to doze off. In the strictest sense, Instrumental Music is different from the kind of music I read about in the Bible. It is not an aid, but an addition.

NOTE W.E. VINES makes the point despite any connotation it previously had, in the NEW TESTAMENT it is contextually used to refer to SINGING a hymn or SINGING praise.

 Your comment: “What will be used to sound the end of time as we know it?”

1 Corinthians 15:52 “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”

Now I ask you, what does this have to do with serving God? This is just a tricky deception that people use when arguing their desire to have something that is not in the bible. You found a verse with the word trumpet in it and you are trying to use it in your argument. I’ll give you an example of the scribes and Pharisees doing the same thing to Jesus.

Mark 2:16 “And when the scribes and Pharisees saw him eat with publicans and sinners, they said unto his disciples, How is it that he eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners?”

Here the scribes and Pharisees saw Jesus eating with publicans and sinners. What they were trying to convey to the disciples was this; “Look bird's of a feather flock together,” He’s eating with a sinner so he must be a sinner also. Now if he is a sinner than He cannot be our savior.

The same thing happened when Ahab blames Elijah for troubling Israel, when in fact he was the one causing trouble.

1 King 18: 17 “ And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him, Art thou he that troubleth Israel? 18) And he answered, I have not troubled Israel; but thou, and thy father’s house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the LORD, and thou hast followed Baalam.”

This is what I have to say about trying to use this scripture about a trumpet as an argument for adding musical instrument.

Matthew 22:29 Jesus answered and said unto them, “Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God.”

This is just a play on words in order to justify your own desire to use musical instruments. You know this verse has nothing to do with us praising God. You are deceiving so many people with this philosophy.

Your comment: “Were instruments used in the temple David built for God to honor and worship him?”

Yes they were, and here is the Old Testament commandment for it.

2 Chronicles 29:25 “And he set the Levites in the house of the LORD with cymbals, with psalteries, and with harps, according to the commandment of David, and of Gad the king's seer, and Nathan the prophet: for so was the commandment of the LORD by his prophets.”

We are not under the Old Law and if we were we would need someone from the family of Levites to play the instruments.

Read what has happen to the Old Testament laws. “decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away”

Hebrews 8:13 “In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.”

Your comment: “Is God not the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow?”

Once again!

Matthew 22:29 “Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God.”

This is another deceiving remark trying to make laws from the Old Testament justify your philosophy on using musical instrument. Yes, God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow, but as I just pointed out, Gods law has changed. The old law has vanished away. Do you offer animal blood sacrifices as God once required?

Your comment: “Is it your position that instruments used in worship to the Lord is a sin?”

Let me ask you, is it your position that not using instruments in worship to the Lord is a sin?”

If your definition of psalms is “play an instrument”, then you would have to answer yes, not using a musical instrument is a sin. The command is “in psalms and hymns” both. Greek word for "and" is kai kai kahee meaning also. If your definition of psalms is “play an instrument”, then we could not sing without an instrument. This would put a great burden on us if we had to use an instrument every time we sang. Paul who while in prison, where no musical instruments were available, sang praises to God. 

Acts 16:25 “And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.”

Now was Paul sinning or do you think you might be wrong?  The command psalms and hymns means you cannot have it both ways. God did not give us an incomplete bible which would leave us with such a burden. There are no examples in the New Testament where musical instruments were used in praising God. The bible will interpret itself. Given that God used the word "AND" add that to Him giving us examples of not using instruments, equals psalms not meaning musical instruments. Did the apostle carry musical instruments around with them when they traveled to start new churches? 

To answer your question:

Yes it is a sin, anytime you add to or go beyond the law it is a sin. That’s the definition of sin.

1 John 3:4 “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.”

I hope you can accept this truth that has been taught to you and search the scriptures to find whether or not it is correct. 

Thank you for your comments.

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