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

COMMENT#5:

My daughter-in-law made the comment to me, that electricity wasn’t in the new testament either and that if Church of Christ didn’t use musical instruments because it wasn’t written in the bible then they shouldn’t use electricity while having their service as well.  By the way....she is Baptist.

CLARIFICATION#5:

Hi,

Many of my comments are the same as others I have replied to because, they are mostly the same. That being said,

Your daughter-in-law must understand the commandment giving us authority to allow expediencies (aids in which to fulfill a command).

1 Co 6:12  All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.

1 Co 10:23  All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.

This gives us authority to use an expedient, but it must only be used to help fulfill a command and it must be lawful first, this means not to add or remove from the command. To add another sound, other than singing is going beyond the command and is not an acceptable expedient. The song leader is an acceptable expedient so long as he is leading the congregation in singing and not singing a solo.

Ephesians 5:19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;

Colossians 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.

The pitch finder, not used by many and not at all in the church I attend, but as you described it is “before they sing” and is not adding to the singing. This is used to help the song leader who is helping us all to keep the singing in a descent order

1 Co 14:40 Let all things be done decently and in order.

The electricity is not only required by mans law in order to have a building, it also helps us to fulfill a command which require us to see (read, sing, partake the Lord supper, etc.) Speaking of having a building this is an expedient for us to come together and this is why we don’t have bingos, pot luck dinners, birthday parties, etc., which is accepted by most denominations which do not know how to interpret Gods word in allowing an expedient. Not only do we have a command explaining the rules for expedient, we also have examples. We us a microphone to make hearing a sermon possible. I think it falls in the same category as sitting on a rock or climbing up a tree as Zacchaeus did.

Luke 19:4  And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way. Christ once used a ship as an aid when speaking to a crowd.

Matthew 13:2  And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.

The next thing your daughter-in-law must understand is the different between general and specific commands. God commanded Noah to build the ark of gopher wood. By specifying “Gopher” God eliminated all other kinds of wood  Gen. 6:14  Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch. God’s command to sing excludes any other kind of music. There are only two kinds of music, vocal and instrumental. God has specified vocal. God Specified making melody in the heart.   Ephesians 5:19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; The next thing your daughter-in-law must understand is to respect the silence of the scriptures. Here is an examples of how we respect the silence of the scriptures, “Mom sends me to the store to buy milk & eggs. I come home with milk, eggs, and candy. You did not tell me not to buy candy, I did not have to because I specifically told you to buy milk & eggs.” When God specifies a thing like singing there is no need for Him to say, “Now do not use the instruments".

I hope this is helpful to you

Thank you for your comments.

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