Church music

Music 

====Use of Instruments==== 

Q: Christians claim to hold to the regulative principle yet many use instruments in worship, is this not a contradiction?


A:  The Bible both prescriptively and descriptively speaks of using instruments in worship, which would mean instruments are covered under the Regulative Principle.

Is Psalm 150 not just as authoritative as any verse in the NT?

Are you implying if it isn’t in the NT explicitly then it can be dismissed and ignored.

Are we not to whatsoever we desire to the glory of God? I believe this would include using instruments in worship?  And technical even our voices are instruments. 😊

It may not be explicitly expressed in the New Testament, but it is nevertheless implied, in Scripture and this does not diminish it or give us reason to dismiss it.

The Old Testament is Scripture and it has just as much authority as the New Testament ! It is where God early on prescribed creating and gifting folk with instrument designing & playing abilities...and gifted voices, to make music to glorify God.

Even then, when Paul tells the church to sing Psalms, he doesn't say "but make sure you skip the ones that call for instruments because God doesn't like them anymore". 🙃😆

Worship with instruments is pleasing to the Lord in the OT and because there is no explicit statement changing that, then it stands to reason that instruments in worship are still acceptable in worship. And if they were holy to begin with and glorified God in the OT ...it would still be clearly valid for NT Christians then and now. 

It was likely a matter of money as to whether churches had money to do that, or were underground. Church plants today even start out with just vocals until they can afford or find believers to serve in music ministry. 

====on Music styles====

Q: Is loud concert type instruments and music appropriate in corporate congregational gatherings? Like on Sunday...

A: While the questionoblver Loud concert type music vs theologically sound hymns with appropriate music, are secondary or tertiary, we do need to think it through and have a focus of unity and glorifying God. The question is, does loud concert like kind? 

A church that has gravitate to rock concert style music and instruments can be problematic. It started as a way to draw in unsaved folk, into the church that's meant for the saved. So that was wrong to start with. The church should go into the world, share the Gospel, and add to the church the ones who turned to Jesus for salvation. Not bring in the goats to mingle with the sheep. It's like the 80s version of luring folk into church with a donut. It's ridiculous. On top of that, the songs arent theologically sound, not teaching deep truths, but are lulingly repetative & short, and mostly void of glorifying God. Plus, it only reaches and retains a certian demographic: young people. The church is to be for all ages. A baby, a 60 or 90 year old couldn't attend worship at that church because it will make the child deaf for life, or hurt the ears of the older folk, esp those with hearing disabilities, or hearing aids (at any age). Your church would be excluding those folk, or harming them, and tbh causing all the young folk ear damage that will eventually cause them to go deaf earlier in life than at an elderly age. And it isnt taking into consideration those with Autism who have light and sound sensitivity, or those who have epilepsy. 

Such music styles are not inclusive for all believers and prevents all ages of believers in the neighborhood and surrounding community from going to your church. That's not loving. That's not loving your neighbor nor loving others as God wants us to. It's excluding, and even age discriminating. 

Most of the musicians & singers of the concert variety were hired to play on Sunday in such churches, they dont volunteer and sinply serve using their gift in the church, and are typically money and fame seekers, not God glorifiers. They steal God's glory, and get applauses. 

This youth driven music-focused church movement might even be done on purpose by bad churches' leadership to get the more money from the working young folk knowing they'd only get pennies from pensioners. 

There's always something nefarious in the reasoning for moving from hymns (with piano or an small orchestra) to concert type instruments & music during the worship service (playing on emotions). It's very different if there was a concert event out on in the church field for evangelistic purposes, but it has no good purpose being in the church on Sunday when the whole congregation gathers.