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Can we
use musical instruments in the church?
Some
churches deny the use of musical instruments in their churches
because they do not seem them clearly used in the New Testament.
Therefore, many ask if it is okay to use musical instruments in
worship. The answer is best given by scripture:
"Let the word of Christ
richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one
another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with
thankfulness in your hearts to God," (Col. 3:16). Also,
"And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be
filled with the Spirit, 19speaking to one another in
psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with
your heart to the Lord," (Eph. 5:18).
We are
commanded by the Lord to receive teaching and admonish each other with
psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing to God. Singing to God
is definitely worship and this is done in churches. Therefore, we
are commanded to do this with psalm, hymns, and spiritual songs.
In particular, the Psalms contain instructions that we
worship the Lord with musical instruments:
- The introduction of
Psalm 6, which
is part of scripture, not an addition by commentators, says, "For
the choir director; with stringed instruments, upon an eight-string
lyre, A Psalm of David."
-
Psalm 33:2, "Give thanks to the Lord with the lyre; sing praises to Him
with a harp of ten strings."
-
Psalm 71:22, "I will also praise Thee with a harp, even Thy truth, O my
God; to Thee I will sing praises with the lyre, O Thou Holy One of
Israel."
-
Psalm 81:1, "Sing for joy to God our strength;
shout joyfully to the God of Jacob. 2Raise a song, strike the timbrel,
the sweet sounding lyre with the harp. 3Blow the trumpet at the new moon,
at the full moon, on our feast day."
-
Psalm 92:1-4, "It is good to
give thanks to the Lord, and to sing praises to Thy name, O Most
High; 2To declare Thy lovingkindness in the morning, and
Thy faithfulness by night, 3With the ten-stringed lute,
and with the harp; with resounding music upon the lyre. 4For
Thou, O Lord, hast made me glad by what Thou hast done, I will sing
for joy at the works of Thy hands."
-
Psalm 98:5, "Sing praises to
the Lord with the lyre; with the lyre and the sound of melody.
6With trumpets and the sound of the horn. Shout joyfully
before the King, the Lord."
Furthermore, in Eph 5:19, the phrase
"making melody" is the Greek word, psallo which means, "1) to pluck off, pull out, 2)
to cause to vibrate by touching, to twang, 2a) to touch or strike
the chord, to twang the strings of a musical instrument so that they
gently vibrate, 2b) to play on a stringed instrument, to play, the
harp, etc. 2c) to sing to the music of the harp
2d) in the NT to sing a hymn, to celebrate the praises of God in
song."1 We can see that the making
melody to the Lord involves the use of musical instruments.
Therefore, we are free to use musical instruments in
the church in our worship to the Lord.
_____________________
1. Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon, (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos
Research Systems, Inc.) 1995.
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