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Doctrinal Discussions:
Some Questionable Doctrines
These studies examine the traditional doctrines held by the Church of Christ to see if they are actually taught in the scriptures. This is not an "anti-Church of Christ" site. I was reared in the Church of Christ and have been preaching since 1968 in the Church of Christ. My desire is that we walk righteously before God, not according to traditions of men. Bernie Parsons
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On Music, Worship, and the Temple
by Bernie Parsons
May 08, 2007
Among those who profess Christianity are many who engage in what they call “worship service”, to which, in these days, has been added something called “praise service”. Neither of these terms is scriptural, and I deconstruct the concept of worship service in several of my writings.
In these so-called worship and praise services, it is common practice to use an organ, a piano, or in these days, even guitars, drums, and a full rock-style band. Historically, the use of organs in the Roman Catholic church seems to have paved the way for subsequent use of instruments of music in worship service.
In the Churches of Christ, singing is done a capella, or without accompanying musical instruments. The use of musical instruments was one of the reasons that the churches of Christ split from the disciples of Christ in 1906.
Leaders in the Church of Christ in its formative days decided that, since no mention was found of the first-century Christians using musical instruments in their gatherings, that it is improper to use them now.
Those in favor of using the musical instruments point to the fact that the Israelites used musical instruments in their gatherings at the temple. They further point out that the book of Revelation speaks of harps in heaven.
1 Chronicles 15:16: “And David spake to the chief of the Levites to appoint their brethren to be the singers with instruments of musick, psalteries and harps and cymbals, sounding, by lifting up the voice with joy.”
1 Chronicles 16:41: “And with them Heman and Jeduthun, and the rest that were chosen, who were expressed by name, to give thanks to the LORD, because his mercy endureth for ever;
42: And with them Heman and Jeduthun with trumpets and cymbals for those that should make a sound, and with musical instruments of God. And the sons of Jeduthun were porters.”
2 Chronicles 5:13: “It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of musick, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the LORD;”
2 Samuel 6:5: “And David and all the house of Israel played before the LORD on all manner of instruments made of fir wood, even on harps, and on psalteries, and on timbrels, and on cornets, and on cymbals.”
Revelation 14:2: “And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps:”
Those opposed to musical instruments in the assemblies say that Moses received no commandment from God to appoint musicians in the temple gatherings, but that David first introduced musical instruments to the temple worship. They say that God condemned the use of musical instruments by the Israelites, and that the harps in Revelation are figurative. At best, even if there are harps in heaven, that still leaves us with no example of them being used in the early church.
Amos 6:1: “Woe to them that are at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountain of Samaria, which are named chief of the nations, to whom the house of Israel came!”
Amos 6:5: “That chant to the sound of the viol, and invent to themselves instruments of musick, like David;”
In context, this is not a condemnation of David and his musical instruments. The condemnation is to those were proud of their accomplishments. They ate richly, and took their ease, but righteousness was not among them. They took credit for what they enjoyed, rather than acknowledging that God had given it to them. They fancied themselves to be like righteous David. God announced that He would bring their enemies upon them, to destroy them. Read the entire chapter 6 of Amos to see that this is so.
They further maintain that there are “commandments” in the New Testament writings to sing, but not to play on musical instruments. I should like to examine some of these arguments before explaining why both sides are not understanding the situation correctly.
1 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.”
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.”
First of all, let me point out that it was indeed David who first made use of musical instruments in the temple praise and worship. Therefore, before David, the temple gatherings had no musical instruments during their praise of God. However, before David’s time, we do see Miriam praising God by playing a timbrel (possibly a hand drum, or tambourine), while dancing and singing.
Exodus 15:20: “And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances.
21: And Miriam answered them, Sing ye to the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.”
Miriam, sister of the first high priest, Aaron, praised God with an instrument, with dancing, and with singing. David later appointed musicians to play along with the singers during their praise and worship.
Now let me point out that in 70 AD, God deliberately had the temple destroyed. Therefore, it is not wise to look to the tabernacle and temple worship and praise for our pattern. Instead, note that in the book of Hebrews, the writer points out that the old things associated with the temple were mere examples, shadows, figures, or patterns of the true things of heaven.
Hebrews 8:5: “Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount.”
Hebrews 9:23: “It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.”
Hebrews 9:8: “The Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing:
9: Which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience;
10: Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation.
11: But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building;”
Once the Jerusalem temple was destroyed, the age of the Jews came to a close. Jesus represents the true way, and not the shadow that was the old temple. With the temple destroyed, how are the people of God to praise and worship Him?
Sadly, the Roman Catholics have tried to create a “Christianized” version of the temple worship done by the Jews. They have their altar, their incense, their priests, and other trappings reminiscent of the ancient Jewish worship.
However, in Christ those things were done away.
Hebrews 8:6: “But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.
7: For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second.
8: For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah:
9: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord.
10: For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:
11: And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.
12: For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.
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.”
Colossians 2:14: “Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;”
Ephesians 2:13: “But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
14: For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;
15: Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;
16: And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:”
Romans 7:6: “But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.”
The Law of Moses is dead, fulfilled, completed, nailed to the cross, taken out of the way. We are delivered from that Law, and now we have the Law of God written upon the fleshly tables of our hearts. The old Law was written on stones, the new on our hearts.
Deuteronomy 4:13: “And he declared unto you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, even ten commandments; and he wrote them upon two tables of stone.”
Hebrews 8:10: “For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:”
Hebrews 10:16: “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;”
2 Corinthians 3:3: “Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.”
We are the temple of God!
1 Corinthians 3:16: “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?”
2 Corinthians 6:16: “And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.”
We are the living temple of God—each Christian is a living stone in the house of God!
1 Peter 2:5: “Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.”
1 Peter 2:9: “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:”
Let us think upon this marvelous revelation! We are the temple of God. Those things that were accomplished in the ancient tabernacle, and later the temple, of the Jews are now accomplished in us! There is no imitative “worship service”, for we truly worship God from within our body—our temple—all the time! We are in a constant state of worship. We also serve God in the body all the time! We are in a constant state of service. Therefore, we are in “worship service” from within our temple—our bodies—at all times!
Like the ancient priests petitioned God from before the mercy seat in the tabernacle, and later, the temple, so we, as priests, now petition God from within our own temples!
Hebrews 4:16: “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”
Jesus is our High Priest, as was Aaron to the Israelites, and we are His priests, as were the sons of Aaron to the Israelites of old.
Leviticus 21:10: “And he that is the high priest among his brethren, upon whose head the anointing oil was poured, and that is consecrated to put on the garments, shall not uncover his head, nor rend his clothes;”
Exodus 28:1: “And take thou unto thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office, even Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron's sons.”
Hebrews 4:14: “Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.”
The Lord dwelt with the ancient Israelites at the Mercy Seat.
Exodus 25:22: “And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.”
Leviticus 16:2: “And the LORD said unto Moses, Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy place within the vail before the mercy seat, which is upon the ark; that he die not: for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat.”
2 Chronicles 5:12: “Also the Levites which were the singers, all of them of Asaph, of Heman, of Jeduthun, with their sons and their brethren, being arrayed in white linen, having cymbals and psalteries and harps, stood at the east end of the altar, and with them an hundred and twenty priests sounding with trumpets:)
13: It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of musick, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the LORD;
14: So that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of God.”
Exodus 29:45: “And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will be their God.”
1 Kings 6:13: “And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will not forsake my people Israel.”
With the arrival of Jesus as the prophesied Christ, or Messiah, the true form of worship was revealed. The temple in Jerusalem was going away, but worship would continue.
Matthew 24:1: “And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple.
2: And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.”
John 4:21: “Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.
22: Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.
23: But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
24: God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”
Jesus said that the temple would be done away with, and worship would no longer take place there. Instead, He said that God seeks worship in spirit and in truth. Where can one worship in spirit and truth? Within one’s own body, which is his temple!
God meets with us within our own bodies, our temples, just as He met with the ancient Israelites in the tabernacle, and later, the temple.
2 Corinthians 6:16: “And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.”
Revelation 21:3: “And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.”
In the ancient tabernacle and temple were offerings brought.
Exodus 20:24: “An altar of earth thou shalt make unto me, and shalt sacrifice thereon thy burnt offerings, and thy peace offerings, thy sheep, and thine oxen: in all places where I record my name I will come unto thee, and I will bless thee.”
We are now commanded to give ourselves as a sacrifice, as Christ gave Himself.
Hebrews 10:10: “By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”
1 Peter 2:5: “Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.”
1 Corinthians 6:19: “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
20: For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.”
Romans 12:1: “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”
I could go on, but the point is made several times over. Our bodies replace the ancient tabernacle and temple.
This brings me to the subject at hand, which is music in worship.
I have already established without question that our bodies are temples, or places of worship. Like the tent, or tabernacle of old, we take our temple, or tabernacle, wherever we go in this life.
2 Corinthians 5:1: “For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.”
2 Corinthians 5:4: “For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.”
We worship God constantly, twenty-four hours a day, day in and day out. We serve God constantly, all day long, every day of the year. We do this from within our bodies. We meet with God within, and His Holy Spirit lives within us.
The ancient worship of the Israelites included music. They sang songs of praise, hymns to God.
Exodus 15:1: “Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the LORD, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.”
Exodus 15:21: “And Miriam answered them, Sing ye to the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.”
Psalms 27:6: “And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the LORD.”
Should we sing to God in our time, from within our temple?
Acts 16:25: “And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.”
1 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.”
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.”
James 5:13: “Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms.”
As Christians, we sing to comfort, admonish, and teach our brothers and sisters. We also sing to God when we are happy, praising His power and might.
What portable instrument do we possess, that is within our temple, or the tabernacle, of our bodies? It is our vocal apparatus! It is that musical instrument that is with us wherever we go in this world!
There is therefore no need for us to drag along an organ, a piano, a guitar, or a set of drums! We worship God in spirit and in truth, from our bodies, with our vocal chords. We are the temple of God. From within we can do anything that the ancient priests of Israel were able to do!
What better instrument with which to praise God, than the one that He made, and not one made by man! We praise Him on the instrument that He created, not one that we create.
Finally, let me say that good a capella singing is the most beautiful music that there is. It can make the hair stand up on the back of your head! When several good voices blend on a good song, there is nothing more beautiful to the ear!
Love, in Christ,
Bernie Parsons
