The word "instrument" has its root in the word "instruct." 1 Corinthians 4:15 (book, chapter, and verse) declares: "For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel."

Simply put: An instrument implements an instruction.

Thanks for the informative article and your attention,

DM

DM

If you TRULY mean to worship/ praise God with whatever you do, no one can justly argue that your actions are sinful. I believe that if the worship is fulfilling, you're going in the right direction, so to say.

He names speakers, singers and instrument players.

He says tha they are NOTHING MORE than rhetorical and musical performer which was a MARK that they came to listen but would not obey and ran out to make another buck.

Because the SPEAK word identifies "that which is written" the Spirit or word of Christ (John 663) or the Word of Christ, and SPEAK is the opposite of poetry or music, anything that attemts to AID God is defined as hypocritical: by absolute definition a hypocrite is a "rhetorician, singers, dancer, instrument player" and John called them SORCERERS. ALL of the singing terms (meaning of A BURDEN) in our style was callled ENCHANTMENT or SORCERY.

It still works, huh?

The Bible is NOT metrical: indeed, when the Spirit delivers words it is WITHOUT METER as the word most often means. That this is corrrect, you could not SING the commanded Biblical Text (Only) if your life depended on it. The Catholics chanted or cantillated the commanded BIBLICAL TEXT which agrees with Paul's command to SPEAK where speak is defined as the opposite of poerty or music. Only myth writers were permitted to write poetry or songs but never TRUE HISTORY. Myth and music derive from mystery meaning to "silence the voice of the victime." That is what musid INTENDS to do and DOES very well.

The Catholics never used the organ to accompany congregational singing. Organs were not introduced by the Catholics but rich patrons who used them for composing: they played before the MASS, during intercessionals and AFTER mass as recessionals.

To prove that when John Calvin and the Reformation came on the scene you COULD NOT sing the Psalms. Because people enjoyed the musical concerts they wanted to sing the Psalms. They had to be radically recomposed before they could be sung. Then in UNISION which is the direct command to use "one mind and one mouth." When very simple harmony was added it was nothing like the mind destroying complex harmony especially by the FALSETTO "worship teams" (a blasphemy word).

The churches belonged to the state and gradually the instruments were removed because the public performances DESTROYED any ability to teach the Word and observe the Lord's Supper (that defines church). If you want to understand Calvin you have to search through His sermons and commentaries. I have posted a few to PROVE that John Calvin rejected instruments as destructive to spiritual worship. Only when the Scotish State presbyterian church imitated the Church of Engand did they SOW DISCORD by introducing instrument.

1. ONE of what became the Disciples approved of instruments.
2. None of what became the Christian Church (c 1927-1971) approved of instruments.
3. None of what became the Church of Christ approved of instruments.
4. None of the American Presbyterians approved of instruments.
5. None of the Baptists appoved of instuments before the 20th Cent.
Only rarely did the Black Methodist use instruments BECAUSE the preacher discovered that it was a cash cow to a broke and divided congregation.
They ALL repudiated them because they were NOT EXPEDIENT (ie divisive) or would VIOLATE the direct commands of the Bible.

Full carpet bags brought on a building-organ race among the Northern churches and split THEM. Both Campbell and Stone deny that the radically different groups were UNIONED by the 1932 handshake.

I will not SPOOK you but it is FALSE that the instrumentalists pile up historical scholars to PROVE that they approved instruments. However, they treat church history with the same "narrative theology" as they treat the Bible. In postmodernism it is not lying if you "gonna save more souls."

Now that you are PERMITTED to read history it is almost assuredly a MYTHOLOGICAL version to keep the audience in check and still supplying fleece, flesh and bonens to craunch.

Because I haven't found a modern "scholar" who does not rest on other scholars and almost never the original writers, if you DO begin to read church history you will find that they ALL were Bible literate and knew that as "school of Christ" was totally impossible if accompanied by the "lust of the eyes, the lust of the ears and the lust of the flesh." So, your task, if you choose to take it, is to go diligently seek any church history which tries to PROVE that music of any kind is not NOT destructive making being a STUDENT impossible. While there you might try to find any Bible which does not have Satan (Luciffer etal) as the SOURCE of singing with instruments to silence the Word, to warriors doing the PRAISE word threatening sexual abuse to the enemy, to sacrificial systems called NOISE and identified as SORCERY or EXORCISM, to prostitutes or Sodomites right there in and around the Jerusalem Temple at a Jebusite High placec called SODOM.
http://www.piney.com/MuJohnCalvin.html

If you choose to do so you can find many good programs–beyond the sacred clergy pages–which shows you how words were USED (not defined) which will link you to the ancient literature where you can see how the word was used. There you will find that PSALLO is never used to define MELODY which even so is "a series of single tones" and had then no tuneful content. You will find that like the PSALMS it was primarily a warfare form of spooking the enemy, always attached to Apollo (Abaddon, Apollyon) and his musical worship team or MUSES which John defines as SORCERERS.

If the modern spawn has to twist but cannot find more than 0% against the 100% opposed why would you not recognize that as lying wonders which defines the HYPOCRITIC arts and crafts which Christ in Spirit identified as rhetoricians, singers and instrument players.

If you aren't ready to stop sermonizing and versifying and become a SEEKER of the word, this tape MAY destruct quickly.

It is interesting that Churches of Christ would appeal to a historical argument though considering their contempt and almost total disregard for it. The question must be raised "Why?" Why completely disregard church history with this exception. I believe the reason is to uphold this distinctive of a capella singing that we believe makes us above superior to other Christians but makes us the one and only true sect of Christians. The other purpose is to keep people in line and to keep them from dare questioning the issue.

I believe the impression we're supposed to get when we hear that John Calvin, Luther, Spurgeon, the Wesleys, etc. were opposed to instrumental music is that if these hell bound pseudo-Christians were opposed to it, how much worse will it be for you who are of the "one true church."

Neither a capella or accompaniment is anything, but a new creation is everything. If you love and serve God with all of your heart and soul, if you love mercy and are merciful, and trust in Jesus and His merit and righteousness and not your own, you are saved. If you do believe that a capella gives you some kind of special favor with God, if you believe that a capella is a condition of salvation, you believe in a merit-works based salvation and you need to repent. Having grown up CofC, I can say for sure there are many who "honor" God with their lips, but their hearts are far from Him.

The word PSALLO has absolutely no musical meaning: Psallo and the Hebrew equivalents mean to PLUCK and nothing more. Psallo means to PLUCK a STRING with the fingers and NOT with a plectrum. Therefore, Psallo EXCLUDES guitar picks, pianos, drums, cymbals or flutes.

There is no literature which uses PSALLO as "to play a harp." If you pluck the enemy's hair out it may go "twang" but twang doeth not music make.

1. The word is used PRIMARILY of plucking a BOW string which made a twanging sound to send a singing arrow into Apollo's enemies heart.
2. Secondly, it was used of a polluted red rope used to FORCE those who dallied around the musical girls in the marketplace and forc them to attend ekklesia. There they were marked as polluted, fined and NOT permitted to speak.
3. Thirdly, it is a metaphor for "shooting out a hymn" and plucking the "heart strings" is a common expression.
4. Fourth it is USED of singing or plucking a harp (nothing more). You must tell the reader WHAT is to be plucked. In all of the instrumentalist's proof text from secular literature always speaks of an older male plucing a harp to groom a young male whose hairs had been plucked.
In Colossians 3 the PARALLEL word is GRACE: both melody and grace were qualities of the spoken language.

The PSALLO word had warrior or polluted meanings in the Greek world and that is why the LXX used the word to translate MAKING WAR but never WORSHIP which for the spiritual thread was in the synagogue. Psalm was a word of the NOBILITY whom God had abandoned to worship the starry host. Furthermore, the direct command was to SPEAK the Psalms. Because the whole law period was a SHADOW or wholly erroneious system, the Psalms are now used to EDUCATE and ADMONISH and never used for worship. That is because the BOOK of psalms which has only 57 TRUE psalms (not instrumental) were called TEACHING psalms which covered lmuch of the PROSE history.

Psalmos also appears in the LXX as equivalent to the Hebrew word neginah. This Hebrew term is used to describe a wide variety of songs. Neginah is translated by psalmos in Lam 3:14 (song), in Lam 5:14 (music) and in Ps 69:12 (song). It is striking to observe that in the LXX translation of Lam 3:14 and Ps 69:12, psalmos, or its verbal form, is used for songs that are not only uninspired but are in fact the product of the wicked, even drunkards, who mocked God and His word. The Hebrew term neginah is used elsewhere in the Hebrew Scriptures of: the songs of the wicked, Job 30:9 (song); the inspired praise of God, Psalm 61 title (Neginah-a song performed on a stringed instrument); and the uninspired praise of the Lord composed by King Hezekiah, Is 38:20 (my songs).

For instance,

Lam. 3:12 He hath bent his bow, and set me as a mark for the arrow.
Lam. 3:13 He hath caused the arrows of his quiver to enter into my reins.

The PSALLO word is PRIMARILY of shooting literal bows to strike the heart and only as a metaphor to SHOOT someone with a song or love arrow.

Lam. 3:14 I was a derision to all my people; and their song all the day.

Derision includes laughter in merriment or defiance, mocked, sport: this is the RISING UP TO PLAY as the musical idolatry they began at Mount Sinai:

DERISION as David rose up to play:
7832. sachaq, saw-khak´; a primitive root; to laugh (in pleasure or detraction); by implication, to play:deride, have in derision, laugh, make merry, mock(-er), play, rejoice, (laugh to) scorn, be in (make) sport.

7833. shachaq, shaw-khak´; a primitive root; to comminate (by trituration or attrition):—beat, wear.
Same base as PSALLO.

Psomion (g5596) pso-mee'-on; dim. from a der. of the base of 5597; a crumb or morsel (as if rubbed off), i.e. a mouthful: – sop.

He then having received the sop went immediately out: and it was night John 13:30

Psocho (g5597) pso'-kho; prol. from the same base as 5567; to triturate, i.e. (by anal.) to rub out (kernels from husks with the fingers or hand): – rub.

SONG of DERISION is
5058. ngiynah, neg-ee-naw´; ngiynath (Psa. 61: title), neg-ee-nath´; from 5059; properly, instrumental music; by implication, a stringed instrument; by extension, a poem set to music; specifically, an epigram: stringed instrument, musick, Neginoth (plural), song.

Nagan (h5059) naw-gan'; a prim. root; prop. to thrum, i. e. beat a tune with the fingers; espec. to play on a stringed instrument; hence (gen.) to make music: – player on instruments, sing to the stringed instruments, melody, ministrel, play (-er, -ing..

Naga (h5060) naw-gah'; a prim. root; prop. to touch, i. e. lay the hand upon (for any purpose; euphem., to lie with a woman); by impl. to reach (fig. to arrive, acquire); violently, to strike (punish, defeat, destroy, etc.): – beat, (* be able to) bring (down), cast, come (nigh), draw near (nigh), get up, happen, join, near, plague, reach (up), smite, strike, touch.

And it shall come to pass in that day, that Tyre shall be forgotten seventy years, according to the days of one king: after the end of seventy years shall Tyre sing as an harlot. Isa 23:15

And, lo, thou art unto them as a very lovely [erotic praise song] song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument: for they hear thy words, but they do them not. Eze.33:32

Just a note to say you have a brand new fan. Someone brought your site up on my forum and I can't stop reading. I love the way you think and communicate,

Lee

A response to Wayne Jackson
I have read your article “What is A Cappella Music”. You quote “renowned” uninspired sources, even those you consider to be apostates and denominationalist false teachers, to establish historical fact from which you draw a spiritual conclusion. The word A Cappella has no Biblical authority. The absence of instruments in early congregational worship does not prove that early Christians considered them to be a salvation issue. They were no issue at all. They were not even an issue for the circumcision party for the synagogue did not use them. Paul does not even mention them in Romans 14. The great men you quote, did they believe instrumental music in worship to be a salvation issue? I personally agree with C. S. Lewis. I do not use them "in church" and I do not intend to use them "in church". But, is God the one who has made instrumental music a salvation issue? That is the question!
Obviously, there will be people in Heaven who used instruments in approved Temple worship. Concerning Hezekiah we read, “He stationed the Levites in the temple of the LORD with cymbals, harps and lyres in the way prescribed by David and Gad the king's seer and Nathan the prophet; this was commanded by the LORD through his prophets….”(2 Chron 29:25-26, NIV). I noticed that you failed to include this verse in your article, “Amos, David and Instruments of Music” and you also suggested that David’s instruments were not God’s instruments. I sure this verse will clear up the confusion. Hezekiah restored God’s worship.
Also, in the Revelation the Lord gives the great apostle John the metaphor of harps or stringed instruments to represent the worship of the 144,000 in Heaven. “They held harps given them by God and sang the song of Moses the servant of God and the song of the Lamb (Rev 15:2-3, NIV)”. It seems to me very doubtful that God would use as a symbol for the worship of the church of Christ in Heaven a carnal sin that if literally practiced by the church of Christ on earth would condemn it to Hell. Your opinion seems to be that in the book of Revelation God uses a present day unapproved carnal evil rebellious sinful act of will worship to represent the approved celestial worship of the redeemed. In one article you call incense carnal. I wish you would abstain from accusing God of using carnal sin to symbolize the worship of victorious saints.
The New Testament is not silent about instruments. The undefiled redeemed are pictured with God's harps in their hands! Is God playing games with us? Honestly my brother, would you object to the words of a beautiful song, if it said, “In Heaven they sing a new song and have the harps of God in their hands”? I question that such a song would live long in many of our brotherhood congregations for I believe it would soon be damned as a liberal corrupting influence that would soon lead to false worship. Pretty soon you will accuse Jesus of being liberal with His symbols.
Sandwiched in between Calvary and Heaven you exegete an interim in which instruments are an abomination to God equal to the rape of innocents. I can imagine a believing baptized virgin little ole lady burning in Hell. She turns to a man who has just hailed her. He asks with great curiosity, "Why are you here"? "What is your work of iniquity?" She replies, shaking with the torment of separation from God, "I sang gospel songs with the piano". Quickly she responds with the same inquiry. He replies, "I am Joseph Stalin"! "I murdered 40 million people!" Oh well, maybe you think she will be damned at a cooler level.
I really do not personally know anyone who teaches that the use of instrumental music in worship is a salvation requirement, but if so that would be parallel to Matthew 15:8-9. In fact, to even make instrumental music a salvation issue is parallel to Matthew 15:8-9. Jesus did not object to the washing of hands before meals. However, He did object to it being imposed as a salvation issue.
When God uses His harps as a divine metaphor of heavenly worship it sure creates serious doubt in my mind that in earthly worship they are a stinking abomination to Him. I am sure that if you were called to serve on a jury trying a capital case, you would want to hear evidence that would take you beyond a reasonable doubt before you would consent to convict. Are you convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that God is the one who has made instrumental music a salvation issue?
Quit all this damning! How do you know Nadab and Abihu are condemned to burn in torment? Do you have any Biblical evidence that Uzzah is eternally lost? My dear brother, I can hear Jesus say, “He that believeth not is damned”. I can not put “He that plays and sings is damned” in His quotation marks; only yours!