A Debate on Instrumental Music, Part 3

Messrs. AC and IM meet for lunch a third time to finish up their discussion.

AC: I took good notes last time. At least I thought I did. I made an appointment with my preacher to discuss these thoughts, and I got nowhere. I mean, as soon as I mentioned the Holy Spirit, things just went downhill. [AC looks despondent.]

IM: You know, the Spirit is a big part of Christianity. The New Testament says a lot on the subject. The Old Testament prophesies the coming of the Spirit when the Messiah comes. It’s big.

And if you get this doctrine completely wrong, lots of other doctrines aren’t going to make any sense. It all fits together.

But you’ll be pleased to know that the Spirit is not a big part of today’s conversation. Rather, I’d prefer to talk about 1 Corinthians 14. I think even your preacher would follow this one!

AC: You’re kidding! That chapter is all about the Spirit–tongues and stuff like that! If you don’t speak in tongues–like you said–then what does that chapter have to do with worship?

IM: Everything. I think 1 Corinthians 14 has the double distinction of being both the most important and most ignored passage on the worship question.

AC: Really? How could a passage dealing with obsolete gifts, like tongues and prophecy, matter today?

IM: Well, you have to consider how Paul answered the questions put to him.

He was asked whether it was permissible for the church to speak in tongues or to prophesy during the assembly. In our terms, he was asked whether these “acts of worship” were “authorized.”

Ask that question today, and you’ll be told to consider whether the act is one of 5 authorized acts of worship. If it’s not, it’s not authorized–unless it’s an aid or expedient which does not itself constitute an act of worship.

Questions of silence and early church history are considered. Ultimately, we ask, is this how God wants to be worshipped as shown by his authorizations in the form of commands, examples, or necessary inferences?

What did Paul ask?

AC: I think I see where you’re headed. Paul could have said, “Tongues aren’t one of the five authorized acts and so tongues is unauthorized and sin.” But Paul didn’t do that!

IM: Absolutely. Consider Paul’s analysis–

(1 Cor. 14:3-5) But everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort. 4 He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church. 5 I would like every one of you to speak in tongues, but I would rather have you prophesy. He who prophesies is greater than one who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets, so that the church may be edified.

In v. 3, Paul approves prophecy because its “strengthening, encouragement and comfort.”

In v. 4, Paul tests tongues and prophecy based on which one edifies (builds up) the church. V. 5 has the same test.

Notice this. Paul does not ask what God wants. He asks what builds up the church! Obviously, what God wants is an edified church!

Now, consider these verses–

(1 Cor. 14:26-31) What then shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church. 27 If anyone speaks in a tongue, two–or at the most three–should speak, one at a time, and someone must interpret. 28 If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and God. 29 Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said. 30 And if a revelation comes to someone who is sitting down, the first speaker should stop. 31 For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged.

Even though tongues, in general, don’t edify, they are permitted if the church handles them in a way that does edify! Even though prophecy edifies, it’s only permitted if handled in an edifying way! Even gifts that by their nature edify can be used so poorly that they discourage or confuse! (And I think we’ve both been to churches where this was a problem!)

AC: So the act of worship is neither inherently authorized or unauthorized. Rather, any act is permitted if its handled in an edifying way?

IM: Exactly. Nowhere does Paul check the proposals against the 5 acts of worship. He never asks about aid versus additions. He never even considers authorization.

Indeed, he says in v. 26 that hymns, instruction, revelations, tongues, and interpretations must all pass the same test: is the church strengthened? If yes, they’re authorized. If no, they’re not.

In some churches, tongues would not be permitted because no interpreter would be present. The rule is pragmatic. There isn’t some Great Rule Book in the Sky that says this is good; this is bad. Rather, God loves his children. He knows they need edification, encouragement, comfort, and strength–and he permits those things that do this.

I should add, Paul also insists that services be “seeker friendly.”

(1 Cor. 14:23-25) So if the whole church comes together and everyone speaks in tongues, and some who do not understand or some unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are out of your mind? 24 But if an unbeliever or someone who does not understand comes in while everybody is prophesying, he will be convinced by all that he is a sinner and will be judged by all, 25 and the secrets of his heart will be laid bare. So he will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, “God is really among you!”

Even if the Christians can agree that a given practice encourages them, if the practice seems strange and crazy to a visitor, the practice is to be discouraged (so much for Stamps-Baxter!). Rather, the service–although aimed at edifying the members–must be sensitive to visitors. This means really bad music has to go, even if it reminds you of your grandmother’s home cooking. It’s not just for you.

AC: I was with you until you got to the Stamps-Baxter part. I really love my Stamps-Baxter!

IM: Oh, please! You’re in an urban church with urban visitors who think that music is awful. They really do think you’re out of your minds to sing that stuff. Save it for Sunday nights!

AC: Enough said. Are we done? Do I need to order dessert?

IM: Absolutely. Especially since you’re paying!

Look at Hebrews 10:24-25, which is another passage specifically about Christian worship.

(Heb. 10:24-25) And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. 25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another–and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Why is it important that we assemble? Just because God commands it? No, because the Christian walk is hard, it’s easy to fall away, and we need each other’s encouragement. After all, v. 26 ff is a warning against falling away.

So what is it we are to get out of church?

AC: This is too easy. We should be encouraged. (I really need to tell my preacher that. He preaches some of the most discouraging sermons …

IM: No. Read it again. “Let us encourage …” The verb is active, not passive. Our role in the assembly is to encourage others–especially toward love and good deeds.

Is that how you all conduct your services?

AC: To be honest, no. Well, except for the singing, which is where we do speak to one another with encouraging words.

IM: That’s right, but I’d bet a lot of encouragement goes on before and after services. I mean, when do you invite people who are new to the church to lunch? Or get volunteers to teach? Or console those who’ve lost loved ones?

AC: Well, that’s right. I guess we have more “acts of worship” between class and worship than during worship!

IM: Now, you’re getting it. In fact, properly done, announcements are at the core of the assembly!

AC: Oh, don’t be ridiculous. They are so tedious!

IM: But aren’t they encouragements to love and good works? Don’t they include messages about who is in the hospital or had a baby or jobs that need to be filled? Or maybe they are celebrations about someone’s work in the church or an anniversary. It’s all encouragement!

AC: I just wish they’d print it in the bulletin.

IM: God just wants his children encouraged. He doesn’t care if it’s in print or from the pulpit, right?

AC: Right.

IM: But notice this: this central aspect of the assembly even isn’t one of the authorized 5 acts of worship! We seem to have missed at least one!

AC: [laughs] You got me there. It says for the members to encourage at the assembly, and that’s not on the list. I wonder how we missed that?

IM: We’ve missed a lot. In the church I grew up in, we baptized, took confessions of sin, placed membership, asked for prayers, confessed faith in Jesus, made announcements, shook hands … just lots and lots of things not listed in the 5 acts.

AC: I’d never thought about that! But you’re right. And now that you mention it, we could perfectly well wait until after the service to do most of this–maybe all of it–but that would seem so formalistic and all. I mean, if someone wants to be baptized, surely that’s an authorized act!

IM: So, I think you’re beginning to see how far removed Church of Christ worship theology is from Biblical instruction.

The apostles never argue along the lines we do. We rarely argue along the lines they do. It’s as though our entire system of thought were imported from some foreign source! This 5 acts of worship thinking is completely foreign to scripture.

I’ve not tried to cover every single argument made on instrumental music. But the big picture pretty much tells us which way this has to turn out. The test is edification and encouragement, based on pragmatic considerations and how visitors might react–not some pre-approved checklist in the sky.

This leaves the church’s leadership with considerable discretion. You can fail to encourage sticking strictly with the 5 acts. Or you can encourage with something not on the list. Or vice versa.

This hardly means that anything goes! It has to be in spirit and in truth–rooted in the gospel and cooperative with the Spirit’s work. To truly build up the church, it must be true to God’s word.

Beyond that, I just don’t see many rules!

AC: As promised, I’m picking up the tab.

I wasn’t so sure about some of that stuff you started with. I don’t think God really commands instrumental music. I see the arguments, but I’m not persuaded.

IM: Ok. They were stalking horses. They aren’t totally without merit. I do think they show how silly it is to declare instruments sin. I mean, I just wanted to prove that a clever debater can “prove” anything!

But the true test is found in what we studied later. And that’s the only way to protect yourself from too-clever debaters. Stick with the big picture. Consider the larger principles. Don’t get swallowed by the details.

Instruments can be done well or poorly. Instruments can distract from the worship or deepen and improve it. Instruments can appeal to visitors or run them off.

But all this is equally true of a cappella singing! God just wants his children helped.

You see, God isn’t a stern proctor in the sky, looking to see if we’ve messed up and cheated on our tests. He’s a loving Father who wants what’s best for us.

God doesn’t need our worship. He is entirely self-sufficient. He does deserve our worship. But God isn’t up there demanding that we meet his deeply hidden secret rules. He just wants us to be encouraged and edified by our worship.

He’s a giver of gifts, and worship is his gift to us, not the other way around. As much as we try to give to God, he gives more back to us.

Finally, worship that’s coerced by commands and threats cannot be from the heart and so cannot please God! The only worship that pleases is worship that is prompted by genuine love and awe, not a spirit of rule keeping and fear.

And this is part of worshiping in Spirit. We must keep in step with the Spirit and worship from hearts filled with love, not out of fear.

Maybe we’ll talk about something else next week.

[AC picks up the check. They shake hands. No one argues. They seem to share a new Spirit.]