Jn. 4:19-24

“To the end that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent,”

Ps. 30:12

“Then they believed His words; They sang His praise,” Ps. 106:12

Paul and Silas were “praising God in a hymn,” Acts 16:25 (Interlinear Bible)

Quotations are from this book, written by John Price, preacher at Grace Baptist

Church, Rochester, N.Y., 2005

He has written an excellent book against the use of instrumental music in worship.

“God has always regulated His public worship even in regard to the specific musical instruments used…two silver trumpets, Num. 10:1,2,8,10…the only

musical instruments used in public worship throughout the time of the

Tabernacle in the wilderness” (pg. 21,22).

It was “the command of David…from the Lord,” 2 Chron. 29:25-27

“When the Temple was to be built, its order of worship to be instituted, David received a divine revelation in regard to

it, just as Moses had concerning the tabernacle…Instrumental music would not have been constituted an element in

the Temple-worship, had not God expressly authorized it by his command”

(p. 29).

“When we come to the New Testament, we must again be guided by the

regulative principle of worship. The God of the Bible has not changed, and

He will still be regarded as holy by those who draw near to Him (Lev. 10:3; 1 Pet. 1:16). We must ask the question:

What has God commanded in His worship?” (p. 39).

God “instituted the use of musical instruments as part of the Levitical priesthood. It was the Levites alone

whom he authorized to use the musical instruments…the Levitical priesthood in

its entirety has been abolished (Heb. 7:11,12), and this must include their

musical instruments” (p. 51).

Musical instruments are mentioned often in O.T., “but what do we find in the New

Testament? Nothing but complete silence…Are we to assume that there

were musical instruments in the churches just as in the Temple but the Holy Spirit has forgotten to tell us about

them?” (p.54).

“When they had sung a hymn” (Mt. 26:30; Mk. 14:26), “Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns” (Acts 16:25), “I will

sing unto Your name” (Rom. 15:9), “I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the

understanding” (1 Cor. 14:15), “singing and making melody in your heart” (Eph. 5:19), “singing with grace in your hearts” (Col. 3:16), “I will sing praise” (Heb. 2:12), “Is any cheerful, let him sing psalms”

(Jas. 5:13).

The Greek verb - psallo

“To pluck off, pull out; to cause to vibrate by touching, to twang the strings of a

musical instrument…in the New Testament to sing a hymn, to celebrate

the praises of God in song” (Thayer, p. 675).

A verb describes an action – it does not give you the object.

Baptize (verb) – immerse in what?Psallo – what? Hair, carpenter’s string,

harp strings, the heart?“The Church Fathers vehemently rejected

the use of musical instruments in the worship of the church. These same men

were also masters in the Greek language” (p. 191).

Why is it played when nobody is singing?

“Singing and playing of musical instruments are two entirely different acts. Each can be performed independent of the

other” (p. 49).

A song book, or power point is an aid – not another kind of music. (Containers for the bread and fruit of the vine are aids,

not additions.)

Rev. 5:8; 14:2Revelation is highly symbolic (1:1)

There are also: bowls of incense (5:8), a golden altar (8:3), bowls of wrath (16:1).

There is no marrying, nor giving in marriage in heaven (Mt. 22:30). “If this

example of heaven becomes our rule on earth, then we would cease to exist after

one generation” (p. 202).

“The pitch-pipe is used before the hymn actually begins, and it remains silent

throughout the entire act of singing…If a musical instrument is used for the same purpose as the pitch-pipe, namely to set

the pitch with a single note before the hymn begins, we will have no objection

to its use” (pg. 206,207).

“The use of organs in churches is ascribed to Pope Vitalian (657-672)…The Greek

Church disapproves the use of organs. The Latin Church introduced it pretty generally, but not without the protest of eminent men, so that even in the Council of Trent (1545-

1563) a motion was made, though not carried, to prohibit the organ at least in the

mass” (History of the Christian Church, Philip Schaff, Vol. 4, p. 439).

Martin Luther – “The organ in worship is an ensign of Baal.”

John Calvin – “The Papists, therefore have foolishly borrowed this, as well as

many other things, from the Jews.”John Wesley – “I have no objection to instruments of music in our chapels, provided they are neither heard nor

seen.”

The best argument for instrumental music in worship?

“I like it!”What if we like steak in the Lord’s

supper?“And whatever you do in word or

deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him” (Col. 3:17).