The Truth in Print Vol. 21 Issue 1, Feb. 2015
A Publication of the Valley church of Christ,
2375 W. 8th Street, Yuma, AZ 85364 (928-782-5058)
Website
Address ~ http://yumavalleychurchofchrist.com
Concern for the Songs We Sing
We Sing Particular Songs Because We Are Concerned About Doing
All Things Scripturally — For Edification, Teaching & Admonishing
We have this instruction telling us to sing:
Col 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.” And
its parallel is Eph. 5:19: “Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,
singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;”
“Speaking” (Eph. 5:19) is defined by Strongs (G2980): laleō, A
prolonged form of an otherwise obsolete verb; to talk, that is, utter words: -
preach, say, speak (after), talk, tell, utter. Compare G3004. Both “teaching and admonishing” state the
purpose for the words (songs) — neither is humming a tune without articulate
words. Moreover it is reciprocal — “teaching and
admonishing one another” i.e. all are
singing together with thanksgiving in their hearts and it is “to the Lord.”
That the wisdom in God’s Word will be
manifested in the words is clearly
seen — “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom,” it says.
Compare further instruction to Corinth concerning the church’s
assemblies: 1Co 14:26 “How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a
doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all
things be done unto edification” Everything
in our worship is to be done for edification and thus centers in our knowledge
of the Word. “Edification” means to “build up
spiritually” and ties to the Word of God. “Let the Word of Christ dwell in you
richly” (Col. 3:16) parallels “be filled with the Spirit” (Eph. 5:18). This
“furnishing” of the Word revealed by the Spirit for edification applies to the
church and its assemblies. The words “to the Lord” (Eph. 5:19) and “to God the
Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ (Eph. 5:20), along with “in your
hearts to the Lord” (Col.
3:17) show devotion and edifying not entertainment. This shames churches that
bring in secular entertainers to sing their “hits.”
“Singing”
in both passages means just that, “to sing.” “Singing” (Eph. 5:19; Col.
3:16) Thayer definition: (G103 ᾄδω
adō) 1) to the praise of anyone, to sing; Part of Speech: verb. Read the above again and you will see that
the teaching and admonishing in singing exclude playing and plucking, and the
noises from banging on various instruments! There is just so much lack of knowledge
behind people’s complaints today about walking into some church and having to
listen to a bunch of noise.
“Making
melody” (Eph. 5:19) in the New Testament means “to sing a hymn, to
sing praise.” Notice I said in the New Testament it means to sing. Here is W.
E. Vine’s definition: “Melody (Verb) psallo (G5567) “denotes in the
NT, "to sing a hymn, sing praise"; in Eph_5:19,
"making melody" (for the preceding word ado, see SING). Elsewhere it
is rendered "sing," Rom_15:9; 1Co_14:15; in Jam_5:13, RV, "let
him sing praise" (KJV, "let him sing psalms"). See SING.”
Those who say this means in Eph. 5:19 to play
an instrument are using the wrong part of Vine’s definitions. I just gave you
his definition of this word in the New
Testament
and what it means; Vine’s gives you New Testament passages to show that. Prior
to giving the NT definition Vine’s gives the derivation of the word in its
development and says: W.E.Vine -Topic: Melody
(Verb) 5567, psallo, primarily "to twitch,
twang," then, "to play a stringed instrument with the fingers,"
and hence, in the Sept., "to sing with a harp,
sing psalms,". Notice “in
the Sept.” i.e. its use in the Greek Septuagint version of the Old Testament as
opposed to the New Testament.
Thayer’s definition says
exactly what Vine’s says. And as you look at it see again the difference in the
O.T. usages and the New Testament requirements for Christians: G5567 psallō,
Thayer Definition:
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
Part of Speech: verb (Citing in TDNT: 8:489,
1225)
A return to NT worship requires singing and not playing instruments. In Ja.
5:13 it means “sing praises” as translated in the New American Std. After all
it says if anyone
is
joyful let him “sing psalms” (Ja. 5:13) — if one had
to play an instrument to do that and did not know how to play he couldn’t
fulfill that.
We Sing Songs Written By Denominationalists
I was told this: “I’m not so concerned about
issues for after all we sing songs written by denominationalists, and we don’t
make that an issue.”
While there may be some slight distinctions between singing psalms,
hymns and spiritual songs they all, as emphasized, must relate to God’s Word.
Along with the point just made concerning “melody” and NT worship, concerning “psalms” Thayer says: “Psalms (G5568) psalmos: 1b) of a pious song, a psalm – Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16. Part of Speech: noun masculine. Generally one thinks of Psalms such as Ps.
23 which is frequently only sung in worship.
Concerning “Hymns” G5215 humnos ~ Thayer Definition: 2) a sacred song, hymn – plur.,
Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16. Part of Speech: noun masculine. Remember, Paul and Silas
were singing praises — also trans. “hymns of praise” to God in prison, Acts
16:25. Some of our songs are praises in general unto God; others are
admonitions i.e. warnings.
Referring to “spiritual
songs” (Eph. 5:19) -- it is the
words that makes a song spiritual.
“Songs” G5603 ōdē, Thayer
Definition: 1) a song, lay, ode Part of
Speech: noun feminine.” For “Spiritual” G4152 pneumatikos — one might compare
“spiritual songs” with “spiritual wisdom and understanding” ~ W.E. Vine here
says: 'spiritual songs' are songs of which the burden is the things revealed by the Spirit,
Eph_5:19; Col_3:16; 'spiritual
wisdom and understanding' is wisdom in,
and understanding of, those things, Col_1:9.
It
all gets back to the truths revealed in the Word. Ps. 23 did come by revelation
of the Spirit, but was not written by a member of the church. Where did the
Apostles write songs for us to sing? It is not a matter of who wrote the words
but whether the words are according to the truth of God’s Word. After all, one
not yet a member of the church can believe Jesus is the Son of God (cf. Acts
19:2). If they write that belief down is it true? It they put it in a song is
it still true according to the Word?
In Acts 17:28 Paul quotes non-Christians as saying, “For we are his
offspring.” And that is followed by Paul saying, “since
we are his offspring…” Anything wrong with that? The Pharisees believed in a
resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust. Paul said they did
(Acts 24:15). Were they right? Paul said, “Do not be deceived: Evil communications
corrupts good morals.” What follows the colon is put in quotation marks in
both the NKJV and the NASB. Vincent
says: evil communications corrupt good manners — a current saying, forming a
verse in Menander, the comic poet, who probably took it from Euripides
[Socrates, Ecclesiastical History, 3.16].
If we can use a statement that is true
according to God’s Word can we use a song full of truthful statements according
to God’s Word? This is a matter of “what to do” versus “who wrote it.” We’re
told to sing and the words must edify being according to God’s Word; that’s the
pattern for edification.
Seeing we do not know personally the authors
of many songs passed down through centuries, what would you be concerned about?
We have no songs Christians sung recorded in the New Testament. All songs
should be checked to be certain they are scriptural and based upon the truths
contained in the Bible.
By Bob Lovelace
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