Where is the command authorizing singing in 4-part harmony?
Posted: Wed Jan 19, 2011 9:21 am
I have read your articles on music and many of the questions posted by people in the forums (as well as your responses). I, too, am a firm believer that we should have a Bible reason for everything we do.
In your article, you taught that instrumental music is forbidden because it is not expressly commanded by God in the New Testament. I am interested in this line of thinking. Would singing harmony also be forbidden? After all, the Lord said for us to sing and make melody in our heart to the Lord.
Should solo singing be restricted only to singing psalms since all references to hymn singing and spiritual songs in the New Testament only include plural Greek pronouns and nouns. The only place in the New Testament where an individual is told to sing by himself expressly is in James where he is instructed to sing psalms if he is in a good mood.
Should women participate in congregational singing at all? They are commanded to keep silence in the assembly and only speak with their husbands at home about spiritual matters. Since Colossians 3:16 expressly commands us to teach and admonish one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, wouldn't a lady violate the teaching in Timothy not to teach or usurp authority over a man if she participates in congregational singing?
The Lord said we are to sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs (with the understanding). Just what is a psalm? If it is referring to the book of psalms, do we need to omit the ones that command us to praise the Lord with instruments (like Psalm 150)? What is a hymn? I know that Jesus sung a hymn with His infant church just after the first Lord's Supper. But what hymn was it? According to some Greek Lexicons, the Greek word translated hymn referred to singing Psalms 113-118 & 136. So should we be singing those specific psalms? What is a spiritual song? According to Strong, it is a chant. The following quotation from the Online Bible program's Greek English Lexicon concerning all three of these terms is quite interesting.
Synonyms
Thank you.
In your article, you taught that instrumental music is forbidden because it is not expressly commanded by God in the New Testament. I am interested in this line of thinking. Would singing harmony also be forbidden? After all, the Lord said for us to sing and make melody in our heart to the Lord.
Should solo singing be restricted only to singing psalms since all references to hymn singing and spiritual songs in the New Testament only include plural Greek pronouns and nouns. The only place in the New Testament where an individual is told to sing by himself expressly is in James where he is instructed to sing psalms if he is in a good mood.
Should women participate in congregational singing at all? They are commanded to keep silence in the assembly and only speak with their husbands at home about spiritual matters. Since Colossians 3:16 expressly commands us to teach and admonish one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, wouldn't a lady violate the teaching in Timothy not to teach or usurp authority over a man if she participates in congregational singing?
The Lord said we are to sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs (with the understanding). Just what is a psalm? If it is referring to the book of psalms, do we need to omit the ones that command us to praise the Lord with instruments (like Psalm 150)? What is a hymn? I know that Jesus sung a hymn with His infant church just after the first Lord's Supper. But what hymn was it? According to some Greek Lexicons, the Greek word translated hymn referred to singing Psalms 113-118 & 136. So should we be singing those specific psalms? What is a spiritual song? According to Strong, it is a chant. The following quotation from the Online Bible program's Greek English Lexicon concerning all three of these terms is quite interesting.
Synonyms
See Definition forhumnos (hoom'-nos) 5215
See Definition for psalmos (psal-mos') 5568
See Definition for ode (o-day') 5603
I am wondering just how closely we should follow the letter of thelaw when it comes to these teachings? Do you really believe the Lord was trying to establish the fact that we should not have any type of instrumental music in our lives by not mentioning it at all in the New Testament (unless one accepts that psalmos and psal'-lo could refer to some sort of instrumental music)? Should we decide other matters that are not specifically addressed by name in the same manner?5603 is the generic term; 5568 and 5215 are specific, the former designating
a song which took its general character from the OT Psalms, although not
restricted to them, the later a song of praise. While the leading idea of 5568
is a musical accompaniment, and that of 5215 praise to God, 5603 is the
general word for a song, whether accompanied or not, whether of praise or on
any other subject. Thus it is quite possible for the same song to be at once
described by all three of these words.
Thank you.