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"Where in the Bible are we told that instrumental music was used in the New Testament church?"

Some churches have in their services regular hillbilly bands to put rhythm in your heels by playing suitable music. Others play instruments that make music a little more subdued and serious.

But the type of instrument is not the thing that concerns our study - it is the instrument itself in religious service. Whether it is a fiddle or a pipe organ is all the same as far as divine authority is concerned. I am making an effort to have you see whether any of them is backed by divine authority.

Does the church where you worship use any kind of mechanical instruments in their service? If so, evidently your preacher sanctions their use. Do you know where Paul, Peter, James or John or any inspired man in their day ever used them or sanctioned their use in religious worship? If you don't, then surely your preacher does if he teaches you to use them. Therefore, go to him and ask him for the passage in the New Testament that says so.

I remember a statement Paul made in Eph. 5:19. He said: "Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord." This certainly refers to praise service in the New Testament church, for Paul was writing to the church at Ephesus.

He said speaking to yourselves in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. He did not say PLAYING, but he said SPEAKING. Speaking is not playing. Furthermore, he said: "Singing and making melody in your heart." Notice that it is not "playing and making melody on your harp or other instrument of music." Singing is not playing. Then I have read a similar statement in Col. 3:16. I remember various other passages in the New Testament that tell Christians to sing.

But I do not recall a single passage that tells them to play an instrument of music. Yet so many people are using them in their service, surely somebody knows where the passage is found; and if anybody on earth knows, it must be the preachers.
So ask your preacher for the passage. When he gives it to you, please send it to me, for I am very anxious to know where it is.

If he tells you that David used it and told others to do so, just remind him that David lived and died several hundred years before the church of the New Testament was ever established. He is, therefore, not authority for worship in the New Testament church.

David offered animal sacrifice, burned incense, kept the law of circumcision and did many other things that Christians are not authorized to do, for he lived under the law of Moses and not under the gospel of Christ.

But the church is a New Testament institution and must have New Testament authority for its worship. So insist that he give you the passage in the New Testament where the church ever used musical instruments. If he cannot give you the passage, then ask him why he uses them.

If you have any question or comments or would like to have bible correspondence course absolutely free.