(2/14/09 note added:  This was written as part of a series of “parting shots” as I prepared to leave a very fundamentalist church group, which was deeply involved in a mixture of Keswick Higher Life theology and the teachings of Bill Gothard. The goal of this was to refute some of the erroneous arguments of Gothard, et al, and did at the time spark a firestorm among some acquaintances, who did actually regard me as having become “weaker in faith” for writing this.)

Hypothetical situation:
The old church in the middle of the town had just undergone another divisive split. This was not the first time a significant group had left at once, expressing their dislike of one thing or another. However, in the past the splits had been over more doctrinal issues, such as interpretation of Scripture. This issue involved standards… personal convictions… and resulted in a much more heated split than any previous division. What had happened to cause such a response?

It all began during that one music evening. A family had decided to sing a praise song for the congregation, choosing a recent song written by a well-known Christian musician. However, not only was the song new, copyrighted, and not even written in a hymn style… it had syncopation and a backbeat! While some members of the church who knew the song started to sing along and clap their hands, others froze in the pews, their faces turning a deathly gray. Finally someone mustered up the will to go to the sound board and turn down the microphone and amplifier. After the family completed the song, they were received with many blank stares and mouths gaping open. They quietly left the building, perplexed at what had just taken place.

However, this was just the beginning. First thing next morning one well-meaning woman called up another, and the men phoned the pastor. The discussion was all the same… ‘what to do about the obvious disregard of standards (and worse yet, that young children’s ears were exposed to such noise)’? It wasn’t long before discussion morphed into personal chatter about the family in question — “you know, they have exhibited low standards in this area too” “so-and-so told me that they even listen to that in their cars” “I bet they’re not walking close with God” “well, it’s obvious by the music they think they are praising God with”… and on and on.

But there were also some who found nothing wrong with the music. They expressed their opinions, hoping to provide another view of the topic and bring resolution. Instead, those who were offended simply added them to the list of those who “must not be as spiritual”.

The next Sunday it was clear that a rift had taken place. People would not associate with one another, and parents kept their children close by. After a tense service, a church meeting was called to address standards in the church and guidelines for the families in the church. The pastor and deacons called the meeting to order and got quickly to the point. Standards had been violated and it was necessary to create some guidelines based on Scriptural principles so that it would not happen again. One man began, “Well, as we all should know, Satan was the minister of music in Heaven and he is exceptionally good at deceiving people in this area.” Half the room nodded their heads in agreement. The other half looked puzzled. Their Bibles did not make that point clear. One man stood to discuss that issue…

A couple hours, the meeting ended. Nearly half of the members would not ever return, having been labeled as backslidden and shunned by those who had been close friends just two weeks before.
End hypothetical situation. I’m sure it’s happened somewhere, but I do not know of such an occurrence.

The topic of musical styles is a very controversial and divisive one. In many churches and religious organizations, the issue right on the same level as other topics such as eternal security, role of women, and how many angels can dance on the head of a pin. (Yes, there have been many serious arguments over that last one.)

The question that must be answered is: What does the Bible say about music? There are many references to music in the Bible, so we will take a look at some of them in order to discern what the Bible has to say.

Perhaps the most frequent references to music involve praising the Lord.
Psalm 9:2 ~ “I will be glad and exult in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.”
Psalm 40:3 ~ “He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God.”

The question then should be asked: does contemporary music praise the Lord? If one spends some time listening to CCM, he will find that yes, many contemporary songs (new songs, Ps. 40:3) do praise and exalt the Lord. Do all? Certainly not. But on that topic, do all old hymns praise and exalt the Lord? Again, no. Both genres have some titles that praise the Lord through music, and both genres have songs that do not praise the Lord but rather lift up man.

One of the areas where CCM is most criticized is for its lifting up of man rather than God. This is a valid criticism and is a definite problem. Fortunately, not all musicians have fallen into this, and many do still seek to glorify God. Pride, however, can overtake any human and this definitely seems to be the case with some. But people on both sides of the argument can be prideful over music, whether it is the musician (CCM or not) who draws attention to himself/herself, or the one who insists that only one form of music is “proper”. This issue will be discussed in greater detail shortly.

Another issue involves whether the use of certain instruments is wrong (drums, electric guitars, electric keyboards, etc.). There is not, of course, any reference in Scripture to our modern instruments, and therefore no condemnation of these instruments. Is percussion wrong? The Bible has references to praising the Lord with a tambourine (a percussion instrument).

Psalms 149:3 ~ “Let them praise his name with dancing, making melody to him with tambourine and lyre!” Is using the popular instruments of the culture wrong? Obviously not, as the instruments mentioned frequently in the Psalms were popular instruments of the time in ancient Israel. I am certain that those same instruments were also used for purposes other than praising the Lord, but that did not make use of instruments to be wrong. The instruments are the vehicle which carries the message (the lyrics). The music itself does not carry a moral message; it is the words. Therefore, a Christian rock song that praises God and promotes sound doctrine is a better choice, in my opinion, than a secular classical piece whose lyrics have no message (or worse, are sensual or written to a false god). The rock beat has not made the praise song evil, just as the classical style has not sanctified a pagan song.

And what about the statement that Lucifer was the minister of music before being cast out of heaven? This comes from Ezekiel 28:13,14 ~ “You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering, sardius, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, emerald, and carbuncle; and crafted in gold were your settings and your engravings. On the day that you were created they were prepared. You were an anointed guardian cherub. I placed you; you were on the holy mountain of God; in the midst of the stones of fire you walked.”

Notice how no direct mention of music is made! And yet this passage is “the proof” that Satan had been in charge of music in heaven. It seems it takes a great imagination, and approaching Scripture with an end goal in mind, to make this conclusion. If you look at the same passage in the King James Version, it becomes possible to make the conclusion that Satan was minister of music: “the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.” However, this is the only major translation where this reading is found. It is common for those who read the KJV exclusively, or who believe the KJV is the only “true” translation, to come to this conclusion, while others will not. In my opinion, the evidence stands greatly against the KJV as the majority of translations use a different wording. A strong position cannot be established based on the wording of one verse in one translation. Therefore, it seems unlikely that Satan was in charge of music in heaven. However, considering he is a master of deception, it is still obvious that he has used music to deceive people.

But is it true that the European Classical style of music is superior to other types of music (i.e. African or Latin music)? This is an area where I would say no, the classical style of music is not morally superior. This is a preference, not a moral issue (unless one has a specific conviction between himself and God). Just as the Israelites praised the Lord using the instruments of their day, it is not wrong for people to praise God according to their cultural styles. One should not go to Africa, for example, and condemn the African churches’ use of drums and tell them how much more “God-honoring” they would be if they used pianos, organs, or strings. One method is not “more spiritual” than another. The issue at hand, then, regarding music used in church is not whether the music has a so-called rock beat but rather if there is worship coming from the heart.

Philippians 4:8 ~ “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”

Is contemporary music acceptable in a church? Let’s examine an often-quoted passage that has application to the topic:
Ephesians 5:18-21 ~ “[B]e filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with all your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.”

Music used in church should be spiritual (of the Spirit). Note that the word translated “hymns” also is translated “sing praises” in Acts 16:25. The “Psalms” were the songs of the Hebrews, and the “hymns” were Greek songs of praise. (This is based on numerous websites featuring information on New Testament Greek.) As a result, I don’t see that the meaning of this verse is that churches should be limited to just the four-part-harmony songs written between 1650 and 1900. The words of the music in churches, however, should reflect the Holy Spirit and be to the Lord. That does give a pretty clear guideline on what is acceptable music in a church, albeit somewhat different from what many American Evangelical churches hold to. It seems to me that a contemporary song (CCM) that glorifies God is appropriate for a church (under certain circumstances, read on) but a patriotic song that glorifies a political state is not. But in many conservative churches, you find the latter but not the former.

(2/14/09 — this next section still adopts a more fundamentalist position than I would hold to now. Take it with “a grain of salt.”)

Another issue that must be discussed regarding music in the church has to do with varying convictions between individuals. Music is an issue where God has called different people to different things. Hypothetically, if a person has been instructed by God that they should not listen to music with a rock beat, then it is wrong for another to knowingly subject that person to music they are convicted against for the purpose of violating that person’s conscience. At the same time, it is equally wrong for that person convicted against the rock beat to make the statement that since it’s wrong for them to listen to it then it must be wrong for others to listen to it as well. Not so, as in areas such as this God may call one person to something different than He calls another to. In a church, then, the music leader must be sensitive to the convictions of those in the church and find a middle ground that will not violate one’s convictions. And that is much easier said than done, because while one person may be convicted against rock, another may be convicted against shallow hymns or songs of praise to the State. According to Ephesians 5:21 and numerous other passages in Scripture, we are commanded to “[submit] to one another out of reverence for Christ.” This involves not knowingly forcing on someone that which is against their conviction before God.

There is a passage in Scripture that deals with convictions and how to deal with them (and how to respond to one who has a conviction about something that is not explicitly wrong). In 1 Corinthians 8, Paul deals with the topic of food offered to idols. While nothing was morally wrong with eating the food that had been offered to idols, there were some who were convicted against it. Some saw it as right to eat the food; others felt defiled by eating it. In 1 Cor. 8:7, Paul writes: “However, not all possess this knowledge. But some, through former association with idols, eat food as really offered to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled.” And verses 12-13, “And so by your knowledge this weak person is destroyed, the brother for whom Christ died. Thus, sinning against your brothers and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.”

The same principle can be applied to music. Some may be at a point in their Christian walk where they can listen to music with a beat and are fine before God doing so. Others may be convicted against it so that their conscience would be defiled if they did so. It is the right thing, then, for the one who does not have such a conviction to give it up in the presence of the one with the conviction, out of deference to him.

A final issue that should be examined is the issue of pride. Both sides of the discussion are certainly guilty of it, whether it is the person who states that it is wrong for any Christian to listen to music with a beat (and adopts judgmental terms like “high standard” and “low standard”), or the “free” person who regards himself as better than the one with a conviction (and judges the other as “legalistic”). Both sides need to come to an understanding of each other and realize that it is not necessarily a right/wrong issue where one must be in the right and the other in the wrong. God may have ordained one to have a certain standard, and another to not. Both are right if they do as God has told them. Thus, the issue is not a matter of what makes types of music right and wrong, but rather what has God called each individual to? That is a matter between them and God.
(2/14/09 — This part is solid again.)

Each person must be careful to not impose his convictions or standards on another as if it were a universal law, and each person must be careful to not use his freedom to tempt others and cause them to stumble. We must be careful to show love and deference to each other, respecting each other’s convictions and yielding our own preferences for unity in the Church.