INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC IN WORSHIP
Garden City Michigan church of Christ
The New Testament of Christ does
not include instrumental music as a part of the worship of Christians. They were used many times in the Old
Testament (2 Chronicles 29:20-28; Psalm
150), but the New Testament is completely silent regarding them. Singing and making melody in the heart is the
only thing that is mentioned (Romans
15:9; 1 Corinthians
The following quotations show that
instrumental music was introduced by the Roman Catholic Church. “Pope Vitalian is
related to have first introduced organs into some of the churches of
Consequently, the only authority
for instruments of music in worship is the Roman Catholic Church. Our denominational friends and neighbors no
doubt do not realize they are blindly following the Catholic Church in this
matter. Christ alone is the head of his
church (Colossians
What causes men today to choose an organ or piano as the instrument to be used? Why not play a trumpet or a drum? Most prefer the organ because it seems to them to be more suitable to the mood of worship, In other words, men have chosen the instrument they want purely on the basis of what best excites their physical emotions to a temperament they feel is better for worship. The whole idea is based on what seems best to their own physical senses, personal desires and tastes.
The worship of the New Testament is
a spiritual worship in which one pours out his soul in adoration and reverence
to God. It is not a carnal worship
devised to please the physical senses of man.
Man does not have a right to choose what seems best or what pleases him
in his worship to God. “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him
must worship him in spirit and in truth” (John
A television documentary on foreign
countries showed a family that had a rotation wheel in their home which was
used with praying. Supposedly, when the
wheel was spun, it sent the worshiper’s prayers up to God. Actually, there is no difference in praying
with a rotation wheel or singing with an instrument. Both violate the principles of faith (2 Corinthians 5:7; Romans