A couple of weeks ago we spent some time showing the difference between aids and additions. This was directed to the topic of instrumental music in worship. Those who don’t accept the fact that mechanical instruments are unauthorized, point out the verses in the New Testament that mention the harp. Thus, we shall examine each text to see what it is talking about.

I Corinthians 14:7-8: To save time with each text, I want to point out that none of them have anything to do with Christians gathering together on the first day of the week, to worship God. This passage mentioned, not only a harp, but a flute and trumpet. Why? Paul was dealing with the subject of speaking in tongues. He pointed out that, without understanding what is said, nothing is gained. Just as instruments make distinctive sounds. They were not mentioned as use in worship.

Revelation 5:8: This figurative vision, speaks of four living creatures and twenty-four elders than fell down, each having a harp, golden bowls of incense. Amidst those mentioned was a Lamb having seven horns and seven eyes. We know these are symbolic and there is a danger in making things literal that are meant figurative. Again, there isn’t the slightest hint of using instruments in worship today for God.

Revelation 14:2: The key to understanding this text is the word “like”. The voice that was heard from heaven sounded like many waters, loud thunder and someone playing harps. That is a rather odd combination, but these were just descriptive terms to try and relate what it sounded like. It wasn’t literally any of them.

Revelation 15:2: This passage, like the others we have looked at, are terms given to help describe what they saw. There were seven angels with seven plagues, something like a sea of glass mingled with fire. There was a beast with a mark and a name, and those standing on the sea of glass, having harps of God. Does this teach the use of instruments in worship? How?

Revelation 18:22: If you carefully read the text, the musicians of harpists, flutists, and trumpeters would not be heard anymore. They are linked with the destruction that will take place due to being destroyed by the power of God. 

We could also go through the New Testament and find the verses that mention other kinds of instrument. The word trumpet is mentioned at least a dozen times. None of which was used to imply that saints today are to gather and use mechanical instruments in worship. It’s important that one understands what God authorizes in worship and what He doesn’t. It isn’t my place to say God hates instrumental music, in and of itself. Sort of like people trying to prove God approves of brethren being hospitable (Rom. 12:13), but doing such in worship doesn’t make sense.

Producing scriptures that show God approves of something, doesn’t mean you can apply that to any situation. That is very dangerous and inconsistent. There is no doubt that our God approved of a faithful sister’s act of making garments for widows (Acts 9:36-39). However, to show this text and say that God would accept, as worship, His people all sitting around and making garments together. I know this is sounding absurd, but I want us to see the principle.

Christians were commanded to sing (Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16). Not to sing and play. That is adding to the word of God, which was are warned against (Gal. 1:6-9). The reason the early Christians didn’t use instruments, wasn’t because they didn’t have any, or couldn’t afford any. It was because they were not authorized, and didn’t need them to help them sing.  Instruments are no more an aid to singing than taking a drink of soda aids in helping me take the fruit of the vine (I Cor. 11:23-26).

                                                                                               Chuck

Years ago, during a Bible study with a denominational friend of mine, he made an interesting statement. He said to me, “As much as I believe in Christ and all that He has taught and what I do for Him, I can’t see a God in heaven say to me, because I was not dunked in water I have to spend eternity in hell. There is nothing you can show me or tell me to change my mind.”

There it is folks, this is where someone puts their feelings ahead of the word of God. You might be thinking, “Chuck, what verses would you show him?” The fact is, I did show him. And, if I show you the same verses, yet you think like that man did, it won’t help. Why? He said that it would not matter what I showed him – the point is, his mind was made up. He wants to do what he wants to do relying on how he feels.

I have mentioned II Timothy 4:2-5, many times. The reason we bring up here is because Paul was telling Timothy, you preach the word even when they don’t want it. You cannot help someone see the truth if they are wanting something different. Jesus told us the majority of the world do what they want rather than what the Lord wants (Matt. 7:13-14).

This whole discussion brings many past Bible studies to mind. Like when I study with my Jehovah Witness friends. You will be in a Bible study with them and they are running constantly to one subject to another. They would say, answer me this. I would answer. They would say, answer me that. I would answer. The reason they did it, it wasn’t because they wanted a systematic, study of a certain subject. They wanted to keep throwing things out to see if they could stump me on a text. If I couldn’t answer, they would use that as proof in their minds that all the other answer I gave are now worthless.  

My advice to those who want to learn. Deal with one subject at a time. When the person changes, stop and say – oh, now are we in agreement on that? It is dangerous to discuss using how we feel on something as a basis for the subject at hand. Thank about it.

Chuck

Originally published 02/12/17

Is right to eat in a church’s meeting place? This verse often comes up. Paul and the brethren gathered on the first day of the week to take the Lord’s Supper (verse 7). Paul had preached until midnight, and a young man fell out of a window and died (verse 9). After Paul raised him from the dead, they went back up into the upper room. Paul nourished himself with food and then continued speaking until he had to leave that day by ship (verses 11-13).

This is a far cry from the “fellowship meals” people hold at buildings today. The brethren allowed Paul to be refreshed with food as they supported his missionary work. Paul spoke about times he was hungry and full (Phil. 4:12). Brethren gave him support to supply his needs (Phil. 4:16). This would include food. It would seem odd to be able to support a preacher with funds but not food directly.

In religious discussions, the focus is often lost. It is silly to think that a mother giving a bottle to a young child is sinning because one is “eating” in the building. If a brother came to preach and became weak from a lack of food, would it be wrong to feed him? Of course not.

However, using this text to conclude that the brethren can have potlucks at a church-owned building or holding “fellowship meals” in conjunction with worship goes far beyond the text of Acts 20. Paul ate, spoke and then departed that day. To establish a need to organize meals at the building based upon this text would be an abuse. After all, this is the same apostle who rebuked brethren for turning the Lord’s Supper into a meal (I Cor. 11:17-22). They were told they had houses to eat and drink in.

People cannot see the truth (II John 9) if they do establish proper authority for their actions or follow the doctrine of Christ. The key is to search the scriptures when facing questions (Acts 17:11). No one passage of scripture is “greater” than another – instead, we must rightly divide the word by consistently harmonizing them together (II Tim. 2:15). By doing this, we can lead lives with the confidence that we are pleasing the Lord.

                                                                                               Chuck 

Originally published 02/12/17

Our last couple of bulletins looked at issues where Biblical authority needs to be understood. When we know how to understand the scriptures, we can find Biblical answers to questions concerning instrumental music in worship, forsaking the assembly, the Lord’s Supper, etc.

However, many of the unscriptural practices carried out by “churches” today involve the use of church funds. The local church is to take up a collection to do the work Christ designed it to do (I Cor. 16:1-2; II Cor. 9:7; Eph. 4:12). Using these funds for nonscriptural purposes is an affront to Christ as He is the head of the church (Col. 1:18; I Tim. 5:16). A church cannot just do anything they consider a “good work” if it is unauthorized.

The misuse of church funds is a widespread problem, but it is not truly the main issue at hand – the root cause is Biblical authority once again. Without a standard in establishing authority, brethren will never be able to see eye to eye. Remember, no scripture is of any private interpretation (II Pet. 1:20). Either there are stipulations put upon the use of church funds or there are not. If there are, how do we determine them? That is what we need to find out. If there are not any stipulations, then the discussion is over.

We know for certain that churches used their funds for evangelizing (spreading the gospel). The apostle Paul received wages from different churches (Phil. 4:15; II Cor. 11:8). Churches also sent directly to other churches that needed food (II Cor. 8:4,19; II Cor. 9:3-4). Churches also were able to use funds to help edify the local church (Eph. 4:11-12; I Tim. 5:17-18).  

Let us now focus on some questions about church funds. We know that brethren gathered in a home (Rom. 16:3-5), in an upper room (Acts 20:8) and other facilities that would accommodate the brethren coming together in a certain place (I Cor. 11:17-18). Because these various meeting spaces were used for edification, could the church let the local Boy Scout troop use the facility when the church was not gathered? Could they run a daycare center out of that upper room if it belonged to the church? To answer these questions, we must understand the limitations placed upon the use of church funds.

Does the Bible contain any examples of restrictions being placed upon the collection of the saints? Yes! In I Timothy 5:16, Paul clearly said the church was prohibited from using its funds for certain purposes even if they were a “good work”. In that text, it shows that individuals can and should do things with their own funds, not the church’s (Acts 5:1-11).

Therefore, if a church owns or rents a building, they should do so for the purposes of evangelism and edification. This means their uses for the building should be limited to those purposes as well, not to support the Boy Scouts or to run a daycare. What about having a kitchen? There is nothing wrong with having a kitchen if it was found to be helpful (expedient) for making the unleavened bread and storing the fruit of the vine. Often though, it is more expedient to simply buy the unleavened bread or have members make it and bring it. 

In our last couple of bulletins, we have been pointing out the ways to establish authority: direct command, approved example and necessary inference. Biblical examples lead us toward this manner of reasoning. This is why churches send money directly to the preacher they want to support rather than an intermediate organization. This is why churches only send funds to other churches to support members during times of great need, not to other organizations. Everything that the church does is governed by Biblical authority (Col. 3:17). Let us simply allow God’s word to define “good works” so we can put our energy into accomplishing them.

                                                                                               Chuck

When trying to understand what the Bible says about a subject, understanding the difference between aids and additions is critical. For example, the Lord told His follower to take the unleaven bread and the fruit of the vine to remember His death (Matt. 26:26-28). If we added chocolate cake to this remembrance, would that be an aid or an addition? The two foods (unleaven bread and fruit of the vine) were specifically called out in the verse, so adding chocolate cake would be an addition. What if we placed the unleavened bread and fruit of the vine on a table during this process? The verses say nothing to include or exclude a table – it is merely helpful to accomplish what the verses focus on. The table is an aid. Do you see the difference?

Consider the command to use music in worship to God. Music can be vocal, instrumental or both. Which did God command? The inspired word of God states that we are to sing using our voices, so singing is clearly acceptable (Col. 3:16; Eph. 5:19). What if instruments were also used during the worship though?

To answer this, let us revisit the example of the Lord’s Supper. What would be the harm if we added chocolate cake to the Supper and also kept the unleavened bread and the fruit of the vine? Cake is still not authorized as only unleavened bread and the fruit of the vine were specifically called out. Chocolate cake is not required. Instruments are not required to fulfill the command to sing during worship, nor is there any authority to add them.

Like the table in the Lord’s Supper, song leaders and books are aids to singing. An instrument is not an aid because it is a different form of music. Other ways to create melodies, like whistling and humming, are also additions because they do not use “words” as commanded.

Keep in mind that as we look at musical notes in hymnals, we also look at the corresponding words of praise. However, playing an instrument involves no words. There is a difference between singing praises to God making melody in our hearts to the Lord (Col. 3:17), and using a mechanical instrument.

                                                                                              Chuck