We all know that God desires that His people praise Him through music. The question is, “What kind of music does God desire?” We have made the scriptural case for singing praises to God without the accompaniment of musical instruments. There is absolutely no doubt that this is what the first-century church did under the watchful eyes of the apostles of Christ. Very few historians of both the church and music would stray from this conclusion.
American Encyclopedia:
“Pope Vitalian introduced organs into some of the churches in Southern Europe about A.D. 670.”
Edward Dickson:
“The church music was exclusively vocal” (History of Music, pg. 54).
F.L. Ritter:
“It was however purely vocal” (History of the Church Music from the Christian Era to the Present, pg. 28).
Frank Landon Humphreys:
“All music employed in their service was vocal” (Evolution of Church Music, pg. 42).
Paul Henry Lang:
“All our sources deal amply with the vocal music in the early church” (Music in Western Civilization, pgs. 53-54).
So far as I know, none of these men were members of the church of Christ. They were simply historians stating a historical fact. The early church never praised God with a musical instrument. Doing such was introduced by the Catholic church. This is why we are not surprised to find that even most denominational churches opposed musical instruments in the worshipping of God in the past.
Charles Spurgeon, Baptist preacher and scholar – “I just as soon pray as sing with music.”
Benedict (Baptist Historian – 1840) – “Staunch old Baptists in former times would as soon tolerate the Pope of Rome in their pulpits as an organ in their galleries, and yet the instrument has gradually found its way among them.”
William Posey (Baptist) – “For years the Baptists fought the introduction of instrumental music into the churches…Installation of the organ brought serious difficulties to many churches.”
John Wesley, founder of the Methodist Church – “I do not object to mechanical instruments of music, as long as they are neither seen nor heard.”
Adam Clarke, Methodist commentator – “Music, as a science, I esteem and admire; but instruments of music in the house of God I abominate and abhor.”
John Calvin, founder of the Presbyterian Church – “Musical instruments in celebrating the praises of God would be no more suitable than the burning of incense, the lighting of candles, and a restoration of the other shadows of the law.”
Lyman Coleman (Presbyterian) – “The tendency of this (instrumental music) was to secularize the music of the church and to encourage singing by a choir. Such musical accompaniments were gradually introduced, but they can hardly be assigned to a period earlier than the fifth and sixth centuries.”
Martin Luther, founder of Lutherism – “The organ in worship is an ensign of Baal.”
Why did all these denominational founders and leaders oppose musical instruments in the church? It was for the same reason faithful churches of Christ do today—there is no bible authority for them. Sadly, all these churches have changed course, allowing musical instruments to be used in their worship services, but the truth has not changed. The Bible reads the same way today as it did when the majority of denominations were simply singing in their attempts to praise God. Man changes, but God’s Word remains the same, and as long as it does, faithful churches of Christ will continue to do what it instructs us to do—sing praises to God.
As you wind down for the night, think about these things.