Examining Churches and Religions
Part 6
By Allan E. McNabb

In this series we’re examining churches and religions by asking questions, eliminating false churches and religions, and identifying the Lord’s church.

The questions we’ve asked so far are:
Does the church believe Jesus is the divine Son of God?
Does the church believe Jesus is the only way to God?
Does the church teach anything different from the doctrine of Christ?
Is the church a denomination?
Is the church organized as authorized in God’s word?
Does the church wear a name authorized in God’s word?
Does the church exclusively teach and practice salvation as God commands?
Does the church take up a collection and observe the Lord’s Supper exclusively on Sunday?
Does the church observe the Lord’s Supper as God commands?
Does the church finance its work exclusively through the collection on Sunday?
Does the church only spend money from the treasury for work God has authorized?

By answering these questions we’re able to eliminate every religion but Christian, and every church but the Lord’s church.

Does the church sing as God commands?
As mentioned earlier, most churches don’t worship according to the New Testament pattern.

One of the most common errors among churches concerns music, because of the addition of mechanical instruments.

Man-made instruments in worship were authorized by the Mosaic Law and the Prophets (2 Chron. 29:25f).  But God changed the law, and we live under the law of Christ today (Heb. 7:12-14; 1 Cor. 9:21; Gal. 6:2; Heb. 5:9; 2 Jn. 1:9).

Today, we are commanded to sing, accompanied with our hearts.  Therefore, no other type of music is authorized (Eph. 5:18-20; Col. 3:16-17).
“Making melody” means to play strings, pluck strings (Eph. 5:19).
God specifically commands us to make melody with our hearts (Eph. 5:19).  We are to pluck the strings of our hearts as we sing, accompanying our singing with our hearts.
Therefore, to go beyond God’s command and accompany our singing with anything other than our hearts is sinful (1 Cor. 4:6; Col. 3:17; 1 Pet. 4:11; 2 Jn. 1:9; Rev. 22:18-19).

From a historical point of view, early Christians believed mechanical instruments in worship were sinful.  Then during the Reformation, prominent church leaders again taught that worship with instrumental music was sinful.
Pagans (in contrast to Christians) used mechanical instruments during the early centuries to drown out the noises made by animals they sacrificed (Everett Ferguson, Backgrounds of Early Christianity; Grand Rapids, Michigan:  Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1993; p. 181-2).
Justin Martyr (2nd century) records that Christians sang during worship without mechanical instruments, without dancing, and without clapping (Justin's Questions and Answer to the Orthodox, Ques. 107, pg.  462).
Clement of Alexandria (2nd century) taught that the use of instrumental music was sinful, not only in the church but in everyday activities because it aroused carnal passions (Edited by Alexander Roberts, James Donaldson; Revised and arranged with notes A. Clevland Cox, Ante-Nicene Fathers; Volume 1; The Apostolic Fathers, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus; Peabody, Massachusetts:  Hendrickson Publishing, Inc., 1994; p. 248-9).
The Roman Catholic Church strongly objected to mechanical instruments of music in worship until the twelfth century (“Organ,” The Catholic Encyclopedia).
John Calvin, architect of the Presbyterian church, objected to mechanical instruments of music in church, and said, “Men who are fond of outward pomp may delight in that noise; but the simplicity which God recommends to us by the apostle is far more pleasing to him” (Calvin's Commentary on Psalm 33:2).
John Wesley, founder of the Methodist church, said he had “no objection to instruments of music in our chapels provided they are neither heard nor seen” (quoted, Adam Clarke's Commentary, Vol. 4, p. 686).
Adam Clarke, Methodist, said of mechanical instruments of music in worship, “I here declare that I never knew them productive of any good in the worship of God . . . and I register my protest against all such corruptions in the worship of the Author of Christianity”  (Adam Clarke's Commentary, Vol. 4, p. 686).
Martin Luther, Lutheran, “called the organ an ‘ensign of Baal’” (McClintock & Strong's Encyclopedia).
Charles Spurgeon, Baptist, said, “We might as well pray by machinery as praise by it” (The Treasury of David, comment on Ps. 42:4).

The music of the Lord’s church (singing accompanied with the heart, without man-made instruments) sets it apart from most religions and churches.  So much so, a new word was created to identify this style of music – a cappella.

If a church is using man-made instruments of music such as a piano or organ, it’s not the Lord’s church.  Its worship is according to the traditions or men, not according to the commandments of God.