WERE THEY RIGHT ABOUT MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS IN PUBLIC WORSHIP?

During the first 12 centuries of Christianity musical instruments were banned in church public worship.  Here are some sample quotes on the issue from Christian leaders of the first 5 centuries:

The one instrument of peace, the Word alone by which we honour God, is what  we employ. We no longer employ the ancient psaltery, and trumpet, and timbrel, and flute. —Clement (church father, Alexandria, A.D. 153-217).

The kithara is the active soul being moved by the commandments of God, the  psalterion is the pure mind being moved by spiritual knowledge. The musical instruments of the Old Covenant understood spiritually are applicable to us....The organ is the church of God composed of contemplative and active souls. The pleasant sounding cymbal is the active soul captured by the desire for Christ. —Origen (church father, Alexandria), Commentaries on the Psalms  (3rd century).

Of old at the time those of the circumcision were worshiping with symbols and  types it was not inappropriate to send up hymns to God with the psalterion and  kithara and to do this on Sabbath days (breaking the rest and transgressing the  law concerning the Sabbath). But we in an inward manner keep the part of the Jew, according to the saying of the apostle...(Romans 2:28f.). We render our        hymn with a living psalterion and a living kithara, with spiritual songs. The  unison voices of Christians would be more acceptable to God than any musical instrument. Accordingly in all the churches of God, united in soul and attitude, with one mind and in agreement of faith and piety, we send up a unison melody  in the words of the Psalms. —Eusebius (church historian/bishop, Palestine),  Commentary on Psalm 91 (4th century).

 It was only permitted to the Jews as sacrifice was, for the heaviness and  grossness of their souls. God ondescended to their weakness, because they  were lately drawn off from idols; but now, instead of organs, we may use our  own bodies to praise him withal.... Instruments appertain not to Christians.  —John Chrysostom (church father, Eastern/Greek), Homily on Psalm 149  (4th century).

You [God’s saints] are "trumpet, psaltery, harp, timbrel, choir, strings, and  organ, cymbals of jubilation sounding well," because sounding in harmony. All these are you: let not that which is vile, not that which is transitory, not that which  is ludicrous, be thought of here. —Augustine (bishop, North Africa),  Commentary on Psalm 150 (A.D. 354-430).

 It is time to turn to the New Testament to confirm what is said in the Old, and,  particularly, to point out that the office of psalmody is not to be considered  abolished merely because many other observances of the Old Law have fallen into desuetude. Only the corporal institutions have been rejected, like circumcision, the sabbaths, sacrifices, discrimination in foods. So, too, the  trumpets, harps, cymbals and timbrels. For the sound of these we now have a  better substitute in the music of the mouths of men. The daily ablutions, the   new-moon observances, the careful inspection of leprosy are completely past  and gone, along with whatever else was necessary only for a time—as it were,  for children. Of course, what was spiritual in the Old Testament, for example, faith, piety, prayer, fasting, patience, chastity, psalm-singing—all this has been increased in the New Testament rather than diminished.-Nicea (bishop, Remesiana), On the Utility of Hymn Singing (5th century).

 Simply singing is not agreeable to children, but singing with lifeless instruments  and with dancing and clapping; on which account the use of this kind of  instruments and of others agreeable to children is removed from the songs in the churches, and there is left remaining simply singing. —Theodoret (bishop,  Syria), Questions and Answers to the Orthodox (5th century).

Yes, they were right!  Here's why:

1. God's rule for worship is that we should only worship Him as He has commanded, without addition or subtraction of worship elements or ordinances (Matthew 15:1-9, Colossians 2:22-23, Exodus 20:4-5).

2. In the Old Testament economy God instituted Tabernacle/ Levitical worship (Hebrews 7:5) and synagogue worship (Acts 15:21).  The Tabernacle/Levitical worship expired with Christ (Hebrews 9), but synagogue worship was transformed into New Testament church worship (Acts 17:10-12), with some modifications like the change in day of worship.

3. Musical instruments were to be played by the Levites as part of Tabernacle/Levitical worship (II Chron 29:25) which has now expired, but they were not included in synagogue worship nor were they instituted for New Testament church worship.  Since they are not instituted for our public worship, we should not incorporate them.

(For a more extensive treatment on this topic you are invited to read articles on it at http://www.reformed.com/ and http://www.fpcr.org/.   More Puritan tracts like this one can be found at http://www.puritans.net/tracts/.)

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