The Music Exchange

I’ve spent a lot of the last two weeks replying to a gracious letter about the use of instruments in church.

For about 800 years the majority view among the church fathers was that in the congregational meeting the only singing permitted was of unaccompanied Psalms. This view is still held today by those who hold to something known as the regulative principle — which stipulates that ‘God may not be worshipped according to the imaginations and devices of men, or the suggestions of Satan, under any visible representation, or any other way not prescribed in the holy Scripture’ (from The Westminster Confession).

Interpreting the principle

I would agree whole-heartedly with this principle. However, some adherents to the principle say that, if the New Testament hasn’t expressly sanctioned an element of ‘worship’, then it would be disobedient to use it. Musical instruments would come into this category, as would any hymns (Wesley and Newton included) written outside the Bible. For example, Augustine, Calvin, Luther, Knox and Spurgeon all held the view that instruments shouldn’t be used in ‘worship’.

The writer of the letter (who also holds to this view) picked me up on the fact that I’d said in a previous article that this was down to tradition and culture, whereas for him and for many who hold to this view, it is actually a matter of biblical conviction. The New Testament verse often used to back up the argument is Matthew 28.20: ‘Go therefore and make disciples of all nations… teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you’ (ESV).

In no way do I want to change anyone’s opinion if it goes against something that is held as a biblical principle, so I’ve done my best to work out my own mind on the matter (for what my opinion’s worth!).

New Testament worship

My biggest problem with this interpretation of the principle is its adherents’ use of the word ‘worship’. Adherents rightly point out that, because Jesus has done away with the temple, then patterns of temple worship (sacrifices, etc.) are now obsolete — New Covenant worship should now only be defined by New Testament commands about worship.

However, the way that worship is defined in the New Testament is very different from in the Old Testament. Whichever ‘worship’ word is used in the New Testament, it is hard to pin down whether the writer is referring to a Christian gathering or the normal everyday life of the Christian. This, I think, is the beauty of the New Testament definition of worship. Yes, there seems to be something especially distinctive about the Christian gathering, in that Christians can encourage each other in the truth in a way they are unable to when not gathered, but the Christian gathering is only once described as ‘worship’ in the New Testament (in Acts 13.2). New Testament worship has been liberated from all the constraints of the Old and is gloriously ambiguous as to the details, while remaining clear about the attitude of the heart — sacrificial service, prayerfulness, thankfulness in every area of life.

This means that to put such a heavy insistence on the sanctity of the Christian gathering is to return to the legalistic and regulated Old Testament definition of worship, something which the holders of the regulative principle would say is now obsolete.

Exclusive Psalmody?

My second problem is with those who use the regulative principle to say that worship can only be pure if the only music is unaccompanied Psalm singing.

In my mind there are no clear texts that convince me either to sing the Psalms exclusively, or to disqualify instrumental accompaniment in the congregational meeting. Not even Calvin, Knox or Augustine provide those texts, even though they are strongly convinced of their view. Therefore, I’m happy to listen to the wisdom of my church leaders and to the consensus of godly people who love to sing about Jesus accompanied by instruments or not.

I’m not saying that people who hold to this view are wrong. They may be right, and they very often (but not always) have biblical convictions about the issue, so I would very happily stand side-by-side with them in gospel ministry. However, I am determined not to be disqualified by those who think that I am disobeying the commands of Jesus by singing hymns accompanied by instruments. At the same time, in the spirit of the worship described in Romans 14.1-4, I’m as keen not to judge those of a different standpoint, especially if held as a biblical conviction.

Richard Simpkin is Director of Music at St. Helen’s Church, Bishopsgate, London.

Regulative principle

Interpreting the principle

New Testament worship

Exclusive Psalmody?

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