Are Musical Instruments allowed in Corporate Worship?

In the Old Testament, God commanded Jewish worshippers that musical instruments were to be used, and when and where - God was specific (see II Chron. 29:25-28).

25 He then stationed the Levites in the house of the LORD with cymbals, with harps and with lyres according to the command of David and of Gad the king's seer, and of  Nathan the prophet; for the command was from the LORD through His prophets.

 26The Levites stood with The musical instruments of David, And the priests with the trumpets.

 27Then Hezekiah gave the order to offer the burnt offering on the altar. When the burnt offering began, the song to the LORD also began with the trumpets, accompanied by the instruments of David, king of Israel.

 28While the whole assembly worshiped, the singers also sang and the trumpets sounded; all this continued until the burnt offering was finished.

Likewise, God has commanded, in the New Testament, the kind of music He wishes in modern Christian worship and that is singing.

Col. 3:16 reads, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with gladness in your hearts to the Lord."

Ephesians 5:19 instructs,

"speaking to yourselves -in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord . . ."

Other specific instruction, or examples, are recorded in

Acts 16:25

About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them

 

Romans 15:9b

"Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles; I will sing hymns to your name."[

 

Heb. 2:12

I will declare your name to my brothers; in the presence of the congregation I will sing your praises."

 

 I Cor. 14:15

what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind

 

James 5:13

Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise.

 

 “Why do some churches reject instrumental music?”

 

 I Cor. 4:6

6 Now, brothers, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying, "Do not go beyond what is written." Then you will not take pride in one man over against another.

 

 Romans 15:4

4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

 

Eph 5:19

19  Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

 Col. 3:16

the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. 17And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

 

 Ephesians 5:19

Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;,

 

 Isaiah 23:16

Take an harp, go about the city, thou harlot that hast been forgotten; make sweet melody, sing many songs, that thou mayest be remembered

 

David Benedict, a Baptist historian, said that the Baptists in times past “would have as soon tolerated the Pope of Rome in their pulpits as an organ in their galleries” (Fifty Years Among The Baptists).   A number of sources readily admit the non-existence of instrumental music in not only the early Christian worship services, but its exclusion for centuries following the first century.  The New Catholic Encyclopedia states, “The rejection of all musical instruments from Christian worship is consistent among the fathers” (X.106).   Another reference work notes, “The religion of Classical Greece and the Jewish Temple liturgy both used musical instruments extensively--by contrast, early Christian music excluded them completely.  There is much evidence for this prohibition” (New Grove Dictionary, 4.368).   The first widespread use of instrumental music in worship was not until around 950 A.D. and universal use not until 1300 A.D.   In addition, it has only been in the last 150 years that the denominational world has fully embraced the instrument in worship.