Expert: Marvin Howard - 11/14/2008

Question
I attend a Church of Christ in Concord, California.  They do not use musical instruments.  However, they use microphones, loudspeakers, video movies, power-point presentations ... all of which were not present during the time of Jesus.  These electronic enhancements are also not mentioned in the bible.
   Question:  How can electronic and video enhancement be allowed when musical instruments are not allowed?
Hunter Anderson

Answer
Hi!

Hunter, thank you for the chance to answer this for you. To understand this specific question, we must first understand a general principle of Bible interpretation; the difference between a command and an expedient to fulfill that command.

To get a better understanding of this, I want to look at three commands given by God; at different times in history. Each of these happened in a different dispensation of time: each occurs under a different Law given by God. We will note what was commanded, what was allowed, and what was disallowed. We will look at how the recipients of the command obeyed or disobeyed. I think you will be surprised by the similarities, and come to a better knowledge of the way God does business. All quotes will be from either the King James or the Textus Receptus, unless otherwise noted.

Genesis 6:13-16 & 22, "And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth. Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch. And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits. A window shalt thou make to the ark, and in a cubit shalt thou finish it above; and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; with lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it...Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he."

God told Noah to build an ark. He specifically told Noah what dimensions to use and what wood to use. If Noah had built the thing a different size, or had used (let's say for supposition) birch for the wood, we can be sure the ark would not have been the safe haven mankind needed. At the same time, God did not say whether he needed to use saws or chisels. However, that he used tools was necessary.

In other words, God gave a command; build an ark. God placed some limitations on that command; dimensions and type of wood. The rest, God left to the discretion of Noah how best to obey the command. Noah remained within the parameters of God's command and was saved. Any tools used were merely an expedient that changed not the command.

Leviticus 16:11-13 & 10:1-2, "And Aaron shall bring the bullock of the sin offering, which is for himself, and shall make an atonement for himself, and for his house, and shall kill the bullock of the sin offering which is for himself: And he shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire from off the altar before the LORD, and his hands full of sweet incense beaten small, and bring it within the vail: And he shall put the incense upon the fire before the LORD, that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy seat that is upon the testimony, that he die not...And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not. And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD."

God told the Levites to burn incense. God told them to use fire and censers. God further limited the fire the Levites were to use in these censers to fire from the altar. Granted, He did not say NOT to take it from a different source, but specifics prohibit the use of anything else. God did not specify the quantity of incense to use, so using extra would not have been a violation. However, human logic would say, "Fire is fire. What difference does it make as to the source?"

God gave a command; burn incense (in censers) with fire from a particular source. God left part of the command to the discretion of the Levites; quantity of incense. The Levites changed a parameter of God's command; source of the fire. They altered the command, but found the specifics to not be an expedient.

Matthew 28:19-20, "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen."

Acts 10:23-24 & 39-40 & 48, "Then called he them in, and lodged them. And on the morrow Peter went away with them, and certain brethren from Joppa accompanied him. And the morrow after they entered into Caesarea. And Cornelius waited for them, and had called together his kinsmen and near friends...And we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they slew and hanged on a tree: Him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly...And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days."

Acts 20:15-21, "And we sailed thence, and came the next day over against Chios; and the next day we arrived at Samos, and tarried at Trogyllium; and the next day we came to Miletus. For Paul had determined to sail by Ephesus, because he would not spend the time in Asia: for he hasted, if it were possible for him, to be at Jerusalem the day of Pentecost. And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called the elders of the church. And when they were come to him, he said unto them, Ye know, from the first day that I came into Asia, after what manner I have been with you at all seasons, Serving the Lord with all humility of mind, and with many tears, and temptations, which befell me by the lying in wait of the Jews: And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have shewed you, and have taught you publickly, and from house to house, Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ."

In the first of the above three passages, God gave a four part command to His disciples. All are to go, teach, baptize, and teach some more. He specifically told what to preach; the things already commanded of the Apostles. This would include that baptism is in water as part of the Gospel of Christ. At the same time, the method of travel is unspecified. However a method of travel was/is necessary.

In other words, focusing on the first part of the command, God said, "Go." He placed no limitations on how to go. He removed all limitations on where to go. Relating to the going, God left the rest to the discretion of the disciples on how to travel. Any method of travel is acceptable, so long as in so doing the disciples were going.

Let's examine this example further, as I showed two methods of fulfillment. It is plainly stated that Paul was using a ship to go; at least for part of the way. Peter traveled from Joppa to Caesarea Philippi, a distance of roughly 160 miles, in less than 24 hours; with no waterways between. Though not given in revelation, it is safe to say that some form of animal transportation was used. Two different methods for going are shown. Each is merely an expedient to carry forth the command to go.

Paul used a ship, and Peter used animals. There are other cases where one walked to fulfill the command. Are we limited to these three methods of transportation today? After all, there were no cars or aircraft in the first century. Obviously, we are not so limited. As long as we fulfill the command, how we do it does not matter since God places no limitations on this method.

Hunter, if you are still with me, you are probably asking how this relates to music and electronics; especially as it pertains to worship. Trust me, I did not get side-tracked. Let's continue with the same formula for study as above.

Colossians 3:16, "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 grace in your hearts to the Lord."

Ephesians 5:19, "Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;"

One note I would like to make now, and to which I will return later, is that singing is both speaking and teaching. This will be important when we examine expediencies towards obeying this command. However, for the moment, let us focus on the command itself; singing.

First, let it be noted, the word that supposedly gives revealed authority for mechanical instruments is not in Colossians 3:16. I will do a brief examination of both verses in Greek momentarily. For now, I want to focus on the word that troubles so many. This word is ψάλλω (psallō - psal'-lo).In Ephesians 5:19, this is the term translated as, "making melody." Let's do an exhaustive analysis of this word.

Strong
ψάλλω
psallō
psal'-lo
Probably strengthened from ψάω psaō (to rub or touch the surface; compare G5597); to twitch or twang, that is, to play on a stringed instrument (celebrate the divine worship with music and accompanying odes): - make melody, sing (psalms).

Thayer
ψάλλω
psallō
1) to pluck off, pull out
2) to cause to vibrate by touching, to twang
2a) to touch or strike the chord, to twang the strings of a musical instrument so that they gently vibrate
2b) to play on a stringed instrument, to play, the harp, etc.
2c) to sing to the music of the harp
2d) in the NT to sing a hymn, to celebrate the praises of God in song
Part of Speech: verb
A Related Word by Thayer’s/Strong’s Number: probably strengthened from psao (to rub or touch the surface, compare G5597)
Citing in TDNT: 8:489, 1225

New American Standard Exhaustive
ψάλλω
psallō
From ψάω psaō (to rub); to pull, twitch, twang, play, sing: - making melody (1), sing (3), sing praises (1).

Parsing Code and Necessary Results
V-PAP-NPM
V=Verb
P=Present Tense
A=Active Voice
P=Participle Mood
N=Nominative Case
P=Plural
M=Masculine

This is present tense and active voice. In other words, this is to be done each time someone engages in the activity. The participle case gives noun parsing to the verb. Nominative case means it applies to persons, rather than places, things, or ideas. It is plural. Thus, this word needs a plural antecedent of people. In Ephesians 5:19, the given antecedent is, “yourselves.” This is a command given in the second person. In other words, when this activity is accomplished, all people are to participate, and participate equally. Thus, a need is placed for all people to do the same thing. In order to do the same thing, the only way an instrument can be used is for all to use the same instrument, and thus the instrument must be named. The only instrument named is the human heart.

From this analysis, we see that the pertinent portion of the verse (making melody in your heart) could be properly translated thusly:

"Pluck the strings of your heart."

This alone excludes all mechanical instruments of music as part of the singing. However, the possibility still remains, and the argument is often made, that the instruments are only an expedient; an aid to the music that does not alter the command. Are they? For the answer, let's look at an interlinear translation (the Greek text, followed word by word, with an English translation in parenthesis). Multiple words show various, possible translations of the same term. Some of the diacritical marks in the Greek may not survive the transmission, but it will be enough for you to get the idea.

Colossians 3:16, "ο (The) λογος (word) του (this) χριστου (Christ) ενοικειτω (inhabits, dwells) εν (in) υμιν (you) πλουσιως (copiously, abundantly, richly) εν (in) παση (all) σοφια (wisdom) διδασκοντες (teaching) και (and) νουθετουντες (remembering, reminding, admonishing, warning) εαυτους (to yourselves) ψαλμοις (psalms, odes set to music) και (and) υμνοις (hymns) και (and) ωδαις (odes, songs) πνευματικαις (spiritual) εν (in) χαριτι (graciousness) αδοντες (singing) εν (in) τη (to the) καρδια (heart) υμων (your) τω (one) κυριω (controller, Lord, Master)"

Ephesians 5:19, "λαλουντες (Talking, Preaching, Speaking, Telling) εαυτοις (to yourselves) ψαλμοις (psalms, odes set to music) και (and) υμνοις (hymns) και (and) ωδαις (odes, songs) πνευματικαις (spiritual) αδοντες (singing) και (and) ψαλλοντες (playing) εν (on) τη (the) καρδια (hearts) υμων (your) τω (one) κυριω (controller, Lord, Master)"

The main thing to note in this exercise is that all music given (in the New Testament) is to be vocal in nature; even when the pieces being vocalized were customarily set to music, or authoritatively so set under the auspices of the Mosaic Law.

These passages no more authorize explicitly a differing source (the instrument) for our worship music than did the phrase, "fire from the altar," authorize strange fire (from another source) for Nadab and Abihu. Notice, I said explicitly. What of implicitly, as in the form of an expedient?

It is time for you to honestly answer a question in your own mind; "Since our singing is both teaching and warning, is it better for the message to be more, or less, clear?"

1st Corinthians 12:30-13:1, "Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret? But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way. Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal."

In this passage, Paul is speaking of spiritual gifts. Nevertheless, he uses an established truth to make a point. If all tried to speak in tongues (or use any gift exclusively in worship), there would be no understanding. There would be as much confusion as is caused by the cymbals on a tambourine or a any other piece of metal instrument. Well, the pipes of an organ, or the strings on a piano or other instrument (remember, ψάλλω means to pluck strings) are made of metal. These instruments confuse a message, rather than clarifying it, just as surely as would everyone standing and preaching at the same time.

Instruments are not an expedient to the singing in worship, for they change the source (coming from outside of us rather than from within). Not only do the instruments change the music, thereby altering God's command to us to sing, they change it for the worse by making it more confusing. People will pay more attention to the melody from the instruments, or even to the musician, than they will to the teaching they are to be doing.

Hunter, I know this has been a long explanation for why instruments are disallowed from any worship. However, this gives us a good basis for understanding the other items you mentioned in your question. Remember, some things unknown to the early church are acceptable; such as cars and planes for spreading the Word. Are these innovations expedients (aids to the teaching), making it more clear? Or, are they alterations of the message making the message too murky to understand? Let us briefly look at each one you named, in turn.

MICROPHONES:

Does a microphone cover the sound of the words being transmitted? Does it rearrange the order of the message? Does it prevent understanding? Does it draw attention from the message and place it elsewhere? The answer to all of these is, "No." Thus, microphones are only expedients to the message.

LOUDSPEAKERS:

Speakers are just the transmission end of the receptive microphones. Nothing about speakers is different from microphones, insofar as functionality in worship is concerned, so speakers are also an expedient.

VIDEO MOVIES:

I must admit, I have yet to see one of these used in worship. I am unsure whether you reference slide shows, old-fashioned projectors, or VHS tapes/DVD's. However, you must remember, the message and its clarity are the important factors; not the method of delivery. IF, and this is a big if, one is able to study the message during presentation, and the message is truthful, and the ambiance is not such that people are lulled out of learning, and it is not entertainment being substituted for learning, then I would not have a problem with it. Personally, I would be fearful of this as it would be very easy for one of the above prohibitive conditions to exist. However, I am not in the audience, so I cannot make full judgment on the issue. If the message remains clear, and understandable, for all, then this would qualify as an expedient.

POWER POINT:

I have never used Power Point in my presentations. However, this is not from unfamiliarity or disapproval. It is simply a lack of technical ability on my part; to this point. I have seen Power Point presentations. To the extent of my personal experience, nothing is displayed other than the spoken words, referenced Scriptures, illustrations to allow a better description of the intended thought, or maps to help one get a better sense of what Biblical characters faced. I actually get a good deal from these presentations.

That is not to say how great they are. A good speaker will be able to paint the right word pictures to the point where these are unnecessary. That a congregation decides to use them says more about the lack of ability of the preacher (or at least of past preachers) than it does for the benefit derived from their use.

Also, I suppose it would be possible to use Power Point in such a way as to be a distraction or hindrance rather than an aid. Images could be displayed that are not germane to the discussion at hand. It could also be used for entertainment as a substitute for learning.

All expediencies can be abused. it is possible to get on a plane or in a car for such a length of time that it becomes an excuse for not teaching.

1st Corinthians 10:23, "All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not."

Hunter, certainly murder is never lawful. Thus, Paul is here speaking of only lawful things. While a thing may be lawful, it may not be wise to use it. Expediencies must aid the command in such a way that all are edified, rather than hindered or destroyed. Above all, they must neither add to, nor detract from, the revelation of Scripture.

I pray I have given you not only an answer, but a way of determining the truth and value of other things in Christianity. Perhaps, you now have a new thought process with which you may stand for the truth against the opposing forces of evil. If I can be of further assistance to you, or if you need further help with specific points of this treatise, please do not hesitate to let me know how I can be of service to you.

In His Service,
Marvin Howard