Making Melody—a cappella
By
Shelby G. Floyd
“Speaking to yourselves
in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your
heart to the Lord.” (Ephesians 5:19.)
In our
worship to God we must do only that which God has authorized in his word. (Matthew
15:9.) Singing is authorized in worship to God, but instrumental music is not.
God has commanded us to sing in our worship which not only glorifies him but it
edifies man.
Speaking To One Another
In singing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, the worshipers are actually speaking to each other. The term speaking indicates that one is to use words in order to declare one’s mind and disclose one’s thoughts. Therefore, in singing, the worshiper is conversing with other worshipers through the avenue of song.
Teaching and Admonishing One Another
The parallel reading in the
book of Colossians goes one step further and indicates that in our singing of
psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, we not only speak to one to another, but we
teach and admonish one another. “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.” (Colossians
3:16.)
The Action of Congregational Singing Is Reciprocal
Today, there is a dangerous trend in many churches in having special quartets, etc., to perform during the worship services. When Paul said to the Ephesians, “speaking to yourselves,” he commanded each Christian to sing and take part in the speaking, teaching and admonishing of each other. Yourselves, is a reflexive pronoun used in this case as a reciprocal pronoun. Therefore, the worshippers were to sing to each other. The singing was to be done by the entire congregation. This excludes the type of singing which entertains while others sit and listen.
Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs Specified
Paul not only specified the kind of music the church is to have in its worship, which is singing, but he also specified the nature of the songs. The church is to sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, which therefore excludes every other kind of song. A psalm is a pious song such as the psalms of David set to music. (cf. Thayer, pg. 675.) A hymn is a sacred song sung in praise of God. (cf. Thayer, pg. 637.) A spiritual song is a general reference to any religious ode or song of a spiritual nature. In worship to God, the only kind of music which is authorized is singing and making melody in our hearts to the Lord. When Paul said to sing and make melody, he excluded every other kind of music. This is the law of exclusion and is understood in our every day usage.
Singing and Making Melody
While everyone will admit that singing is certainly pleasing in the worship to God; some have tried to make it appear that the phrase making melody, which is conjoined to singing, authorizes the use of instrumental music in the worship of God. Therefore, let us make a close examination of this phrase making melody. It translates the word psallo, which it is true in classical Greek meant: “To touch or strike a chord; to twang the strings of musical instruments so that they gently vibrate; to play on a stringed instrument, to play the harp, etc.; to sing to the music of the harp.” But Thayer says in the New Testament it means,
“To sing a hymn, to celebrate the praises of God in song.”
(Thayer, pg. 675.)
The child of God then is to sing and make melody. Fortunately, the apostle Paul told us what instrument the Christian is to use in singing and making his melody. It is not to be a melody played upon a harp, stringed instrument or an organ, but it is a melody which is to be played in the heart.
The Instrument Is the Heart
The phrase “in your heart”
is dative of instrument. Therefore the heart is the instrument in which one is
to make melody. The heart as it is used here denotes the center and seat of
spiritual life. Therefore, when Paul said “make melody in your heart” he meant
that one is to make melody in, “the soul or mind as it is the fountain and
seat of the thoughts, passions, desires, appetites, affections, purposes,
endeavors.” (Thayer, pg. 325.)
If making melody means that one is to play on a mechanical instrument of music, then everyone would be commanded to do that, but very few people have the ability to play a musical instrument. But, it doesn’t mean that. It means that we are to make melody in the inward man, the heart, which everyone has the ability to do. Everyone can sing and make melody in their hearts to the Lord. This is what Paul had in mind when he wrote to the Corinthians and said,
“What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and
I will pray with the understanding also; I will sing with the spirit, and I
will sing with the understanding also.” (1 Corinthians 14:15.)
Silence of the Scriptures Does Not Authorize
Instrumental Music In Worship
Some have tried to uphold instrumental music in worship on the basis of the silence of the scriptures. Silence, however, does not authorize anything. Concerning the silence of the scriptures, N. B. Hardeman, a prince of preachers, said,
“For about three dozen times in the Old Testament
instruments of music are mentioned in connection with the worship of God; but
when you turn to the New Testament, not three dozen times, not even one tine,
is it thus mentioned, showing beyond the possibility of a reasonable doubt that
while it prevailed throughout the days of David and subsequent thereto under
Judaism, at the very institution and inauguration of the Christian dispensation
and of the church of the living God it was purposely left out. Therefore the
silence of the scriptures regarding it certainly ought to have some moment and
some weight upon those who rely upon the New Testament.” (N. B. Hardeman, Hardeman’s
Tabernacle Sermons, Volume 2, pg. 268-269.)
Let
all who worship God do so “in spirit and truth.” God seeks such to worship
him. In the music of the church let all
simply sing—a cappella—in the style of the church—“Italian a cappella
in chapel style: without instrumental accompaniment.”-- Merriam-Webster
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