The mention of Asaph perhaps raises the question: What part does music play in Christian worship? Certainly, music is present; Paul speaks of it in his epistles: “Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord” (Eph. 5:19-2019Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; 20Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; (Ephesians 5:19‑20)). And again: “By Him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name” (Heb. 10:15). But the silence, especially in Paul’s epistles as to the role of musical instruments in Christian worship, is notable. There isn’t a single reference, not in the Acts, nor in the writings of Paul, James, Peter, John, or Jude. There is no instruction for, or example of, singing to the accompaniment of musical instruments. Our music is spoken of as the fruit of our lips. We sing, as Paul and Silas did, without the aid of instruments (Acts 16:25). This thought is neither novel nor new. The early Protestant Reformers eschewed musical instruments in worship. They recognized that their use was associated with the temple of the Old Testament, and that it should not be carried into Christianity. To use musical instruments is contrary to worshipping in spirit. It brings us back into the realm of nature and all that is emotive to man. It must be noted that Protestant churches soon reversed their standing; their mixed congregations were just not ready to receive such teaching.
There seems to be a confounding of emotion with the activity of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit should evoke an emotional response, but an emotional response does not imply the activity of the Holy Spirit. It is not difficult to locate churches offering Spirit-filled worship, but almost universally they connect it one way or another with music. Neither listening to music, nor to a powerful sermon, will fill us with the Holy Spirit although they may move us emotionally. Being filled with the Spirit is a state of soul, one where the Holy Spirit is neither grieved nor quenched (Eph. 5:18; 1 Thess. 5:19). Quenching the Spirit, although it may be individual, is especially connected with the assembly. “Quench not the Spirit. Despise not prophesyings” (1 Thess. 5:19-20). To appoint an individual (or individuals) to direct a service, or oversee worship, is to quench the Holy Spirit—at the very least it is man limiting the channels whereby the Spirit may be permitted to act.
When it comes to the use of music, two incidents in the Old Testament come to mind. King Saul was troubled by an evil spirit from God. When David played music, it calmed his spirit and he was refreshed: “It came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took an harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him” (1 Sam. 16:23). There is no denying the powerful effect of music upon the human psyche, but this is not an argument for its use in worship but, rather, against it. With Elisha we have another, not altogether dissimilar, situation: “Elisha said ... bring me a minstrel. And it came to pass, when the minstrel played, that the hand of the Lord came upon him” (2 Kings 3:15). Here, it might be supposed that the hand of the Lord came upon Elisha because of the music, but I do not believe this to be so. Elisha found himself caught up in a situation contrary to the mind of God. The kings of Israel, Judah, and Edom had joined forces to battle the king of Moab. Never was such an alliance more unequally yoked. Of the three, only Jehoshaphat was a man of faith; indeed, Elisha tells the king of Israel: “Were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would not look toward thee, nor see thee” (2 Kings 3:14). The music was a distraction from the evil amongst which he found himself. Hamilton Smith writes:viii The man of God must have his mind diverted from the utter confusion around, the destruction with which God's people are faced, and the consequent distress into which they are plunged. An application for the present time is given: Are we not often faced with circumstances in which the evil is so apparent that it is easily detected, and condemned without any great call upon our spirituality? To discern, however, the mind of the Lord in the circumstances, demands far greater spirituality. For this we need to have our spirits withdrawn from the things of earth so that, undistractedly looking to the Lord, we may be able to see the condition of His people as He sees it, and thus gain His mind. This wicked condition of things certainly should not characterize the assembly—nor is music the answer, were it so. We have a full revelation from God in His Word, and we have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit to guide us. We must separate from all that is dishonoring to God if we want to hear His voice. In His grace we have been given all that we need to know His mind.
It has been said: There is no such thing as “Christian” music; there are only Christian lyrics. ... If I played a song for you without the words, you’d have no way of knowing if it were a “Christian” song.ix Is such a broad statement true? Suppose one walks past a building and hears the tune to a popular secular song—under these circumstances, the words are invariably unintelligible. What will be the conclusion of the passer-by? The question needs no answer. Do we pay no attention to the origin and use of a tune, or, for that matter, its effect on the human psyche?
Western classical music was created for the early Christian church. The music associated with the ancient pagan religions was deemed inappropriate. Rather remarkably then, influences from those pagan traditions have come wholesale into modern music across all genres. Western music was built upon melody, harmony, and rhythm, and there were accepted forms which were developed over the years. As we move into the 19th and 20th centuries, however, challenges were made to the long-held traditions and composers deliberately resisted the musical establishment of the day. Melody gives way to a more ethereal harmony, and then rhythm began to dominate. Modern rap is all rhythm without melody or harmony. These challenges to the accepted norms occurred across all forms of artistic expression: literary, theatrical, visual, and musical. Romanticism, which marked the early 1800s, gave way to realism and naturalism, which in turn were superseded by impressionism and symbolism; this led to modernism and then post-modernism. Each renouncing some aspect of the former until we arrive at the present day where the very certainty and stability of meaning is no longer recognized. As established norms were challenged in the arts, social and moral norms were also questioned—commonly by the very same artists; their profligate lives were renown (and it was often rejected, even by their peers). These changes were not restricted to the fine arts but made their way into popular culture. Running parallel to this history has been a steady rejection of long-held Christian values.
While I grant that there is a degree of subjectivity in all this, we cannot simply disregard these things when we make choices as to the music we use for a hymn or spiritual song—whether it be for praise, thanksgiving, or worship. Certainly, the lyrics are critical, but we must ask ourselves whether the music supports the words or if it is a distraction? We cannot ignore its origin or associations.