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A Correction and a Few Further Thoughts

Please bear with me this one more time on the issues of instrumental music (IM) in worship and the silence of the scriptures. Normally in my MMM’s I refrain from the debates on such issues, but I felt this one was worthy of some consideration not only because of the affect this is having in churches of Christ today, but also because of its broader implications.

However, before I address this subject further, I need to correct something I wrote last week. When pointing out that IM in the OT was strictly part of the Levitical priesthood system added to the Law of Moses by David, I stated that prior to David’s instructions, “the Law of Moses was similarly silent in regard to instrumental music in the public assemblies of God’s people”. A good friend pointed out to me my mistake in this latter statement. There are in fact three references in the Law of Moses to trumpets being blown during appointed feasts and holy convocations (Lev 23.24; Num 10.10; 29.21). It seems from Num 10.10 that these trumpets were blown during assembled worship times (whether simply for calling the assembly together or for part of the worship assembly itself is debatable). Therefore, I stand corrected and I am thankful to my friend for pointing this out. While it doesn’t seem to affect my conclusion that instruments were part and parcel to the Levitical system (the trumpets were to be blown by the “priestly sons of Aaron” -- Num 10.8), I do want to be accurate.

Back to the issue of silence. Some of you responded that the New Testament’s silence on this issue is not enough for us to say it is a sin. Even if that were so, neither can we say that God is pleased with it. The clear and unequivocal connection of IM to the OT Levitical system that was done away with at the cross, coupled with the total absence of IM in the NT does seem to me to be an intentional silence. The Hebrew author appealed to this very same principle of silence to show that Jesus can never be a priest on earth (Heb 7.14; 8.4). The argument on both accounts seem to me to be the same. And as I pointed out last week, if God’s silence is not restrictive, then how can we argue against things like denominational hierarchies and popes? I know of no scripture that says gambling is a sin. Should the church use bingo and casino gambling to raise funds?

If the principle of silence does not apply to the issue of IM, are there any issues at all to which it does apply? If so, what are they and why are these different? But if not, then what do we do with the many passages that express this very principle in one form or another (e.g. 1 Cor 2.11; 4.6; 11.1-2; Phil 3.17; 1 Thes 5.21; 2 Thes 2.15;Heb 7.11; 8.4; 1 Pet 4.11; Jude 3; Rev 22.18-19; etc.). For every such passage you can wrestle out of, you’ll only be faced with another one. I would think that at some point we would tire of trying to wrestle our way out of one passage after another and find it easier to just throw the word of God out altogether; or simply to listen to and respect his silence. I’ll choose the latter even if sometimes I do so tentatively.