The Origin of Instrumental Music

If you will carefully study your Bible, from Matthew 1 to Revelation 22, the last verse of the Bible, there is not so much as the slightest hint of the use of instrumental music in Christian worship. To our denominational friends, this may come as a shock. But the fact still remains that our Lord Jesus Christ never mentioned instrumental music. No apostle ever sanctioned instrumental music. No New Testament writer ever commanded instrumental music. It is totally and completely without authorization in the word of God.

It is a historic fact that instrumental music was first introduced into so-called Christian worship by a priest in the year A.D. 670. It produced such a disturbance in the Catholic Church that it was removed, and it was not until 130 years later (A.D. 800) that it was put back in the church of Rome. It is easy enough to observe that to use instrumental music today is to look not to Christ, the apostles, or the New Testament. It is to look to the church in Rome as the sole authority. Christians, therefore, cannot and must not permit its use.

Please remember that since the New Testament is our only rule of faith and practice in matters pertaining to worship, we are therefore at liberty to speak only where it speaks and remain silent where it is silent. Since it is silent concerning instrumental music, such music is not permissible in Christian worship.

Adapted from Guy N. Woods

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