Terry L. Miethe (scholar) defends and promotes the use of instrumental music in the church (school room): Kenneth Sublett (Idiot-technical scholar) responds. Some of the fellow theologians teach a similar dogmaTerry L. Miethe: Instrumental Music
Lynn Anderson Psallo justifies Instrumental Music and sowing of Discord. This is just a small number of false teachings cused at Oak Hills Church (Ex Church of Christ). The plan was for quiet strings in an extra room: this has sowed massive discord and now arrived it its planned destination of a full Rock and Roll performance. The ex-congregation just stands in shock and awe. Rick Atchley promised not to "have instrumental music on Sunday until Jesus returned" but being post modern that meant what he REALLY thought inside
ALL musical terms and names of instruments have a connection with making war, pollution and vile pagan religion: only as a metaphor do they connect with "singing" as "shooting forth a hymn" which is certaily better than a real arrow or a love arrow. The word PALLO is most often used to speak of "making music" but it is never used in the Bible of the church.
I will post some of the word showing the connection which Bible scholars should understand. This simply provides links which can be used to resist the "scholarly" promotion of instrumental music in peaceable churches.
I am putting Terry Miethe's paper in Dark Red so my comments will be in BLACK and Biblical or historical quotations will be in BLUE. Yes, I know that colors drive you insane but I don't intend to write a book to present the THESIS, my short comments and Biblical and Historical refutation of it all. Revised 8.16.08
Followup from Terry L. Miethe: Campbell found himself at the "head" of a movement of bigots and reactionaries very early on. But not wanting to have a split in his young movement, he when to the extreme of having others voice his opinion in the Harbinger. MANY - not all - of the church of Christ "creators" were of this reactionary and hotheaded lot! A FACT OF HISTORY!UPDATED 8.10.08 2:30 / 8.18.08 6:00
What the real Campbell said in 1826: Bigotry. AMONGST the indiscriminate usage and application of the term bigotry, it is not uncommon to find it very unwarrantably applied. It is used to excite public odium, where the thing which it is used to represent is no way disgusting. Hence some are called bigots, and accused of bigotry, for rejecting all written creeds except the bible; for being strict in worshipping God according to his commandments; for requiring the members of a christian community to obey God rather than men. And I have known infidels accuse a christian church of bigotry, because they would not retain in their fellowship immoral persons, or persons who denied the Lord that bought them; and those who, in the apostles estimation, denied the faith and were worse than an infidel. Those who dislike the institutions of the Messiah are often found reproaching those with bigotry who love and obey them. Indeed, there is no term, whether received in a good or a bad sense, that may not be most egregiously misapplied.Terry L. Miethe: Let me give you just one example, which "prayerfully" will help clear things up for you; e.g. what the Campbell's really meant by the slogan: "Where the Scripture speaks, we speak; where the Scriptures are silent we are silent." which has so, so often been interpreted as exactly the opposite of what it meant by the fundamentalists in the church of Christ. You cannot make an argument against something based on silence! You cannot use this slogan to say that because something is not mentioned that it is prohibited. In fact, the slogan means EXACTLY the other position.The following is from my second Ph.D. dissertation: "This was undoubtedly the Restoration Movement's foremost slogan. It immediately became the watchword for the new religious group. Robert Richardson, physician and friend of Alexander Campbell, says the following about this slogans importance: "It was from the moment when these significant words were uttered and accepted that the more intelligent ever afterward dated the formal and actual commencement of the Reformation which was subsequently carried on with so much success, and which has already produced such important changes in religious society over a large portion of the world."
A scholar of Augustine would note that he and those before him said the same thing.
I hate to be uppity but the Bible established the SLOGAN long ago. Furthermore, all historic scholars and founders of denominations used the thesis: why not, God is God and we are not. History of Commands, Examples and Necessary Inferences.
Speak where the Bible speaks meant that no one can impose anything on the collective which is not necessary to carry out the purpose of the church. Since the Campbells called church "a school of Christ" and worship as "reading and musing the Word" (as did Paul) there is no room to USE silence to impose musical instruments when you know that you will sow discord. Click for my short review of Terry L. Meithe
From Terry L. Meithe: Royce Money is no friend of mine. But, you "sir" are a true idiot! It is just a real shame that you know how to type and use the WWW! It is because of people like you that it is a "dangerous" place full of garbage!
I posted this paper placing the SHOUTHING charges and gave Terry Miethe a chance to add some Bible reason for the use of instruments in the church. He responded;
Dr. Terry L. Miethe wrote:GOOD POINT TO BEGIN: THE SYNAGOGUE OF CHRIST IS LOGOS-CENTERED: No more and no less unless you despise the Living Word.
I am not angry. You are just an idiot! It's just that simple! Have you ever had a course in logic? Simply unbelievable. Get a life, some real thinking skills, etc. And, until you do, have the integrity to stop you "publication."
Yes, LOGOS is the Word and SPEAKing the word is the opposite of poetry and music because even simple simons knew that "demagogues set their lies to melodies to deceive the simple minded." I would think that the word SPEAK or SPEAKING would not always be seen as SINGING out loud with a HARP in your HEART.
Even without a degree in theology one can grasp that SPEAK never means to MAKE MUSIC: in fact you cannot SPEAK and SING at the time. Therefore, the direct command is to SPEAK that which is written.
Jesus as the WORD is the LOGOS or rational discourse of God: Human logic won't work when "the imaginations of mankind is only evil continually."Jesus promised his ekklesia which means synagogue: you never sing in an ekklesia or sullogos without getting getting hurt. Sullogimos is what you do whem you gather (synagogue) the assembly to hear the evidence and "gather" the thoughts of the members.
1. plea, pretext, ground, would have admitted of an explanation,
2. statement of a theory, argument, to be explained
c. in Logic, proposition, whether as premiss or conclusion
d. rule, principle, law, as embodying the result of logismos
4. thesis, hypothesis, provisional ground,
5.reason, ground 6.formula (wider than definition, but freq. equivalent thereto), term expressing reason,
7.reason, law exhibited in the world-process,
c. in Neo-Platonic Philos., of regulative and formative forces, derived from the intelligible
and operative in the sensible universe
IV. inward debate of the soul
1. thinking, reasoning, explanation , opposite perception,
in Logic, of discursive reasoning, opposite intuition
2. reason as a faculty,
V. continuous statement, narrative (whether fact or fiction), oration lego
4.speech, delivered in court, assembly
VI. verbal expression or utterance, lego, lexis
Lexis A.speech, opposite ôidê, 1. art of song 5. = eppsdê, spell, incantationlogik-os logos] A. of or for speaking or speech l. the organs of speech, speech, opposite to mousikê, opposite to phantasia expressed in speech. opposite to megaloprepes, [great person] of persons, writing in prose, II. possessed of reason, intellectual, l. sullogismoi, opposite to rhêtorikoi,
4 .text of an author, opposite exegesis [Peter's private interpretation outlaws exegesis]
WHAT YOU ARE PERMITTED:
Ekklêsia , hê, (ekklêtos ) assembly duly summoned, less general than sullogos, II. in LXX, the Jewish congregation, De. 31.30,al. This equates ekklesia to qahal (h6951) where moses SPAKE the song and where Numbers 10 outlaws "vocal and instrumental praise" during the Qahal or synagogue.WHAT YOU ARE NOT PERMITTED:
The ekklesia is the OPPOSITE of the Sullogos which would permit plays
The Sullogos A.assembly, concourse, meeting of persons, whether legal or riotous, including emotional drama. II. metaph., collectedness, presence of mind, sullogon psuchê slabeE.HF626.
It would also define the parties where they drank wine and listened to vocal and instrument music.
Pindar, Nemean 9. [[1] Muses, we will go in victory [Nike] procession from Apollo's shrine in Sicyon to newly-founded Aetna, where the doors flung open wide are overwhelmed by guests, at the prosperous home of Chromius. Make a sweet song of verses! For, mounting his chariot of victorious horses, he gives the word to sing for the mother and her twin children... [ 46] For if, together with many possessions, a man wins renown and glory, there is no higher peak on which a mortal can set his feet. Peace loves the symposium, and new-flourishing victory is fostered by soft song, and the voice becomes bold beside the mixing-bowl.[50] Let someone mix the wine now, the sweet forerunner of victory-song,[51] and dispense the powerful son of the vine in those silver goblets which once Chromius' horses won for him and sent from holy Sicyon together with the duly twined garlands of Leto's son. Father Zeus, I pray that I may celebrate this excellence by the favor of the Graces, and excel many poets in honoring victory with my verses,[55] throwing my shaft nearest of all to the MARK [Skopio, Semaino of the Delphic oracle] of the Muses.
Nikao 2. generally, overpower, esp. of passions,
See Plato on the "getting drunk with wine" musical symposium.Sullogismos means generally, rationcination, reasoning, putting together of observed facts inference from written to unwritten law.
You are FORBIDDEN TO
Epagôg-ê 4. allurement, enticement, tais elpisi [hope] kai tais [beans: inducement] ie. D.19.322 .
b. incantation, spell, in pl., Pl.R.364c, Lg.933d Hekatês phaskôn epagôgên gegonenai saying that Hecate had put it under a spell,Thphr.Char.16.7Lg.933d Includes pharmak-euô use enchantments, practice sorcery, epôid-os ,
on, (epaidô ) singing to or over, using songs or charms to heal wounds,
epôidoi mutho, verse or passage returning at intervals, a BURDEN.
Megillus My dear Clinias, from all that has now been said it follows that either we must forgo the idea of settling the State, or else we must detain this Stranger here, and by prayers and every possible means secure his cooperation in the task of settling the State.Epagoge includes a warning about LuciferClinias
-
7. leading
away into captivity, captivity,
LXX Is.14.17: generally, distress,
misery, ib.Si.23.14
(pl.), cf. Hsch.
The Synagogue excluded all forms of "praise service."Isa 14:[11] Your pomp is brought down to Sheol, the noise of your viols: the worm is spread under you, and maggots cover you.[12] How you are fallen from heaven, day-star, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, who laid the nations low![13] You said in your heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; and I will sit on the mountain of congregation, in the uttermost parts of the north;[14] I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.[15] Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, to the uttermost parts of the pit.[16] Those who see you shall gaze at you, they shall consider you, [saying], "Is this the man who made the earth to tremble, who shook kingdoms;[17] who made the world as a wilderness, and overthrew the cities of it; who didn't let loose his prisoners to their home?"
Isaiah 23:15 And it shall come to pass in that day, that Tyre shall be forgotten seventy years, according to the days of one king: after the end of seventy years shall Tyre sing as an harlot.
Isaiah 23:16 Take an harp, go about the city, thou harlot that hast been forgotten; make sweet melody, sing many songs, that thou mayest be remembered.
Isaiah 23:17 And it shall come to pass after the end of seventy years, that the Lord will visit Tyre, and she shall turn to her hire, and shall commit fornication with all the kingdoms of the world upon the face of the earth.
Isaiah 23:18 And her merchandise and her hire shall be holiness to the Lord: it shall not be treasured nor laid up; for her merchandise shall be for them that dwell before the Lord, to eat sufficiently, and for durable clothing.
This would be extortion:"The priests decreed that payment should be made in coins of the purest silver. Only one sort was acceptable, the silver coins of the city of Tyre."
"A carefully calculated estimate puts the amount taken to the Temple each year at half a million shekels." "The basic unit was the silver denarius, equal to the Greek drachma, a good day's wage."- Alan Millard, Discoveries From the Time of Jesus, p 72
Aphrahat: Now we see that Tyre was inhabited, and was opulent after she had wandered seventy years, [Is. xxiii. 15, 16, 17.] and after she had received the reward of her harlotries and after she had committed fornication with all kingdoms.
And she took the harp, and played it sweetly, and multiplied her music.
That is because Jesus OUTLAWED vocal and instrumental rejoicing and all Jews understood that. Alfred Edershiem notes that there was no praise service in the synagogue and even in the temple was not used as worship.
You CANNOT by definition and law hold ekklesia or synagogue AND included any music which is enchantment INTENDING to lead people away for GATHERING as an assembly and GATHERING their thoughts about the clearly-defined Word of the Logos ONLY.
All performers of "religion" are defined by Jesus as hypocrites meaning rhetoricians, singers and instrument players. They are defined as CORRUPTERS of the Word as any logical observer can grasp.If people corrupt the word meaning "sell learning at retail, hawk it all about" and others give you the FREE water of the word remember the warning about the sophists whom Jesus consigned to the marketplace where they SELL. The Church of Christ beginning in the Wilderness is a WORD-ONLY assembly to specificially quarantine the godly people from the mostly-Babylonian-Canaanite religious rituals. It continued to run parallel to the Temple and after the Return it was the only institution which survived and became more organized. Never, we are told, did the synagogue have a praise service.
The Spirit of Christ in Isaiah 58 defined a true sabbath (PAUO in Greek) which outlaws seeking your own pleasure: everyone knows that music has entertainment value only. Christ also outlaws speaking YOUR OWN WORDS. That is why the command is to teach "that which is written." Jesus said that the sons of the Devil speak ON THEIR OWN.
2 Cor 2:17 For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.
Kapeleuo (g2585) kap-ale-yoo'-o; from kapelos , (a huckster); to retail, i.e. (by impl.) to adulterate (fig.): - corrupt
Kapêl-euô , A. to be a retail-dealer, drive a petty trade... kapêleu' drive a trade, chaffer with your vegetable food Hdt.1.155 mathêmata sell learning by retail, hawk it about, traffic in grants of citizenship
The Deipnosophists of Athenaeus of Naucratis Book XIII: Concerning WomenHdt.1.155 Heredotus: Cyrus told how to take the FIGHT out of the enemy: [4] But pardon the Lydians, and give them this command so that they not revolt or pose a danger to you: send and forbid them to possess weapons of war,
............and order them to wear tunics under their cloaks
........... and knee-boots on their feet,
........... and to teach their sons lyre-playing [kitharizein]
........... and song [psallein] and dance
............and shop-keeping [huckstering].
........... And quickly, O king,
........... you shall see them become women instead of men,
........... so that you need not fear them, that they might revolt."Hear, ye Styacs, vendors of twaddle, hypocritical mouthers of words who alone by yourselves gobble up everything on the platters before a wise man can get a share, and then are caught doing the very opposite of what you solemnly chant;" oglers of boys you are, and in that alone emulating the founder of your philosophy, Zeno the Phoenician, who never resorted to a woman, but always to boy-favourites,
The philosopher speaks as follows: "The custom of shaving the beard increased under Alexander, although the foremost men did not follow it. Why, even the flute-player Timotheus wore a long beard when he played the flute. And at Athens they maintain that it is not so very long ago that the first man shaved his face all around, and had the nickname 'Shaver.'" Hence, also, Alexis said, I believe: "If you see a man whose hair has been removed by pitch or by shaving, one or other of two things ails him:
either he plainly means to 'go on a campaign' and do all kinds of things inconsistent with a beard,
or else some vice peculiar to a rich man is descending upon him.
So, then, most learned grammarian, I urge you to keep away from the high-priced prostitutes, because "you may see all the other flute-girls playing Apollo's tune... Zeus's tune; but these ladies play nothing but the Hawk's tune;"
As for myself, fellow-banqueters, I have not discussed courtesans after the manner of Metagenes' Breezes, or The Blockhead of Aristagoras: "I told you first of beautiful dancing prostitutes, and now I do not speak to you of flute-girls just beginning to be ripe, who have very quickly, and for a price, undermined the strength of sailors aboard the freighters/"
Of Hyacinthia On the first day, which was dedicated to silent mourning,
Even IDIOTS know that all religious music was performed by merchants and that is why a guitarist was called a parasite. Anyway, I will post additional information as time permits. All of history notes that MUSIC was usually the last gasp of a failing institution. We are told that "generally only females and the effeminant fall into it."sacrifice to the dead was offered at the grave of Hyacinthus, which was under the statue of Apollo in the temple at Amyclae. The following day was spent in public rejoicing in honour of Apollo, in which all the populace, including the slaves, took part.
They went in festal procession with choruses of singing boys and girls, accompanied by harps and flutes, to the temple of Apollo, where games and competitions, sacrifices and entertainments to one another took place, and a robe, woven by the Spartan women, was offered to the god.
Terry L. Miethe: For most of my life and my sojourn at Abilene Christian College, I stayed out of the instrumental/non-instrumental music question. Such a truly stupid issue/debate! Then (12 May 1995) I wrote the piece in the body of this one entitled " Tears of Real SORROW." Today [7 August 2008 at 5.55 a.m.] I am going to put more "historic" context to that piece. Every semester at ACU, before classes started, there were faculty meetings, one of which was a "plenary" session. I remember a Greek professor gave a lectured entitled: "The Future of Our Religious Past."
It might come as a surprise but all Scripture was written in a historical context! However, it claims to be the Audible and Visible Word (words) of the God of the universe. It that is not true then we cannot understand why one is called "Christian" because unless one has a sponge on the side of the head that is the only "set of words" we have. Because church is ekklesia, synagogue or school of the Bible there is no need to go beyond the direct command to "sing?" that which is written and teach that which has been taught: who is man that he can pass judgment on God: the imaginations of man are only evil continually.Carroll D. Osburn cannot grasp that the CHANGE AGENDA is the feminist or effeminate agenda of the MOTHER OF THE GODS who were spiritual and literal prostitutes as MARKED by the use of music which Lucifer who came into the garden of Eden with wind, string and percussion instruments. Inherent in Paul's writing and all of the contemporaneous literature, Satan wholly seduced Eve but Adam was sodomized willingly.
Click to see that it is truly possible that one can be a "scholar" and never have read the Bible OR the Greek literature by which words and figurative language is defined: Jesus spoke in parables to the doctors of the law "because they take away the key to knowledge.
Carroll D. Osburn: On pages 14-15: "With so many questions flying around and so much uncertainty being expressed in various quarters, what an opportunity for the various faculties of our Christian colleges and universities to help shape the future! These are the best of times to be involved in Christian education!
If we are to have a truly significant impact upon the national and international scene,
faculties of religion must play leading prophetic roles in channeling and facilitating whatever changes loom ahead.PLEASE DON'T DRINK THE KOOKAID!
Carroll D. Osburn: "There is major disagreement on whether one should use the Bible to undergird doctrines in a "proof-texting way, or whether one should allow doctrine to emerge from understanding texts in their literary and historical contexts. Certainly these differing views of Scripture lie behind differing views of women in the church" (p. 90).
"The Bible is not so much a 'heaven-sent answer book' as a historical book produced within and for a historical community-- yet it serves as Scripture today because people find themselves accountable to it. That is what make its Scripture" (WOMEN IN THE CHURCH: Reclaiming the Ideal, p. 46).
"...but another step must be taken if the text would actually become Scripture and that is to engage the text in dialogue to ask, 'Now that I understand the meaning of this text for today, can I accept this" (p. 47).
He also wrote:
The problem with Osburn etal is that they do not grasp that Jesus still speaks in parables to them as He has from the foundation of the world: there is not need for doctors of the Law to have the sacred mysteries in their hands because Isaiah 48 says they would twist it to make themselves prophets. After the musical idolatry at Mount Sinai Moses wrote the Torah in terms of Babylonian and Canaanite Baalism to help guard the very few who had not been "turned over to worship the starry hosts" and been given kings to take them captive and lead them into destruction. A minimalist scholar would understand the role of the female in promoting a charismatic, musical form of worship as a restoration of MATRIARCHALISM."Paul's arguments carried weight in his day even though they may not necessarily be convincing by today's standards" (p. 135).
Terry L. Miethe: The basic point was that the Churches of Christ had for decades been "majoring on the minors" and that should stop. After he was done he got a standing ovation! Dr. Rae Adams, Chairperson of the Sociology Department, was the first to stand up and I was second [I'm sorry Rae beat me to my feet!] Eddie and Rae Adams were dear friends to us during our time in Abilene, Texas. We were guests in their grand home (it backed up to a beautiful lake) on numerous occasions. Rae told me more than once that she would be very disappointed if she got to Heaven and found out that she had unnecessarily missed out on all the beautiful organ music. I basically laughed, and told her she was definitely in for a very great disappointment!
A. Leonard Allen: The Cruciform Church: Becoming a Cross-Shaped People in a Secular World (2nd ed., 1990, ACU Press).Claiming that the church of Christ is history-deprived Osburn, Allen, Hughes etal do not grasp that music has been the MARK from the garden onward of people who tell God "your words mean nothing to me." However, church history is literate in understanding that:
On pages 71-72, Allen similarly dates “our movement”: “Our traditional ‘scientific’ way of reading Scripture, as we have seen, tended to level Scripture into a body of doctrinal facts. These facts, when inductively assembled into their proper order, all carried about the same weight. As a result, distinctions between majors and minors, between the main plot and various subplots, were lost. [Major doctrines and minor doctrines – now where have we heard that?] … Throughout the history of our movement, as a result, we have struggled endlessly with the problem of what is essential and what is not essential. This struggle began with Campbell himself.” Thus, our heritage and our movement began in the 1800’s.
The Church of Christ did not invent the "non-instrumental position" as these same scholars claim!
All of recorded history before these latter day saints repudiated music in the assembly because being Greek-literate they knew that all musical terms speak of enchantment or sorcery: John in Revelation 17 warns of the matriarch called the Mother of Harlots (the muses were such) who used the lusted after fruits and rhetoricians, singers and musiciand whom John calls SORCERERS in Revelation 18: Isaiah 30 defines hell as prepared for the enemies of God's Word who silence God by the use of music: the sounds of God beating them into hell will be wind, string and percussion instruments--the ones Lucifer called the singing and harp playing prostitute took into the garden.
J.H.Garrison says:The Church of Christ did not invent baptism for or unto the remission of sins!
"The most distinguishing feature of the movement, and one which entitles it to rank as a Christian union movement, is the distinction it has always drawn betweenfaith, which is personal confidence and trust in a personal Saviour,
and matters of opinion or inference, as we have already pointed out.But, strange to say, it has been just at this point where there have been most frequent failures to live up to the high ideal. Instances of this failure are to be seen in the fierce opposition that was at one time waged against the use of instrumental music in public worship.
This custom was held by some good brethren to be a violation of the principle that "Where the Scriptures speak, we speak; and where the Scriptures are silent, we are silent." This was of course to confound mere matters of method, or of expediency, with matters of faith and loyalty to Jesus Christ.
Garrison has just said that HIS INFERENCE is so powerful that it removes SOWING DISCORD as a sin. Not surprising since the goal was to establish
THE ONE HOLY, CATHOLIC AND APOSTOLIC CHURCH.
J. H. Garrison: "But there are other ways in which some have been disloyal to this high ideal." "We come now to the consideration of the very latest of these efforts to give visible and tangible expression to the growing unity of the Church, for the double purpose ofutilizing this unity in the service of our common Master, and of
promoting a still closer unification of the religious forces of Christendom."To refuse assent to, and co-operation with, this movement toward unity on the plea that it is not the ideal unity of the New Testament,
would be to ignore the whole law of progressive development in the kingdom of God.
"We are bound, therefore, by every consideration of loyalty to Jesus Christ, and by every regard for our future growth and development, to co-operate to the fullest extent possible,--which would be in different degrees, no doubt, in different places--
with all who love and serve our Lord Jesus Christ for the advancement of his kingdom among men.
This is what the federation movement means, and as such, it is the next logical step--the next inevitable step--toward the complete unity of Christians.This began with state branches which would grow up to a "federation movement" of the world. Garrison established a set of rules to be followed in 1905. The first meeting was to occur in 1908 and "unity" was based on the high standard of 2/3 vote of the "in" members.
"In case this plan of federation is approved by two-thirds of the proposed constituent bodies the executive committee of the National Federation of Churches and Christian Workers, which has called this conference, is requested to call the Federal Council to meet at a fitting place in December, 1908.
All recorded history made Baptism necessary FOR salvation: even those who said "baptism does not save" they always went on to say that it does not save "without faith." That was not the teaching of "faith only" but repudiating baptism regeneration by those who sprinkled infantsThe Church of Christ did not invent the Lord's Supper as part of the assembly!
Early church history saw the Lord's Supper observed on every first day of the week: Justin says that the deacons served the shut-ins.The Church of Christ did not invent the term The Church of Christ!
All of church history calls the church The Church of Christ.The Church of Christ did not invent but revived "church" as a school of Christ and worship as "reading and musing the Word of God."
That assuredly left a lot of the "doctors of the law" whom Jesus fired unhappy!Terry L. Miethe: For the years I served on the faculty as ACU's first ever University Professor and Director of Campuses Abroad, Beverly and I were members of the Minter Lane Church of Christ. The church minister was Dr. Tony Ash, also an ACU professor. Tony and Minter Lane were considered "in the fold," as a Church of Christ, but open;
e.g., they had a non-traditional worship service and would be called back to the sanctuary by a small choir! Several Sundays the Minter Lane bulletin had clip art in it with angels playing trumpets. One Sunday I pointed out the "obvious" stupidity of it all to Tony.Where do we get the idea that angels (messengers) have harps? There are 54 references to forms of harps and angels do not play musical instruments. Where to the angels in heaven make music with trumpets? Trumpets? You don't make music with a trumpet! The sound of the trumpets was outlawed for the Qahal (Num 10) because it was always reserved for special communication: why blow unsure sounds in church. All such sounding is a sign of judgment just as are the harps:
I said: "You mean Angels in Heaven can play musical instruments, but we can't have them in church here on earth?" I do not remember his reply. He probably just laughed. However, the trumpet playing angels did disappear!
Rev. 8:7 The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood,Terry L. Miethe: We had a good friend and supporter (as long as it was in his best interest to be so, as it turned out) at ACU named Dr. Douglas Foster a professor of church history who was very "progressive." By that I mean he would attend Restoration Forum meetings, attend a service in a church that had instrumental music,
and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up,
and all green grass was burnt up.
Rev. 8:8 And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire
was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood;
Rev. 8:9 And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died;
and the third part of the ships were destroyed.
That is because when God is in His holy temple we are told to be silent:
Heb. 12:26 Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying,
Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven.
Heb. 12:27 And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken,
as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.
Heb. 12:28 Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved,
let us have grace, whereby we may serve [worship] God acceptably
with reverence and godly fear:
Heb. 12:29 For our God is a consuming fire.
and told me that the non-instrumental position could not be supported from the Bible. However, he then said to me that he just could not be comfortable as a member of a church that had instrumental music. It was Doug Foster's "blinders," his psychological bondage that occasioned me to write the following in 1995:Too bad that all of church history believed that they did not NEED to support the NONE use of instruments because as Bible Students it would never have occured to real believers to even hallucinte the use of instruments which are defined as "machines for doing hard labor mostly in making war and in creating shock and awe in pagan religions. It is a fact that you can collect all kinds of degrees without ever having understood the "plot" of the Bible.
Tears of Real SORROW
"I have never heard a good argument for instrumental music in the Church." Years ago, I remember reading this statement in One Body. I laughed. I should have cried! Having taught at Abilene Christian University, been a member of more than one a capella Church of Christ, preached in many more, and having reflected on this issue for many years,
I can honestly say: I have never heard a good [sound] argument against instrumental music in the Church! In fact, most all of the arguments misunderstand the real issue and miss the point. And, surely I have heard them all!If you read Restoration History NONE of the groups used instruments and they all thought that that was because they had direct commands of what TO DO in what the Campbells called "a school of Christ" and by definition and common sense you cannot do that with noise making machines which are called musical only by cultural conditioning.
J.W.McGarvey the Organ QuestionTerry L. Miethe: I must say I know many a capella church of Christ scholars and ministers who candidly admited (at least out of hearing of their university administrators or congregations) that the music issue should never have been "put on center stage" in the first place.
You ask: "How can I most successfully show that the use of the organ in the worship is wrong? What are the strong points of the argument?"
I think you put the question in the proper form. If the "strong points of the argument" will not convince, it is certain that the weak ones will not; and it is well to save words by discussing the former alone.
I begin by arguing that the practice belongs to a class of things expressly condemned in the New Testament.
Jesus said in reference to certain additions which the Pharisees had made to the ritual of the law: "In vain do they worship me, teaching as their doctrines the precepts of men." In these words he propounds the doctrine that all worship is vain which originates in human authority; or, to put it negatively, that no worship is acceptable to God which he himself has not authorized.
Paul echoes this teaching when he condemns as "will worship" the observance of, ordinances "after the precepts and doctrines of men." (Col. 2: 20-23, R. V.) The Greek word here rendered "will worship" means
worship self-imposed, as distinguished from worship imposed by God; and the practices referred to in the context are condemned on this ground, thus showing that all self-imposed worship is wrong in the sight of God.
When Jesus called the Scribes and Pharisees hypocrites, here is where He was pointing and it is just too bad that professors cannot find ANY evidence against instruments. Jesus doesn't just leave us there: all forms of musical and dramatic people were THE major meaning of a hypocrite:
- This people draweth nigh unto me
- with their mouth,
- and honoreth me with their lips;
- but their heart is far from me. Matt 15:8
Stay yourselves, and wonder; cry ye out, and cry: they are drunken, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink. Is. 29:9
For the Lord hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep,
and hath closed your eyes:
the prophets and your rulers,
the seers hath he covered. Isa 29:10
And he called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand:Matt 15:10 And the vision of all is become unto you
as the words of a book that is sealed,
which men deliver to one that is learned, saying,
Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed: Isa 29:11
And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying,
Read this, I pray thee:
and he saith, I am not learned. Isa 29:12
for they hear your words but do not put them into practice. Ez 33:32
Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying? Matt 15:12
- But he answered and said, Every plant [doctrine], which my heavenly Father hath not planted,
- shall be rooted up. Matt 15:13
Wherefore the Lord said,
Forasmuch as this people draw near me
with their mouth,
and with their lips do honour me,
That means speak were the Bible speaks and teach that doctrine which has been taught.
When all this comes true--and it surely will--then they will know that a prophet has been among them." Eze 33:33 Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind.
And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch. [pit] Matt 15:14
- Thy pomp is brought down to the grave, and the noise of thy viols:the worm is spread under thee, and the maggots cover thee. Isaiah 14:11
Isaiah 14:15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.
but have removed their heart far from me,
and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men: Isa 29:13
Matt. 15:9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men
That's a fact but it did become center stage primarily until after the Civil War and the northern churches found their carpet bags overflowing and overbuilt huge mega churches: they found that music was the only way to survive. This happened about the same time in the Disciples, the Baptists and Presbyterians all of whom knew that they would sow discord and invited the offended to go somewhere else. The Church of Christ was never part of the Disciples of Christ even when some joint meetings were held. The Disciples made any further evangelistic cooperation impossible when they divided their own congregations by imposing organs. The Church of Christ denied that they were part of the organ and society party in 1906 when the Disciples were a full-blown denomination. The Christian church did not begin until 1927 and the final SECTING OUT of the Disciples continued until 1971. That was when the NACC began trying to seduce churches of Christ into UNITY meaning that they CAPITULATE a faith practice which had always existed in the church. Whoever puts the organ on the STAGE is the SECTARIAN as simple logic knows.
Instrumental instruments was never an issue in those "reformers" groups because they never IMPOSED them. Even then, it was never possible for humans to "fellowship" more than one group at a time.
Leroy Garret began the Stone Campbell Movement which was a twisted fact.J.W.McGarvey the Organ Question
That a vast amount of evil has been occasioned by the introduction of instrumental music into Christian worship is undeniable. Beginning with the first instance of it among us which I can remember that which caused a schism in the church in St. Louis in the year 1869 (Our Note:1851 Midway KY by a liberal over the physical objections of the elder),
its progress has been attended by strife, alienation, and division,
with all their attendant evils, in hundreds of congregations.Before this it had bred similar evils among Methodist societies and Baptist and Presbyterian churches; for all these bodies in their early days knowing that the practice originated in the Roman Catholic Church, regarded it as a Romish corruption and refused to tolerate it until it was forced upon them by the spirit of innovation which characterized the present century.
Now it is obvious that these evils, the baleful effects of which will never be fully revealed until the day of judgment,
> must be charged either against those who have introduced the instrument
> or against those who have opposed its introduction.They use the old guilt clause which began in the garden of Eden.
"There were those saying that they could "not abide the election of a Republican President."
In which event they would destroy the Union."And then, you say, the great crime of having destroyed it will be upon us!
That is cool.A highwayman holds a pistol to my ear, and mutters through his teeth,
A rich man does wrong, and he even adds reproaches; a poor man suffers wrong, and he must add apologies Ecclesu 13:3."Stand and deliver, or I shall kill you,
and then you will be a murderer." Abraham Lincoln, Frost, Vol. 1, p. 274
J.F. Burnett denies that there was any "union" other than a few preachers meeting and that was repudiated by the masses of The Church of Christ.
Terry L. Miethe: Often they will even admit that the non-instrumental position cannot be defended biblically. Some of these [2?, 3?] have gone so far as to tell me personally if they moved to a town without an a capella church of Christ, but with a Restoration Movement church, that they would not start an a cepella church and would attend the instrumental fellowship.
Well, those who believe in instruments believe that they can defend themselves by the Bible. However, in the beginning the Disciples did not seek nor require any Biblical authority. They were more Anglican and THOUGHT that the "high church" position gave them permission to be PRO CULTURE.
I think that happens among the "clergy class" and it is highly likely that being trained to preach they were never exposed to the Bible other than the use of proof-texts to compose sermons.
I suggest that Terry is associating with People with no moral or ethical foundatiom: Charles Spurgeon could not find an adequate word to describe people who REJECT the views of those who hire him.
Having a knowledge of, and much experience in, the Church universal when I think from this broader context, and not from my Restoration background; it really amazes me that two great fellowships with such a rich past, can still be wasting
so much energy on this issue.
We noted above that there was never any "union" between those who became the Church of Christ and the Disciples or the Christian Church which was only the REALLY group which SECTARIANIZED out of the Disciples--for good purposes. Terry undoubtedly runs with a very narrow sect if he believes that the non-instrumntal position cannot be defended biblically. You would not graduate from Synagogue School 101a at the time of Jesus Christ not to know that the instruments made sound and never music and that they were used during the curse of the sacrificial system. God had abandoned them to worship the starry hosts (Acts 7; Amos) and the noise among all NATIONAL systems was called EXORCISM. "Musical" noise makers made the lambs dumb before the slaughter priests: music or myth was always to close the eyes and shut the mouth of the sacrificial victim. ThereforeTerry L. Miethe: Well, with all these "enlightened" church of Christ brethren out there why is the "issue" such an issue still? If non-instrumental music cannot be defended biblically, why still hold to the position? To the person I always hear something like: "But, I would never want instruments in my church. I personally just feel so much more comfortable worshipping without the instrument. It is a matter of personal preference with me." [e.g.: DougFoster]. This is usually followed with one of many cultural and/or (what are claimed to be) "practical" arguments thrown in. Truly Amazing!Jesus said that "doctors of the law take away the key to knowledge." "If it cannot be defended" is not a vaild premise because most of the preachers and elders know that they do not really NEED to defend NOT doing something. It is enough for them that the Bible and church history directly commanded "sing that which is written" and "teach that which has been taught."
Rick Atchley notes that the "non-instrumental" position has deliberately NOT BEEN TAUGHT in the so-called "christian" universities for 25 years. If you run in the rare and mostly irrelevant atmosphere of scholarly theology, you by definition will hear "theology" which is not Biblical studies.
That is exactly the time that the NACC began duping a few not-ready-for-prime-time professors who could be seduced by being honored at a NACC meeting where a INSTRUMENTALISTS such as Max Lucado did battle with an INSTRUMENTALISTS from the NACC. Fixed match.
It is really a lie to say that being faithful for 2,000 years is just a tradition or just a preference. It is pretty idiotic since probably most people would ENJOY a good pipe organ at any other time. However, Jesus asked "could you not wait for me for one hour." Before the loss of the Christian Colleges people could defend the vocal position based on the phrase SPEAK ONE TO ANOTHER using Biblical material. Or in Romans 15 if we call that "singing" it demanded that we "use one mind and one mouth to teach that which is written." The word SELF PLEASURE outlaws all of the hypocritic arts. Like Jesus, Paul left the "doubtful disputations" or self speak which included music in the marketplace. However, they could attend the ekklesia or synagoue which was a SCHOOL OF THE BIBLE only and music has no rationale iven to simple simon when you meet to let Jesus be the Master Teacher through His Words. Simple Greek and Latin word definitaions outlaw music:
If that is not enough then the fact that singing or any kind was not part of the historic church until the year 373 when they also violated direct commands and wrote their own "hymns." History notes however, that these were not sung in the assemblies. Seems that they understood the Bible back them.Romans XV. 1 debemus autem nos firmiores imbecillitates infirmorum sustinere et non [by no means] nobis [Ego] placere
Sustinere I. to hold up, hold upright, uphold, to bear up, keep up, support, sustain 1.To sustain, support, maintain, by food, money, or other means (maintain, preserve with dignity of a citizen II. Concr., the citizens united in a community, the body - politic, the state, and as this consists of one city and its territory, or of several cities, it differs from urbs, i.e. the compass of the dwellings of the collected citizens.
Outlawed: Placeo to please, to be pleasing or agreeable, to be welcome, acceptable, to satisfy (class.).
1. In scenic lang., of players or pieces presented, to please, find favor, give satisfaction: scenico placentiRom. 8:8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
Rom. 8:9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit,
if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you.
Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.Outlawed: Scaenicus I. of or belonging to the stage, scenic, dramatic, ORGANA, theatrical
I. Lit.: poëtae, dramatic poets, ludi, stage-plays, theatrical representations, : fabula, a drama,
2. Placere sibi, to be pleased or satisfied with one's self, to flatter one's self, to pride or plume one's selfI. Lit.: poëtae, dramatic poets, ludi, stage-plays, theatrical representations, : fabula, a drama, organa, Suet. Ner. 44 : coronae, id. ib. 53 : habitus, id. ib. 38 : gestus, Cic. de Or. 3, 59, 220 : modulatio Comedy. Orator
Poi-êtês II. composer of a poem, author, p. kômôidias Pl.Lg.935e ; p. kainôn dramatôn, b. composer of music, 2. author of a speech
Outlawed: Organum Vitr. 10, 1.--Of musical instruments, a pipe,. Gen. 4, 21; id. 2 Par. 34, 12 et saep.--Of hydraulic engines, an organ, water-organ: organa hydraulica,
Gen 4:21 And his brother's name was Jubal: he was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ.
H8610 manipulate, figuratively to use unwarrantably:--catch, handle, (lay, take) hold (on, over), stop, X surely, surprise, take.
H8608 taphaph to drum, that is, play (as) on the tambourine:taber, play with timbrels.H8611 tôpheth to'-feth From the base of H8608 ; a smiting, that is, (figuratively) contempt:--tabret. MEANING HELL
Outlawed: Modulatio. In partic., a rhythmical measure, modulation; hence, singing and playing, melody, in poetry and music, Quint. 9, 4, 139: modulatione produci aut corripi (verba), id. 9, 4, 89 : modulatio pedum, id. 1, 6, 2 : scenica, id. 11, 3, 57 : vocis, melody, id. 11, 3, 59 : musica, Aus. Ep. 25, 13 .
Clement of Alexandria: "After having paid reverence to the discourse about God, they leave within [at church] what they have heard. And outside they foolishly amuse themselves with impious playing, and amatory quavering (feminine vibrato), occupied with flute-playing, and dancing, and intoxication, and all kinds of trash.
[2] unusquisque vestrum proximo suo placeat in bonum ad aedificationem [3] etenim Christus non sibi placuit sed sicut scriptum est inproperia inproperantium tibi ceciderunt super me
LOQUOR I. inf. loquier, Naev. ap. Gell. 1, 24, 2), v. dep. n. and a. [Sanscr. lap-, to talk, whisper; Gr. lak-, elakon, laskô], to speak, talk, say (in the lang. of common life, in the tone of conversation; cf. Quint. 9, 4, 10; 11, 3, 45).
1. To speak out, to say, tell, talk about, mention, utter, name: A. To speak, declare, show, indicate or express clearly:
Aedificatio III. Fig., building up, instructing, edification.
(a). Absol.: loquitur ad aedificationem, Vulg. 1 Cor. 14, 3 ; 14, 26.--
(b). With gen.: ad aedificationem Ecclesiae [church], Vulg. 1 Cor. 14, 12 ; ib. Eph. 4, 12.
Eph. 4:11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists;He did NOT include musicians in the list of required TRUTH speakers. The method of edification was by.
and some, pastors and teachers;
Eph. 4:12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
Eph. 4:13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
Rom. 15:4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.
Doctrina A. Object., the knowledge imparted by teaching, i. e. science, erudition, learning. B. Subject., the habit produced by instruction, principle. Opposite natura Hor. C.4, 4,33
I would suggest that those who substitute rhetoric and music for the Scriptures do not intend that you learn doctrine and have no hope: we mist suggest that such heretics have no hope.
Terry L. Miethe: What is to be said to this? Just accept these "enlightened" and sincere a capella brethren and ignore the issue. If it is simply a matter of "personal preference," then surely the Restoration Movement is all for that - as long as these personal preferences are not made into "matters of salvation" or "tests of fellowship." But, a closer look reveals a most disturbingserious concern, according to restoration and biblical principles.
Anyone who has even a very limited knowledge of philosophy or logic knows that sincerity can NEVER be a test for truth! Anyone who is wrong about anything, yet believes himself to be right is sincerely wrong - if he has any personal integrity at all!In the case of the non-instrumental church member who admits that the position cannot be defended biblically, that it is a matter of personal preference; we are dealing with the person who is "wrongly sincere."
Immediately, we must ask which is worse: to be "sincerely wrong" or "wrongly sincere"? In the context of the Church, it turns out that this is a most important question. It turns out that one is just as bad as the other!
ARE NON INSTRUMENTALISTS BRAINED DAMAGED BY CULTURE?
What such a person is really admitting is that he has been so culturally or psychologically conditioned by years of false arguments and by years of attending an a capella fellowship that he has become so "conditioned" by this practice that he could not change or would have a great deal of difficulty changing; i.e., be "very uncomfortable personally."
This is nothing more than admitting that a cultural or psychological attitude is controlling him and what he knows intellectually, that how he "feels" has a stronger influence, is more important than what he really knows to be true. Surely this is at best sad; and at worst dangerously enslaving! Anyone who has stood up to his/her cultural conditioning knows how uncomfortable, hard it is; and how important it is in the maturation process to take a stand - often in ways one could not possible have imagined before the serious and hard struggle.The slavery of the clergy was called a "laded burden." This word identifies a repeating song used to induce enchantment or sorcery. The Greek literature is rich with pagans using music to "create spiritual anxiety through religious rituals." At the same time the promised REST is outside of the "massed multitudes" to "come lear of me. The word rest (Sabbath or Pau) specificially demands that you STOP the speaking, singing and instruments: all known to create anxiey.
Surely the restoration principle, not to mention the text of the Bible, has something to say about such negative cultural or psychological conditioning. This cannot be consistent with either the freedom of the individual in Christ or the freedom of the body of Christ revealed in the Scriptures; nor can it be spiritually mature or healthy. Certainly, it cannot possibly be a positive mark of "restoration" of the New Testament Church.
The Restoration Movement had almost nothing to say about instrumental music because they had an 1800 year history of never using it. It was purely mercinary motives which prompted the thriving and striving congregations to add instruments to suck in the masses to pay their bad debts.
What does it say when a group is known more for what they are against than what they are for?To admit such a deeply rooted negative personal psychological conditioning can hardly be conducive to seeing the world through the tears of Jesus. Indeed, it may well turn out - in terms of real practical consequences to the spread of the Gospel - that being "wrongly sincere" is in practice much worse than being "sincerely wrong." Think about it prayerfully, please, please!
It says that there is a whole lot of lying going on at the preacher meetings trying to impress one another with their lack of honesty. During the time that the Disciples were becoming more Anglican, the Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians, Congregationalists and EVERYONE was "against" the use of machines to pump up the audience. Because Terry was psychologically conditioned to accept the "mind control" of music, he fails to grasp that churches of Christ rarely mention instruments UNTIL some instrumentalists tries and brags about "infiltrating and diverting" by sowing discord. The Restoration Forums tried for 25 years and got little return for their massive sowing of discord.
John Chrysostom Homily Homily XXXI.
3. "And when He came into the ruler's house, and saw the minstrels and the people making a noise, He saith unto them, Give place, for the maid is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed Him to scorn." [Matt. ix. 23, 24. [R. V., "the flute-players, and the crowds making a tumult."]
Noble tokens, surely, these, of the rulers of synagogues; in the moment of her death pipes and cymbals raising a dirge! What then doth Christ?
All the rest He cast out, but the parents He brought in;