Dwaine E. Dunning: Instrumental Music
Will Untie the Gordian Knot
<< This is the second of six related studies again available as one printed (44-pages, at $4) booklet, now titled "The Fruitless (Music) Tree." >>Theodoret (Quasten, Music & Worship, p. 65) claimed that the Jews brought liturgical music from Egypt and Philo wrote that "Moses learned rhythm, harmony, meter and everything concerned with instrumental music from the Egyptians." This is why Moses knew that the noise at Mount Sinai was not the sound of defeat or of victory. Rather, it was the "sound of them singing that I hear."
The Jews sang in the type of the Egyptian threnodies (elegies for the dead):
Thus they made a golden bull, the image of an animal that was held to be the most sacred in that land; they offered unholy sacrifices, performed impious dances and sang hymns which differed in no way from the pagan mourning songs. Philo, De specialibus legibus
Stephen said that as a result God TURNED THEM OVER to worship the starry host. And so we understand that the later Temple State was just like all pagan sacrificial altars which were not commanded until the musical idolatry at Mount Sinai.
Psalm 41 predicted that Judas would not 'triumph over' Jesus where triumph is blowing wind instrumenta and making a loud, rejoicing sound. God outlawed this for the Israelite congregation (Numbers 10:7).
Does anyone need any further proof?
A TALE OF MANY MONKS OF 1432 -- by Dwaine E. Dunning
Read what Thomas Aquinas and most early church writers said about singing versus teaching.
Non-Instrumental Position Must Be Destroyed: Introduction
Instrumental Music Will Untie the Gordian Knot #2
1ST-CENTURY INFLUENCES on Instrumental Music? #3
See Was Instrumental Music Only For Israel #4
Ray Downen challenging the WORSHIP word. #6 Paul's word for the ONE ANOTHER assembling themselves is a form of the word SYNAGOGUE. The synagogue was a school of the Bible and never had a praise service. Paul's unique "in the spirit" worship word is to GIVE HEED to God in Christ by reading and giving heed to His words which are Spirit and Life.
<< This is the second of six related studies again available as one printed (44-pages, at $4) booklet, now titled "The Fruitless (Music) Tree." >> A TALE OF MANY MONKS OF 1432 -- by Dwaine E. Dunning Ray Downen <outreach@sofnet.com>
Brother Dunning has proposed what sounds like a literal AXE which would be a virtual repeat of the first sectarianizing of the RM. Now, it might be simpler to use a sword. However, when you cut the Gordian Knot with a sword you will no longer have TWO ends, you will have FOUR ends. That is what is going on with the small band of merry men taking pay from non-instrumentalists but doing the CHOP, CHOP for the instrumentalists. I don't trust 'em.
No heaped up "reasoning" can be used to justify sowing discord and cutting the knot by cutting the rope into two pieces as Dwaine E. Dunning advises (if the axe doesn't work). Here is the only way to lawfully wage war without having to be so destructive:
The proof text shows that the sword has been prepared by God the Spirit and then given to us to swing:
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 6:10
And (you v. 13) take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Ep.6:17The Sword is:
machaira (g3162) makh'-ahee-rah; prob. fem. of a presumed der. of 3163; a knife, i.e. dirk; fig. war, judicial punishment: - sword.
mache (g3163) makh'-ay; from 3164; a battle, i.e. (fig.) controversy: - fighting, strive, striving.
Machomai (g3164) makh'-om-ahee; mid. of an appar. prim. verb; to war, i.e. (fig.) to quarrel, dispute: - fight, strive.
Click to see WHO uses the Sword of the Spirit.
Dwaine E. Dunning in the red box, my review in black and other quotations in blue. Not proofread.
Dwaine E. Dunning Begins:
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Dwaine E. Dunning:
Hear a sad
story about conflict and confusion among misguided monks of
yore. Dedicated to contemplation, they found themselves
caught up in controversy. In the year of our Lord 1432 it is
said there arose a grievous quarrel among the brethren over
the number of
teeth in the mouth of a horse.
For 13 days the disputation raged. All the ancient books were fetched and consulted weightily. Wondrous erudition such as was never before heard of in this region was made manifest. At the beginning of the 14th day a youthful friar of goodly bearing asked his learned superiors for permission to add a word. Then straightway, to the wonderment of the disputants, whose deep wisdom he sore vexed, he besought them to unbend in a manner coarse and unheard of, and to look in the open mouth of a horse and find an answer to their questionings. Their dignity being grievously hurt at this, the many monks waxed exceeding wroth. Joining in a mighty uproar they flew upon him and smote him hip and thigh and cast him out forthwith. For, said they, surely Satan has tempted his bold neophyte to declare unholy and unheard-of ways of finding truth, contrary to all the teachings of the fathers. After many days, the dove of peace sat on the assembly. As one man, they declared the problem to be an everlasting mystery because of a grievous dearth of historical and theological evidence thereof, and so ordered the same writ down (the fellow I heard this story from used very strange language sometimes). |
The Monks were the unlawful clergy now replaced by non-celebate monks. Jesus said that the "doctors of the Law take away the key to knowledge" so Dunning is in the CLASS to which Jesus refused to speak except in parables. Peter said that people should save themselves from that CROOKED GENERATION which John refused to baptize as a generation of VIPERS. Skolios points directly to the only place where drinking wine, using the flute-girls (prostitutes) or harp PLUCKERS (Sodomites) in the male Symposia: Paul said "don't get drunk with wine" people would hear "don't get FLUTTED DOWN with Wine" because that would disable speaking which excludes poetry or music.
Gallup once did a survey of preacher's stories. You know, "When I lived in Texas I led 80 people to Christ in one meeting." Know what? Gallup found that 80% of preacher stories are just made up. That is ok but when it is told as the truth Gallup had another word for it. Francis Bacon, 1592, is blamed for this story but probably not. This sounds like an early version of an "Urban Legend" and therefore has no value in solving the Instrumental Music problem except as the "first principle" of defeating those who won't try to approach God throught the "voice" of an instrument. That is, define them by words equivalent to RACA then no one will dare associate with them. The Bible is not the source of this story.
However, The MONKS were the preachers whose sermons were "recited by rote" and who would not read because they could not read the Word. Dwaine E. Dunning is our Monk because he writes without ever having read the Old Testament with eyes and ears open.
The youthful Friar is me (Just 70). I an an engineer (thinker) who has never had holy water of ordination poured over my head. I have had other stuff poured over my views. I read and I have had my eyes opened up so that they can now scan back past Matthew 1:1.
The Muses John identifies with the speakers and musicians in Revelation 18 performed SORCERY under the Mother of Harlots (Rev 17). History knows the Muses as the dirty, smelly prostitutes who served as Apollo or Apollyon's Musical Worship Team.
According to Erasmus, the monks were indeed filthy, ignorant and a plague on the Catholic church and the people upon whom they fed. In 1432 they did not meditate in the sacred places. Erasmus notes in part:
Nor can I think of anything that could be more miserable did not I support them so many several ways.
For first, they reckon it one of the main points of piety if they are so illiterate that they can't so much as read.For whereas all men detest them to that height, that they take it for ill luck to meet one of them by chance,
yet such is their happiness that they flatter themselves.
And then when they run over their offices, which they carry about them, rather by tale than understanding,
they believe the gods more than ordinarily pleased with their braying.And some there are among them that put off their trumperies at vast rates, yet rove up and down for the bread they eat; nay, there is scarce an inn, wagon, or ship into which they intrude not, to the no small damage of the commonwealth of beggars.
another produces more bundles of ceremoniesAnd yet, like pleasant fellows, with all this vileness, ignorance, rudeness, and impudence, they represent to us, for so they call it, the lives of the apostles.
than seven of the stoutest ships would be able to carry;
another brags he has not touched a penny these three score years
without two pair of gloves at least upon his hands.
The monks are pretending to be "doctors of the law" but often brag that they don't even care about the history of the church which: 1) universally rejects mechanical means of worship, 2 universally accepts that God's Will includes silences, 3) that all agree that God has the right to impose direct commands without being "legalistic" and 4) therefore put the lie to the charge that "Pharisee, Hypocrite, Sectarian, Legalistic, brother-murderers" as recently as the mid 1800s deliberately took an axe to a "unified denomination" by inventing 1, 2 and 3.
Being history-literate would also understand that something is dramatically and structurally wrong with the brain which can stab you and blame your thin skin for the injury.
I'm now receiving a vision from that dead shark: "if that kid and his uncle had not imposed their legalism I would be alive and well fed." Zounds! Shazam!
Well, being associated with the Pharisees, Hypocrites and now Monks is really going too far. Reading Erasmus, one suspects that Dwaine E. Dunning has his "actors" in this fable mixed up.
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Dwaine E. Dunning: I also heard that when Alexander, later to
be called "the Great," came to Gordium, he was shown the
famed Gordian knot, said to be of such complexity that he
who untied it would conquer the world. We have all read that
Alexander simply took out his sword and cut away the
confusion.
It's a shame that there are so few of us like Alexander, at least in this way. Instead, like the monks, some of us, rather than just "counting teeth,"
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But, that's what I said: rather than just taking Paul at his word that the object of Christian "singing" is teaching the Revealed Word of God, the monks believe the superstition that the Spirit Who doesn't associate "music" with worship REALLY meant (based on the traditions of the elders) that Paul was 1) really commanding "singing" and 2) that singing really means "music," and 3) music permits a band, and 4) the musicians must be inspired as part of High Church and that means 5) that we can ignore Christ's old timey Word and substitute our own.
Alexander is one of the proof-texts used to prove that PSALLO meant 'playing the harp.' Well, it never meant anything but PLUCK. In the case of Alexander and ALL of the Psallo proof-texts they don't tell you that it is ALWAYS older males plucking a harp to seduce a young boy.
Example 61 is from page 100. This passage reads from Plutarch On the Fortune of Alexander -- Second Oration Tom Burgess quotes the red portion but we continue to quote from the context. In Deipnosophistai 3 which we have now linked and posted:
And among the barbarians the Celts also, though they have very beautiful women, enjoy boys more; so that some of them often have two lovers to sleep with on their beds of animal skins.
As for the Persians, Herodotus says they learned the use of boys from the Greeks.
King Alexander also was madly devoted to boys. Dicaearchus, at any rate, in his book On the Sacrifice at Ilium, says that he was so overcome with love for the eunuch Bagoas that, in full view of the entire theatre, he, bending over, caressed Bagoas fondly, and when the audience clapped and shouted in applause, he, nothing loath, again bent over and kissed him...
Tom Burgess quotes the part in red: 1. Philip also was in these matters somewhat more petty and childish than became him, since he had acquired his knowledge late in life.
Thus they tell the tale that Philip once argued with a certain harp-player about the technique of his instrument, and even thought he was confuting the man; but the harp-player smiled gently and said,
"God forbid, your Majesty, that you should ever fall so low as to know more of these matters than I."
2. But Alexander, knowing well in what matters he should be merely a spectator and listener, and in what he should play the chief rôle, trained himself.....
[The UNQUOTED rest of the story] Thus they tell the tale that Philip once argued with a certain harp-player about the technique of his instrument, and even thought he was confuting the man; [Traditional subsection D] but the harp-player smiled gently and said, "God forbid, your Majesty, that you should ever fall so low as to know more of these matters than I."
This art he inherited from his ancestors, the Aeacidae, and from Heracles; but upon the other arts he freely bestowed honour without jealousy according to their worth and artistic excellence; but he was not so easily carried away by the pleasure they gave him as to try to imitate them.The tragic actors of his time were the group that centred about Thettalus and Athenodorus. At the contest of these two, the kings of Cyprus defrayed the expenses of the performance and Alexander's most celebrated generals served as judges.
When Athenodorus won, "I would rather," said Alexander, "have lost half my kingdom than see Thettalus defeated." However, he did not intercede with the judges nor find fault with the judgement, since he felt that, while he must be superior to all men, yet he must submit to Justice.
The comic actors of his time were the group that centred about Lycon of Scarpheia. When Lycon inserted in one of his comedies a begging verse, Alexander laughed and gave him ten talents.
Various harp-players also were his friends, among them Aristonicus, who came to Alexander's aid in a certain battle, and was slain, fighting gloriously. Therefore Alexander ordered to be made and set up at Delphi a bronze statue of him, with lyre in hand and spear advanced; thereby he not only honoured this particular man,
but also paid tribute to Music herself, in the belief that she is a creator of true men and, in particular, that she fills with inspiration and impetuousness those who are truly her foster-children. [Traditional section number 335]
For once upon a time, when Antigenides was playing on his flute the Chariot Song,
Alexander became so transported, and his spirit so inflamed by the strains,
that he leapt up and laid hands upon the weapons that lay near, and thus confirmed the testimony of the Spartans who used to sing,The noble playing of the lyre is meet to match the sword.
The youthful Friar would try to arouse the Monks from their stupor and just have them read Paul with open eyes and heart: just "count the teeth" in the "Mouth" of God where "lips" means a "double-edged sword" and that means the Bible which gives God the right to speak in direct commands: yea, even to latter day saints.
Gallup missed this one:
The Monk's Version: "According to tradition, this knot was to be untied only by the future conqueror of Asia. In the popular account, probably invented as appropriate to an impetuous warrior, Alexander sliced through the knot with his sword,
The youthful Friar's "the rest of the story" from the original: but, in earlier versions, he found the ends either by cutting into the knot or by drawing out the pole. The phrase "cutting the Gordian knot" has thus come to denote a bold solution to a complicated problem.
Alexander knew the difference between UNTIE and CUT. Tom Burgess quotes some notes about Alexander the Great. There is little doubt that Alexander was homosexual and in an ASSEMBLY Alexander plays so skillfully that Philip had no doubt about Alexander's vile attitudes.
You see, the "direct command" was to untie the knot and cutting through the knot would be violating a direct command and certainly cheating on the "spirit" of the command. Any fool could just cut through the knot.
But this was and is the warrior's way to achieve peace. Machiavelli would say: "You can pray or kill them but prayer rarely works in warfare."
James Madison wrote that:
"There are two methods of curing the mischiefs of faction: the one, by removing its causes; the other, controlling its effects.
"Again, there are two methods of removing the cause of faction: the one,by destroying the liberty which is essential to its existence;
the other, by giving to every citizen the same opinions, the same passions, and the same interests."It could never be more truly said that of the first remedy that it was worse than the disease. Liberty is to faction what air is to fire, an aliment without which it instantly expires. But it could not be a less folly to abolish liberty, which is essential to political life, because it nourishes faction than it would be to wish the annihilation of air, which is essential to animal life, because it imports to fire its destructive agency.
"The second expedient is as impracticable as the first would be unwise. As long as the reason of man continues fallible, and he is at liberty to exercise it, different opinions will be formed." (James Madison, Number Ten, The Federalist Papers)
So, we should not hold up the latter-day "cheat" version as a solution to the knot we have tied.
I believe that Alexander died of syphilis (as did Erasmus as proven by an 1930 X-Ray).
When the instrumentalists could not untie the knot of needing musical performance (professional) for the temple collection plates (called "trumpets" by the way) they just took out their sword and whack, cut the church right down the middle. They really believed that through instruments to collect the masses and by having children sign up for life membership in the Society they could build an empire which, according to promises, would sweep Tennessee into music the society and get on with building an institution to include "All Christendom." Like, Wow!
But, let's run on. I know the color is gagging but God wants you to HEAR this!
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Musical Instruments are
Lifeless Instruments Are Carnal Weapons
Spiritual warfare has always stood between God's power to speak in order create physical and spiritual life, and the Babylonian attempt to convert through the literal sword and musical "worship teams" controlling the masses. Paul wrote: For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: 2Co.10:3
A carnal, or lifeless musical instrument or weapon is from the Greek words:
The same meaning in Hebrew is conveyed by the word:
There must be almost 600 years since David used instruments in conncection with the civil-temple-state!
Those who added instruments (weapons) knew that they were waging war upon the "instrument" or "harps of God"--all things with SPIRIT can praise God: cymbals cannot. This is why Paul equated speaking in tongues to the musical instruments of warfare which do not have life and therefore do not speak clearly:
In Numbers 10:7 God gave the silver trumpets as instruments or tools to sound or signal an action by the Israelites. It could be used to send "clear" signals in time of War (1Co 14). However,
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Back then and now the Musical Worship Teams or instrumentalists stand at the entrance to the temple (my mind) like the Levites or flaming cherubim to keep the redeemed mind out of the "garden of Eden" where God walks in the quiet of the evening, or from the restored temple where the musical Levites would use their literal sword if you got into their instrumental presence.
Because "churches" define the liturgy place--pulpit, altar--as the Holy Place of the new Levitical temple, your Musical Worship Teams are now seen standing in the Holy Place as Mediators even of the Lord's Supper and usurping the teaching role of the elders. You may want to have your bags packed.
Here is one of the planters and the ROOT was an attempt to organize the entire Restoration Movement which had fought to free itself from the control of an Anglican or Methodist Denomination (the O'Kelley fight). This meant a congregational system and the only "possible" division could only take place within that given congregation:
> Rejecting instruments involved only that congregation.
> Forceful introduction of Instruments was to gain denominational control. If that is not a fact then there could be no "sectarianizing" of one group from another. Once can hardly invent a Sectarian Denomination with one congregation!
> The "sectarian" cry is still the ungodly lust to force everyone to conform.
The ROOT was to take the Restoration Movement practicing local autonomy and make a historically-unique leap using the RM churches to build a New World Order so grandiose that the entire world would join in the new denomination. The "rules of the game" were established by one man, into whose eyes you are looking, in 1905 when the musical group began counting every member in the country as belonging to them. That's too early for churches of Christ to have created the division in 1906.Oh sure: if violating the rules and taking a sword to a complicated problem is one's ethic then it can certainly be said that:
Those Who Refused To Be Shackled By a New Catholicism Sowed Discord. Praise the Lord for the freedom they gave to us even though they have to be "resurrected" and destroyed over and over.
The Census Bureau knew that that was a gross error. Thereafter, those who did not "join" the new denominational dictatorship were counted separately. The denominational or musical groups have never forgiven those who would not submit. As you can see, those who refused to put the shackles on their own neck after just struggling free from slavery are disloyal to Christ and do not love Christ. In spite of the "old" Jesus who said that the kingdom can never be organized in visible and tangible form but "the kingdom is within you" they organizers demanded:
"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 of
utilizing this unity in the service of our common Master, and of
promoting a still closer unification of the religious forces of Christendom.Interpreted, this meant: "First, we will organize all of the Restoration Movement but our goal is to organize every church and every denomination under one large political organization." All of Christendom must be organized in a society in order for the will of Christ to be accomplished: the Scriptures are just legalisms but this plan is sure to accomplish God's will for Him.
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 but of only the "in" members.
"In case this plan of federation is approved by two-thirds of the proposed (preselected) 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.
[Those with eyes and ears clearly saw this as a Preacher's Labor Union and Retirement Plan Organizing Movement using a "hostile takeover" to gain even children as "life members."]
"What is the meaning of these facts if it be not that God is calling us to ultimate unity through the method of co-operation in all things wherein we are agreed?
Can any religious body justify its holding aloof from this step toward unity on the ground that it has received special light on the subject of union and occupies more advanced ground than others?
If you disagree that means that you probably don't accept Papal Infallibility. Your personal liberty and personal opinion must be submerged in the COLLECTIVE will of the new social order.
In the James O'Kelly case the Methodists wanted to establish a denominational movement which went far beyond the English Methodists.
Not even ministers had a right to appeal if the denomination fired them without a fair "trial." In other words these men always hovered over places like Corinth and sought to suck up the freedom and money as fast as the "Paul's" could establish churches. James O'Kelly might take the inititiave, found churches and run a circuit to teach them, but once he joined the "National Federation of Churches and Christian Workers" labor union or its Methodist equivalent, you lost the authority to teach and you lost control of the property.
"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 thecomplete unity of Christians."
The principalities and powers in high places are still furious that churches of Christ did not choose to put itself back under a small body which would become the new POPE to speak for, organize, assign preachers and therefore control the Word of Christ from central headquarters. Get over it: churches of Christ are still congregational and you cannot therefore force them into a mass confession and repentance (re; Rubel Shelly) for the division the organizational and musical group caused as mass suicide.
The instrumental music issue is not complicated if we just do what Jesus did and Paul commanded us to do. We don't have to appeal to Alexander the Great: just open the mouth of the Word of God and count the negative statements about instrumental music. Then try to find one positive endorsement by God of the use of instruments or "music" as worship for the common people. If you cannot find one then you need to remove yourself from the Holy Conclave of Mighty Monks, fall on your face and ask God to open your eyes to the host of ten thousand of His saints watching you trying to open God's Mouth and force Him to say what He always repudiated. Not even Monks have that power.
Then, we will not find the word "music" listed as one of those worship words. However, we will stand by and see if our writer rise above the ignorant monks and becomes the Alexander the Great for our times.
However, it is a fact that instead of untying the knot, with the latter-day version of Alexander the Great as proof-text:
- The instrumentalists took an axe
- The gave the brotherhood forty whacks
- When they saw what THEY had done
- Guilty Party? Why, you're the One.
- Pity that poor, put-upon, hungry shark if you will.
Not very nice? Well, I never promised you a rose garden. People believe this scrambling for an atonement of the evil they have done and Christ sent me out to tell you the truth. The guy who punches you in the nose cannot blame you for spurting blood on him and it is about time that people who claim superior spirituality to quit scrambling the facts. Confessing to not being interested in historians can be a dangerous thing for people who claim to be an authority.
And you know what? I believe that time is running out and the running to and fro trying to find the water of the Word which has been stolen by wine, women, song and instruments (Amos 5, 6, 8) is a troubling sign, especially as the musical crowd just goes from one extreme to another with women's worship teams "standing in the holy place claiming that they are Christ the Mediator between man and God." And the Monks claiming that they have instrumental skills by the sovereign grace of "the dancing God."
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Dwaine E.
Dunning:The
following is an attempt to look into the mouth of the
horse on the
question of whether or not Christians are "allowed" to use musical instruments "in worship." Some
allege that we are not permitted this liberty. The conflict
on this subject has lasted longer than in the story of the
countless
monks of 1432.
For many years, arguments of wonderful and ponderous
erudition have been offered by many good and intelligent men
on this subject.
Perhaps a simple and helpful approach to this involved study can be found. Surely it's worth at least a try. I believe a usable approach that will help us learn the truth is one we ask others to use who disagree with us about the proper mode of baptism.
Some suggest that the early church used no musical instruments when they sang together. Assuming this is a fact, they then surmise that means others also must not do so.
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God ordained the assembly ONLY for instructions and therefore to EXCLUDE any loud or instrumental noise which made people think of warfare. It was called the Qahal or synagogue or church in the wilderness. Numbers 10 has been defined by men like John Calvin to exclude calling the assembly with noise. The met to hold a Holy Convocation throughout the Old Testament for the common people who did not participate in the Temple State which was added as a curse when the Elders fired God and demanded a king like the nations so that they could worship like the nations. That meant to REST, read and rehearse whatever portion of Scripture they had which would reside often in the memory of a competent elder. The word REST specificially excludes travel or "sending out minsiters" and was devoted solely to the Word of God. Even thought more institutionalized after the Return, it still never had a praise service based on the Law of Numbers 10 and minimal common sense. Jesus exampled by standing up to READ and sitting down to dialog. Paul defined the assembly by using a form of the word synagogue and the same as the Synagogue: to speak that which is written and to EXCLUDE self-plesure which excluded anything which sucked away attention by sight or sound.
No one even thought of adding SINGING to the assembly prior to about 360 and that introduced by a pagan priest who had enlisted to get waged by the state. WE KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THEY DID from Romans 15, Eph 5, Col 3 and many other passages which do not mention the singing which was IN THE HEART.
Anyone is free and at liberty to do anything they wish and call it worship. If you attend a church of Christ you can still worship and then go home, strip off your clothes, get a harp and dance and prance through the hay fields. If you want to attend an instrumental church YOU ARE NOT AT LIBERTY to worship without instruments for that time.
The issue is not "how much can I get by with without buring in hell." The issue is, how much do I love the Lord as proven by loving His evey Word and just cannot tolerate a "musical band" performing while Jesus is speaking to me. I have no doubt that He will forgive many slights: but I doubt that He will forgive not caring what He said so intensely that we can deny that He even considered "music." We just remember that when David did his musical Ark moving, everyone was so ignorant of the Law that they moved the Ark on a cart and Uzzah was so ignorant that He tried to "prop up God" whom they believed to be in the "box." But God can take care of Himself.
Well, I don't see any "meat" to get my teeth into here. So much wheel spinning when we are all waiting for someone to untie the Gordian Knot which no one for 1800 years recognized was really there. I knew a fellow who believed that he was the reincarnation of Alexander the Great.
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Dwaine E.
Dunning:Yet it
is not taught anywhere in the Bible that early Christians
met to
worship or to
listen to an oration. They met, Paul suggests, to
edify one
another. In
their meetings, all took turns encouraging and seeking to
bless the other. In 1 Corinthians 14:26, Paul explains that
"each" had something to share. Paul makes clear that in
their meetings "everything" was to be done "for edification." Edification is not the same as worship,
since we're into word study. Worship is directed toward a
superior
being.
Fellowship and edification is shared among equals.
Edification is
not worship.
The assumption that they met for worship is not supported by
God's revealed facts
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That is true: Paul EXCLUDED anything which did not EDIFY and edify means EDUCATE and the only resource was THAT WHICH WAS WRITTEN. Paul's UNIQUE worship word means to GIVE HEED to the Word of God.
The word ORATION connected to the retoricians along with singers, musicians, actors and dancers were identified by Jesus as SECTARIAN HYPOCRITES by his referring to Isaiah and Ezekiel 33. So, we knot that ORATATION was specificially EXCLUDED.
Well, Troas might have met to listen to Paul but Paul didn't often give "orations." Rather than preach the word might better be rendered "dialog." But when you hire a "father" to do your thinking, planing and preaching the dialoguing ceases. Surely Dwaine E. Dunning is not going to blame performance preaching on NOT using instruments. Or? Maybe yes.
Pavoratti comes to our assembly and says: "I see that you have all composed a song and that you are all singing opera! But, you don't all have the gift of singing Opera, do you?" Now, Dwaine E. Dunning might take that as a compliment as most musicians tend to feel inspired but are often tolerated and often with amusement.
Paul didn't say that "everything should be done" with a period. Rather, everything which is done must be done for edification. And musical instruments "have no breath" and therefore "cannot teach" (Hab 2:18-20).
Edification is not playing instruments either. It has been observed that the Word of God is once removed from the reality of God but God reveals Himself through His Word. Music is a second step away by allegorizing or "speaking in tongues" without interpreting what all of those notes mean. Therefore, music is two removals from the reality of God: it brought people "into God's presence" only in paganism.
Furthermore, the universal association with Satan as the "father" of those who "handle without authority" also recognizes an ancient understanding confirmed by modern science that music actually "takes away the key to knowledge" because it closes down that part of our Brain God gave us as an "instrument" for filtering out bits of truth from a world of lies.
Edify means "educate." If one can induce a sexual-like feeling with choirs or instruments that might make the "customers" feel good just as it did in many of the pagan temples manned by priestesses-prostitutes. However, that "feeling" tears down and does not "house build" because when the drug-high wears of there is a backlash and the congregation attends Sunday evenings "disguised as empty pews."
We worship whoever or whatever we "give our attention to."
We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: 2 Pe.1:19
Proserchomai (g4334) pros-er'-khom-ahee; from 4314 and 2064 (includ. its alt.); to approach, i.e. (lit.) come near, visit, or (fig.) worship, assent to: - (as soon as he) come (unto), come thereunto, consent, draw near, go (near, to, unto).
We worship Christ whose Spirit filled the Prophecies (1 Peter 1:11) by giving heed to His words. Jesus said "my words are Spirit and Life" (John 6:63). The Corinthians were giving heed to the mad ravings in prayer and song just as they had before they were "just out of paganism." The women, then and now, were afflicted to speaking gibberish and believing that it was "prophesying" or revelation from the demons (warned against in 1 Cor 10). Paul said that they were "speaking to God" (14:2) Who needs no instruction and therefore they were just speaking into the air (14:9). Both of these would have informed them that the generic "goddess of the air" was not Jesus (Jehovah-Saves) but Juno, the feminist goddess reincarnated today by ZOE the Lucifer-Beast figure expanded in Gnosticism. These uncovered prophesiers (11:5) were doing the disturbing and using "authority" which meant "sexual authority." Males use the same authority in theatrical performance.
If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; 1Ti.6:3
These words don't need to be "chewed up and digested" in order for the Non-Monks to understand it. These are not "words of Christ" as cannon fodder from which we construct songs and sermons: that which is to be taught is The Word of Christ "as it has been delivered to you."
Those who teach a Catholic Eucharist through Twila Paris are "teaching otherwise" and don't consent to wholesome words.
Edification cannot occur through theatrical performance in song, instrument or performance style preaching. If you "build the house" upon the "core gospel" and the doctrines of men (i.e. the Pharisees used the Law of Silence) then you build the house upon sand and you have no light or spirit in you. Using the same message Paul absolutely issued a direct command:
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach (preach) and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. Colossians 3:16
Now, Paul warned the Corinthians beginning in 11:17 that "when you assemble." Now, we don't know whether he had issued a direct command or not to assemble but here they are assembling and all that we know says that was upon the first day of the week. That is good enough for me.
In the following directives I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good. 1 Cor 11:17 NIV
In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and to some extent I believe it. 1 Cor 11:18
No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God's approval. 1 Cor 11:19
When you come together, it is not the Lord's Supper you eat, 1 Cor 11:20
for as you eat, each of you goes ahead without waiting for anybody else. One remains hungry, another gets drunk. 1 Cor 11:21
Every ounce of testimony shows that people often met to hear the word and pray just as in the Synagogue. However, the testimony is also universal that they met on the Lord's Day or first day of the week to hear the Word of Christ and to eat the Lord's Supper. If you reject that and dishonor the only evidence we have then there may be no light.
They were doing exactly the same thing with their "revelation performance." Some had a song often in the pagan gibberish which as oracles some of them had probably used to fool the fools or, consistent with paganism, music enhanced with drinking to get saturated to the gill. The "god of the air" has a rich history which Paul undoubtedly understood.
The soloist or organist or "musical mediating team" just "goes ahead." They are not edifying because they often teach (preach) false doctrine and the "praise" songs are often highly erotic. Therefore, Paul continues to warn them not to speak or sing unless they were inspired and had another inspired person to validate their revelation. Now, Paul speaks with much irony: this would not encourage them but shame them into silence because no Corinthian had any spiritual gift as far as we know. Chapter should shame them into silence because they could read the list and know that they did not and would never have the smallest supernatural gift.
The old wineskin was an ancient musical instrument. Being hollow, one could beat on it like a drum, mumble as a ventriloquist into it and sell the echo to Saul, or stretch strings across it and call it a "nebal" or harp named after "a vile person." The nebel has the same meaning and the crooks claimed that the gods or demons lived inside and that the instrumental sound was an inspired message just like today's singers and musicians. Because musical "prophesying" is defined as the world's oldest profession, it was usually a skill and profession fore women. LaGard Smith notes that if women quit speaking in tongues there would be no speaking in tongues.
When men tell you to consult mediums and spiritists, who whisper and mutter, should not a people inquire of their God? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living? Isaiah 8:19
To the law and to the testimony!
If they do not speak according to this word, they have no light of dawn. Isa 8:20
The "whispering" was a hissing sound like a serpent and the muttering into a musical instrument was like a booming gong which was taught to be the gods speaking through "bell metal" in trumpet or cymbal or the bronze "echo chamber" Paul warned about in 1 Cor 13.
See the musical instrument and the Great Red Dragon connection. Then read about Apollo (Apollyon, Abbadon) and his Seeker Center.
See Layard's Description of Serpent or Devil Worship in the same area of the garden of Eden.
The brass-throated, hissing, poison spitting cobra was the incarnation of the Devil and he was worshiped by this modern incarnation of the ancient "trumpet" or trombone as the serpent or nachash is related to bronze musical instruments. People were so ignorantly superstitious that they believed that the talent of the player and the ringing or piping or whispering sound of "clanging" or "whistling" brass was the voice of the god: they claimed to be inspired.
If you don't "give heed" or actually honor the Words of Christ it is because there is no light in you. This means that in song and sermon your words are more important than God's words: there is simply no light or spirit in you.
As there is a hysterical rush to "go ahead of the others" and impose instruments and steal church property "from widows" we are not surprised that people "give heed" or worship human words and "the idolatry of talent" because the Babylon end-time prostitute religion will dominate:
NOW the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; 1 Tim 4:1
The Faith is the totality of what Jesus taught and inspired the Apostles to deliver to us "once for all times." The moment you begin to question that faith or substitute for it and have the "audience" give heed to songs invented by men or musical talent you are involved in repudiating the Word of Christ in song and sermon and, wittingly, unwittingly or half-wittingly, you are a seducing spirit and the clearest "doctrine of Satan" we can find evidence of in all of the ancient literature is that Satan imposes his doctrine upon people to the beat of the harp and other instruments. Click to see how God passes judgment upon the Assyrians who were "the tallest trees in Eden" and who seduced people with music.
And the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be seven fold in the day when the Lord shall heal the breach of his people, and shall heal the pain of thy wound. Isaiah 30:26 LXX
Behold, the name of the Lord comes after a long time, burning wrath; the word of his lips is with glory, a word full of anger, and the anger of his wrath shall devour as fire. Isaiah 30:27 LXX
His breath is like a rushing torrent, rising up to the neck. He shakes the nations in the sieve of destruction; he places in the jaws of the peoples a bit that leads them astray. Isaiah 30:28
The Jews went to Jerusalem like people going to a feast and therefore brought along their instruments even to Tophet where children were burned in the arms of Molech to the beat of instrumental music. god often warns Israel by telling them how others will be defeated:
Must ye always rejoice, and go into my holy places continually, as they that keep a feast? and must ye go with a pipe, as those that rejoice into the mountain of the Lord, to the God of Israel Isaiah 30:29 LXX
and the Lord shall make his glorious voice to be heard and the wrath of his arm, to make a display with wrath and anger and devouring flame: he shall lighten terribly, and his wrath shall be as water and violent hail. Isaiah 30:30 LXX
For by the voice of the Lord the Assyrians shall be overcome, even by the stroke where with he shall smite them. Isaiah 30:31 LXX
And it shall happen to him from every side, that they from whom their hope of assistance was, in which he trusted, themselves shall war against him in turn with drums and with harp. Isaiah 30:32 LXX
And in every place where the grounded staff shall pass, which the Lord shall lay upon him, it shall be with tabrets and harps:and in battles of shaking will he fight with it. Isaiah 30:32KJV
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Dwaine E. Dunning:
So if indeed
God opposes
Christian use of musical instruments "in worship," as is alleged by
some, why would we assume the law is directed to Christian
assemblies? We
are to meet together for mutual edification. Christians are called to worship by
serving God daily wherever they are.
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Here this silliness refuted by a Presbyterian in 1851.
We have just described how the Jews treated God like a king of the festival and even like a harp-playing prostitute. They went to Jerusalem as they would go to a a Saturday fish fry. They went in procession to Jerusalem with pipes which meant to pollute or prostitute and when they got there it was not God they were worshiping. God accused them of offering the animals to me but you eat the meat for yourselves. God had no problem with a Jubilee where everyone blew trumpets and made a loud joyful sound because it was a homecoming party. However, as we have just noted, they could not treat Jehovah the same way the treated Molech as they went to Jerusalem to worship Yahweh but attended the baby-burning picnic down in Tophets (tabret or tambourine) which gave its name to hell itself where, in Babylon, the king as the Lucifer agent would be consumed along with his harps on a bed of maggots.
The bull harp had been eaten up with worms but the metal remained and by making casts the harp was reconstructed. When the strings were plucked the bull demon actually spoke to you.
I suppose that if we are forbidden to eat steak and eggs for the Lord's Supper then we are forbidden to eat steaks at home? No. Just silly. In 1 Cor 11 Paul addressed the "out of assembly" time where the uncovered prophesying needed to be outlawed. In 11:17 he speaks of "when you come together in assembly."
I can twang a guitar or dulcimer to my heart's content. In my private valley I can imitate David, strip off naked, play the harp, kill and eat animals, eat watermelon or whatever. However, the assembly is a "one another" event. The command was not necessarily pure dialog but edification by one or more who had some Biblical material to read: they didn't make up their "edification" resources. Remember that "everyone having a song" was a put-down and not an endorsement.
Ten million monks might argue that playing instruments is evil but that would not make it so. One Jesus could model and command teaching His Word as He honored His Father by speaking only what He heard from the Father could overcome the monks. One Paul issuing a direct command against the wine-drinking, charismatic (always musical) prophesying in the pagan temples and connect that to a positive command to teach the Word of Christ or Spirit and we have an ANTI-LAW against prophesying paganistically (singing while drunk with instruments) and a PRO-LAW telling us that we should worship (give heed) Christ by giving heed to His words.
If we don't do that then we have no light in us.
There was no law against singing Fanny Crosby or Twila Paris on your on time.
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Dwaine E. Dunning:
Paul used
three simple words as he exhorted Christians of his day to
edify one another through singing and seeking to grow in
Christ. The words he chose are "psalms, hymns, and odes (spiritual songs)." We who love God are indeed urged
to sing to one another at various times and in varied
ways.
The Bible makes no mention of musical instruments in regard to Christians. We surely are not required to use musical instruments at any time in any designated way. But common sense forces us to realize that some few among us are gifted with musical abilities which surely come to them from God. Some play easily and beautifully, on one instrument or on many varied instruments. Some play in such a way as to "charm the savage beast." Many of us play with less artistry, and are most appreciated by our family and close friends |
Paul specificially identified speaking or singing in dialects with LIFELESS INSTRUMENTS. Now, his term LIFELESS INSTRUMENTS is the universal mark of EMPTY SOUNDING blather. Would one suggests that Paul RECOMMENDED lifeless instruments or did he UTTERLY OUTLAW them? He spoke of the bongs and clangs in 1 Cor 13 which points ONLY to weapons of warfare or to SORCERY or to the theater.
The acoustic properties of a Greek theatre would be naturally good, since the actors had a high wall behind them and a rising slope in front. Vitruvius, indeed, says that artificial aid was sought from brazen vessels, which the Greeks call êcheia, so placed in the auditorium as to reverberate the voices of the actors. He even speaks of these resonators as being nicely adapted to the required musical pitch (ii. 1, 9). The theatre at Aizani in Cilicia has a series of niches above the diazôma: and similar niches exist elsewhere. According to one view, these niches held the êcheia, while another connects them merely with the substructions of seats. The statement of Vitruvius leaves no doubt that êcheia were used, at least sometimes, in the theatres of his own day: but it remains uncertain whether such a device was employed by the Greeks of an earlier time.
Again, we should note that "musical" is a secular or pagan term. It is not used in the New Testament except by a home-coming feast with instruments and dance, and in Revelation where the musicians will cease and the end-time Babylon king/queen will be finally destroyed "upon a bed of maggots" perhaps.Echeion , to, ( [êchos] ) drum, gong, Plu.Crass.23, Apollod. ap. Sch. Theoc.2.36, Procop.Gaz.Ecphr.p.153B.; tambourine, as head-dress, Herm.Trism.in Rev.Phil.32.254; used for stage-thunder, Sch.Ar. Nu.292; as sounding-boards in the theatre, Vitr.5.5.2.
II. in the lyre, = chalkôma, apptly. a metallic sounding-plate, Hsch.; so of the palate, Gal.UP7.5.
2. Adj. êcheion organon sounding instrument, Ph.1.588, cj.ib.444,510.
Organon , 3. musical instrument, Simon.31, f.l. in A.Fr.57.1 ; ho men di' organôn ekêlei anthrôpous, of Marsyas, Pl.Smp.215c ; aneu organôn psilois logois ibid., cf. Plt.268b ; o. poluchorda Id.R.399c , al.; met' ôidês kai tinôn organôn Phld.Mus.p.98K. ; of the pipe, Melanipp.2, Telest.1.2.
The organon is an INSTRUMENT for doing HARD WORK or to induce SHOCK AND AWE. By definition it does WORKS to aid God and is therefore LEGALISM.
Bront-eion , to, engine for making stage-thunder, Poll.4.130.
Echetês , ou, ho, Ep. êcheta^ , Dor. achetas , acheta^ , ( [êcheô] )
A. clear-sounding, musical, shrill, donax achetas A.Pr.575 (lyr.); kuknos E.El.151 (lyr.); epith. of the cicada, chirping, êcheta tettix Hes.Op.582 , AP 7.201 (Pamphil.); achetat. ib.213 (Arch.): abs., achetas, ho, the chirper, i.e. the male cicada, Anan.5.6, Ar.Pax1159 (lyr.), Av.1095 (lyr.), cf. Arist.HA532b16,556a20: Orph.A.1250 has Ep.acc. êcheta porthmon the sounding strait.
Tettix cicala, Cicada plebeia or allied species, a winged insect fond of basking on trees, when the male makes a chirping or clicking noise by means of certain drums or 'tymbals' underneath the wings, a prov. for garrulity,
Strabo (first century) explains how popular writers describe the phenomenon:
They represent them, one and all, as a kind of inspired people and as subject to Bacchic frenzy, and, in the guise of minister, as inspiring terror at the celebration of the sacred rites by means of war-dances accompanied by uproar and noise and cymbals and drums and also by flute and outcry . . . (Georg., X, 3:7)
The 'sounding gong and tinkling cymbal' used in such worship are mentioned in a derogatory sense in 1 Corinthians 13:1; but the religious outcry itself is dealt with more directly. It is essential that we understand that much of the shouting involved in the rite was the specific function of women. Euripides describes the advent of Dionysiac religion to Thebes thus: 'This city, first in Hellas, now shrills and echoes to my women's cries, their ecstasy of joy' (Bacchae, 11, 20-24)
The word used here for 'cry' is olulugia, defined by the Etymologicum Magnum as 'the sound which women make to exult in worship' and by E.R. Dodds as 'the women's ritual cry of triumph or thanksgiving'.
Pausanias tells of 'the mountain they say was called Eva from the Bacchic cry 'Evoe' which Dionysus and his attendant women first uttered there' (Descr. of Greece, IV, xxxi)
Menander also demonstrates women's role in worship: 'We were offering sacrifice five times a day, and seven serving women were beating cymbals around us while the rest of the women pitched high the chant (olulugia)' (Fragment 326).
Women were expected, then, to provide certain types of sound-effects; and some of these effects seem to have been limited to feminine ministrants.
Remember that the Old Testament was not written in Greek. However, the Septuagint (LXX) used psalms, hymns and spiritual songs of the book of Psalms and other scattered songs. These were all inspired by God and the Corinthians were not true prophets.
To "sing a song" does not mandate an instrument. A song or "praise" is written in meter or poetic form so that it can be accompanied. The Greek language was poetic and to "speak" (as Paul commanded) a Psalm one "s singing in a way to make the voice carry in the absence of a PA system. This is not a forced musical thing" because of the lilting nature of the written and spoken language. A "psalmos" includes no instruments
Psalmos (g5568) psal-mos'; from 5567; a set piece of music, i.e. a sacred ode (accompanied with the voice, harp or other instrument; a "psalm"); collect. the book of the Psalms: - psalm. Comp. 5603.
Now, don't ignore the parenthetic expression:
Note that the Ode definition defines only the first part of psalmos (g5568) as a Hebrew cantillation. This was chanting or a singing term but not a musical term as we know it because the purpose was teaching:
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Psalmos (g5568) psal-mos'; from 5567; a set piece of music, i.e. a sacred ode |
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The first part of a "psalmos" is equivalent to an ode which was written so that it could be cantillated. The "ode" defines away the instrument of g5568 unless one is specified. Ode (g5603) o-day'; from 103; a chant or "ode" the gen. term for any words sung; while 5215 denotes espec. a religious metrical composition, and |
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5568 still more spec. a Heb. cantillation): - song. |
Again, a "song" does not define instruments. However, the human voice is the "harp of God" or the "trumpet of God" and is the first instrument of choice.
> If Paul didn't care he could have said ode psalmos and put a period right there.
> Paul picked the human voice (speak) and internal melody in the heart.
> Therefore, if the Holy Spirit had picked the harp there would be no argument by monks "from the law of silence."
> God is there and He is not silent: He listens and we would insult Him if we prayed (hymned) Him accompanied by an orchestra.
Like the English song which mandates no mechanical instrument, a psalmos mandates no instrument. However, it is written in a poetic form so that it can be accompanied by the voice. To a Greek most prose was a "song." I just finis