This is primarily for those who would argue that the RPW allows for the singing of hymns during worship, but anybody's welcome to 'have at it'.

How does scripture justify the creation of hymns to be sung during a worship service?

What are the main scriptural arguments in favor of singing hymns?

If any of you have been to a service where you thought the music was inappropriate for worship (I'm thinking some of the more contemporary styles), what principles that allow for hymn singing would rule out the more contemporary venues?

(My main reason for digging into this is to nail down what the scriptures teach about music in worship. A church I visited recently had some good preaching, but the music I had to tolerate - bending of guitar strings is cool to listen to, but not at church. I'd much prefer to listen to hymns than that type of music. But if that's just my preference, the argument against bending strings, etc. is weak. In a worship service, my preference is immaterial.)

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Bob Howes
Framingham, MA

A reoccurring thought:

Rev 22:20 He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

Whilst I adhere to EP this will get the ball rolling for you:

Generally the argument comes from a few angles. (1) They will argue that we are commanded to sing "new songs" and this then gives us warrant to compose our own. (2) They will point to Revelation where songs are sung that are not Psalms. (3) They may point to 'hymn fragments' in the New Testament.

All of these are weak and can be easily dealt with but I will refrain from doing so.......

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Richard
CofE
UK

Thanks for getting the ball rolling.
I was thinking about this one earlier this morning and searched the Bible for the phrase "new song". The search brought up 9 verses, one of which was:

Psa 98:1 <A Psalm.> O sing unto the LORD a new song; for he hath done marvellous things: his right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory.

I thought this might be one justification, but I wondered whether that was really what the Psalmist was getting at. He had composed a new song unto the Lord, that new song is inspired and was subsequently used in worship, was He actually telling those in the temple/synagogue (or wherever they sang they Psalms) to go out and write new songs? What was meant here and in the other scriptures when it said to sing a new song?

Bob,

Here is an article by Rev. Stephen Pribble:

The Regulative Principle and Singing in Worship

You might also be interested to note that it is the position of Dr. Carl Bogue, who was recently cited here on the PB for his excellent summary of the RPW:

Is the Regulative Principle Important to Worship by Carl Bogue

Just thought I would get a resource in before the inevitable EP pile-on.

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Fredrick T. Greco
Senior Pastor, Christ Church PCA (Katy, TX)
Christ Church Blog

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Thanks for the links. I look forward to checking them out.

Psalm 96 and 98 both contain the phrase "new song" and neither refers to constructing new songs. What is being exhorted is the singing of songs that are new to that person. Psalm 96 is a core missionary psalm and is eschatological looking forward to the gospel dispensation. Here, Israel is sounding forth the encouragement to gentiles to forsake their idols and turn to Jehovah. God is, through Israel, calling upon the gentiles to sing a new song, a song that as heathen, and strangers to the covenants and commonwealth, they have never sung before. The gentiles are being urged to sing unto Jehovah, i.e. to submit to the king (note these psalms fall in the block of Psalms 90-100 where the focus is on God's kingship over all nations) and take his praise upon their lips.

Simply: the phrase "new song" is "repent, have faith in Christ" in poetic form. All the earth is exhorted to be converted and so "sing unto the LORD a new song".

The inscription in the Syriac version for Psalm 96 is, "a Psalm of David, a Prophecy of the coming of the Messiah, and of the calling of the Gentiles that believe in him''. The inscription of the Syriac version calls Psalm 98 "a Psalm of David, concerning the redemption of the people out of Egypt, when they conquered and triumphed;'' adding "but spiritually a prophecy concerning the coming of Christ, and the calling of the Gentiles unto the faith.''

This is of course the question proposed for our still elusive Worship Song debate between Matthew Winzer and Andy Webb: Question: Is there clear and sufficient warrant given in Scripture for the composition of uninspired writings for use as song in the public worship of the Church?
Lord willing schedules can clear and this can be undertaken later this year; right now it is at the "it happens when it can happens" point.

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Chris Coldwell
Lakewood Presbyterian Church (PCA), Member
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Chris Poe--Attending Grace Community Baptist Church, Mandeville, LA

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Perhaps we should ask the same questions with regard to prayer, preaching etc.. Why get hung up only on the singing? Or is there anything in the RPW which makes singing an especially spiritual exercise which needs to be protected more than any other element of worship?

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Satch Chikhlia, Reformed Baptist, Surrey, England

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I think the argument would go that we are commanded to sing Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, and hymn-singers are unconvinced that this is a reference to the titles of the Psalms (which is a discussion all by itself). From those same texts (Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16) it is plain to see that singing is a form of teaching, and of course since many of the Psalms are prayers it seems that prayers may also be sung. Now the content of prayer and teaching is regulated by the Scripture; but the exact expressions are not (in the sense that we can vary the phrasing, not in the sense that we can babble unorthodoxy). So in our teaching and praying through song we have the same freedom as in our teaching and praying through words. Therefore, uninspired compositions may be used for singing in the corporate worship of God. Or so the argument would typically run.

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Ruben
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I'm fine with that...but not in MY thread!! (jk)

Actually, I think any of those - prayer, preaching, etc. - could have a thread of their own, focused on the same type of questions. It doesn't happen in reformed churches, but how many of you have ever seen cute little cartoons displayed on an overhead during a sermon? A seminary-trained preacher displaying cartoons in an overhead? The same questions I'm asking about music run through my head when I see such things - what guidelines does the Bible give?

So, I'd agree each part of the worship service should have equal time in the scrutiny department.

I do not think that the making of hymns is biblical for public worship, but if you are NOT non-instrumental, what biblical ground is there against guitars or 'that type of music'??

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Nathan Eshelman
Grand Rapids, MI
First Reformed Presbyterian Church

PRESBYTERIAN THOUGHTS

First Reformed Presbyterian Church

Thank-you, brother. Your argument was convincing and convinced me. Appreciate it.

I don't want to get off topic, but when you guys read those verses, is it clear to you that they are speaking of the church setting? Does it just jump out at you? (Some/many times I'm a little thick and don't see the obvious)

I don't know that those texts are speaking only of the church setting. Certainly the verses surrounding them have a wider application. But that wouldn't mean they don't apply in the church setting as well. And on the score of their relevance, I think EP and non-EP alike are agreed that they must be taken into consideration.

Nathan, good question. I've been wondering that in parallel with the hymn questions I've asked. Questions asked about songs we sing should also be asked about instrument usage, what does the Bible teach?

Agreed. The wider application is what jumps out at me, which of course wouldn't exclude it from Sunday mornings.

Thing is if you look at a lot of old Psalters they have these two verses on the title page as "source texts".

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Benjamin P. Glaser
Pittsburgh, PA
Fairmount ARP Church
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Maybe they are good source texts. There's always the possibility (ever so slim that it may be) that just because I don't see it doesn't mean its not there.

Sorry. Was not trying to hijack your thread.

If you want to see a good case for Hymns please refer to:-

Singing Hymns in Reformed Worship

The main points of the argument are very good. There are aspects of the artcle that I would prefer to see reworked .. but this is a good start.

1stly, one needs to find out how they (non-EPers) are providing a definition for these terms. 2ndly, the EP case does not rest on these two verses.