Music in Church?

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I'm assuming those who believe that worship should be without instruments believe that singing only the psalms is part of the RPW. If the OT saints before David did not sing them as part of the RPW, then why are we allowed to sing them unless David brought in permissible ways of worshipping God (as I said earlier, David seemed to do non-permissible things when it came to doing things only priest were allowed to do). If he did, then we can use both the psalms and instruments. If he didn't, then to hold true to the RPW we cannot sing the Psalms either since they didn't sing them before David's time.

I think the argument against that would be progressive revelation, and having ultimately been inscripturated it becomes normative.
 
There's also the argument that what was once reserved for the priests (instruments) is no longer forbidden to the people, who now have direct access to God.

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There's also the argument that what was once reserved for the priests (instruments) is no longer forbidden to the people, who now have direct access to God.

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Then give everyone a triangle. :) Otherwise you still end up with a smaller group of believers who serve this purpose, which tends to defeat the purpose of this argument.

Besides, why not apply this to incense or shewbread?

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Arguing from OT use of musical instruments is arguing for them as an element of worship. They were commanded; ie, they are not circumstantial. Elements of worship are not optional. This is why those holding the Regulative Principle of Worship, but not a prohibition of all accompaniment, understand they must argue from the standpoint of circumstances of worship. I agree with Girardeau's and Old School Southern and Reformed Presbyterianism's rejection of that argument, but be that as it may, that is where the debate should be among those holding to the biblical RPW.
 
The point is there should be freedom in worship. Worship with instruments, worship without instruments, worship in prayer and service, worship by offering your bodies as a spiritual sacrifice. But worship in spirit and in truth, cause not your brother to stumble in his worship, and remember those in chains across the world to whom this discussion doesn't matter....

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There is also little understanding if issues like the Lord's day throughout the church, including the persecuted church; that does not mean the issue is unimportant and should not be discussed just because it is down the list of things the persecuted have on their minds.
We are not free to do whatever we want in worship. What we do we should have some warrant and an understanding why we do it. Otherwise it cannot be done in faith with a clear informed conscience.
 
I appreciate all the replies. Never thought though that for some it was a touchy matter if one took the opposite view! Which it obviously is. To me in the past it never worried me either way. If anyone used them, I had no problem and if they didn't, that didn't bother me either. But as time has gone on I realise, or questions keep getting raised in my mind and about be, that I feel a need to know either way. I know we have much more freedom in Christ, in the New Testament times than the Old, but does that freedom give me license to do whatever I feel is right, as long as its in worship for God and I love my brother? I fully realise too that in the world are many persecuted Christians and those who suffer greatly, I never forget that and remind myself daily of that fact, but does that too diminish my questions and negate them? Making them trivial? (Not suggesting anyone thinks so) No it does not make it trivial or negate their want or need for an answer. If that were the case then the same would apply to many other questions in regards to worship.
To worship in spirit and it truth to me necessitates the need to know the actual truth in order to do so.
The more I am looking at this subject the more I am seeing the non use to be the most compelling side, a safeguard from error, error which is taking such a strong foothold in churches today. Not musically, though in many case it has, but in general with the "Christian Liberty" banner waved about so freely as it is now. Sure, there is also a case for those to say, "look at all those legalists, rules for this, rules for that" and that is true too in many cases. But, there has to be truth ultimately and that needs to be sought after, just as the precious pearl. The truth lays in the middle, not because it always does lay there, but because it sometimes does. With no rules we do what we want, with some we do some of what we want, with too many we do more than what God wants us to, but with the "truth" we do exactly what Gods wants us to do. That is what I seek. Can I always do exactly what I should? Ha, im sure everyone here knows that answer, but that doesn't stop me forever trying, striving, pushing on.
Lets say we say, don't worry about the little things like that issue of music, there's more important ones, focus on those.
Ok, so we stop questioning that one, now "don't worry about which Bible translation is more faithful", ok we stop that too, now "don't worry about what role women play ecclesiastically", "don't worry about what songs we sing" "don't worry about what you do or don't do on the Lords Day" don't worry about the little things.
To me the Truth of God is like a wall, and all the sub truth's it contains are like the bricks that make up that wall, the little things in comparison to the wall as a whole.
Am I fully persuaded at this moment either way? Honestly, not yet. But I am weighing it all up and getting there.
Thanks for the replies everyone.:up:
 
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