Prescriptive Psalmody

If the real RPW is not "whatever is not commanded is forbidden," then what is it and who has the liberty to define it? The Confession is very clear, 20.2, 21.1. All worship beside the Word is a violation of liberty of conscience and the acceptable way of worshipping God is limited by His own revealed will. The Catechisms couldn't explain it any clearer. They speak of God "appointing" and "instituting" His worship in His Word and that man's duty is simply to receive it, observe it, and keep it pure and entire. I know of no other RPW than what has faithfully been taught in these standards.

 

So do you agree the RPW teaches that whatever is not commanded is forbidden? If so, what do you mean when you write that some of you don't buy what I'm saying about "permissible" elements?

 

John, I think this approach is destined to fail from the outset. You note that you're willing to let yours stand the test, but the test stands at the front door. There's no basis for going any further until we've defined what the regulating principle will be for the discussion. As Rev. Winzer has stated, you need to first of all take a position on how to define the RPW; that must be the principle that guides the rest of the discussion and there's only one definition that is true to the teaching of Scripture.

I applaud your desire, I just think a thread like this will lead to nothing but opinions and preferences if we lay aside the RPW as taught held by the Reformed and taught in the Westminster standards...

 

Fair enough brother...

By the way, I hope my previous comment wasn't taken as being facetious; that wasn't my intention...

 

I noticed JD was suggesting that Music was an element of Worship.

What is music?

mu·sic –noun
1. an art of sound in time that expresses ideas and emotions in significant forms through the elements of rhythm, melody, harmony, and color.
2. the tones or sounds employed, occurring in single line (melody) or multiple lines (harmony), and sounded or to be sounded by one or more voices or instruments, or both.
3. musical work or compositions for singing or playing.
4. the written or printed score of a musical composition.
5. such scores collectively.
6. any sweet, pleasing, or harmonious sounds or sound: the music of the waves.
7. appreciation of or responsiveness to musical sounds or harmonies: Music was in his very soul.


JD, I can see where you are going with this idea wanting Music to be the defining mark of Prescription, the definition will allow voices only,or instruments only or both together.

 

I concur and am glad that you acknowledge that the Psalms are to be sung, but they are commanded in the NT to be more than sung. They are a guidebook for NT worship in spirit and truth understood in the fullness of the NT revelation. I am surprised you don't support the authority of the Psalms, since we have no more complete guide in terms of worship orthodoxy and orthopraxy.

And on this we have no quarrel, since singing and making melody have been retained and was not a component of the ceremonial Law of Moses, anyway, nor is there a requirement for exclusively inspired song in worship, since the Psalms themselves do not place that restriction.

Your hermeneutic, while interesting, is incomplete. You create a sui generis (to borrow your term) where none is imposed. The Psalms certainly contain elements of prophesy, but you know as well as anyone that their content and context span the continuum of human experience and praise of God. We are directed to be guided by the Psalms in terms of our musical worship before the Lord (at the very least) and since they establish new song as allowable, we may then correlate music to preaching and prayer, which utilize the inspired writings to guide and regulate their practice while simultaneously retaining "newness" in compositional structure.

Again, non sequitur and category error. The Scriptures are written on paper, just as the scrolls were written on papyrus or lambskin. Would you ban the lifeless material that contains and facilitates the reading and proclamation of God's Word? How about a psalter? The argument does not hold water.

 

Except I do not believe warrant exists for instruments alone without voice present.

BTW - I don't want music to be an element of worship - it is.

 

Music is the "language" of emotion, that much is supported by objective evidence. The Psalms express the range of human emotion, joy being prescribed inasmuch as we "count it all joy."

So, in those terms, I agree with your premise if I have understood it correctly, but I also say that as much as the NT believer has in common with the psalmists, we have an even greater reason to praise in that we have had the true joy of the Lord revealed to us. Thus the prescription for new song - celebrate the joy obscured and prophesied, but sing new songs of the Name above all names!

 

"In Spirit and truth" is contrasted by the Lord Jesus to worshipping "in Jerusalem." The Psalms are undoubtedly prescriptive for internal worship; they teach us how to love, fear, praise, and call upon the Lord, to mention but a few elements of worshipping from the heart. But the external worship context of the Psalms is an earthly Jerusalem pre-figuring the heavenly Jerusalem. All external prescriptions are relative to the Jerusalem context; they are subsequently fulfilled by Christ as the Chief Musician, Melchizedekian High Priest and Kingly David of His people. They are no longer prescriptive of the external worship to be offered on earth for the simple reason that this worship is now consummated in heaven.

There is no sui generis here. The Psalms themselves must be used to delineate the "new songs" they prescribe. And what is the fundamental characteristic of them? They are given by God. Ps. 40:3, To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David: "He put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord." Moreover, the new song is the result of the unfolding mystery of God in the bringing in of the Gentiles. Ps. 96:1, 2, "O sing unto the Lord a new song: sing unto the Lord, all the earth. Sing unto the Lord, bless his name; shew forth his salvation from day to day." Eph. 3:5, 6 specifically limits the special revelation of this mystery to "holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit." The "new songs" are, by definition of the Psalms themselves, special revelation. Any attempt to impose "new songs" on the church is nothing less than an introduction of new revelations of the Spirit.

I simply note in passing that you continue to play your favourite tune of correlating music to preaching and prayer without any exegetical basis in Scripture.

The Scriptures are written on paper and read to the congregation, but the paper is not lifted up as an element of worship as it is in present day Jewish practice. Mechanical instruments, however, when urged as an element of worship prescribed by God, are offered to God.

The categories of thought belong to the words of inspiration. The Holy Spirit calls the ceremonies of the OT an element of the world and carnal ordinances, and the same Holy Spirit describes musical instruments as lifeless objects. I know for certain that the Holy Spirit does not make categorical errors.

 

If we say that non-inspired text are prescriptive and instruments are prescriptive then must we conclude that a church cannot worship correctly without a composer and a musician? So an office of musician is required or a musical skill is required of all officers or else the church cannot follow God's prescription?

Whereas if it is not prescriptive then ordained elders can be sent to congregants and all they need is their vocal chords (for preaching, reading, praying and singing) along with the inspired text to lead the people in proper worship unto God.

 

Do you have to have a local composer to sing Psalms? Who composed the tunes in the Psalter?

So, any ordained elder can just stand up and start leading the congregation in any old melody, regardless of suitableness and singability?

Just as in leading in preaching and praying, there must be preparation and capability. Instruments aid in the decent and orderly composition and exercise of singing and making melody in and for worship.

 

The Psalms can be chanted, in fact at one time that was more the norm.

There are those in the church who are gifted in musical areas, and thus we have composed tunes we can use; however, I don't think we can say that such is required. I believe prescriptive is too strong of a term or else we must require ministers to be music majors as well as mighty in the scriptures.

 

That might stand if the Apostle did not tell us to be taught by the Psalms and the Psalms teach us to sing new songs. Even as Jesus fulfilled the High Priestly aspects, He has set us to be a holy priesthood - now and in eternity come. And just as David was not the only Psalmic scribe, we are spiritually enabled as children and friends of Our Saviour to compose new song in praise and honor of the revealed Name.

This is specious reasoning, at best - the Psalms advise us to do as the Lord Himself commands - preach, pray and sing the revealed Christ and His salvation to the entire world. The "unfolding mystery" of the Psalms are Christ Himself.

Good attempt at a red herring - I have established that music is regulated by the Psalms - the Psalms allow new songs, therefore, I correlate the component of "uninspired" content also present in preaching and prayer.

Sorry - again, instruments are an aid in communicating the song, not offered up in themselves as an offering. Music is the element.

The category error is that you continue to try and establish is that instruments reside in a different category than other "lifeless" aids in worship. They do not, thus your premise is flawed, which leads to your flawed conclusion.

 

[QUOTE=armourbearer;447603
I simply note in passing that you continue to play your favourite tune of correlating music to preaching and prayer without any exegetical basis in Scripture.

The apostle Paul provided all the exegetical base needed for correlating music to preaching and prayer when he subsumed sung praise within the category of "teaching and admonishing" the word of God in Col. 3:16. If we may teach the word of God using more than citing Scripture verses to do so, it cannot be proven by GNC that we are limited to the Psalms in our sung worship.

 

Chanting is sufficient and easy in the event no musician or composer is present in a particular church. Consider the following:

 

Norm for whom? Chanting, in that sense, is a human invention of infinite regression.

Who says that there should not be mighty men in music as well as Scriptures, whose compositions are a help for lesser lights? Just as the great teachers\preachers of Scripture are.

BTW - I believe there should be a least SOME training in music for a minister of the Gospel. Not just because I am a musician - how can one properly administrate worship without an understanding of all its elements?

 

First, if it be true that the apostle here authorised every one in the congregation to teach and admonish, the result would be that every individual should have scope to do so; then what need was there that he and Barnabas be set aside for the ministry and Timothy have the laying on of the hands of the presbytery? It is clear, however, that the apostle limits this congregational or "one another" teaching and admonishing to the singing of psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. The congregational or "one another" teaching is one action and the preaching of the Word by lawfully ordained ministers is a different action.

Secondly, all the correlation of preaching and singing could possibly prove by good and necessary consequence is that each individual is authorised to bring their own composition and sing it before the congregation, whilst the rest of the congregation sits silently and judges what they hear to determine if it be consonant to the word of God.

Thirdly, since the apostle limits congregational or "one another" teaching to the singing of psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, we are bound to examine what would be meant by those terms in the historical context of the apostle Paul. Having so determined, we are obliged to set apart some time in the congregation for the performance of this duty. Having done so, it will be apparent to all and sundry that the singing of praise to God by the congregation is an altogether distinct action from the preaching of the Word by an individual who has been ordained for the purpose.

 

I pass over the "new songs" aspect of this conversation as you have failed to provide a rationale for the "new revelation" characteristic of the new songs.

The mechanical instruments are either prescribed or they are not. If they are prescribed, they are used in obedience to God. That which is done in obedience to God is an act of worship. If mechanical instruments are used in obedience to God then the use of the mechanical instrument is an act of worship to God. It is not a mere circumstance like other lifeless aids.

Sir, the more you seek to justify your position the more you evidence that you are not operating within the bounds of the regulative principle of worship, which is, that whatever is not commanded in scripture is forbidden. Speaking as a moderator, you have been given ample scope to make your argument, but there comes a time when you must be called back to the guidelines of the board, and those guidelines uphold the regulative principle of worship as taught in the confessional documents.

 

That's fine, Matthew - I figured this is where we were headed. You do understand that by exercising this right, you tacitly proclaim everyone not adhering to Exclusive Psalmody\Non-Instruments as unconfessional?

That being said - I bow out of this thread under duress.

JohnV, thanks for the opportunity

 

That is not correct. I have seen many arguments for non exclusive psalmody and instruments as a circumstance of worship which follow the guidelines of the regulative principle of worship. I obviously do not personally consider the arguments are convincing, but I can respect them as arguments which seek to honour the regulative principle. All that you are being encouraged to do is to present your arguments within the same framework and desist from inventing new categories which contradict the principle that what is not commanded is forbidden. Blessings!

 

For the record:

 

JohnV, I'm glad you started the thread. It was a blessing as it occasioned some more pithy wisdom to fall from Australia concerning the most important acts that we will do on earth. We can not under estimate the importance worshipping God in spirit and in truth. Thanks for persevering in the discussion Mathew.