tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19219922.post4742655219027278189..comments2024-03-03T21:51:46.662-05:00Comments on stylos: Wayland on Singing and Instruments in WorshipJeffrey T. Riddlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16374856944409335186noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19219922.post-38116511071402307542009-08-04T16:29:52.432-04:002009-08-04T16:29:52.432-04:00Joseph,
Thanks for your post.
Some responses:
U...Joseph,<br /><br />Thanks for your post.<br /><br />Some responses:<br /><br />Up front, by no means am I saying that we should do anything because “Wayland said so.” I obviously take for granted the authority of Scripture, sola scriptura. Rather, this is an exercise in historical theology, looking at what our forebears in the faith believed and practiced in order to learn from their labor and example.<br /><br />Sadly, many today think that the way do worship, for example, is the way it has always been done (e.g., taking for granted the use of instruments). Things were shifting even in Wayland’s day, but his testimony seems to be that the old Baptists (and the old Presbyterians as well) did not use instrumental music in their worship.<br /><br />Why did they do this? Were they unaware of the OT texts that mention instruments, such as the two you cited? Of course, they were not ignorant of such texts. They were Scripture saturated. The question is, “How do you interpret the relevance of those passages for New Covenant worship?”<br /><br />The point is that they were guided by the Regulative Principle. They did not want to do anything in worship that was not specifically proscribed in the New Testament. Yes, surely instruments were used in OT worship, but so were sacrifices. Psalm 66:15, for example, says, “I will offer unto thee burnt sacrifices of fatlings, with the incense of rams; I will offer bullocks with goats. Selah.” We would hardly use that verse as a proof text for animal sacrifices in our worship today! The hermeneutical question is whether it is appropriate to use the kinds of OT texts you cited (and many more we might use) as a proof text for instruments.<br /><br />New Testament worship is certainly very different from Old Testament worship. We are clearly told to sing (cf. Eph 5:19; Col 3:16), but there is silence on the question of instrumental accompaniment. The old Baptists did not make the decision not to use instruments on a whim or on the authority of any tradition (quite the contrary, their decision was contrary to Roman Catholic tradition that used choirs, organs, etc.), but on their convictions about what Scripture teaches and regulates.<br /><br />When you look at the entertainment driven music in many churches today, you can perhaps see some of the wisdom of their convictions. At this time, I am not fully convinced that they were right on this, but I am open to hearing their interpretation of Scripture so that I can profit from them.<br /><br />JTRJeffrey T. Riddlehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16374856944409335186noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19219922.post-56547920882505412582009-08-04T13:21:39.845-04:002009-08-04T13:21:39.845-04:002 Samuel 6:5 (King James Version)
And David and a...2 Samuel 6:5 (King James Version)<br /><br />And David and all the house of Israel played before the LORD on all manner of instruments made of fir wood, even on harps, and on psalteries, and on timbrels, and on cornets, and on cymbals.<br /><br />1 Chronicles 15:16 (King James Version)<br /><br /> 16And David spake to the chief of the Levites to appoint their brethren to be the singers with instruments of musick, psalteries and harps and cymbals, sounding, by lifting up the voice with joy.<br /><br />Isn't scripture supposed to be the final authority no all these things? (not Wayland)Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03103113145979373558noreply@blogger.com