Looking to get the lowdown on what the Bible says about using musical instruments in church? Here’s a quick take: the Bible is quite positive about it. Both Old and New Testaments mention the use of music and instruments in worship settings, celebrating God’s glory through song and sound. The Psalms, especially, are filled with references to instruments as a means to praise God. This shows a clear biblical precedent for the use of music in worship, indicating that musical instruments can be a powerful part of expressing our love and adoration for God. It’s not about the instruments themselves, but the heart of worship they help express.
Want to dive deeper into what scripture has to say about strumming, blowing, and hitting those notes in praise? Stick around as we explore how the Bible orchestrates the use of musical instruments in worship and what that means for us today.
What Does the Bible Say About Musical Instruments in Church?
The Bible resonates with the sound of music, from the intimate worship settings of the early church to the grand choruses of Israel’s temple worship. Musical instruments have played a vital role in worship throughout biblical history, serving as a medium for expressing joy, sorrow, and above all, praise to God.
In the Old Testament, instruments were integral to worship practices. The Psalms, often called the hymnbook of the Bible, frequently call for the use of instruments such as harps, lyres, tambourines, and cymbals to praise God. This wasn’t just about making a joyful noise but about creating an atmosphere where the spirit of worship could thrive, connecting the worshipper’s heart to God.
The New Testament, while less descriptive about worship practices, doesn’t negate the use of musical instruments. Instead, the focus shifts more towards the attitude of the worshipper and the community’s edification. Paul’s letters to the Ephesians and Colossians encourage believers to speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, making music from the heart to the Lord. This suggests that music, whether accompanied by instruments or not, remains a vital expression of faith and love towards God.
God’s view on musical instruments in church is not about the instruments themselves but the worship they facilitate. It’s about using whatever resources we have to glorify God and edify the church. Musical instruments, when used with the right heart and intention, are seen as an acceptable and even encouraged form of worship.
The diversity in musical worship practices across Christian traditions today reflects the broad biblical principles of worship: it is to be God-centered, heartfelt, and edifying to the community. Whether through a cappella singing or with a full band, the aim is to direct our hearts and minds towards God, offering our praise and thanksgiving.
The Bible doesn’t prescribe a specific set of instruments or styles of music for worship; rather, it allows for freedom in how we express our worship through music. This freedom is grounded in the principle that worship is a matter of the heart, seeking to honor God and strengthen the faith of the believers.
Bible Verses About Musical Instruments in Church
- Psalm 150:3-5 – “Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre, praise him with timbrel and dancing, praise him with the strings and pipe, praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals.” This Psalm is a vibrant call to use a wide array of musical instruments in the act of worship, emphasizing the diversity and richness of praising God.
- Psalm 33:2-3 – “Praise the Lord with the harp; make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre. Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy.” Here, the Psalmist encourages not just the use of instruments but also the quality of musicianship in worship, highlighting the value of skill and creativity in our offerings to God.
- 2 Chronicles 5:13-14 – “The trumpeters and musicians joined in unison to give praise and thanks to the Lord. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals, and other instruments, they raised their voices in praise to the Lord and sang: ‘He is good; his love endures forever.’ Then the temple of the Lord was filled with the cloud.” This passage from Chronicles describes a powerful moment of worship in the temple, where music played a central role in creating an atmosphere where God’s presence was tangibly felt.
- Ephesians 5:19 – “Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord.” Paul’s instruction to the Ephesian church highlights the importance of musical expression in worship, emphasizing that it’s the heart’s posture, not necessarily the instruments, that matters most to God.
- Colossians 3:16 – “Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.” Similar to Ephesians, this verse underscores the role of music in teaching, admonishing, and expressing our gratitude to God, emphasizing the communal and edifying aspects of musical worship.
- 1 Chronicles 15:16 – “David told the leaders of the Levites to appoint their fellow Levites as musicians to make a joyful sound with musical instruments: lyres, harps, and cymbals.” This directive from David as they brought the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem demonstrates the organized, intentional use of music and instruments in worship, sanctioned and celebrated as a means to honor God.
- 1 Chronicles 23:5 – “Four thousand are to be gatekeepers and four thousand are to praise the Lord with the instruments I have provided for that purpose.” Again, David emphasizes the importance of music in worship, specifying a significant number of Levites dedicated to praising God with instruments, indicating the value placed on musical worship in the Old Testament.
- Nehemiah 12:27 – “At the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, the Levites were sought out from where they lived and were brought to Jerusalem to celebrate joyfully the dedication with songs of thanksgiving and with the music of cymbals, harps, and lyres.” This verse shows musical instruments being integral to the celebration and dedication ceremonies, highlighting their role in expressing joy and thanksgiving to God.
- Psalm 81:2 – “Begin the music, strike the tambourine, play the melodious harp and lyre.” The Psalmist calls for the use of various musical instruments in the act of worship, demonstrating the longstanding tradition of music as a form of praise and celebration in Israel’s worship practices.
- Amos 6:5 – “You strum away on your harps like David and improvise on musical instruments.” While this verse is part of a prophecy against complacency and luxury that neglects God’s justice, it acknowledges King David’s renowned skill and innovation with musical instruments, highlighting the cultural and spiritual significance of music and musicianship in worship.
These verses collectively illustrate that the use of musical instruments in worship has deep biblical roots, spanning from the detailed orchestration of temple worship in the Old Testament to the communal, heart-led worship practices encouraged in the New Testament. While the Bible celebrates the use of instruments in praising God, it places the ultimate focus on the worshipers’ hearts and intentions. The scriptural perspective allows for freedom and diversity in musical expression within the church, encouraging believers to use their talents and resources to glorify God and edify the body of Christ through music.