The letter is to the saints (the church Col. 1:1-2), they are told to teach and admonish "one another" in psalms hymns and spiritual songs. Now if YOU are to conclude that this includes mechanical musical instruments, then you are saying Paul told the entire church at Colossea to play mechanical musical instruments, you're saying Paul told every one of the saints they must learn to play the instrument because the command is to "all"
Do you realize how illogical that statement is? I'm not saying that musical instruments are commanded.
If someone sings while playing a musical instrument, he sings doesn't he?
If someone sings without playing a musical instrument, he sings doesn't he?
Where do you get the idea of there being a command for everyone to play a musical instrument?
Col 3:16
16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
Let's apply the same stilted approach to the issue of congregational singing versus solos. Where does this verse specify whether the teaching or adominishing here is to be done through solos or congregational singing? It's not clear. We see another verse, I Corinthians 14:26, which says 'every one of you hath a psalm' and to 'let all things be done unto edifying.'
One having a psalm is a solo. So solos are specifically allowed. Where is congregational singing allowed--- in New Testament scripture?
If you are going to use this rigid approach that it isn't allowed if it isn't specifically mentioned.... even that there is a command against it if it isn't specifically mentioned...then you shouldn't be allowing congregational singing.
I don't take it that way. Paul says 'Let all things be done unto edifying.' The question is whether singing congregationally is edifying. The question is whether praising God to the sound of the harp, lyre, etc. is edifying. Of the latter, the Old Testament says that it is good. John saw harps and heard the sound of harps in his vision of heaven.
>> but if you go by the bible, you would see the Greek word Psallo says to pluck or twang a string, yet does not define the stringed instrument, it must be defined by the context, it is the metaphorical heart that Paul used to define what is Psallow'd, the singing of all of them, singing from their book of psalms (hymnals) that would touch the heart making the heart feel as though it is being played like a stringed instrument...<<
Or we could conclude that etymology and the meaning of the word aren't always the exact samething. It's intereting that the etymology of the word translated 'psalm' is connected to musical instruments. Phineas means snake's mouth. Are we going to make some big theological point out of that? Paul means short. Should that be the topic of a sermon? Reading into that passage the idea that the heart is what is strummed seems a bit of a stretch to say the least.
Solo's is something you have drummed up and not what the bible says,
I got it right from the text. In I Corinthians 14:26, translator render 'each one' or 'every one'. The picture is of one person having their own psalm. If you have a specific verse authorizing congregational singing in the meeting, show it.
I don't operate under the assumption that you have to have a specific verse authorizing every detail. I operating under the understanding that all things must be done unto edifying in the church meeting. So I don't consider the use of musical instruments or congregational singing to be forbidden.
It seems like the case for all of this is based on the idea that if you do something wrong in church, it's like violating temple liturgy, like Nadab and Abihu. This is an old Presbyterian teaching. John Knox preached on Nadab and Abihu. A certain religious tradition uses that primarily for musical instruments.
If 'strange fire' is deviating from what is specifically commanded for church meetings (and I'm not saying I accept the jump from the Aaronic priesthood to church meetings) what is commanded? When 'every one of you' has a psalm, doctrine, tongue, revelation, interpretation, all thing are to 'be done unto edifying'.
So it is commanded to allow singing, teaching, speaking in tongues, revelations, and interpretations. The passage continues with commands that tongues must be interpreted. The prophets are to speak two or three. One sermon from one preacher is not commanded in the passage. If a prophet is speaking and one sitting by receives a revelation, the speaking prophet is to be quiet, for you may all prophesy one by one. Paul lets us know that what he has commanded are commandments of the Lord.
It is forbidden to forbid speaking in tongues and interpretation in the orderly manner Paul describes in the passage. It is wrong to forbid prophesying in accordance with the commandments in the passage.
There is also order about the Lord's Supper, mainly instructions on what not to do.
Why is it that so many people who post like this with the assumption that musical instruments are forbidden also are opposed to so many of the things the actual passage that gives commandments of the Lord for church meetings actually commands? It doesn't mention musical instruments in church or oppose it. But we do know from reading the passage that it is wrong to forbid prophesying or speaking in tongues.
I know some people who hold to this belief try to argue that the teaching of the New Testament on spiritual gifts doesn't apply. But you'd think they'd at least acknowledge that 'every one of you' is allowed to have a psalm or teaching, or some kind of 'revelation' that fits in their cessationist viewpoint in church, instead of following the Protestant liturgy of hymns and one sermon. Tradition is strong, even among those who claim to be following only the Bible.
I know some people try to explain away the gifts with an interpretation of I Corinthians 13:11, which is about Paul's knowledge, but they interpret it in such a way that they see their spiritual knowledge as greater than Paul's in the first century, putting themselves in a superior position to the apostles. And so they argue that the gift of prophecy is no more. The passage doesn't even say prophecy will cease, but that that which is not perfect will cease. Partial prophecy will be gone. But I digress.
the scripture says one to another 3rd person plural, what ever they were to do it was to teach (put it into their heads, present, active) all together (one to another),
I was on a rather brainy discussion list, and one of the retired Greek professors who had been a chair at a state university wrote that speaking to yourselves in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, could refer to solos. Apparently, the language doesn't specify congregational singing. I Corinthians 14:26, in all the translations I've read, has 'each one of you' or 'every one of you' or the equivilent.
all can sing, but not all can play a mechanical musical instrument, nowhere does the scripture command everyone to learn to play physical literal mechanical musical instruments either...
So what? Not everyone operates in every spiritual gift, but I Corinthians 14 allows for people to operate in certain spiritual gifts.
You change to worship for your own purpose and not by the will of God, the bible calls that "will worship"
The most common word translated 'worship' in the New Testament refers to prostration, bowing down with one's head to the ground. Worship is not the issue. What is commanded and allowed in church meetings is the issue.
As far as church meetings go, who is doing the changing? You are creating commandments out of silence. I'm pointing out where many folks who hold to your point of view actually disobey and oppose what the New Testament teaches quite clearly and directly.
