As a member of the Church of Christ I cannot believe what has happened in the last twenty years in which some Churches of Christ have decided to add instruments to their worshipping, which I feel is a sin. If you are a member of a Church of Christ who has instruments in your church, tell me where you got your authorization to do this? What has changed in the last twenty years to change how you have decided to worship with instruments when the Churches of Christ prior to the last twenty years were always instrument free .
Shava, the instrumental controversy in the church of Christ has been going on for over twenty years. I am 59, and when I was in my twenties I met church of Christ members from out west who had no problem using instrumental music in worship. Most of the disagreements over the type of music was then proclaimed to be the definition of "Psallo".
But other Churches (of Christ) debated using David and his harp out in the fields without divine decree and yet he was described as a "man after God's own heart". So they had no problem using instruments in worship.
Today many people use the argument that in the NT we are told to use Psalms in worship. Psalms were often set to music, therefore if we use them as they were first used we cannot go wrong. God has never sanctioned evil, therefore instruments cannot be classified as "evil".
IMHO, it is ok to use instruments in worship, because we are told that we can use Psalms.
I used to belong to the church of Christ, but do not affiliate myself with them anymore, because they seemed to pick and choose which things were "scriptural" ; for example 1 Tim 2:9: "9 Likewise, I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments." Now, how many women in the church of Christ follow Paul's advice? That's right, almost none!! Braided hair? Lot's of women in the CoC have braided hair in the assembly. . But why is this scripture disregarded? Because the CoC regards this verse as one of 1st century custom, and not as a God inspired command. Whereas other verses such as those by Paul in Romans regarding the treatment of "weak" brethren are regarded as a commandment. Why the differentiation? Your guess is as good as mine.
Also consider the following: 1 Cor 11:03-16: " 3 But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.
4 Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head.
5 But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven.
6 For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn: but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered.
7 For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man.
8 For the man is not of the woman: but the woman of the man.
9 Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man.
10 For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels.
11 Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord.
12 For as the woman is of the man, even so is the man also by the woman; but all things of God.
13 Judge in yourselves: is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered?
14 Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?
15 But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering.
16 But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God."
Paul goes into this long discourse about women covering their heads in worship, esp v 10: "10 For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels."
The women in the assembly should cover their heads "because of the angels."
Do women in the CoC cover their heads in the assembly? No. Why? Because the CoC once again regards this passage as one of 1st century custom instead of being a command of God, despite the statement in v 16, saying that if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom...allowing any one to contend with this custom...nor the churches of God.
In other words, the church of God in Paul's day had the custom of women covering their heads in the assembly and allowed no one to contend with it. Because of the angels!(v10) But what angels?
And this is a bit of meat to chew...the angels in Genesis 6, who abandoned their estate and came in to the daughters of men. That they saw the daughters of men were beautiful (or "fit extensions") and took as many as they desired. These same angels are said in the text of Gen 6, to have come in to the daughters of men in those days and also afterwards!! (Which the CoC totally denies.)
And the CoC totally denies the teaching of Paul about women covering their heads also. However...
SOME CoC's actually DO practice this today!!
It is because of this Picking and Choosing what is binding and not binding that I do not affiliate myself with the CoC anymore.