Churches of Christ with or without instruments, which is the right way to worship?

[posthuman]

Never is anyone said to be FREE FROM sin just because they believe in Jesus Christ.

oh really?

And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.
(John 8:32)

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
(2 Corinthians 3:17)

So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
(John 8:36)

That the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.
(Romans 8:21)

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.
(Luke 4:18-19)

 

[posthuman]

Never is anyone said to be FREE FROM sin just because they believe in Jesus Christ. Faith or PISTIS includes to COMPLY with what we are commanded to do.

KSublett,

do you not know Christ as your Saviour?

 

[Timeline]

We have an example with Nadab and Abihu where God killed them for doing something he "did not command them to do", they thought it would be okay to "do it their way" which is an example of "will worship" or as the NKJV puts it "self imposed religion" :

Colossians 2:23 (NKJV)
[SUP]23 [/SUP]These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.

The NT Church did not use them, you cannot produce a single verse that shows they used it, that any apostle indorsed or commanded it, we are commanded to "sing" anything outside of that is as you say "adding to the word" or "self-imposed religion"

Yes, and you can't produce one verse that says God disapproves of them. Yes, I've seen your verse...doesn't say that to me.

 

[KSublett]

Free from WHAT?

 

[Timeline]

Revelation 22:18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, 19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.

So be careful that you do not add verses or to verses.

 

[KSublett]

1Peter 4:17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?

Believeth not is APISTOS which means I WILL NOT COMPLY with Jesus connection between BELIEVETH and SHALL BE SAVED.

Only those who obeyed the command to Repent AND be baptized FOR (in order that) the Remission of sins.
Those who were BEING saved by being baptized were added to THE CHURCH by Christ.

1Peter 4:18 And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?

The TRUTH is the Word or Logos: The logos is God's regulative principle. It is OPPOSITE of rhetoric or any preacher's comment, singing and playing instruments which says I WILL NOT SPEAK THAT WHICH IS WRITTEN FOR OUR LEARNING. If A church of Christ is a LEARNING assembly from the wilderness onward who would have the motive to REPLACE the learning with pontification and performance music NEVER added except when the unlawful coffers ran dry.

 

[KSublett]

Revelation 22:18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, 19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.

In Revelation 17 John warned about the Babylon Mother of harlots.
In Revelation 18 the craftsmen (any religious operative), singers and instrument players were called SORCERERS.
That word is identical to that of the Original Babylon Harlot including Inanna, Ishtar or EASTER defined in Ezekiel 8

These sorcerers will be CAST ALIVE INTO THE LAKE OF FIRE.

All religious terms and names of instruments point directly to bad women or the rare male include ENCHANTMENT or SORCERY.
The Jacob-cursed and God-Abandoned Levites were not PROPHETS but prophesiers with instruments making NOISE. Miriam and the Levites point to the Primary Parasites or the primary leader of the worship of the egyptian trinity in Egypt and at Mount Sinai.

DEFINING how words were used is NOT adding to the WORD. If you read out of McGuffy's Lexicon and expect to get paid you will never understand the PAGAN thesis outlawed by the Christian ANTITHESIS.

You WILL notice that in Revelation 19 when the rhetoricians, singers and instrument players or MUSES led by Abaddon or Apollyon are cast alive into the lake of fire the INSTRUMENTS are no longer mentioned.

 

[Timeline]

In Revelation 17 John warned about the Babylon Mother of harlots.
In Revelation 18 the craftsmen (any religious operative), singers and instrument players were called SORCERERS.
That word is identical to that of the Original Babylon Harlot including Inanna, Ishtar or EASTER defined in Ezekiel 8

These sorcerers will be CAST ALIVE INTO THE LAKE OF FIRE.

All religious terms and names of instruments point directly to bad women or the rare male include ENCHANTMENT or SORCERY.
The Jacob-cursed and God-Abandoned Levites were not PROPHETS but prophesiers with instruments making NOISE. Miriam and the Levites point to the Primary Parasites or the primary leader of the worship of the egyptian trinity in Egypt and at Mount Sinai.

DEFINING how words were used is NOT adding to the WORD. If you read out of McGuffy's Lexicon and expect to get paid you will never understand the PAGAN thesis outlawed by the Christian ANTITHESIS.

You WILL notice that in Revelation 19 when the rhetoricians, singers and instrument players or MUSES led by Abaddon or Apollyon are cast alive into the lake of fire the INSTRUMENTS are no longer mentioned.

So is that what happened to the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders in Rev. 5:8?

 

[KSublett]

What they heard SOUNED LIKE harps but no one PLAYS harps above Zion or the Church. All of the sounds-like are defined in the texts as creating panic and terror. The HELD their harps and could not PLAY them flat on their face. The BEASTS include 'a new style of music or Satyric Drama."

I won't post the text which makes people angry. However, there was ANOTHER angel sent to those STILL LIVING that this was a sound of JUDGMENT and the command for the LIVING was to preach the gospel to ALL NATIONS. You will notice that those honoring Jesus GO into the nations to search out the TINY FLOCK as strangers and sojourners waiting to hear that their rescuer has come.

God gave the ORGANON or human vocal skills and He did NOT manufacture harps for the BEASTS and ELDERS. The Elders of Note fired God and demanded a king like the nations, goyim or the Babylonians because they had been SENTENCED to Babylon because of musical idolatry at Mount Sinai.

Holding harps of God literally means to MENTALLY APPREHEND the voice of God who uses men like a musical instrument.

So, wanna be a DEAD VIRGIN or a LIVING preacher with a GO button.

 

[presidente]

I am reading what any novice in Greek or Latin would have understood at the time. If you click on the Imāgo you can read what no scholar or preacher has ever read.

That may mean a lot to you. But you can't expect any other reader to understand the point you are trying to make. It's not just me. Other people have no idea what you are trying to say.

i suspect you do not know the limitations of a Lexicon, that you key in on some word that triggers some series of ideas related to your theory about music (which seems kind of like a conspiracy theory to me.) You dump pages of quotes from lexicons. Of course, we don't see what you see, because we use lexicons with a different set of 'rules' than you do.

IN Ezekiel 33 which Jesus refers to to identify Scribes and Pharisees as hypocrites naming preachers for pay, singers and instrument players.

I'll quote the part I think you are probably referring to. Again, guesswork on my part because your posts are disjointed and people have to just guess what you mean.

[SUP]30 [/SUP]“As for you, son of man, your people are talking together about you by the walls and at the doors of the houses, saying to each other, ‘Come and hear the message that has come from the Lord.’ [SUP]31 [/SUP]My people come to you, as they usually do, and sit before you to hear your words, but they do not put them into practice. Their mouths speak of love, but their hearts are greedy for unjust gain. [SUP]32 [/SUP]Indeed, to them you are nothing more than one who sings love songs with a beautiful voice and plays an instrument well, for they hear your words but do not put them into practice.
(NIV)

Yet again, you seem to be reading some broad sweeping condemnation of instrumental music when that is not the case. People came to hear the prophet to be entertained, not to do what he said, like people might go to hear musical entertainment. There is no condemnation of the instrumental Psalms here. People without an anti-musical-instrument agenda don't read that into the passage.

One commentator notes that their SIN was "turning the Word of God into a Song"

So what?

If you add those commentators words to the book of Revelation, do you get curses?

when anyone who knows LOGOS knows that it is the OPPOSITE of rhetoric, singing, playing instruments or acting:

First of all, look up 'opposite' in the dictionary.

Are you talking about the use of the Greek word logos, just a basic understanding, without the theological implications of John 1, or Philo's concept of it? you are wrong. How can you have rhetoric without logos? Even in a spiritual sense, how can you say they are not connected? And I don't see how you could disconnect Philo's use of the term from most of those other activities.

And if you are talking about the Logos as our Lord, you are flat wrong. The author of Hebrews prophetically attributes a passage about singing to Jesus.

Hebrews 2
[SUP]10 [/SUP]For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

[SUP]11 [/SUP]For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren,

[SUP]12 [/SUP]Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee.

Nothing to the cross I bring may burn most clergy.

I'm not sure how to decipher this. Are you referring to a song burning clergy?

The BEAST does not have four legs: They are women (mostly) suddenly outing a new style of music or Satyric Drama.

There is no reason to believe this. How is anyone supposed to understand your thought process behind such statements based on what you have written?

I am amazed that people work a role for which Jesus gave no dole and deliberately sow discord who have no INTEREST in understanding the meaning of the WORDS used in the Biblical Text.

I do. But some of us have a bit of an ability to smell when people are shoveling Bad Sophistry based on the misuse of concordances, dictionaries, and false assertions about the meanings of Greek words.

Music is derived from mystery

This is not true based on what I have read. A quick google search also disproves this.

[quote]
and means and meant "to make the lambs dumb beforet he slaughter."[/quote]

Why should we believe such a thing?

[quote]
The Jacob-cursed[/quote]

Jacob cursed Levis anger. I think I can understand part of your language. It reminds me of,

"Shaka, when the walls fell."

and God-abandoned performed EXORCISM because God did not command king, kingdom, priests, levites or any kind of music:

if you accept Psalm 150 as inspired by God, how can you say such a thing? You do not seem to accept the entire Bible as inspired by God. Your approach to scripture seems kind of liberal. Certain musicians prophesied on their instruments. The Spirit of God came on Elijah after a minstrel played. (I know, you have a convoluted explanation to make that into a bad thing.)

All religious performers were called Sophists,

Where does the Bible use the word 'sophist'? Are you getting your study of ancient Greece and scripture confused.

hypocrites[/quote]

You are confusing your performing arts.

and Parasites

I think you made that up.

[quote]It's a shame but I believe that the "pastors" of Shepherd's Chapel are the only people on the face of the earth who understand that PREACING the Word is READING the Word because if preachers had anything to add then Jesus died in vain.

Do you post on Kenites when you aren't posting about musical instruments?

 

[posthuman]

Free from WHAT?

why did Jesus die?

And he is the propitiation for our sins:
and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
(1 John 2:2)



Rejoice evermore

 

[KSublett]

Are you talking about the use of the Greek word logos, just a basic understanding, without the theological implications of John 1, or Philo's concept of it? you are wrong. How can you have rhetoric without logos? Even in a spiritual sense, how can you say they are not connected? And I don't see how you could disconnect Philo's use of the term from most of those other activities.

You twisted it I said that

LOGOS in Scripture and the Greek World. LOGOS means to Speak that which is written for our learning.
LOGOS is the OPPOSITE of Rhetoric which among the Greek lawyers and Preacher People meant to twist whatever you had to twist to win your case. Without RHETORIC which is the opposite of LOGOS if you have listened to or read ANY sermon. The command is to PREACH the Word by READING the Word for Comfort and Doctrine.

Logos Opposite. kata pathos, Arist.EN1169a5; kata l. prokhōrein according to plan, Plb.1.20.3.
pathos [a^, eos, to, （paskhō) Opposite. kata pathos, Arist.EN1169a5; kata l. prokhōrein according to plan, Plb.1.20.3.
A.that which happens to a person or thing, unfortunate accident,
2. what one has experienced, good or bad, experience
II. of the soul, emotion, passion to excite passion, [Laded burden, Self-pleasure]

Sophia , Ion. -iē, hē, prop. Hephaestus [Lucifer] and Athena,A.cleverness or skill in handicraft and art, cunning, shrewdness, craft,

in music and singing, tekhnē kai s. [craftsmen, sorcerers in Rev 180 h.Merc.483
In divination
in poetry
4. among the Jews, “arkhē sophias phobos Kuriou” LXX Pr.1.7, cf. Jb.28.28, al.; Sophia, recognized first as an attribute of God, was later identified with the Spirit of God, cf. LXX Pr.8 with Si.24sq.

 

[KSublett]

And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. (1 John 2:2)

Jesus Christ is also the Paraklete or the "another Comforter" Jesus promised when He said I will come to you.

However, unless you believe in universalism while Jesus paid for the sins OF THE WORLD He said that neither He not His disciples were OF THE WORLD. That is why He said that God HIDES from the Wise, Sophists meaning speakers, singers and instrument players.

John 17:9 I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.
John 17:15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil

 

[KSublett]

Time to have a snack and put my old, tired body to bed. In the morning I will prove to you that the clergy BEAT Jesus with a REED PIPE. I will show you a picture of the Judas-Sicarri persona defined in the Greek and liberally painted on Earthen Vessels.

This was necessary to fulfil the prophecy in Revelation 41 that Judas would facilitate the TRIUMPH OVER of Jesus which word outlaws "vocal or instrumental rejoicing" when we assemble in The Church of Christ (the Rock) defined in the wilderness and NEVER changed.

 

[LT]

You twisted it I said that

LOGOS in Scripture and the Greek World. LOGOS means to Speak that which is written for our learning.
LOGOS is the OPPOSITE of Rhetoric which among the Greek lawyers and Preacher People meant to twist whatever you had to twist to win your case. Without RHETORIC which is the opposite of LOGOS if you have listened to or read ANY sermon. The command is to PREACH the Word by READING the Word for Comfort and Doctrine.

Logos Opposite. kata pathos, Arist.EN1169a5; kata l. prokhōrein according to plan, Plb.1.20.3.
pathos [a^, eos, to, （paskhō) Opposite. kata pathos, Arist.EN1169a5; kata l. prokhōrein according to plan, Plb.1.20.3.
A.that which happens to a person or thing, unfortunate accident,
2. what one has experienced, good or bad, experience
II. of the soul, emotion, passion to excite passion, [Laded burden, Self-pleasure]

Sophia , Ion. -iē, hē, prop. Hephaestus [Lucifer] and Athena,A.cleverness or skill in handicraft and art, cunning, shrewdness, craft,

in music and singing, tekhnē kai s. [craftsmen, sorcerers in Rev 180 h.Merc.483
In divination
in poetry
4. among the Jews, “arkhē sophias phobos Kuriou” LXX Pr.1.7, cf. Jb.28.28, al.; Sophia, recognized first as an attribute of God, was later identified with the Spirit of God, cf. LXX Pr.8 with Si.24sq.

just so the Greek is not confused here: LOGOS does not mean to 'speak'. It means "the WORD". It is a noun, not a verb.
It can be used in relation to the word logic, which is 'the communication of reason through words'.

If you would like LOGOS to mean something other than 'the Spirit of Christ which inspired the prophets to write the Scriptures', then you are committing a dangerous doctrinal fallacy.

RHETORIC is not the opposite of LOGOS. They are unrelated terms, with separate usages.
Unless you use Aristotle's usage of Logos... in which case Logos is a type of Rhetoric... not an opposite...
Either way, Aristotle's usage is not common form, (not Koine Greek), and is not related to Biblical usage.


If you need to focus so much on the dangers of MUSICA INSTRUMENTALIS, you are losing your focus on Christ, and harming your fellowship with the rest of the Body of Christ. This is a silly debate. I would not play music around you, for the sake of your conscience, but in the same sense: it is not your place to say that God is displeased by instruments.

One man eats all types of meat, and glorifies God. Another abstains from all meat, and glorifies God. Whether we eat or not, if we do so for God's glory, then it is good.
-The same goes for music: one man plays musical instruments for God's glory, and another abstains from music for God's glory.

Lets refocus our efforts on more edifying points.

 

[posthuman]

♪ He has made me glad,
he has made me glad
i will rejoice for He has made me glad! ♫

 

[presidente]

What they heard SOUNED LIKE harps but no one PLAYS harps above Zion or the Church. All of the sounds-like are defined in the texts as creating panic and terror. The HELD their harps and could not PLAY them flat on their face.

Not while they were bowing down, but that doesn't mean they didn't play their harps. You assert they no one plays harps above Zion, whatever you mean by that, but the Bible does not teach this. John saw harps and heard harp sounds. You'd have us believe this is evil. Why would God have harp sounds in heaven if it's evil?

God gave the ORGANON or human vocal skills and He did NOT manufacture harps for the BEASTS and ELDERS.

You don't know how they got their harps.

The Elders of Note fired God and demanded a king like the nations, goyim or the Babylonians because they had been SENTENCED to Babylon because of musical idolatry at Mount Sinai.

'musical idolatry.' There you go again. God is against idolatry. Music can be used for good or evil.

God had the Spirit that was on Moses put on elders. The Bible also shows the church has elders. Peter called himself a fellow elder.

You really grasp at straws to turn every reference to musical instruments as something bad. The elders in Revelation held harps, so you come up with these nonsense arguments--grasping at straws, trying to find something negative at elders to tie in the music instruments, to make musical instruments evil.

The Bible makes a lot more sense if you don't come at it from the perspective that you have to come up with some argument to make every reference to musical instruments as something evil. The Bible doesn't teach musical instruments are evil. That's your idea, and you are creating these bizaar arguments, grasping at straws, to figure out a way to tie instruments in to something bad.

Holding harps of God literally means to MENTALLY APPREHEND the voice of God who uses men like a musical instrument.

I think you need to look up 'literally' in the dictionary. There is no reason to believe that.

So, wanna be a DEAD VIRGIN or a LIVING preacher with a GO button.

You've got to explain your metaphors.

Is this supposed to support your 'mentally apprehend' argument? It's hard to decipher the point you want to make with these disjointed bits and pieces of Greek glosses. You seem to think you can pick out a word out of a glossary definition, the word you want a word to mean, and string definitions together to make an argument. The issue is what words mean in context. Picking a word you like here and there out of a definition isn't going to tell you what a word means in context.

 

[homwardbound]

Do you not accept the fact that there are commands that say we are to sing only, like Ephesians 5:19and Colossians 3:16 I was talking to a friend on here and he reminded me of the Gentiles refused to use instruments also.. What do you think of the two commands I mentioned on not using instruments, or do you feel they say something other than singing only? Some say there's authorization for the use of instruments, well when was that put in the bible, because I know for a fact that nothing has changed to say that. Some say it's because of cultural change, when did God allow for instruments because of cultural change, I say he didn't. So since the bible hasn't changed and we obeyed God in the past by not using instruments in worship, by what authority are they using now? This is clearly the fault of elders allowing smooth talking brothers to sway these elders into allowing instruments in worship instead of being steadfast they allowed the devil to have his way. Mass confusion in the Churches of Christ have caused many weak in the faith to lose their soul by going to a denomination church because of this. Many people desiring to become a Christian and place fellowship with the CoC are now concerned about whether or not to place membership with us because of this and they to end up possibly going to a man made church. This has caused a serious problem and no doubt some souls will and have been lost because of these elders not doing their job.

Okay shava what do instruments have to do with singing from ones heart? Instruments or not the psalms and hyms to one another is from the grace in our hearts is it not?

And no where in context does the word say to not use instruments or use, in states a melody in one's heart, would this melody be the same as King David in Psalms

Psalm 100:4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

Colossians 3:12-17Authorized (King James) Version (AKJV)

[SUP]12 [/SUP]Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; [SUP]13 [/SUP]forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. [SUP]14 [/SUP]And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. [SUP]15 [/SUP]And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. [SUP]16 [/SUP]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. [SUP]17 [/SUP]And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

 

[homwardbound]

Anyone who believes in the pattern of N.T. Christianity whether they are in a church that doesn't, but they do, even though they go to a church that doesn't can be saved because the grace of God and there willingness to believe only the truth and not what the church they are attending believes, then they will be saved. The Church of Christ conforms completely to N.T. Christianity and that's why I attend there. A person has to start somewhere and in time as they study they will see the truth and conform to believing the truth only, not what the church says, but what God says, that's who you are trust in. I use to believe that we that are members of the Church of Christ were the only one's going to heaven, and fortunately for me I had someone to explain to me my way of thinking was wrong and I see that and have changed my way of thinking thanks to this person who has changed my life who I am so very thankful.

Now maybe see the true Tabernacle (Church):
Hebrews 8:1 Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens;
Hebrews 8:2 a minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.

 

[Shava]

Okay shava what do instruments have to do with singing from ones heart? Instruments or not the psalms and hyms to one another is from the grace in our hearts is it not?

And no where in context does the word say to not use instruments or use, in states a melody in one's heart, would this melody be the same as King David in Psalms

Psalm 100:4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

Colossians 3:12-17Authorized (King James) Version (AKJV)

[SUP]12 [/SUP]Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; [SUP]13 [/SUP]forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. [SUP]14 [/SUP]And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. [SUP]15 [/SUP]And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. [SUP]16 [/SUP]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. [SUP]17 [/SUP]And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

Good morning to you, and wishing you a great day. I hope you will allow me to use this information that I find to be the best explanation on what you're asking, which is a copy and paste, but as I said I really like how he explains what he's talking about. ANALYSIS OF THE COMMAND
"And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father." (COLOSSIANS 3:17). It is important to note that right after the admonition to sing comes this reminder: do all in the name of the Lord Jesus. This means to do the things we do based upon His say so. The music we offer to God the Father must be according to Jesus' direction and not different from it. In the preceding verses we have seen exactly what Jesus commanded in His covenant.
Consider again the passage in Ephesians which probably contains the most information about what is truly Christian music:
"Speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord." (EPHESIANS 5:19).
1) Speaking (lalountes) speak, proclaim, say. This word is used many times in the New Testament. It has to do with delivering spoken messages.
2) To one another (eautois) yourselves. The speaking is done by the same ones that are being addressed.
3) Psalms (yalmos) Song of praise. In the New Testament, can refer to the Psalms of the Old Testament as well as songs of praise and joy.
4) Hymns (umnois) Song of praise. Perhaps different from Psalms because of arrangement.
5) Spiritual songs (pnematikais; wdais) Songs pertaining to the spirit and contrasted with that which is fleshly or carnal.
6) Singing (adontes) vocal musical expressions of testimony or exhortation.
7) Making melody (yallontes) Originally, this word meant to pluck the strings, as you would with a harp. But gradually it came to include singing. Finally, its primary meaning came to be to sing. This is its meaning in New Testament times. This passage not only tells us to sing (i.e "pluck the strings"), it tells us exactly what instrument to use! See next:
8) Heart (kardia) Heart, mind. As we sing, we are to pluck the strings of our hearts. We are to sing with the spirit and the understanding. The only instrument that we are authorized by the authority of Christ to use as we sing is our hearts. In fact, not only are we permitted to use the heart, we are commanded to use it. If you are not singing with the heart, then do not sing at all.

HISTORY SPEAKS
"Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son." (II JOHN 9). The fact of the matter is that the teaching of Christ does not authorize the use of any instrument other than the heart to be used in the singing of praises unto God. The New Testament gives no command or example of it use by Christians in the worship of God. It was centuries before musical instruments became accepted. Christians of early centuries opposed their use in worship.
Many references cite Pope Vitalian I (666 A.D.) as the one who first introduced musical instruments into the worship of the church. However, the Catholic Encyclopedia says that a strong objection to its use remained pretty general until at least the twelfth century.
One of the chief aims of the Protestant Reformation leaders was to reform the music of the worship by doing away with the instruments. Martin Luther said, "An organ in the worship of God is an ensign of Baal." John Calvin stated' "Musical instruments in the celebration of praises of God would be no more suitable than the burning of incense, the lighting of lamps, and the restoration of other shadows of the law...men who are fond of outward pomp may delight in such noise; but the simplicity which God recommends to us by the apostles is far more pleasing." John Wesley put it this way; "I have no objection to instruments of music in our chapels, provided they are neither seen or heard." These statements are from the founders of the Lutheran, Reformed and Methodist churches!
The greatest Baptist preacher of all time was Charles Spurgeon, who said; "I'd as soon pray to God with machinery as to sing to God with machinery." Though it is so common place in houses of worship today, it has not always been so. There have been many battles fought throughout history over the issue. Instrumental music in worship is probably here to stay, but it took long enough to get here! It did not arrive until centuries after Christ for one reason: He never authorized its use and that used to mean something to people. It still should!

Singing hymns is a part of the Lord's will and Divinely authorized for our worship of God. The words of these songs are designed to praise God as well as encourage one another. As in all we do in the Lord's name, let us do all we can to make our singing the best it can be, always focusing on the heart first; the part with which God is most concerned. Then let us also concentrate on making the sounds as pleasing to the human ear as the abilities God gave us will allow.

[FONT=Arial, Arial, Helvetica] Reprinted From the Bradley Banner [/FONT] Bradley Church of ChristBradley, IllinoisJune 20, 1993