Seeking a Biblical Theology of Music - Part 1

Mark Twain was said to have commented on a composer’s music, “it is not nearly so bad as it sounds.”

Music has power. Music is power. Songs take us somewhere. Music is a gateway to lift one’s heart up to God or pull him down. Godly music thrills the heart as it glorifies God. Praise is our love for God in full dress uniform. Worship is our quiet, deep devotion to our Lord Jesus offered in a tender, upward hug.

PART I. Reasons for pursuing a Biblical Theology of Music:

1. Praise and worship to our wonderful God is a major Bible theme. “Praise” in some form is mentioned some 300 times in the Bible. Giving God glory deserves high priority.

2 How many church members and leaders could promptly give Scriptural reasons to support their musical preferences?

3. Worship involves more than right music; right attitude is also vital. Singing and worship can lack joy and spontaneity. How many are being deeply impacted? How many are just going through the motions? Is this being adequately taught?

4. Countless churches seem to have done fine over time without any formalized, Biblical basis for what they sing. They know what they like. But such oral tradition, such subjectivity, would seem to have limitations. For example, if one has no objective, Biblical guidelines, how can he determine what is acceptable and what is not? Without a clear Biblical yardstick how can strengths and weaknesses of songs and music genres be objectively critiqued?

5. All religious music is not created equal, we know. All is not edifying, uplifting, joyful, peaceful or glorifying to God, IMO. God expects discernment. It takes Bible truth to distinguish between acceptable music that we just do not care for and that which is unedifying or sub-biblical. “New Testament Christianity is not mindless Christianity.” - John R. W. Stott.

6. The local church has a high calling – leading God’s people into the presence of a holy God in praise and worship. Relegating this in part to the whims and vagaries of the commercial music industry is unwise, unscriptural and egregious. More focus, more discernment, more teaching on music, is needed, IMO.

7. Opportunity for more song (worship) leaders to view congregational singing as a wonderful opportunity to draw the worshippers into God’s presence with comments like: “focus on God … tell Him what’s on your heart today … confess a sin if you need to …think about the words you are singing … tell Jesus how much you love Him … thank Him for saving you … turn that heartache over to Him right now …”

… to be continued