Instrumental Music... Again
Mark Roberts
I remember growing up and listening to sermons on
why we don’t have a piano, and how the silence of the
Bible doesn’t authorize anything, and why “sing” in
Ephesians 5:19 means exactly what it says and no
more. During those lessons I wondered “Everyone
knows this! We all know better than to roll a piano into
church!” Yet our lack of instrumental music in worship
persists in being one of the most visible issues separating
us from the denominational world and as such it is
continually under attack. Don’t believe me? Witness
the “Ministry Impact ‘04 Together” Conference.
The Ministry Impact 04 Together Conference is an
event with speakers and members from the Independent
Christian Church (ICC) and churches of Christ
coming together to talk about “sharpening leadership
skills” and “empowering your church for evangelistic
growth.” It will be held in October at Crossroads Christian
church in Grand Prairie, Texas. Lynn Anderson,
the conference facilitator, says in a letter about the
conference that it will help people from the ICC and
churches of Christ “(1) regard each other as brothers in
Christ and (2) join hands to plant churches . . . we will
consider how we may work together to follow the great
commission and to encourage the unity Jesus prayed
for.” He acknowledges the differences between noninstrumental
folks and the ICC but says “I am convinced
that the time has come for us to once again
begin working side by side in the spirit of unity and bond
of peace. We may never be in full agreement. And may
never be one organization. But we can reach . . . .”
So much here is found wanting. For example, Lynn
Anderson is concerned that we “regard each other as
brothers in Christ.” Is that a real issue? Who is it that
is denying that folks who were taught the Gospel
correctly, believed in Jesus and confessed Him, repented
of sin and were baptized for the remission of
those sins according to the New Testament are not
brethren? Now, if someone becomes part of a church
practicing error (say, for example, in how it worships)
then he is a brother in error. But he is a brother. I
suspect that what Anderson really means is he hopes
the Conference will lead people to “regard each other
as brothers in Christ fully and without any reservation
like ‘brother in error.’”
Further, I’m concerned about this “join hands to
plant churches.” I read as much about churches joining
together evangelistically in the New Testament as I do
instrumental music in worship: nothing. Churches in
the New Testament sent directly to an evangelist (Phil
4:14-16) but there is no account of any kind of church
network coming together to plant churches. This
sounds like some sort of oversight group or board is
going to be created to determine where churches are
needed and then tap churches for funds and manpower
to get a work going in such places. In the New
Testament local churches operated under elders that
shepherded that flock and no other (1 Peter 5:2).
Mainstream churches of Christ have not respected that
principle nor local autonomy for a long time so now we
have some sort of supra-church organization being
formed. It will consist not only of congregation of
churches of Christ but even with the ICC, a religious
group that teaches error on worship. Further, is anyone
else wondering what name these planted churches will
use and whether they will have pianos or not?
What is clear is that this Conference cannot be
something God approves of because Anderson specifically
states “we may never be one organization.”
What? Didn’t Paul say we are not to be dividing up into
differing groups but instead ought to be of one mind (1
Cor. 1:10)? Doesn’t Ephesians 4:4 teach there should
be one church, not two? How then can these folks get
together to talk about everything but what is dividing
them? Doesn’t it bother them that we are not one
organization? It bothers Christ! Then why won’t
anyone study these issues and strive for true biblical
unity? Yet instead of dealing with the issue of instrumental
music these folks have elected to do nothing
about it except totally ignore it. How can that possibly
be helpful or pleasing to God?
A final note: the Conference brochure and letter I
received pointed me to a website for more information
(www.BluePrintTour.org). There I found the Conference
promoted under the banner of “Blueprint for the
Future of the Church.” That may sound bold, but I’m
convinced it is not false advertising. In mainstream
churches of Christ many are at work to gloss over the
instrumental music issue and even cause it to be
commonly accepted by Christians. Some mainstream
churches of Christ are already using instruments in
some services. Now we know why we need to keep
hearing sermons on Bible authority, the silence of the
Scripture, the pattern for worship and why instrumental
music is unacceptable to the Lord. The future some
plan for churches of Christ is very different from the
future the Head of the church is interested in. So we
must constantly work and teach so that we can be true
to His vision for His people.