The powerful influence of music is seen in 1 Samuel 16:14-23 when David, the greatest harpist in Israel, calmed troubled King Saul with his music.
Rick Warren talked about the power of music: Aristotle said, ‘Music has the power to shape character.’ Satan is clearly using music to do that today. The rock lyrics of the 1960s and 1970s shaped the values of most Americans who are now in their thirties, forties, or fifties. Today, MTV shapes the values of most people in their teens and twenties (Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Church, 1996, page 279).
The importance of music is seen in the 500 references to music in the Bible. One music department wrote:
The OT books of 1 and 2 Chronicles contain detailed instructions concerning temple worship, the appointment of spiritually qualified musicians, the training and skill level required of musicians, the use of instruments, etc. Clearly, music is a matter of great importance to God, as it should be for the Christian.
The Style of Music
Most Christian teachers agree that the Bible does not specify a certain style of music and yet here is where great controversy lies. “It is difficult to uncover a congregational definition of what constitutes good music because the choice of music is a matter of taste” (Robert Anderson, The Effective Pastor. Chicago: Moody Press, 1985, 325).
A conservative Bible College addressed this issue:
While the Bible does not specifically address the issue of musical style, some standards can be established because of what has been revealed by God through natural revelation regarding the nature of man, the nature of music, and the way man responds to music. Scripture documents the fact that music is inherently capable of physical, mental, and spiritual impact upon man (1 Sam. 16:23).
My question in response to this statement is “Where in general revelation is the issue of music addressed? All 1 Samuel 16:23 reveals is that music can have a powerful effect on people. This narrative is descriptive, not prescriptive.
In other words, while admitting that the Bible does not condone one style over another style, the Bible college goes on to say that some styles can be deemed good or bad from other sources.
Disagreement over Style
Rick Warren disagrees:
I reject the idea that music styles can be judged as either “good” or “bad” music. Who decides this? The kind of music you like is determined by your background and culture. Certain tones and scales sound pleasant to Asian ears; other tones and scales sound pleasant to Middle Eastern ears. Africans enjoy different rhythms than South Americans. To insist that all ‘good’ music was written in Europe two hundred years ago is cultural elitism. There certainly isn’t any biblical basis for that view” (The Purpose Driven Church, page 281).
Kent R. Hughes agrees: “We disagree with the notion of ‘sacred’ music. There are only ‘sacred’ lyrics, most notably the very songs of Scripture. Opening to the Psalms—the songbook of Israel and the church—demonstrates this point. The Psalms are composed of divinely inspired words, not text-plus-tunes” (Kent R. Hughes, The Pastor's Book, Crossway. Kindle Edition, 372).
Warren, however, tries to substantiate his view with debatable examples from church history. “The tune of Martin Luther’s A Mighty Fortress is Our God is borrowed from a popular song of his day. Charles Wesley used several popular tunes from the taverns and opera houses in England. John Calvin hired two secular songwriters of his day to put his theology to music. The Queen of England was so incensed by these ‘vulgar tunes’ that she derisively referred to them as Calvin’s ‘Geneva jigs’” (The Purpose Driven Church, pages 282-3).
Dean B. McIntyre, a musician in the United Methodist Church who has a Ph.D. in music history from Texas Tech University refutes Warren’s claims:
The truth is that the Wesleys and Luther never made such use of saloon songs, nor would they have condoned such use. The misconception stems from confusion over a musical term---bar form. In German literature and music of the Middle Ages, “Bar” was a poem consisting of three or more stanzas. It is not difficult to understand how the musical term, bar form, also sometimes referred to as bar tune can become confused in an uninformed person’s mind with barroom tune, drinking song, or some other title to indicate music to accompany the drinking of alcoholic beverages. John Calvin made use of new tunes composed or adapted from folk tunes, sacred and secular oratorios, and even operatic melodies. It should not escape us that whenever Wesley allowed the use of secular music---as from oratorio and opera---he used music of accepted high standard and almost always from classical rather than popular sources. In no instance did Wesley turn to tavern or drinking songs or other such unseemly sources to carry the sacred texts of songs and hymns (Did the Weslys really use drinking songs for their hymns, click to open).
Mcintyre while arguing against the Wesleys using saloon tunes still argues that they used secular tunes for their sacred songs. What the Wesleys did is not our final authority on music, however, God's Word is, and on the subject of the style of music, it is silent. John Hammett agrees: “I can find no biblical basis for concluding that one style of music is necessarily more conducive to worship than another” (John Hammett, Biblical Foundations for Baptist Churches, 247).
Hymns used to be the Contemporary Music
While we may disagree on the styles of music used in churches, we can agree that changing the style of music in a local church is difficult. Church history is not debatable on this matter. Baptist pastor and theologian Benjamin Keach (1640-1704) was one of the first pastors to introduce the singing of hymns in the place of the singing of Psalms (metrical Psalms singing) in the local Baptist church in London that was later pastored by Charles Spurgeon. Keach pastored this church for 36 years. Eventually, this church was named the New Park Street Church and then the church became the Metropolitan Tabernacle which was pastored by Charles Spurgeon.
Spurgeon wrote about Keach in his original Autobiography (4-volume edition, Scanned by P. Johnson, CA):
Keach originated from Buckinghamshire and worked as a Tailor. He was baptized at the age of 15 and began preaching at 18. He was the minister of the congregation at Winslow before moving in 1668 to the church at Horse-lie-down, Southwark where he remained for 36 years as pastor. It was as representative of this church that Keach went to the 1689 General Assembly and subscribed to the 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith. The signing of the confession was no mute doctrinal assent on the part of the church, for in the same year they entered into a Solemn Covenant which reflects, at the practical and congregational level, some of the doctrines of the confession. There was a secession from Horse-lie-down in 1673 and the Old Kent Road congregation was formed. From this congregation eventually came the New Park Street Church where C. H. Spurgeon became the Pastor, later moving to the new location at the Metropolitan Tabernacle. Spurgeon republished the 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith for use in the congregation.
Keach wrote 43 works, of which his "Parables and Metaphors of Scripture" may be the best known. He wrote a work entitled "A Child's Instructor" which immediately brought him under persecution and he was fined and pilloried in 1664. He is attributed with the writing of a Catechism commonly known as "Keach's Catechism", although it is most likely that the original was compiled by William Collins. Keach is also known to have promoted the introduction of hymn singing in the churches. Keach was one of the seven men who sent out the invitation to the 1689 General Assembly.
Steve Weaver at Credo Magazine writes: Keach is generally credited with being the first to introduce congregational hymn singing as a part of the regular worship of English-speaking congregations. Though others may have been engaged in this practice previously, Keach’s role was cemented by his publication in 1691 of The Breach Repaired in God’s Worship, or, Singing of Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs, Proved to be an Holy Ordinance of Jesus Christ with an Answer to All Objections. This work was actually written against some published objections by Isaac Marlow, one of his own church members! Keach’s response, though the debate continued to rage over the next decade, would prove to be the definitive response to all objections to hymn-singing and would eventually win the day (Ten Baptist everyone should know: Benjamin Keach, by Steve Weaver at Credo Magazine, click to open).
Keach, at first, could only lead his church to sing congregational songs at Communion which he did for six years. Next, he could sing congregational songs on days of public thanksgiving which he practiced for another 14 years. After this 20-year transition from the singing of Psalms to congregational songs, Keach could sing congregational songs each Sunday but only after his sermon. Even after 20 years, there were members who would leave the service in protest during the congregational singing. This group eventually left and started their own church with their preferred music. The new church did not accept congregational singing until 1793 or 100 years after the battle over congregational singing began.
So, what was a previous generation's revolutionary music (hymns) became the established music of the next generation. This is only one reason the choice of style in church music is difficult. We will discuss principles to help guide the selection of music styles in the next post.