There are two principles of worship that have been practiced since the Reformation: The regulative principle of worship (include in worship only what Scripture endorses), which was John Calvin’s view: “God disapproves of all modes of worship not expressly sanctioned by his word” (John Calvin, The Necessity of Reforming the Church, trans. Henry Beveridge, Philadelphia: Presbyterian Board of Publication, 1844, 17).
The normative principle (include whatever is not prohibited in Scripture, which was Luther’s view who wanted to retain much of Roman Catholicism's rituals). Most churches use both principles to varying degrees. D. A. Carson agrees when he notes that “theologically rich and serious services from both camps often have more common content than either side usually acknowledges” (D. A. Carson, Worship by the Book. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan, 2002, 55).
The Regulative Principle
We must be regulative (include in worship only what Scripture endorses) regarding the biblical essentials seen in part in the pattern set in Acts 2:42-47 which includes preaching, fellowshipping, observing the Lord’s Supper, and praying. When you combine other Scriptures with Acts 2:42-47 you get the essentials or the elements of the regulative principle: preaching, singing, giving, observing the ordinances, practicing church discipline (1 Cor 5), and reading of Scripture (1 Tim 4:13).
Mark Dever (click to view chapter 7 in The Deliberate Church, in the first paragraph of chapter 7: Applying The Regulative Principle, MLA 9th Edition, Modern Language Assoc., Mark Dever, and Paul Alexander. The Deliberate Church : Building Your Ministry on the Gospel, Crossway, 2005) states that all the elements of worship are prescribed by God’s Word: “Church leaders who have been committed to seeing the church reformed according to God’s Word down through the ages have had a common method: read the Word, preach the Word, pray the Word, sing the Word, see the Word (in the ordinances).
The Normative Principle
The normative principle (include whatever is not prohibited in Scripture) adds other aspects of our worship not directly addressed in Scripture such as announcements, length, order of service, sound equipment, technology, and padded pews. The normative principle also allows liberty in implementing the essentials of the regulative principle. One of my students expressed well the difference: We are regulated to have communion, but our practice to do it on the 5th Sunday is normative. Martin Luther observed the Lord’s Supper weekly. Zwingli observed the Lord’s Supper four times a year. Calvin observed the Lord’s Supper weekly.
What is essential? The Lord’s Supper. That is the regulative principle. What is not essential? How often do you observe the Lord’s Supper. That is the normative principle.
Does the regulative principle determine the use of musical instruments in a worship service or the style of music?
Not using instruments in the church service as a regulative principle was more of an issue centuries ago and currently in some groups but not typical evangelical churches today.
Mark Dever (click to view), who is regulative wrote: If we were in the normal Sunday gathering of John Calvin in 16th century Geneva, or C. H. Spurgeon in 19th century London, there would have been no instruments accompanying the singing of the congregation. We don’t understand that the use of such accompaniment is wrong, but we do understand the power of unaccompanied human voices singing together. The final stanza of a hymn is often a climactic time where the words “pop” as the congregation hears only their own voices singing the words to the Lord and to each other. This is perhaps the most single commented-upon aspect of our service, at least by the visitors who speak to me afterward.
Dever has his congregation usually sing the last stanza a cappella.
Everett Ferguson teaches at Abilene Christian University in Abilene, Texas in A Cappella Music in the Worship of the Church and advocates no instruments. Grace Music did a book review of Ferguson’s book: Instruments and the regulative principle: A review of “A Cappella Music in the Worship of the Church” (click to view). The review stated that the adherents of no instruments included “the Churches of Christ (representing 1.3 million members in the US alone and advocate baptismal regeneration), some Presbyterian groups, a majority of Anabaptists, and most Greek Orthodox congregations.”
Arguments for only A Cappella:
First, instruments are absent from New Testament worship.
Second, for nearly the first thousand years of its existence, the church rejected the use of instruments in worship.
Counter-assertions are these:
1. Musical worship forms in the Old Testament are not necessarily rendered obsolete by the new covenant in Christ.
2. In the absence of clear prohibitions or restrictions, the practices of the early church should be understood in their cultural context as descriptive, not prescriptive. The normative principle of worship would allow musical instruments because the New Testament does not forbid the use of musical instruments.
3. The regulative principle, while useful, should not be viewed as absolute and comprehensive.
Mark Dever who advocates the regulative principle uses musical instruments in his service. The regulative principle has more to do with practicing what Scripture commands necessary for worship which includes preaching, singing, giving, observing the ordinances, and practicing church discipline not whether the music is traditional or contemporary or whether there are instruments or not. A church could have traditional or contemporary music and be either regulative or normative. A church could have instruments or not have instruments and be either regulative or normative.
Tim Challies (click to open) makes a distinction between the “elements” and the “circumstances” of worship. The elements are what the regulative principle calls for. The “circumstances” would fall under the normative principle even though Challies does use the word normative. The “circumstances” of worship are not commanded in Scripture. The “Elements” are the what and the “Circumstances” are the how. Challies gives this example: Worship on Sunday is regulated by Scripture. But Should a worship service be held at 10 AM or 11 AM? – This is a circumstance, not an element. This falls under the normative principle. Thus the leaders of the church should decide on a time that best suits the church. There are a number of considerations. For example, a rural church may need to work around the schedule of farmers to allow them to attend church; a church that rents a building may have to worship later in the day, and so on. We changed our evening service from 5:00 to 4:00 in order to conduct the service at a nursing home where the residents eat at 5:00.
Remember, the regulative principle ensures what is essential and biblical (“the what”) is practiced in the worship service and the normative principle allows liberty in implementing what is biblical (“the how”). How the biblical is practiced is not as essential as the what. Both should honor the Lord and not exalt man.
Additional Sources (click to open the sources):
Elements and Circumstances by Tim Challies
The Deliberate Church by Mark Dever
The Regulative Principle of Worship by Dereck Thomas