the Holy Scriptures. The Word of God does not
elevate one culture above another. All cultures must be evaluated
according to God’s requirements for truth, righteousness, mercy and
love. But, very often, many Christians choose to be slaves of their
own cultures than to be slaves of their Christ! Their preferences of
worship styles have resulted in many denominations and divisions
within the Body of Christ! Many of these differences are
theologically incorrect in the light of the Word of God!
Music is a powerful instrument that we use
to communicate our hearts to God! Without music, the Church will be
lifeless and boring. The sound of music vibrates the heart of the
Church, filling the praises of God in His holy sanctuary. Even a
lifeless sermon can be resurrected through the anointed songs of the
Lord!
God is more concerned with our hearts than
the forms of our expressions. True worshippers will worship the
Father in spirit and truth (John 4:24). True worship is beyond the
songs and the music. It is the inner man that God is seeking for - a
man after His own heart!
In the New Testament, God approves three
primary forms of music, namely psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.
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. (Colossians 3:16)
Therefore do not be unwise, but
understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not be drunk
with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the
Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and
spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the
Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in
the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another
in the fear of God. (Ephesians 5:17-21)
To understand psalms, hymns and spiritual
songs, we need to understand that our Lord is the God Who was, Who
is and Who is to come! Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and
forever! The Lord is God in the past, He is still God in the
present, and He will be God in the future! Some say that they are
more interested in the God of the past. Some say that they are more
interested in the God of the now. Some say that they are more
interested in the God of the future. They are just partially
correct, incomplete in themselves. Jesus Christ is the Alpha and the
Omega, the Beginning and the End (Revelation 21:6). He is also
Everything in between Genesis and Revelation! Without the past, we
do not have the present. Without the present, we will not have the
future!
Some traditional churches sing only hymns
to the exclusion of the new choruses. Some charismatic churches sing
only the new choruses to the exclusion of hymns. Some churches sing
only spiritual songs, to the exclusion of psalms and hymns. But the
Word of God exhorts us to express our praise and worship through
all the three channels. It is
"psalms, hymns and spiritual songs," and not
"psalms,
hymns or spiritual songs."
Paul wrote that we should teach and
admonish one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.
Worshipping God is both individual and corporate. In individual
worship, we can soak ourselves in the presence of the Lord with the
exclusion of others. In corporate worship, we are not alone in our
quest for His presence. As we assemble ourselves together to worship
God, we edify each other as we learn about God! Singing praises to
the Lord corporately reaffirms our faith not only to Him but also to
each other. We draw strength not only from God but from one another
as we approach the throne of God together. That’s why corporate
worship is necessary and vital!
In the midst of
psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, there are different types of
songs for various purposes, for example:
|
Type of
Songs |
Purposes |
|
Church to
the Lost |
Evangelism,
testimony, hope |
|
Church to
Church |
Encouragement, exhortation, edification |
|
Church to
God |
Repentance,
restoration, refreshing, renewal, prayer |
|
God to
Church |
Divine
love, prophetic word, word of knowledge and word of wisdom |
Psalms
Let’s define what psalms, hymns and
spiritual songs are. To do so, we need to take a closer look at
their original meanings from the Greek language in which they were
written.
The Greek word used in the Pauline epistles
for psalms is psalmos. It is defined as a set piece of
music, a sacred ode accompanied with the voice, harp or other
instruments. Collectively, it is the Book of
Psalms. Some strict denominations believe that
they should not use any musical instruments to accompany their songs
in their churches. However, the very definition of a psalm refutes
this ideology. I am not suggesting that their worship is not
acceptable to God. I am merely saying that their theology of worship
is incomplete.
Most of the Psalms were new songs sung by
David the psalmist. He was both a musician and a singer. He
established the importance of music in the worship of the Lord. He
spoke to the leaders of the Levites to appoint their brethren to be
the singers accompanied by instruments of music, stringed
instruments, harps, and cymbals, by raising the voice with
resounding joy. He instructed these Levitical musicians to celebrate
the journey of the Ark up to Zion (1 Chr. 15:16-24).
Asaph was appointed as the chief musician
in charge of continual thanksgiving and praise (1 Chr. 16:1-7). The
type of praise and worship was described in 1 Chr. 25:1-7. The
musicians led the people in spontaneous worship and overwhelming
outpouring of praise, especially at the glorious moments during the
dedication of Solomon's Temple (2 Chr. 5:11-14). They were singing
new songs to the Lord! Many of the 150 psalms in the Book of Psalms
originated from this type of Davidic praise and worship. As such, we
are exhorted to sing a new psalm unto the Lord! New psalms from our
hearts of worship! Singing new psalms beyond the 150th!
In some of the psalms, there are header
notes and instructions on how to sing them, and what musical
instrument or tune to use, for example:
|
Psalm |
Header
Notes / Instructions |
| Psalm 3 |
A Psalm of David when he fled from Absalom his
son. |
| Psalm 4 |
To the Chief Musician. With stringed
instruments. A Psalm of David. |
| Psalm 5 |
To the Chief Musician. With flutes. A Psalm of
David. |
| Psalm 6 |
To the Chief Musician. With stringed
instruments. On an eight-stringed harp. A Psalm of David.
|
| Psalm 7 |
A Meditation of David, which he sang to the
LORD concerning the words of Cush, a Benjamite. |
| Psalm 8 |
To the Chief Musician. On the instrument of
Gath. A Psalm of David. |
| Psalm 9 |
To the Chief Musician. To the tune of "Death
of the Son." A Psalm of David. |
After the Babylonian exile, many Jews lived outside Israel, and
could not participate in temple worship. Therefore, they set up
synagogues for times of prayer and for the study of the Scriptures.
They continued to sing the Psalms, and other portions of the
Scriptures. As they did so, they developed a system of modes to sing
their Scriptures and to chant their prayers.
Jewish worship was both vocal and instrumental. The sanctuary
orchestra had different categories of instruments such as
percussion, winds and strings. Horns, trumpets, cymbals, harps and
lyres were used when the Ark was brought up to Mount Zion. Their
continued use was reflected as they were being mentioned in the
Psalms.
Jewish music greatly influenced the worship of the early church
as all the apostles were of Jewish origin. While we cannot know
today exactly how they sounded in the first century, recent research
had confirmed that there was a great similarity between Hebraic
music and ancient Christian chants.
Hebraic music incorporates several of the following
characteristic features:
|
Feature |
Descriptions |
| Monophony |
Music that is written for only one voice or
part. Ornamentation and instrumental accompaniment can
create a nice harmony. |
| Modality |
Various musical motifs are used within a
certain scale, each with its own function. |
| Ornamentation |
Enhancements are used to suit the skill of the
performer. |
| Rhythm |
Hebraic music does not use the same regular
beats of modern Western music . It has a more complex
pattern and time structure. |
| Scale |
Hebraic music follows a generally diatonic
melody, but with the use of quarter-tone intervals as well
as whole or half tones. |
| Improvisation |
This is the practice of composing the music in
the process of performing it. This skill is acquired through
a long period of training and experience. |
| Antiphony |
In antiphonal music, groups of performers
answer one another in statement and response. The
congregation, as well as trained musicians, may be involved
in the musical responses of the song. |
The Psalms played an important role in Jewish worship. There are
116 direct quotations from the Psalms in the New Testament. The
disciples of Jesus used them! They remained an important part of
worship throughout Christian history! They are still being used in
Jewish and Christian worship today. The Eastern Orthodox, Roman
Catholic and Anglican churches have a systematic calendar to sing
the Psalms, with a time cycle for the recitation of all or most of
them over the course of one or more years.
There
were three common ways to
sing the Psalms in the early churches:
|
Antiphonal |
With two choirs
alternate |
|
Responsorial
|
With soloist and choir
alternate |
|
Direct |
Sung by the choir or
the soloist alone |
In the early churches, any candidate for bishop was expected to
be able to recite the entire book of Psalms from memory. They had
often learned and mastered these skills during their time as a monk.
Following the Reformation, many of the psalms were set and
paraphrased as hymns. By the turn of the 20th century, the singing
of psalms were mostly replaced by hymns in all church services.
Hymns
The Greek word
for hymn is humnos. Its meaning is to celebrate. It is a
song of praise to God or to a saint or to a nation.
There are many
records of hymn singing in the New Testament:
- The
Magnificat or The Song of Mary (Luke 1:46-55)
- The
Benedictus or Song of Zechariah (Luke 1:67-79)
- The Nunc
Dimittis or Song of Simeon (Luke 2:29-32)
- Gloria in
Excelsis (Luke 2:14)
- Jesus and
His disciples singing a hymn after the Last Supper (Matthew
26:30; Mark 14:26)
- Paul and
Silas were singing hymns in prison at Philippi (Acts 16:25).
- Paul urged
the Christians to give thanks to God in psalms, hymns and
spiritual songs (Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16).
- Paul quoted
a song, "Awake, O sleeper" (Eph. 5:14).
Some scholars
suggested that many passages in the Pauline epistles were based on
early Christian hymns in praise of Christ, such as Philippians
2:6-11, Colossians 1:15-20 and 1 Timothy 3:16. Such hymns were
composed to empower the teachings about the divine nature of Jesus
as both Messiah and Lord. The Hosanna hymn about Jesus’ triumphant
entry into Jerusalem in Mark 11:9 was based on Psalm 118:26.
The hymns were
climaxed in the Book of Revelation. In John's vision, songs of
praise were continually sung before the throne of God as the
dramatic events were being unfolded on earth. These hymns were sung
to:
- Declare the
holiness of God (Rev 4:8)
- Glorify the
Creator (Rev. 4:11)
- Proclaim
the glory of the Lamb (Rev. 5:9-10; 5:12)
- Extol both
the Father and the Son (Rev 5:13; 7:10; 7:12)
- Celebrate
God's triumph over the enemies of His people (Rev. 11:15-18;
12:10-12; 19:1-3; 19:6-8)
- Proclaim
His greatness and justice (Rev. 15:3-4; 16:5-7)
- Celebrate
the defeat and fall of Babylon the Great (Rev. 18)
These hymns in
the New Testament reflected the actual worship in the Church near
the end of the first century. Besides opening a window to look into
the future worship of God in eternity, they also paved the way into
the development of Christian hymns for public worship.
Great hymns have
been written through all ages of the Church, and is being written
today and will continue to be written tomorrow. When Paul and John
penned these verses about hymns, most of the songs in our hymnals
had yet to be written. Through many hymn writers, the hymn books are
now compiled for our use in the Body of Christ! These great
historical hymns should not be ignored or neglected. Many of them
are very worshipful, and have tremendous theological value.
As a hymn is
also a song, we need to sing a new hymn to the Lord! We should not
limit ourselves to the hymn books. We should tap into the freshness
of the Spirit and sing a new hymn unto the Lord!
Spiritual Songs
The Greek word
for spiritual songs is ode pneumatikos. It means the songs
of the Breath of God. These spiritual songs are sung in the Holy
Spirit or by the Holy Spirit. They are inspired by the Holy Spirit,
and very often, spontaneous in nature. Sometimes, these spiritual
songs are sung by the worshipper to God, and sometimes the song is
sung by God through the worshipper. When God sings through a
worshipper, He reveals His heart to His people with a prophetic
message. This is done to bring edification, exhortation and comfort
to the Church. These spiritual songs are to be sung in a language
understood by the congregation.
What
is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will
also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit,
and I will also sing with the understanding. (1
Cor. 14:15)
Singing in
tongues is part of the spiritual songs. In both individual and
corporate worship, singing in the spirit and in the unknown tongues
are encouraged.
For he who
speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no
one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks
mysteries. But he who prophesies speaks edification and
exhortation and comfort to men. He who speaks in a tongue
edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church. I
wish you all spoke with tongues, but even more that you
prophesied; for he who prophesies is greater than he who speaks
with tongues, unless indeed he interprets, that the church
may receive edification. (1 Cor. 14:2-5)
If there is a
prophetic word from the Lord that the Spirit desires to release to
the Body, the spiritual song that was sung in an unknown tongue
should be interpreted. If there is no interpreter, the worshipper
sing only to God and no one will be able to understand him. In order
to edify the Body of Christ, the spiritual song and its message must
be clearly made known to the people of God so that they will
understand and receive edification!
Some spiritual songs are known
to be the songs of angels because of their mystical nature. But in
the Gospels and the Book of Revelation, we noted that the words in
the songs of the angels were clearly understood and comprehended by
the people who heard them. They are not beyond human comprehension
and understanding.
Spiritual songs
are a foretaste of glory divine! Let’s sing them spontaneously as
the Spirit of God breathes upon us!
Conclusion
Psalms, hymns and spiritual
songs are all great! We need to esteem and use all of them! Together
they prepare our hearts to become true worshippers of God. They must
all be done decently and in an orderly manner (1 Cor. 14:40).
To sing psalms, hymns and
spiritual songs requires us to have a greater cultural flexibility
than we currently have. Through them, we can enjoy the various
different ways of worship expressions. This paradigm shift requires
unity in the midst of diversities. This is unity in the Spirit and
not uniformity in the flesh. This new paradigm allows the
contemporary-now-Christians to seek their historic roots of
yesterdays, and have a blessed hope for their tomorrows! In silent
reverence or in loud celebration, structured or spontaneous, let all
things are done in order and in love!
Instead of affirming our
own strengths and preferences, we must acknowledge and recognize the
strengths and preferences of the others. As a result, our hearts
will be enlarged, and we are able to enjoy the preferences and
presence of others. Singing with grace in our hearts to the Lord.
The worship in the future will
transcend all cultures! The evangelical churches will learn to sing
spiritual songs; the charismatic church will rediscover hymns; and
the traditional churches will sing a new psalm. Our cultural
prejudices will be melted by His Spirit of love! Forever we will be
singing His praises with all tribes and tongues - all peoples of all
nations, languages, cultures, traditions, styles and preferences!
Glorious worship to God! From eternity to eternity!
Written
on:
6 September 2004