Biblical Basis for Instrumental Accompaniment

Driving home: We say we can only incorporate into the worship of God that which is expressly commanded by God or on the basis of other principles is warranted by the word of God.

The question about musical accompaniment is likened to a tree embedded in 'soil,' which is identified as the regulative principle, to explain its foundational theological basis.

We've identified our question, if I may liken it to a tree, but that tree doesn't hang on a skyhook, or unlike Spanish moss, it doesn't drape itself over telephone wires, but is embedded in some soil. Now, would anyone like to suggest the answer to the question, what is the soil out of which, such a question grows, if indeed, the question is asked sincerely, and not sarcastically or to grind an axe, or to promote a cause? What is the soil out of which, such a question as this would grow? Anyone like to suggest and answer? Yes Eli, all right, it is the soil of the regulative principle taken ser...

5:10 - 6:13 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not call a sacred conviction about the regulative principle a 'nitpicking mentality,' as it implicitly calls God a nitpicker.

Martin describes the common dismissive attitude towards detailed theological questions as coming from a 'sick nitpicking mind,' contrasting it with the Reformed Baptist commitment to biblical regulation.

nitpicking mind. That's what some people would say. If you've got a sick nitpicking mind, then you'd ask a question like this. Otherwise, you've got to have a piano, you've got to have an organ, you've got to have a guitar, you've got to have a trumpet. Get on with it. Why fiddle while Rome burns? The world's going to hell and you take a whole class period to discuss whether you ought to use your Yamaha? Come off it, man. That's the attitude of many. But as Eli has properly said, as a body of believers who say that all of our life together is to be regulated by the word of God and with respect...

6:13 - 7:24 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not call a sacred conviction about the regulative principle a 'nitpicking mentality,' as it implicitly calls God a nitpicker.

He uses a hypothetical prophecy about using a piano at Trinity Baptist Church to illustrate that new revelations are not a legitimate source for regulating worship.

It is evident that scriptures directives come only in terms of a specific precept here, a specific prohibition there, or even a specific precedent here, there, or in another place. And I quote then from the first chapter of our confession, chapter 1 and verse paragraph 6. The whole counsel of God concerning all things necessary. For his own glory, man's salvation, faith in life is either expressly set down or necessarily contained in the holy scripture unto which nothing at any time is to be added, whether by a new revelation of the spirit or traditions of men. It will not do to say that 17 ye...

8:36 - 9:52 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not call a sacred conviction about the regulative principle a 'nitpicking mentality,' as it implicitly calls God a nitpicker.

The statement 'we've always used a piano' is given as an example of tradition, which is not a valid basis for regulating worship according to the confession.

So what's worked in the past? If it ain't busted, don't fix it. Well, you see, that's a tradition. And our forefathers wisely said neither professed new revelation.

9:53 - 10:06 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not call a sacred conviction about the regulative principle a 'nitpicking mentality,' as it implicitly calls God a nitpicker.

The story of Uzzah being struck dead for touching the ark is used to illustrate God's seriousness about the details of His worship, countering the idea that such details are 'nitpicking indifference.'

A nitpicking mentality, because in so doing, you call God a nitpicking God, because he showed very forcefully how he felt about people who regarded certain details of his worship as matters of nitpicking indifference. Oh, what difference does it make? Who helps the ark back into Jerusalem? Yes, God said only a certain tribe and in a certain way.

11:05 - 11:35 Read in full sermon

The point: Every new spiritual generation should ask questions about the regulative principle and demand answers that carry their conscience, rather than simply inheriting tradition.

The account of Nadab and Abihu offering 'strange fire' is cited to further emphasize God's severe judgment on those who disregard His prescribed worship, reinforcing that God is not a 'nitpicker.'

And God struck them dead on the altar is all important where it comes from. It's a matter of indifference. A high priest had a double funeral, Nadab and to buy you. My friends don't ever call it a nitpicking mentality because you are really calling God a nitpicker.

11:39 - 12:02 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not get irritated that God didn't make certain things more plain; follow the truth God has made in Scripture and keep your mouth shut about His wisdom.

The question 'Why aren't you men going around here with your locks down to your shoulders?' is used to illustrate how the 'light of nature' (1 Corinthians 11:14) informs Christian prudence and behavior, including in worship.

Because the Bible shows that the light of nature is to regulate our thinking concerning the will of God. So it's not like we've imported this idea that's extracted from the Bible itself. And why aren't you men going around here with your locks down to your shoulders? Because does not nature itself teach you?

13:29 - 13:51 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not get irritated that God didn't make certain things more plain; follow the truth God has made in Scripture and keep your mouth shut about His wisdom.

The example of illicit sexual practices (Romans 1:26-27) is used to show how nature itself teaches against certain actions, further demonstrating the biblical concept of the 'light of nature' as a source of authority.

It is a shame for a man to have long hair. Why do you not engage in illicit, shameful, God dishonoring sexual practices so justified in our day? Men with men and women with women. Paul says, does not nature itself teach you?

13:51 - 14:12 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not get irritated that God didn't make certain things more plain; follow the truth God has made in Scripture and keep your mouth shut about His wisdom.

A hypothetical 457-page document defending bigamy, easily overturned by a single biblical text like 'Thou shalt not commit adultery,' illustrates that some truths are simple, while others require collating general principles.

Now if someone comes to you with a 457 page document to prove why he ought to take his neighbor's wife while already married and become a bigamist, all you need to do is take one text of Scripture and nail it to his nose. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Or the tenth commandment. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife.

14:46 - 15:14 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not get irritated that God didn't make certain things more plain; follow the truth God has made in Scripture and keep your mouth shut about His wisdom.

Christian prudence is described as 'good sanctified horse sense' where the 'gene pool is the Bible,' emphasizing that practical wisdom must be derived from and disciplined by Scripture, not worldly sources.

And two texts printed out on a little piece of paper, and two words printed out on a little piece of paper. Print it out on a little 3x5 card Overturn his 400, what did I say, 57 page thesis Well some things aren't that simple Some things we must look at the general principles of the word of God Collate them, reduce them to their obvious principles And walk in the light of them You say, well, that's not the easy way No it isn't, but that's God's way So either live with it or find another way and it will be your own And we really impugn the wisdom of God And the goodness of God when we get irri...

15:14 - 16:40 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Saying I will declare thy name Unto my brethren In the midst of the congregation Not merely will I praise thee But I will sing Thy praise And the Lord Jesus hung upon the cross And according to the writer to Hebrews Who …

Martin briefly critiques exclusive psalmody by noting that truly singing 'the psalms of David' in their original form would require learning Hebrew and Hebrew chant, highlighting a practical difficulty with a strict interpretation.

You may think you find That exclusive singing Of the psalms of the Old Testament Translated into English And put into English meter Which are no more the psalms of David By the way One of my problems with so-called exclusive psalm Indeed we'd have to teach you all Hebrew And how to sing things in a Hebrew chant So that you were singing it in Hebrew meter That's one of my problems But that's a little aside And I said I wouldn't get into it And I did But nonetheless This is musical This is musical You can't get away from the fact That here in this new covenant community The word of Christ was to...

23:56 - 25:24 Read in full sermon

The point: Ensure that the praise offered to God is permeated with the Word of Christ, meaning the text of hymns and songs should be essentially and fundamentally biblical.

The process of selecting the Trinity Hymnal for the church is recounted, explaining that it was chosen for its permeation with the Word of Christ and theological scrutiny by figures like John Murray, rather than prophecy or tradition.

Is to be marked by certain specific characteristics Praise as with all of his worship Is to be marked by certain characteristics We've already alluded to one But now as I lay out four of them And then hopefully you'll see The answer to the question We're coming at it Building block by building block Number one It is to be permeated with the word of Christ That is to say It is scripture Colossians 3 and verse 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly In all wisdom Teaching and admonishing one another Singing And this is one reason why For some of you who wonder We have chosen the Trinity Hy...

31:14 - 32:40 Read in full sermon

The point: Ensure that the praise offered to God is permeated with the Word of Christ, meaning the text of hymns and songs should be essentially and fundamentally biblical.

The hymn 'I Come to the Garden Alone' is used as an example of a 'good old oldie' that was excluded from the Trinity Hymnal due to its 'sentimental drivel' and lack of 'word of Christ' content.

Among no less a theologian Than Professor John Murray So that any phrase Or word or term That did not reflect An accurate representation Of biblical and historic Reformed theology Was changed Altered or deleted So that with safety We could pick up this hymnal And believe when we signed The praises of God Had been of supreme importance In the compilers We were singing The word of Christ Now that meant There were a lot of the Good old favorites That weren't here And oh how emotionally Neutered and raped Some of you felt You looked for the good old oldies And they weren't there Well the problem w...

32:41 - 34:07 Read in full sermon

The point: Ensure that all things in worship are done decently and in order, applying general rules of the Word and Christian prudence to specific settings.

Martin expresses a personal desire to see a hymnal combining the best of Trinity Hymnal, Gadsby's Hymns, and the old Strict Baptist hymnal, illustrating his appreciation for biblically rich hymnody beyond current church practice.

But there ain't much word of Christ And so the good old oldies A lot of them have been deleted Because they are not the word of Christ Now there are many hymnals I have a collection of them From which I derive much help Devotionally And in preaching And I would love to see And one of our long term visions Is to see a hymnal That compiles the best of the Trinity hymnal And the best of Gadsby's hymns And the best of the old strict Baptist hymnal Gospels Or hymns for gospel worship Is that the name of it Ash? What is it? Standard Marvelous hymn book I use it often in my own devotions And in looki...

34:07 - 35:36 Read in full sermon

The point: Ensure that all things in worship are done decently and in order, applying general rules of the Word and Christian prudence to specific settings.

The hypothetical scenario of multiple prophets 'blethering at the same time' in the Corinthian assembly is used to illustrate the 'confusion' that Paul addresses, emphasizing the need for order and peace in worship.

Having given specific directions About how many prophets Should prophesy And in what order And what gender And what others should do In the controlling of their spirits He puts as the capstone Over everything he has said Acknowledging he's not touched All of the possible ways This bunch at Corinth Could have come up with Some bizarre nonsense In the name of great spirituality They seem to have All have three PhD degrees In how to concoct Religious nonsense In the name of spirituality So as if he knows He hadn't covered everything He says But Let all things At all times And all circumstances Be...

37:01 - 38:28 Read in full sermon

The point: Ensure that praise in worship is marked by patent unity and oneness in Christ, striving for 'one mouth' in glorifying God.

Martin critiques the church growth movement's advocacy for homogeneous congregations (e.g., 'middle age Wasps,' 'jumpers and hollers,' 'Hispanics,' 'blacks,' 'Orientals') as contrary to Paul's vision of a new humanity in Christ.

You did not have a homogeneous Congregation at Rome You had a heterogeneous Congregation I don't know if there is Such a word as Polyo Genius congregation But you had all kinds of people From all kinds of backgrounds Nationally Ethnically Religiously And getting them all Integrated into one Functioning body Was no easy task And Paul did not go the route Of the church growth experts Who say like begets like And like gets along with like Therefore have homogeneous Congregations Let all your middle age Wasps Form a middle age Wasp church And worship God According to I'm not middle age Middle clas...

39:56 - 41:25 Read in full sermon

The point: Make God's praise glorious, reflecting His own glory and perfect integration of attributes, rather than just 'making a noise.'

The phrase 'I can't sing a note worth a lick, but I can make a noise for Jesus' is used to illustrate a misunderstanding of Psalm 66:1, which is clarified by Psalm 66:2 to mean making praise glorious.

Of our Lord Jesus Now that's a Vital principle We dare not Ignore it In wrestling with the question What are the biblical grounds For musical accompaniment In the worship of God Well the worship Is not only to be Permeated with the word of Christ Marked by decency And order under the lordship Of Christ But there is to be Patent unity And one Expressing What we are One new man And then A word that comes As a capstone Over all of God's praise According to Psalm 66 1 This is What our praise Is to be Psalm 66 And verse 1 Psalm 66 And verse 1 Make a joyful noise Unto God all the earth And oh how mu...

42:53 - 44:23 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not condemn those who conscientiously choose not to use musical instruments in worship, as it is not a mandated duty.

Pastor Ted Donnelly, who conscientiously does not use musical instruments in worship, is cited as an example of someone not sinning by non-use, reinforcing that instrumental accompaniment is not a mandated duty.

If it were a duty to use them They'd be sinning And it would be our task To try to help our sinning brethren And correct them If a man be overtaken in a fault Ye that are spiritual Restore them Our dear friend Pastor Ted Donnelly Is a man who holds With deep Intelligent conviction That he and his congregation Ought not to use A musical instrument In the praise of God You know how much time I've spent Trying to persuade him He and his people are sinning By not using a piano Or an organ Not one second Because I don't believe He's sinning And it's important To understand that If I believed He wer...

45:50 - 47:17 Read in full sermon

The point: If an instrument materially aids the established ends of worship (e.g., concentrating on the text, decency, order), then it is a liberty and potentially a duty to use it.

The choice between singing a cappella with the fear of 'hitting clunkers' and using an instrument to concentrate on the text is presented to argue that instruments can aid in more pleasing worship.

The worship of God If a musical instrument Materially aids The pursuit of those ends Then it is I would say Even more Our liberty It is our duty In our setting To use That which will make The praise of God More glorious Enable us to concentrate More on the text The word of Christ Than how do you get Your voice to jump From a note Down here To one up here When you haven't been taught How to read music And your mind Is more taken up With whether you're going To hit clunkers Than when That you are expressing The word of Christ Now which pleases God more To be able With the aid of the instrument T...

47:17 - 48:45 Read in full sermon

The point: If an instrument materially aids the established ends of worship (e.g., concentrating on the text, decency, order), then it is a liberty and potentially a duty to use it.

A hypothetical scenario of judiciously using a guitar in a local culture where it would aid orderly and decent praise is given to illustrate the flexibility of instrumental use based on circumstances.

Is forbidden by God Or violates Any clear principle Of the word of God But rather Can and does Materially aid Certain things Mandated by God Take 1 Corinthians chapter 3 As a text Under which I had no problem Personally I've not discussed this With my fellow elders So I cannot say Whether we are unanimous In the application of this text But it satisfies my conscience 1 Corinthians 3 And verse 22 Or 21 Let no one glory in men For all things are yours Whether Paul or Apollos Or Cephas Or the world Or life or death Or things present Or things to come All are yours Ye are Christ And Christ is God'...

48:45 - 50:14 Read in full sermon

The point: Use musical instruments judiciously, ensuring they do not distract but rather aid in making God's praise glorious, marked by unity, decency, order, and preoccupation with the text.

The example of a 'little hand bellowed organ in Pakistan' is used to illustrate that various instruments, culturally appropriate, can be 'ours in Christ' to aid in glorious worship.

That would not distract People have asked Do you believe guitars in worship? All depends where And how A guitar is ours In Christ A little recorder Is ours In Christ The little Hand bellowed organ In Pakistan Is ours In Christ Where with one hand There's about two scales there And then with the other hand You pump the little bellows That's ours In Christ Every musical instrument That can aid us To attain these ends Is ours In Christ In Christ And therefore to be used To the ends Of God's worship Being made glorious God's worship Being marked by one mouth God's worship Being marked by decency a...

50:14 - 51:42 Read in full sermon

The point: Use musical instruments judiciously, ensuring they do not distract but rather aid in making God's praise glorious, marked by unity, decency, order, and preoccupation with the text.

The practice of the pianist playing through the entire hymn before singing is explained as a way to help the congregation concentrate on the text and let the 'word of Christ percolate afresh.'

That would not distract People have asked Do you believe guitars in worship? All depends where And how A guitar is ours In Christ A little recorder Is ours In Christ The little Hand bellowed organ In Pakistan Is ours In Christ Where with one hand There's about two scales there And then with the other hand You pump the little bellows That's ours In Christ Every musical instrument That can aid us To attain these ends Is ours In Christ In Christ And therefore to be used To the ends Of God's worship Being made glorious God's worship Being marked by one mouth God's worship Being marked by decency a...

50:14 - 51:42 Read in full sermon

The point: Be prepared to sing a cappella, not out of conviction against instruments, but out of submission to divine providence, especially in times of persecution.

Martin explains his personal reasons for leading a cappella singing in prayer meetings: better blend in the smaller building, encouraging sight-reading, and preparing the congregation for potential persecution where instruments might not be available.

There is a fresh Affirmation and commitment To the truth That we sing Now someone says But Pastor Martin How is it That whenever you lead The prayer meeting You don't ask people To play the piano But you have to sing a cappella Well My reason is this Number one In that smaller building The singing is much more Molyfluous And the volume is greater And the voice is blend greater And a number of you Can read parts And it just sounds great And I believe many of you Have commented on In fact you have But secondly It's a subtle way Of trying to get some of you To launch out And maybe try to do A lit...

51:42 - 53:11 Read in full sermon