Question:

The believers I fellowship with have this really old hymnal which hasn’t been updated in a long time. But it seems like many churches have stopped updating their hymnals, and mostly use modern worship music, a projector, and instruments or recorded music to guide the tunes. I’m not sure what to think and can’t find much about this in the New Testament. Do we just go with whatever works for us?

Answer:

The question reflects a discussion I have with other Christians once or twice every year. One involved a friend who, at the time, was the youth pastor at a church. He had concerns about whether new music in their digital song library was being reviewed for theological content. But he could make no progress because music was managed by a separate department and they weren’t really interested in talking about it!

So, “whatever works for us” may not be an ideal system. At the same time, the New Testament is sparse on describing “church music” of any kind. But I believe we can find guidance. I want to start with a brief biblical survey, and then I’ll try to respond to your specific question.

What is New Testament music?

The New Testament presents singing as normal for a Christian (1 Cor. 14:15, Jas. 5:13). Jesus and His disciples sang a hymn at the last passover (Matt. 26:30). Hymns are part of a normal church gathering’s activities (1 Cor. 14:26). A “singing spirit” is appropriate in our hearts (Eph. 5:19) and is expressed outwardly when we interact daily as believers (Col. 3:16). Singing continues in heaven, according to the Revelation (ch. 5:9, 14:3, 15:3).

Not many details are given, but note the emphasis on vocal music. The New Testament contains very few references to musical instruments, and does not associate them with church function. People have different views on what this means, but it is surprising that many churches seem unable to conduct worship without instruments or recorded media. In some cases these lead, or even replace, the congregational singing.¹

We do know that both Jews and Gentiles used musical instruments for personal and social enjoyment. Flutes must have been common, because in the New Testament these appear at a funeral (Matt. 9:23), as merriment for idle youths (Matt. 11:17, Luke 7:32), as an object lesson on clarity (1 Cor. 14:7), and as a lost memory after a city is judged (Rev. 18:22). The harp is mentioned in just two books: once as an object lesson next to the flute (1 Cor. 14,7, again) and a few times in the Revelation. A trumpet (or bugle) makes a few appearances, but mainly as a tool for announcing and coordinating activity, reflecting its common use on the battlefield (1 Cor. 14:8).

So, it seems Christians continued to own and enjoy instruments. Even so, no New Testament association is made between instruments and church function. That raises a point to consider. I know what kind of music is pleasing to me, and I might just assume it will please Christ. If I offer it, He may graciously accept it. But this is much like the relationship between a young child and a parent. Growth in a relationship should result in a focus on what the other person really wants. If I asked Him what kind of music He wanted to receive when a local church gathers to worship, pray, or study the Scripture, what would He say? What does His Word show me?

What was Old Testament music?

The Old Testament has extensive descriptions of music and songs. In the Psalms there are about 25-30 references to using instruments for praise and thanksgiving. More instrumental references are found in books as diverse as 1 Samuel and Habakuk.

I believe a careful student of Scripture will find an interesting pattern: instruments are most frequently associated with David, and then after him they continue in close association with the Jewish temple worship. I believe there is a reason, and we should think about it briefly.

The Jews were chosen by God to be His people on earth and God gave them an earthly religion through Moses and the Tabernacle worship. Later, David was given victory over Israel’s enemies and established the kingdom in Jerusalem, where his son Solomon built the first temple with extraordinary beauty. This kingdom and religion also had music, produced both by singing and by musical instruments. All these things were filled with types and signs of the redemption and future kingdom God will provide when His Messiah reigns. But in them, the natural senses were all targeted. Why?

In Romans we learn that God used the example of Israel and the Gentiles as parallel proofs to show us that all people are under sin (Rom. 3:9-18). If natural religion was capable of producing righteousness, then Israel had sacrifices, incense, robes, gold emblems, music, and more, and should have been a shining light to the nations. But they failed in their religion even while the nations all turned to idols. God alone could supply a Man who would uphold His righteousness. He did this by sending His Son. Through Him God has done a new work: He has redeemed a heavenly people from both Jews and Gentiles.

So, in the New Testament, the basis of both worship and service changes dramatically as the Church is established. There is no longer an earthly temple, but a heavenly Person. Regular sacrifices that looked forward are concluded, and now there is a remembrance that looks back (1 Cor. 11:23-26). And the nature of praise and worship take a different aspect in Paul’s letters, which are the primary source for understanding how the Church functions for Christ.

What does it mean?

Coming back to your question, I would suggest the Lord’s words in Matthew 13:52 be considered: “And He said to them, ‘Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house, who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.” From that verse, I would apply four points:

1. “Trained” means that good theology is important! Music has remarkable power to embed ideas by touching the human soul. When communicating thoughts about God and His work through the Son, those ideas need to be sensible and accurate. In Corinthians, when Paul discussed some points I referenced earlier, he also addressed the wrong use of tongues (languages). Interestingly, he extends this to song as well as teaching: “What an I to do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also…in church I would rather speak five words with my mind in order to instruct others, than ten thousand in a tongue” (1 Cor. 14:15,19). This speaks plainly against anything that is called “worship” but relies on feelings and experiences as the definition.

2. “Treasure” means that fluff isn’t enough. When instructing the disciples about prayer, the Lord warned against “heap[ing] up empty phrases, as the Gentiles do” (Matt. 6:7). Some Bible versions translate it as “meaningless repetitions.” Interestingly, there is such a thing as meaningful repetition. Psalm 136 is an example. Each new line introduces a fresh thought about God, then returns to the same response: “For His mercy endures forever.” But “empty phrases” or “meaningless repetitions” can pollute music that may otherwise be nicely arranged and popular with audiences and recommended by streaming algorithms.

3. “New” doesn’t mean “suspect.” A healthy appreciation of Christ should produce new, ongoing work that brings praise (Rev.5:9, 14:3). The principle in all cases is to filter music by content, not by absolute age. A company of believers that isn’t producing fresh expressions of praise, either from among themselves or by carefully screening and using expressions produced by others, should probably be asking the Lord why that state has come to pass.

4. “Old” doesn’t mean “obsolete.” Some expressions of truth can become dated but truth itself is timeless. Easy streaming services and regular playlist revisions can bypass the use of discernment. The Jews in Jesus’ day would have gladly sung songs from the Old Testament Scriptures, including 1500-year-old Psalms. When Jesus sang with His disciples after the last to Passover, they may have sung Psalm 118.² Many psalms have specific applications to Israel, so of course we should sort them carefully when using them in a Christian context.

What should we do?

Since God hasn’t given a set of final requirements on “church” music, I also cannot do so. But I hope you will be challenged to learn songs both old and new, and evaluate their content, while not falling into the trap of desiring personal entertainment in worship or expecting an endless stream of new experiences. It is important to the Lord that all of His people participate, and that they sing with hearts, minds, and voices. That does put practical limits on how we structure and use a song collection, whether print or digital.

Thanks for reading through this answer today! Do you have any thoughts, ideas, or additional Scripture references to share? Post them below, in the comments.

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Endnotes

1.  In some cases the music is being regularly used and updated from a streaming service rather than a long-term song library, and little effort is made to re-use music over time. Unless audience members are also keeping current on popular titles, there is little opportunity to promote congregational singing in this type of use.

2.  Various sources I have read suggest Psalm 118 was used at the Last Supper, based on Jewish traditions for the Passover feast, but Scripture does not tell us what song they sang. I believe this is God’s grace in allowing Christian from all places and cultures to write and use music that is familiar to them, rather than prescribed.