Would it surprise you to learn that instruments of music were not used in “church worship” for the first 600 years of church history? You can look this up for yourself if you would like. Look up Pope Vitalian on the internet under Organ – Catholic Encyclopedia – Catholic Online. Pope Vitalian introduced the first instrument of music into the worship of the church. Up until that time all music of worship to God by the church was singing in a cappella form. You may be familiar with the term a cappella. You know it means singing by using the voice only, without the accompaniment of any type of instrument. But did you know that the word a cappella was an Italian word and it referred to “Chapel Music”? It was so commonly known that the music of the church was non-instrumental that it was referred to as a- cappella style. Stop and consider this for just a moment and think about what this means. It was very clear to the Christians of the original church that the music that God authorizes for the worship of the church is presented to God without the use of instruments. God specified singing and the original church understood what he wanted and followed the original pattern for the first 600 years of its existence.

            Many people are surprised to learn this history and have never heard it before. I invite you to look this up for yourself.

            Now that information may be strange to you and I hope it gives you cause to stop and think. But if that gives you reason to stop and think, the following information will really shock you. All the early reformers of Protestant denominations were against the use of instruments in public worship.

A quotation from the writings of John Calvin

“To sing the praises of God upon the harp and psaltery unquestionably formed a part of the training of the law and of the service of God under that dispensation of shadows and figures; but they are not now to be used in public thanksgiving.” (Calvin on Psalm 71:22)

The great reformer of the church, Martin Luther, wrote,

The organ in worship is the insignia of Baal… The Roman Catholics borrowed it from the Jews.

“Martin Luther,” McClintock & Strong’s Encyclopedia, Volume VI, page 762;

John Wesley, when asked about the use of the organ, replied, “I have no opposition to the organ in our chapel provided it is neither seen nor heard.” (Adam Clark’s Commentary, Vol. IV, p. 868)

Charles Spurgeon … Baptist

(Spurgeon preached to 20,000 people every Sunday for 20 years in the Metropolitan Baptist Tabernacle and never were mechanical instruments of music used in his services. When asked why, he quoted 1st Corinthians 14:15. “I will pray with the spirit and I will pray with the understanding also; I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with theunderstanding also.” He then declared: “I would as soon pray to God with machinery as to sing to God with machinery.” (Charles H. Spurgeon, Baptist)

Adam Clark, Instrumental Music, Law of Moses

Adam Clark: “I believe that the use of such instruments of music, in the Christian Church, is without the sanction and against the will of God; that they are subversive of the spirit of true devotion, and that they are sinful.

            There are many others and their positions are readily available for anyone to see within their writings on the internet. If you choose, you can read the historical quotations for yourself.

            As interesting as this information is, these are only the opinions of mere men. These men are highly respected in the world of religion for their contributions to the reformation movement, but only God has the authority to decide the type of musical worship He has asked us to present to Him. He has told us what type of music we are to use in our worship and He has revealed it to us in His Holy Word, the Bible. We are to sing. Look at some of the verses that deliver this information to us and see if you are in agreement with what the Bible tells us to do. You will find no mention of using any types of musical instruments in any of the pages of the new contract we have with God. The new contract is the New Covenant or the New Testament as we refer to it today.

            Let’s look at some of these verses found there:

Ephesians 5:19 (NKJV)
¹⁹ speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord,

Colossians 3:16 (NKJV)
¹⁶ 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. 

            Here are two passages where the inspired writers of God’s Word have given us instruction for the type of music God has instructed us to use in our worship to Him. Look carefully at these instructions. You will see the subject matter of the type of songs we are to sing and you will find absolutely no authorization for musical instruments mentioned here at all. In fact, it is clear that we are to use our voices to present this music to God. Notice how it tells us to “speak these songs”? And notice, also, that we are authorized to “sing” and no other form of music or musical art is mentioned as being qualified to be presented to God as acceptable. No wonder the original church and the early protestant reformers rejected the instrument as not being acceptable to use as worship to God.