Of Music in Public Worship

Recently I have received a couple of questions about music in public worship, particularly whether certain pieces should or should not be included. Allow me to express a few thoughts.

As you read the constitutional documents of the OPC, you will note that in the OPC the emphasis concerning music in worship is on congregational singing and every-member participation with the spirit and understanding and with prayer and praise to God. Here are a couple of things the OPC officially says about music in worship (as found in our Directory for the Public Worship of God to be published next year, which can be viewed at the OPC website http://opc.org/GA/FPR/DPW2011.pdf):

As public worship is for the praise and glory of God and the building up of the saints, not for the entertainment of the congregation nor the praise of man, the character of the songs used therein is to befit the nature of God and the purpose of worship (line 520).

In the choice of song for public worship, great care must be taken that all the materials of song are fully in accord with the Scriptures. The words are to be suitable for the worship of God and the tunes are to be appropriate to the meaning of the words and to the occasion of public worship. Care should be taken to the end that the songs chosen will express those specific truths and sentiments which are appropriate at the time of their use in the worship service (line 528).

As reformed believers, we think in terms of the “regulative principle of worship,” which is summarized in the words of the Westminster Confession of Faith as follows:

"But the acceptable way of worshiping the true God is instituted by himself, and so limited by his own revealed will, that he may not be worshiped according to the imaginations and devices of men, or the suggestions of Satan, under any visible representation, or any other way not prescribed in the holy Scripture" (WCF XXI.1).

Scripturally, we think of the words of the apostle Paul:

• "Let all things be done for edification" (I Corinthians 14:26c)


• "But let all things be done properly and in an orderly manner" (I Corinthians 14:40).
  

SOME QUESTIONS WE MIGHT ASK ABOUT A PARTICULAR PIECE OF MUSIC:

I. Is God glorified in the words and the tune? After all, this is the chief end--not for entertainment, nor for the praise of men.

II. Is it in conformity to Scripture?

III. Are the words and the music edifying? How is the congregation built up? In other words, how does the inclusion of this piece serve the gospel?

IV. What specific truths and godly sentiments are being expressed?

The topic is certainly worthy of greater consideration than we have offered here, but I hope that this is at least a helpful starting point and a bit thought-provoking. Until next time...

In Christ,

R. Daniel Knox, Pastor
Grace Orthodox Presbyterian Church
Sewickley, PA

Of the Cross and Images

A recent inquirer asked:

I have seen some people praying while kneeling before the image of the cross in the church. Is this a practice of disobeying the Second Commandment?

My answer follows:

The Orthodox Presbyterian Church is committed to what is known as the regulative principle of worship. It is summarized in the following statement from the Westminster Confession of Faith (Chapter 21, Section 1), to which the OPC subscribes:

"The acceptable way of worshiping the true God is instituted by himself, and so limited by his own revealed will, that he may not be worshiped according to the imaginations and devices of men, or the suggestions of Satan, under any visible representation, or any other way not prescribed in the Holy Scripture."

We believe that this is a proper interpretation of the second commandment:

"Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; and showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments" (Exodus 20:4-6).

The second commandment clearly forbids the worshiping of God by images, or any other way not appointed in his word.

Further, the Confession of Faith also states (Chapter 21, Section 6):

"Neither prayer, nor any other part of religious worship, is now, under the gospel, either tied unto, or made more acceptable by any place in which it is performed, or towards which it is directed: but God is to be worshiped everywhere, in spirit and truth; as, in private families daily, and in secret, each one by himself; so, more solemnly in the public assemblies, which are not carelessly or willfully to be neglected, or forsaken, when God, by his Word or providence, calleth thereunto."

Praying is neither tied to nor made more acceptable at the foot of the image of a cross. In fact, as summarized in the second commandment, to make worship depend on such an image is superstition and idolatry.

Surely, the death of Christ on the cross is an historical reality with deep theological and religious meaning. The Word of God certainly teaches that the Lord Jesus Christ has saved His people from their sin by His death on the cross, wherein He bore the curse due to them that they might be blessed.

Thus, the apostle Paul says the word of the cross is "the power of God and the wisdom of God" (I Corinthians 1:24, cf. I Cor. 1:18); and he was determined to preach "Jesus Christ and Him crucified" (I Corinthians 2:2).

Further, as Christians we are commanded to take up our cross and follow Jesus (Matthew 10:38 and 16:24), which means a life of humility and suffering service and of denying oneself in submission to the will of God.

Nevertheless, the Scriptures nowhere teach us to erect the symbol of a cross as an aid to prayer or as a help to worshiping God. Thus, we should not make a cross as an object of worship or even as a means of worship, and we certainly should not bow down to such a graven image.

Blessings,

R. Daniel Knox