Ryan Martin has written a helpful critique of the musical state of at least some sectors of evangelicalism.
Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.
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Just prior to his death in battle, king Ahab of Israel heeded the false prophecy of 400 or so of his prophets who told him that he would succeed in his military endeavor:
1Ki 22:6 Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said unto them, Shall I go against Ramothgilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up; for the Lord shall deliver it into the hand of the king.
1Ki 22:11 And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made him horns of iron: and he said, Thus saith the LORD, With these shalt thou push the Syrians, until thou have consumed them.
12 And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, Go up to Ramothgilead, and prosper: for the LORD shall deliver it into the king’s hand.
One lone prophet of the Lord warned him that his prophets had all been deceived by a lying spirit to give their false prophecy so that he would go to his doom:
1Ki 22:22 And the LORD said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou shalt persuade him, and prevail also: go forth, and do so.
23 Now therefore, behold, the LORD hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and the LORD hath spoken evil concerning thee.
What a fearful reality it is that a single demon can successfully deceive 400 or so religious authorities to utter unanimously a lying prophecy!
Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.
Scripture speaks about human hair in many passages. A passage that does so provides an important insight about biblical teaching about the hair of women:
Revelation 9:7 And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men. 8 And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions.
John describes these demons as having “the faces of men” and “hair as the hair of women.” It hardly makes sense to say that they had a masculine “face-style”; the contrast in the passage therefore does not support the idea that these demons had hair that was styled in a feminine hairstyle (which would be nonsensical even if the contrast were not a factor in the passage).
This passage, therefore, testifies to Scriptural revelation that points to something intrinsically distinctive about “the hair of women.” By comparing this passage with the following passage, we understand plainly what that distinctive characteristic is:
1 Corinthians 11:14 Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him? 15 But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering.
Noting the male-female contrast in both passages and allowing Scripture to interpret itself by comparing Scripture with Scripture, it is plain that both passages are speaking of the length of a woman’s hair as that which is to distinguish it from the hair of a man and not of a “feminine” hairstyle. “Hair as the hair of women” means hair that is of such a length that it is a glory to a woman (and a shame to a man).
Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.
The Bible teaches that all human beings are made in the image of God and are therefore of inestimable intrinsic worth. Based on this biblical teaching, some Christians reason that it is wrong to call even vicious human beings “animals.”
The following sampling of various relevant biblical statements shows that this position is not true.
Eze 22:27 Her princes in the midst thereof are like wolves ravening the prey, to shed blood, and to destroy souls, to get dishonest gain.
Zep 3:3 Her princes within her are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves; they gnaw not the bones till the morrow.
Mat 7:15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
Mat 10:16 Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.
Luk 10:3 Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves.
Luk 13:32 And he said unto them, Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.
Act 20:29 For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.
Tit 1:12 One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, The Cretians are alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies. 13 This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith;
2Pe 2:12 But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption;
Jud 1:10 But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves.
The prophets (Ezek. 22:27), Jesus (Matt. 7:15; Luke 10:3; 13:32), and the apostles (Acts 20:29; 2 Peter 2:12) all spoke of certain human beings being animals or like animals. Even unbelievers have validly done so (Titus 1:12).
The Bible does not support the view that it is wrong to call vicious people “animals.”
Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.
Isaiah 28:23-29 is a passage that provides illumination that has a profound significance for a proper Christian understanding of how Christians are to approach their understanding of acceptable music for corporate worship.
Isa 28:23 Give ye ear, and hear my voice; hearken, and hear my speech.
24 Doth the plowman plow all day to sow? doth he open and break the clods of his ground?
25 When he hath made plain the face thereof, doth he not cast abroad the fitches, and scatter the cummin, and cast in the principal wheat and the appointed barley and the rie in their place?
26 For his God doth instruct him to discretion, and doth teach him.
27 For the fitches are not threshed with a threshing instrument, neither is a cart wheel turned about upon the cummin; but the fitches are beaten out with a staff, and the cummin with a rod.
28 Bread corn is bruised; because he will not ever be threshing it, nor break it with the wheel of his cart, nor bruise it with his horsemen.
29 This also cometh forth from the LORD of hosts, which is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working.
This passage teaches that the farmer’s God teaches him how to engage properly in the various tasks involved in his work. Not stated but clearly understood in this passage is the reality that the plowman is not knowingly seeking to rebel against his God in whatever he is doing.
What is also clear is that there are not numerous right ways that the various tasks are to be done. It is also important that the passage does not say anything about special revelation given by God to the farmer so that the farmer accomplishes the tasks properly in the way that God wants him to do them.
The passage ends by highlighting that God’s directing and instructing the farmer to do what is right without giving him special revelation about what to do is a manifestation of the glory of the Lord of hosts who is wonderful in counsel and excellent in working.
Arguing from the lesser to the greater, God certainly is able to teach those who are His and who are not seeking to rebel against Him how to play instrumental music that is pleasing to Him and played the right ways that He accepts in worship. Moreover, God is able to do so without having given them special revelation about the specifics of how He wants them to play instrumental music when they worship Him.
As believers, we do not need to have special revelation from God that provides specific information about how to play music that is acceptable to Him in corporate worship. Provided we do not rebel against any of His directives, such as by conforming ourselves to the musical perspectives and practices of this present evil world, we can be confident that He will guide us by His Spirit’s working in us to play music that pleases Him.
Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.
John 8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
Jesus spoke these words to the Pharisees (cf. John 8:13) who sought to kill him.
The next time you are about to call another Christian a Pharisee or “pharisaical,” remember that the Pharisees whom Jesus condemned were unbelievers who were energized by Satan to do his will. Do you really want to claim that you know that the Christian that you are calling a Pharisee is a child of the devil who is being influenced by the devil to do his will?
Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.
God has created numerous pure substances that smell very good to humans and numerous combinations of substances that also smell very good to humans. Within the limits of biblical revelation, however, God has informed us that He has only ever accepted one formulation of incense for use in divine worship (Exod. 30:34-38)!
No matter how good any of the other combinations of substances may have smelled that humans have used in man-made worship and non-worship contexts, God has never accepted any such smells offered as incense to Him in worship. The implications of divine exclusivity in worship in this respect are worth pondering for other aspects of corporate worship that are highly disputed, such as what musical styles God accepts in corporate worship that is offered to Him.
Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.
Psalms is my favorite book of the Bible. Revelation is another of my favorite books.
From the Index of Allusions and Verbal Parallels in the UBS 3rd ed. of the Greek New Testament, I recently discovered two striking facts about the use of Psalms in the book of Revelation. First, Revelation has 96 allusions and verbal parallels in it from the book of Psalms, which is more than any other book of the New Testament has.
Second, the chart below shows that every chapter of the book of Revelation has at least one allusion or verbal parallel in it from the book of Psalms!
Allusions and Verbal Parallels from the Psalms in Each Chapter of the Book of Revelation
| Psalms | Revelation | ||
| Chapter | Verse(s) | Chapter | Verse(s) |
| 89 | 27 | 1 | 5 |
| 2 | 8, 9 | 2 | 26-27 |
| 69 | 28 | 3 | 5 |
| 47 | 8 | 4 | 2 |
| 33 | 3 | 5 | 9 |
| 47 | 8 | 6 | 16 |
| 23 | 1 | 7 | 17 |
| 141 | 2 | 8 | 3 |
| 115 | 4-7 | 9 | 20 |
| 146 | 6 | 10 | 6 |
| 2 | 1 | 11 | 18 |
| 2 | 9 | 12 | 5 |
| 69 | 28 | 13 | 8 |
| 11 | 6 | 14 | 10 |
| 75 | 8 | 15 | 7 |
| 19 | 9 | 16 | 7 |
| 69 | 28 | 17 | 8 |
| 96 | 11 | 18 | 20 |
| 2 | 2 | 19 | 19 |
| 11 | 6 | 20 | 10 |
| 11 | 6 | 21 | 8 |
| 62 | 12 | 22 | 12 |
Because Psalms is my favorite book of the Bible, these two facts about the use of the Psalms in Revelation provide insight into why I love the book of Revelation so much!
Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.
Using passages about meat offered to idols to support the use of disputed musical styles in worship is a great misstep for several key reasons. The following treatment briefly explains four of these reasons.
Whenever a human offers an animal in sacrifice to an idol, he sins against God. We must consider carefully what is always true about any animal that an idolater offers in such sacrifices.
Divinely Created
Scripture explicitly states that God created all animals (Gen. 1:20-25), including those animals that idolaters have offered in sacrifices to idols. Scripture provides no such statements about any disputed musical style being created by God.
Divinely Declared to Be Good
Scripture explicitly states that God declared all the animals that He created to be good (Gen. 1:21, 25, 31), which obviously includes the animals that were or are offered in sacrifices to idols. Scripture provides no such teaching about any disputed musical style being good.
Divinely Authorized for a Specific Purpose
Scripture explicitly states that God authorized humans to eat all animals as food (Gen. 9:3), which applies therefore to all those animals that idolaters have offered in sacrifices to idols. Scripture does not anywhere say that God has authorized the use of any disputed musical style for any use.
Divinely Commended for Christian Use
Scripture explicitly states that God has commended Christian eating of the meat of all animals (1 Tim. 4:3-6), so He has commended Christian eating (in a context that does not involve eating in a worship context meat offered to idols) of those animals that idolaters have offered in sacrifices to idols. Scripture never says that God has commended for any Christian use any of the styles of music whose use in worship is widely disputed among God’s people.
Discussion
We have explicit biblical basis for holding that God created as good all animals and authorized their use as food for all humans. Directly from Scripture, we also know that He has commended the use of those animals for food for Christian people who choose to eat them.
We have no explicit biblical basis for holding that God has created as good any disputed musical style or that He has authorized any human use of these styles. Moreover, Scripture does not reveal to us anywhere that God has commended their use by Christians for any purpose, especially for worship.
Because of these essential differences between the biblical data concerning the animals that have been offered in sacrifice to idols and the musical styles that are widely disputed among God’s people, applying passages about meat offered to idols to the issues concerning the use in worship of these styles is a great misstep. In order to apply the passages about meat offered to idols legitimately to the issues concerning disputed musical styles, believers must prove explicitly from Scripture that those musical styles are directly comparable in the ways treated above to the animals that have been offered to idols.
Conclusion
Scripture explicitly provides four key bases for rejecting as faulty the use of passages about meat offered to idols to support the use of disputed musical styles in worship. These passages do not provide any support for using these disputed styles in worship.
See my post Resources That Provide Answers to Key Issues Concerning CCM for much more biblical information about issues concerning what music God accepts in corporate worship.
Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.
Many people believe that sincerity in playing worship music is enough, and that God accepts worship from anyone who is sincere in playing worship music that he believes is acceptable to God, regardless of what style of music is played. These beliefs are not true because sincerity in playing worship music is not enough when that music is played in styles that have been originated in the way that the rest of this article explains.
Demons know what heaven’s worship is like. They know what style (or styles) of instrumental music is (or are) used in heavenly worship.
Demons seek in any and every way that they can to deny God the worship on earth that He is due. Through demonic influence upon various human musicians, demons have inspired people to produce musical styles that the demons know are not acceptable to God.
A number of musicians have testified of such demonically sourced music that they have originated. Humans who play worship music in those styles engage in worship that God rejects, whether those humans are sincere in playing that music or not.
If you think that this line of reasoning is flawed or unbiblical, please explain why.
Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.
