Archives For Exposition

Has a Flawed Emphasis on Grace Fostered Abuse among Believers?

February 28, 2014

The recent controversy about the dealings of BJU with GRACE concerning the ongoing investigation of abuse has resulted in many voicing their viewpoints about problems with how cases involving abuse are handled in our day. For me, the intense recent attention to this problem has stirred my mind in a different direction to an issue that I believe is just as important to address.

The Contemporary Overemphasis on Certain Aspects of the Grace of God

For many years now, Christians in many circles have been highly focused on emphasizing the grace of God in salvation and justification. These believers frequently decry what they deem as “legalism” among other believers whom they consider to have deficient perspectives about the grace of God.

This intense emphasis on grace in reality has been an overemphasis on only certain aspects of the grace of God, namely, how God’s grace spares repentant sinners from the eternal judgment that they deserve for their sinfulness and provides complete acceptance with God for believers apart from their good works as a believer. Far too often, this emphasis has been accompanied by a serious lack of emphasis on other facets of what God’s grace to repentant sinners means for their subsequent lives as believers.

What Paul’s Emphasis on Grace Included in His Teaching to Believers

Certainly, Paul emphasized the grace of God in salvation to the lost people that he evangelized (Acts 20:24). He similarly stressed the importance of grace for believers by highlighting it in his teaching to them, both in person (Acts 13:43; 20:32) and in his Epistles (e.g., Eph. 2:8).

Notwithstanding this vital Pauline emphasis on these aspects of God’s grace to both sinners and believers, Paul’s ministry to believers about God’s grace in their lives also included an emphasis in his teaching to them that is sorely lacking in many churches today. In his teaching that emphasized the grace of God to new believers in Thessalonica (cf. 1 Thess. 1:1; 5:28; 2 Thess. 1:2, 12; 2:16; 3:18), Paul also stressed their susceptibility to divine judgment even as believers should they engage in immorality:

1Th 4:1 Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more.

 2 For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus.

 3 For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:

 4 That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour;

 5 Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God:

 6 That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified.

 7 For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.

 8 He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit.

Paul here reminded the Thessalonians that he (and Silvanus and Timothy) had previously forewarned them and testified to them about Jesus as the Lord who is the avenger of all who are defrauded among believers by the immorality of their brethren (1 Thess. 4:6).1 Not only did he remind them that they had emphasized this truth to them previously, but also he warned them anew with that same truth by including this teaching in this epistle that he wrote to them.

Based on Paul’s emphasis to new believers that the Lord would avenge all believers who are defrauded by the immorality of other believers, we know with certainty that Paul’s stress on the grace of God in the lives of believers did not mean that he focused his teaching to them about grace only on its so-called “positive” aspects. Rather, Paul solemnly testified to believers of the fearful accountability that they would have to the Lord if they engaged in fornication.2

Jesus’ Emphasis to His Churches about His Judgment of Immorality among Believers

As Paul did with the Thessalonians, so the glorified Jesus warned believers in His churches about His fierce judgment of immorality among believers:

Rev 2:14 But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.

 15 So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.

 16 Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.

Rev 2:20 Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.

 21 And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not.

 22 Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.

 23 And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.

These passages make clear that the glorified Jesus wants His role as the avenger of all immorality among believers to be emphasized greatly in His churches.

A Desperate Need in Churches Today 

For some time now, the preaching and teaching in many churches has had an overemphasis on the grace of God that saves sinners and grants them full acceptance with God as believers. This overemphasis has been at the expense of the necessary repeated solemn warning of believers about Jesus’ judgment of all immorality among believers.

Such a flawed emphasis on certain aspects of the grace of God has undoubtedly fostered abuse among believers because many of those who have abused others have not received the proper warnings that they should have received. Regardless of whatever else that is good that will come about through the ultimate resolution of the BJU-GRACE matter, churches everywhere need to be warned repeatedly by their leaders that living in the enjoyment of the grace of God does not exempt any believer of fierce divine judging of him should he remain unrepentant of abusing others through immorality.

 

1 Hiebert explains,

This duty of chastity is vital because “the Lord will punish men for all such sins.” . . . He satisfies justice by inflicting the due punishment upon the wrongdoer. . . . Christ will be the sure and just judge “for all such sins,” all the different forms of carnal impurity.

—D. Edmond Hiebert, 1 & 2 Thessalonians, 187

2 Some may object to the idea that God judges believers. David testifies to the intensity of God’s chastening on him (Ps. 32:3-4) for his great sinfulness, which included adultery and murder. Moreover, David experienced profound consequences for his sins (2 Sam. 12:10-12; 14), including the death of his newborn child (2 Sam. 12:18).

Paul also makes clear that God does chasten believers with judgment in this life if they refuse to repent of their sinful deeds as a believer:

1 Corinthians 11:30 For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. 31 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. 32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.

This clear Pauline teaching about the Lord’s chastening judgment on believers should serve as a profound warning to all believers against abusing other believers in any way, including sexually.

Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.

In Discipleship, Exposition, Theology
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Two Biblical Greetings That Are Worth Using

February 22, 2014

I wonder if the importance of greeting someone graciously has much to do with the value of acknowledging his fundamental worth as a human being. If this view is correct, to fail to greet someone may well be to dehumanize him in a grievous way.

Scripture emphasizes highly the necessity of our greeting one another. Ruth 2:4 presents an instance where people greeted one another with two greetings that we would do well to consider and use more.

Boaz’s Greeting to His Reapers

Although Boaz was “a mighty man of wealth” (Ruth 2:2), he did not consider himself to be above greeting those who labored for him in his fields: “And, behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said unto the reapers, The Lord be with you” (Ruth 2:4a). His greeting points to some truths worth noting.

First, Boaz displayed the fundamentally spiritual orientation of his thinking by focusing on the Lord even in greeting common laborers whom he encountered. Boaz thus made good use of his freedom and opportunity to speak of the Lord in the workplace!

Second, Boaz did not just speak impersonally about the Lord; he openly related the benevolence of his heart for his workers by declaring his desire that the Lord would be with them. Such a greeting from him as their employer no doubt would go a long way toward boosting their morale in the workplace and increasing good will between him and all these who labored together for him in a common cause.

The Reapers’ Greeting to Boaz

The reapers of Boaz responded to his greeting by answering him, “The Lord bless thee” (Ruth 2:4b). Their greeting to him shows some important truths as well.

First, like Boaz, they showed their spiritual mindset by making the Lord the focus of their greeting. Even though they were common laborers, they apparently knew of the Lord at least to the extent of freely invoking His name in their greeting.

Second, as Boaz did for them, so they communicated their desire for his welfare by expressing their wish that the Lord would bless him. Their response seems to have revealed their good relationship with him and their longing for him to prosper in the ways of the Lord.

The Value of Our Greeting One Another with These Two Greetings

Our genuine use of Boaz’s greeting, “The Lord be with you,” when we encounter other believers would help to sanctify all of our interactions with one another. We would thereby display our spiritual mindedness, focus on the Lord, and benevolent desire for our brethren.

Greeting one another with these words would also serve to remind us to be spiritually minded believers who make much of Jesus’ glorious promise to all His disciples: “Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen” (Matt. 28:20). We would thus richly edify one another even in what we say in greeting one another!

As with our use of Boaz’s greeting, so there is great value to our using the greeting with which his reapers responded to him, “The Lord bless you.” By our using this greeting with believers who greet us, we further edify one another spiritually by communicating our focus on the Lord and our desire that He would prosper them in His ways.

Let us continually edify one another with these two biblical greetings that are worth using!

Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.

In Discipleship, Exhortation, Exposition
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Does God Care How Healthy Your Lifestyle Is?

February 20, 2014

Scripture teaches that the proper reception of the words of God is to those who so receive them “health to all their body”:

My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh (Prov. 4:20-22).

This amazing verse teaches infallibly that the health of a person’s entire physical body is affected by that person’s relationship to the Word of God. Thus, from the mind of the only wise God, we know that His Word is salutary for the physical health of the entire body! How brightly does the care of God for the comprehensive well-being of His own shine forth from this marvelous text!

When we consider that our present earthly bodies are corrupted by sin and will some day either be destroyed or be changed (at the Rapture), why does God even bother to speak in such terms about the health of this transient body? Such a statement probably seems at odds to the notions of those who espouse the view that health is just not that important of a spiritual or Scriptural issue.

Seemingly supporting that notion that only limited concern for the welfare of the physical body is appropriate is a Scriptural statement about the lowly belly (stomach, NASB):

“Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body” (1 Cor. 6:13).

In this verse, God explicitly says that He will some day destroy both the belly and the foods that go into it. Reasoning along the same lines, how many have concluded that the present earthly body in all its parts is not much more than something to be put up with until we get our glorified bodies?

Does God concur with such thinking? How would we know? Incredibly, under inspiration, Scripture records God’s concern for the stomach[1] of a minister: “Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach’s sake and thine often infirmities” (1 Tim 5:23)!

Understanding the Power of First Timothy 5:23 Properly

Many do not appreciate the power of 1 Timothy 5:23, and a proper understanding requires a brief rehearsal of the nature of Scripture. Scripture teaches about itself that the will of man was not at all involved in its origination. Everything that is in the Bible is there by the will of God (2 Pet. 1:19-21). Scripture also teaches about itself that all Scripture was breathed out by God and is profitable for us to be righteous before God (2 Tim. 3:15-17).

Scripture teaches us what we need to know and do for the salvation of our souls. It also teaches us what we need to know, do, and be in every aspect of our lives so that we would fulfill all of our obligations to God and man.

Paul wrote to Timothy to teach him how he should conduct himself in the church:

“These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly: But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth” (1 Tim 3:14, 15).

Thus, this pastoral Epistle specifically teaches how a minister should carry out his ministry.

For us to understand the importance of 1 Timothy 5:23 properly, we must keep in mind that not one verse of this book is human thinking about proper ministry. Every verse teaches us what God has to say about ministry in the church.

That being the case, Paul’s statement to Timothy in 5:23 is striking. Under inspiration of God, Paul authoritatively directs Timothy, the pastor of the church in Ephesus, concerning his health, including the welfare of his stomach![2]

Paul relates that Timothy had a stomach problem and was frequently ill. Significantly, Paul does not merely note Timothy’s health problems—he commands Timothy to change his lifestyle for the sake of these health problems.

Specifically, Paul directs him no longer to continue drinking only water, but also to drink a little wine. That the purpose of this authoritative direction is clearly for the betterment of his health is plain from the words “for thy stomach’s sake“ (cf. NASB, “for the sake of your stomach”).

Thus, in this one verse of Scripture, God has recorded for all time in His eternal Word His mind concerning the physical well-being of the pastor of a church. He has also given us clear teaching about pastoral ministry from the example of how Paul ministered to his son in the faith, Timothy. Moreover, God has also plainly revealed his mind concerning changing our lifestyles for the sake of our health.

The Great Contemporary Importance of First Timothy 5:23

Were this one verse[3] of Scripture (1 Tim. 5:23) to be taken seriously, the health of many multiplied thousands of believing people would surely be greatly improved. If it be objected that applying this teaching to our lives should not be taken seriously merely because of the reference to wine, let us consider how many even today use medications with significant alcohol content, such as Ny-Quil and cough syrups, for the sake of their health, and without any apparent qualms concerning the propriety of such medicinal use of alcohol.[4]

Amazingly, God has recorded in His word that is forever settled in heaven His care for the stomach of a minister, a stomach that God Himself destroyed at the death of Timothy. This verse is not at all surprising if we take care to keep in mind the mind of God revealed in Proverbs 4:20-22. The God who spoke in Proverbs 4 of that which was “health” to the entire body is the same One who gloriously demonstrated His interest in such comprehensive well-being of His people by recording in 1 Timothy 5 one minister authoritatively confronting another concerning his health.

The God who inspired both Proverbs 4:20-22 and 1 Timothy 5:23 is the same God who also stated to His own, as encouragement for them not to fear, that His care for them extends even to every hair on their heads: “But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows” (Matt. 10:30, 31). Such care for the health of those whom God is watching over shines forth especially from Acts 27:34: “Wherefore I pray you to take some meat: for this is for your health: for there shall not an hair fall from the head of any of you” (cf. 27:24- 25, which indicates clearly the hand of God in the situation).

Thus, Scripture indicates the astonishing care of God for the health of His own. Yes, He cares for the health of the believer’s whole body, even his stomach, even for every hair, which all are destined for destruction; shouldn’t we likewise care for the health of our entire body?

Plainly, we should be concerned for the comprehensive well-being of the people of God. Like Paul did with Timothy in 1 Timothy 5:23, ministers must minister to the people of God appropriate authoritative direction to change their lifestyles for the sake of their health.

Significantly, the terseness of the teaching in 1 Timothy 5:23 wonderfully suggests that why a person is in ill-health need not even be mentioned or perhaps even known for it to be appropriate for them to be exhorted concerning their health. Regardless of whether someone has health difficulties because of heredity, or as the result of accident or injury, or from unhealthy lifestyle, or from some other cause, 1 Timothy 5:23 still applies. If a believer’s health could be helped through some appropriate lifestyle intervention,[5] Scripture here strongly shows that they should do so for the sake of their health.

Interestingly, the specific teaching of 1 Timothy 5:23—that of no longer continuing in merely doing what one has been doing to date, but adding a practice to the life that would help one’s health—is exactly so often what is needed for the effective treatment of many health problems, especially lifestyle-related ones. Many who are suffering from ill health are doing so because of the omission of one or more of the well-established health-promoting lifestyle practices. Scripture indicates plainly in 1 Timothy 5:23 what is to be done in such cases—add to one’s life the health-promoting practices that up to this point have not been engaged in properly in the life!

Moreover, the teaching of 1 Timothy 5:23 especially indicates that those who have without full justification set aside authoritative direction from their Christian doctor or other qualified individuals concerning changing their lifestyles because of their health needs should amend their ways. Such behavior is plainly contrary to the mind of God, who would have them to change their lifestyles for the sake of their health.

Let us ask ourselves how many ministers and other Christian leaders are presently righteously caring for the health needs of the people of God by giving them authoritative direction concerning lifestyle changes for the sake of their health. How will they do so if they do not understand that Scripture teaches that they should do so? How can they do so effectively if they do not have a personal testimony of caring properly for their own comprehensive physical well-being?

Moreover, how will they do so apart from proper sufficient training concerning physical health of the body? What’s more, were they to do so, how many Christians would even be submissive to such direction when it is given?

Let us also consider how many parents are letting their children engage in unhealthy lifestyles, not wanting to take the trouble to confront them or thinking that God has not really spoken to such matters? In addition, let us consider how many spouses allow their spouse to go on living in self-destructive eating habits, wishing there were some way to get them to change before something terrible happens.

God Does Care How Healthy Your Lifestyle Is!

Let none who are facing any of the situations discussed above (or other similar situations) dismiss, make light of, or neglect the glorious teaching that God commands us to make lifestyle changes for the sake of our health (1 Tim. 5:23). Apart from a proper reception and observance of that teaching, what will we have left whereby to wisely minister to such needs of our loved ones: “The wise men are ashamed, they are dismayed and taken: lo, they have rejected the word of the LORD; and what wisdom is in them?” (Jer. 8:9).

Only the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God, is able to pierce to the innermost being of man and lay bare to him the true state of his heart before God (Heb. 4:12). In 1 Timothy 5:23, we have just such a wonderful “sword” that God will mightily use to quicken both us and our loved ones so that we all will change whatever lifestyle habits are hurting our health.

Only through a proper reception of the mind of God through the careful handling of numerous passages concerning health, etc. in Scripture could such proper ministry become a reality in the church, in our homes, in our schools, etc. By such hearing and obeying of what God says in those verses, including especially 1 Timothy 5:23, many more believers would experience the glorious promise set forth in Proverbs 4:10 (and elsewhere): “Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many.”

May God help us to live properly in the light of His concern for our comprehensive well-being. O yes, He cares how healthy your lifestyle is—will you?

 

[1] “Stomach” in 1 Timothy 5:23 = “belly” in 1 Corinthians 6:13; for our purposes even though different Greek words are used, the reference is clearly essentially to the same thing.

[2] That this is only one verse in a book of six chapters concerning pastoral ministry should not lead us therefore to dismiss, make light of, or neglect the truth taught by God therein. Certainly, proper ministry is much bigger than merely the health concerns of the people of God. As this verse plainly shows, however, adequately ministering to the health concerns of the people of God is part of the ministry! Consider also how much time and money go into addressing the health issues of believers in a church, and therefore, how needful and valuable is authoritative direction from God concerning those issues.

[3] This verse is only one of several in Scripture that show God’s mind concerning comprehensive well-being of His people: Numbers 6:22-27; Psalm 35:27; Proverbs 3:7, 4: 22, 14:30; Ecclesiastes 11:10; Isaiah 58:11; 1 Thessalonians 5:23; 3 John 2.

[4] Proper treatment of all the Scriptural considerations concerning the propriety of contemporary use of alcohol by Christians is far beyond the scope of this article. Suffice it to say, the teaching in 1 Timothy 5:23 plainly indicates the medicinal use of a small quantity of wine in the specific setting that Timothy faced at that time. If the reason for this admonition stemmed from concerns for water quality, given the proper facilities available to us today for water purification, no such use of wine can be justified except in the most exceptional of circumstances. All things considered, this writer believes that Christians should abstain from all consumption of alcohol, except for legitimate medicinal use, including such preparations as noted above, which are to be used only in a limited fashion at those times when legitimate need exists. In any case, this verse gives no support whatever to social drinking as legitimate for believers. For differing viewpoints concerning the propriety of the use of wine in the observance of the Lord’s Supper by believers today, please consult appropriate works that deal with that and related issues.

[5] Potential concern for discerning properly what the appropriate lifestyle intervention(s) for any given health concern(s) is/are should not lead us to discount the teaching of 1 Timothy 5:23. For the vast majority of cases, proper attention now to any of the basic well-established tenets of healthy living, such as regular physical activity, healthy diet, sufficient rest, etc. that have not been adhered to in the past, will yield great benefits. For numerous people with health problems, one pertinent application of 1 Timothy 5:23 would be along the following lines: “No longer just serve in your church, at work, and at home, but also do a little regular physical activity.” The case for such advice being of benefit has been established through hundreds of studies for decades, including many recent ones that powerfully show the value of even a little regular physical activity. Consider especially that the case for regular physical activity is so strong that the Surgeon General has even issued an advisory report detailing the facts supporting such a practice. Keeping in mind that believers generally hold that smoking is ungodly behavior because of the damage to one’s health, it is striking that research has demonstrated more than once that a sedentary lifestyle is as damaging to one’s health as smoking, or even more!

See also Christian Health/Fitness Quotes I

Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.

In Exhortation, Exposition, Health
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Let Us Fear and Serve God!

February 16, 2014

Genesis 39 records the remarkable testimony that Joseph had after he had been forcibly brought down to Egypt. From considering several aspects of his testimony, let us aspire to fear and serve God as he did.

Joseph’s Striking Testimony to an Egyptian Officer

In Egypt, Joseph was sold to Potiphar, an Egyptian officer who was the captain of Pharaoh’s guard (Gen. 39:1). Although Joseph was alone in a strange land where he did not know anyone, the Lord was with him and prospered him greatly (Gen. 39:2).

Joseph’s testimony was so remarkable that his unsaved Egyptian master “saw that the Lord was with him” (Gen. 39:3a). His master even saw “that the Lord made all that he did to prosper in his hand” (Gen. 39:3b)!

Moses does not explain what these statements specifically mean or how Potiphar saw these things. He does add that Joseph “found grace in his sight” and was exalted by him to be over all that he had (Gen. 39:4).

From the time that Potiphar exalted Joseph, the Lord blessed everything that Potiphar had in his house and his field (Gen. 39:5). Joseph’s exemplary service to Potiphar and the Lord’s incredible blessing on all that was his was thus a striking testimony to him of the goodness of God to him in spite of his being an unsaved Egyptian.

Joseph’s Sterling Testimony to Potiphar’s Wife

Potiphar’s wife took note of Joseph’s attractiveness and demanded that he commit adultery with her (Gen. 39:6-7). Joseph refused her immoral demand (Gen. 39:8) and testified to her of his fear of God by asking her, “How  . . . can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?” (Gen. 39:9).

Joseph showed that he feared God supremely and wanted to live a sanctified life for Him before others. Although his doing so would cost him greatly (Gen. 39:10-20), Jospeh remained steadfast in refusing her immoral overtures (Gen. 39:10) because he was determined to have a sterling testimony of fearing and serving God regardless of his circumstances.

Joseph’s Sustained Testimony of Excellence to the Keeper of the Prison

Although he was unjustly imprisoned (Gen. 39:20) because Potiphar’s wife falsely accused him of wrongdoing (Gen. 39:14-18), Joseph sustained his testimony of excellence before others because the Lord continued to be with him and bless him (Gen. 39:21). As Potiphar had done earlier, the keeper of the prison exalted Joseph “because the Lord was with him, and that which he did, the Lord made it to prosper (Gen 39:22-23).

Fearing and Serving God Regardless of Our Circumstances

Although Joseph unjustly suffered greatly, he did not allow his circumstances to turn him from fearing and serving God. He did not do so merely in his own strength or by his own determination and discipline—the Lord was with him (Gen. 39:2, 3, 21, 23), granted him favor with people (Gen. 39:21; cf. 39:4), and prospered all that he did (Gen. 39:3, 23)!

Jesus has promised to be with all His disciples always to the end of the world (Matt. 28:20). Because Jesus is with us, let us fear and serve God regardless of our circumstances, even as Joseph did!

Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.

In Exhortation, Exposition
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Is Amos 5:21-24 Important for Our Understanding of Music (Part I)?

February 6, 2014

From reading Amos 5:21-24, see if you can discover for yourself what key fact about music this passage reveals that needs much careful attention in our day:

 Amo 5:21 I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies.

 22 Though ye offer me burnt offerings and your meat offerings, I will not accept them: neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat beasts.

 23 Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy viols.

 24 But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.

To help you discover that fact, here are some key questions to keep in mind:

1. Who is speaking in the passage?

2. What is the speaker revealing specifically about his activities concerning music?

3. Is the speaker communicating anything positive or negative about music?

4. What is the relevance of this revelation to our understanding of music?

If you discovered what this key fact is and what its contemporary relevance is, do you think that Amos 5:21-24 is a key passage for our understanding of music?

Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.

In Exposition, Interpretation, Music, Theology
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Are Secular Testimonies about Fallen Spirits and Music Inherently Unreliable?

January 25, 2014

Undeniably, many secular musicians have testified in various ways to supernatural influences as the source of their ungodly music.[1] In online written messages to me, at least two CCM supporters have claimed that secular testimonies about music and spirituality are unreliable.

Are secular testimonies about fallen spirits and music inherently unreliable? Two passages provide revelation that points to this view being false.

2 Kings 6:8-12

At a time when Syria was warring against Israel, the king of Syria conferred with his servants to determine various places where he would locate his camp (2 Kings 6:8). Elisha warned the king of Israel about each location so that the king was able to save himself on multiple occasions from being harmed by the Syrians (2 Kings 6:9-10).

In response to the repeated foiling of his strategy, the king of Syria demanded that his servants tell him who was the traitor among them who was giving away their location each time to the king of Israel (2 Kings 6:11). One of his servants replied, “None, my lord, O king: but Elisha, the prophet that is in Israel, telleth the king of Israel the words that thou speakest in thy bedchamber (2 Kings 6:12).

The passage provides no indication that this Syrian servant somehow had secretly spied on Elisha on each occasion and then returned to give his eyewitness testimony to the king about what had happened. Nor does the passage tell us that he received that information somehow through some other informant.

This remarkable testimony, therefore, by presumably an unbelieving Syrian servant shows that an unbeliever was able to testify reliably about a profound spiritual reality of which he would not have been able to obtain any evidence to support his testimony. Although we have no way to know how or why this servant was able to provide this testimony, we must accept that this record of his ability to do so teaches us that secular testimony about spiritual realities are not inherently unreliable.

Acts 16:16-18

While Paul, Timothy, and Luke were going to a place of prayer, they encountered a certain female slave who was possessed by an evil spirit (Acts 16:16a). Through the influence of the evil spirit of divination that was upon her, this girl was greatly profiting her masters through her fortune telling (Acts 16:16b).

This girl followed Paul and the others around for many days and repeatedly gave forth a remarkable testimony: “These men are the servants of the most high God, which show unto us the way of salvation” (Acts 16:17). After being grieved by her doing so for many days, Paul commanded the spirit in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of the girl, and the spirit immediately left her (Acts 16:18).

This passage informs us that a presumably unbelieving girl who was possessed by an evil spirit yet repeatedly bore a reliable testimony to profound spiritual realities! Not only did she correctly proclaim crucial spiritual information about who Paul, Timothy, and Luke were, but also she gave forth a fully reliable testimony to the spiritual content of their message.

Even though she was a demon-possessed woman, she bore repeated testimonies to spiritual truths about which no demon would ever want any human to give true testimony! Her testimony was pointing people to true servants of the true God who were telling them the truth of how they could be saved—something about which the devil and his demons use all their infernal powers to try to prevent as many people as possible from ever hearing the truth about and believing!

Discussion

Second Kings 6:8-12 teaches us that a secular servant of an evil king somehow testified to profound spiritual truth in spite of his having no stated source of his having such knowledge. Acts 16:16-18 shows that even a demon-possessed lost person yet provided provide reliable testimony to truths about vital spiritual realities and did so even though her testifying to those truths was in direct opposition to the aims and purposes of all fallen spirits!

Taken together, these two passages refute the notion that testimonies from secular people about spiritual realities are inherently unreliable. Applying what we learn from these passages to the objections raised about the reliability of secular testimonies to the role of fallen spirits in influencing people to produce ungodly music, we can be confident that such testimonies are not inherently unreliable.

Conclusion

Christians must not hold the false view that secular testimonies about fallen spirits and music are inherently unreliable. Because we have many testimonies from secular musicians that fallen spirits have influenced them to produce their music, we should reject all such music and all other music that uses the same styles about which they have borne testimony concerning the evil supernatural source of those styles.

[1] The following quotes are from a website that I found by doing a Google search on evil spirits and rock music:

Angus Young: (AC/DC guitarist)  “…it’s like I’m on automatic pilot. By the time we’re halfway through the first number someone else is steering me. I’m just along for the ride. I become possessed when I get on stage” (Hit Parader, July 1985, p. 60).

John McGlaughlin: “One night we were playing and suddenly the spirit entered into me and I was playing but it was no longer me playing.” (Circus Magazine, April, 1972, p. 38)

Little Richard: “My true belief about Rock ‘n’ Roll — is this: I believe this kind of music is demonic . . . A lot of the BEATS in music today are taken from voodoo, from the voodoo DRUMS.” (Charles White, The Life and Times of Little Richard, p. 197)

Van Halen’s David Lee Roth “I’m gonna abandon my spirit to them which is exactly what I attempt to do. You work yourself up into that state and you fall into supplication of the demon gods…” [Van Halen’s David Lee Roth. Interview w. Rock. April 1984. Pg 30]

—http://www.inplainsite.org/html/voices_of_rock.html; accessed 1/17/14; 4:09 pm)

I also found the following sources from that same search: Note the testimonies provided in this web article (https://truediscipleship.com/ten-scriptural-reasons-why-the-rock-beat-is-evil-in-any-form/; accessed 9/21/19; 9:40 pm) and these testimonies from rock musicians themselves in this article (http://www.jesus-is-savior.com/Evils%20in%20America/CCM/hip_hop.htm; accessed 1/17/14; 3:55 pm); see also the similar testimonies in a similar article (http://wayoflife.org/index_files/rock_musicians_as_mediums.html; accessed 1/17/14; 4:14 pm.)

Please note that I have not independently verified the quotes provided in any of these sources. I have no reason, however, to doubt their veracity, especially since several sources provide some of the same quotes.

 

Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.

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¡Cuidado con los peligros de la música!*

January 23, 2014

Aunque muchos creyentes piensan que no es posible que se pongan en peligro a sí mismos y a los demás a través de la música si tiene palabras cristianas, una cuidadosa atención a la revelación bíblica y otras pruebas relativas a los espíritus caídos y sus influencias en la música humana demuestra lo contrario. El siguiente tratamiento de esa revelación y la evidencia nos advierte contra los peligros que hay para otros y para nosotros mismos a través de la música.

Espíritus caídos y sus actividades

Dios es el único Ser eterno (Salmo 90:2; Juan 1:1-2), y Él creó todo lo que existe (Gen. 1:1, Juan 1:3), incluyendo todos los seres espirituales sobrenaturales (Gen. 2:1; Éxodo 20:11; Neh. 9:6; Salmo 148:1-5; Col. 1:16). Los seres espirituales sobrenaturales mencionados en la Biblia incluyen los serafines (Isaías 6:2), los querubines (Génesis 3:24), los cuatro seres vivientes (Rev. 4:8), los santos ángeles (Mateo 25:31), y los malos espíritus (Hechos 19:12).

Como Dios no es el autor del mal (Génesis 1:31; cf. Santiago 1:13), sabemos que los malos espíritus que se mencionan en las Escrituras fueron creados como seres espirituales santos (Ezequiel 28:14-15a; ver Judas 6). En algún momento después de su creación, se rebelaron contra Dios y se convirtieron en espíritus caídos (Ezequiel 28:15b; cf. Judas 6; 2 Pedro 2:4).

Los espíritus caídos tienen la intención de negar a Dios la gloria que Él solo merece de sus criaturas (Is. 14:12-14; cf. Col. 2:18; Ap. 9:20). Tratan de hacer daño a tantas de sus criaturas como sea posible para lograr su destrucción (cf. Mat. 8:32; Juan 8:44, Hechos 19:12), especialmente los seres humanos (Lucas 13:16; Hechos 10:38; 1 Ped. 5:8).

Debido a que el Padre desea que la gente le adore en espíritu y en verdad (Juan 4:23-24), podemos estar seguros de que los espíritus caídos quieren evitar que la gente le de esa adoración. Sin lugar a dudas, lo hacen de forma continua en todo el mundo, ya sea a través de la prevención por completo (2 Corintios 4:3-4; Col. 2:18; Ap. 9:20) o a través de la corrupción de la adoración en tantas formas como sea posible (cf. 2 Cor 11:3; 1 Tim 4:1-3).

Los espíritus caídos han influido a los seres humanos a hacer cosas malas sin que ellos se den cuenta de esta influencia (1 Crónicas 21:1; 1 Reyes 22:22; 2 Cor. 11:14). Han tenido esta influencia encubierta sobre los incrédulos (1 Reyes 22:22; Juan 13:27) igual que sobre los creyentes (1 Crónicas 21:1; Hechos 5:3).

Los espíritus caídos y la música en las Escrituras

Los ángeles cantaron cuando Dios creó la tierra y todo en ella (Job 38:6-7). Los ángeles tocan las trompetas (Éxodo 19:16; Ap. 8:2) y los seres espirituales celestiales adoran a Dios, juegan arpas, y cantan alabanzas a Dios y al Cordero (Apocalipsis 4:8-11; 5:8-14). Sabemos, pues, que los seres espirituales sobrenaturales, incluyendo los espíritus caídos, son seres musicales (ver este post para más explicaciones sobre este punto).

Los espíritus caídos han observado y escuchado toda la adoración del cielo que ha incluido la música (Job 38:6-7; Salmo 148:2; cf. Is. 6:3). Ellos saben por experiencia cómo suena la música celestial que le agrada a Dios.

Los espíritus caídos han observado las actividades de los seres humanos desde el principio de la humanidad (Génesis 3; 2 Cor. 11:3; cf. Job 1:7). Ellos saben exactamente lo que el hombre ha hecho de la música que ha complacido a Dios (por ejemplo, 2 Crón. 5:11-14).

Los espíritus caídos saben acerca de la música instrumental piadosa producida por un hombre lleno del Espíritu que expulsó a un espíritu malo de otro hombre (1 Sam. 16:14-23). Entonces, hay por lo menos un espíritu caído que ha experimentado personalmente el poder espiritual de la música piadosa (1 Sam. 16:23).

Los espíritus caídos tienen pleno conocimiento también de la música que el hombre ha hecho que no le ha complacido a Dios (por ejemplo, Is. 5:11-12; Dan. 3:5-7; 10; 15). Ellos, sin duda, juegan un papel importante en las actividades musicales de multitudes de personas que fueron destruidas en el Diluvio porque “todo designio de los pensamientos del corazón de ellos era de continuo solamente el mal” (Génesis 4:21 cf. Génesis 6:5; ver este post para una explicación completa de este punto clave).

Después del diluvio, en una ocasión particularmente sórdida, los espíritus caídos influyeron a la gente que había comido carne ofrecida a un ídolo en el culto sincretista de Jehová a cantar. El Espíritu Santo destaca su manera de cantar con una referencia explícita a su canto (Éxodo 32: 17-18). Debido a que el canto fue producido por la gente baja la influencia de los demonios (cf. 1 Cor. 10:20), comiendo, bebiendo y jugando idolátricamente (1 Corintios 10:7; incluyendo el baile impío [Éxodo 32:19]) de una manera tan mala y descontrolada que aun sus enemigos se avergonzaban de ellos (Éxodo 32:25), podemos estar seguros de que su canto a Jehová era malo también.

Los espíritus caídos y la música peligrosa

Teniendo en cuenta todo lo que sabemos acerca de los objetivos y actividades de los espíritus caídos y sobre todo su conocimiento de la música que agrada a Dios y la música que no le complace, los creyentes no deben ser en lo más mínimo despectivos en cuanto al papel de los espíritus caídos en la producción de los estilos musicales que son populares e impíos (Ef. 2:2-3, 1 Juan 5:19). Más bien, tenemos todas las razones para creer que los espíritus caídos han influido y seguirán influyendo a tantas personas como sea posible a escuchar y producir música que no agrada a Dios, sobre todo en su adoración a él.

De hecho, muchos músicos populares han declarado en diversas formas que la fuente de su música ha sido las influencias sobrenaturales fuera de sí mismos.[1] Los creyentes no deben rechazar tales testimonios—deben mantenerse lo más alejado posible de cualquier tipo de música, aunque tenga palabras cristianas, cuando hay la más mínima posibilidad de que los espíritus caídos hayan jugado un papel en el origen de esa música peligrosa.

Conclusión

Los cristianos deben rechazar (Sal. 1:1; Ef. 5:11) toda la música, incluyendo música con palabras cristianas, que emplea estilos musicales populares e impíos que los humanos malvados han producido con fines perversos explícitamente planteados, como la música rock, porque hay consideraciones bíblicas y fundamentales y testimonios personales que apuntan a los espíritus caídos como el origen sobrenatural de esos estilos impíos. ¡Cuidado con los peligros de la música!

 

 

[1] Las siguientes citas son de una página que he encontrado haciendo una búsqueda en Google sobre los malos espíritus y la música rock:

David Bowie: “Rock has always been THE DEVIL’S MUSIC. . .” (Rolling Stone, Feb. 12, 1976);

John Lennon: “I’ve sold my soul to the DEVIL.” (Ray Coleman, Lennon, p.256);

Little Richard: “I’m the Rock ‘n Roll singer that you heard about through the years. . . I was directed and commanded by another power. The power of DARKNESS. . . The power of the DEVIL, SATAN.” (Charles White, The Life and Times of Little Richard, pp. 205-206);

During a 1993 Oprah Winfrey interview, Michael Jackson, explained the reason for some of his filthy sexual gestures during his concerts: “It happens subliminally. IT’S THE MUSIC THAT COMPELS ME TO DO IT. You don’t think about it, it just happens. I’M SLAVE TO THE RHYTHM.” (The Evening Star, Feb. 11, 1993, p. A10)

—http:/ / www.jesus-is-savior.com/Evils % 20en % 20America/CCM/hip_hop.htm ; visitada 17/01/14; 15:55

También encontré las siguientes fuentes en la misma búsqueda: Tenga en cuenta los testimonios prestados en el punto II de este artículo web (http://truediscipleship.org/Gtopics/general108.htm; visitada 01/17/14; 15:59) y los numerosos testimonios de los propios músicos de rock de este artículo ( http://www.inplainsite.org/html/voices_of_rock.html ; visitada 17/01/14; 16:09), ver también los testimonios similares en un artículo similar (http://wayoflife.org/index_files/rock_musicians_as_mediums.html ; visitada 17/01/14; 16:14).

Por favor, tenga en cuenta que no he verificado de forma independiente las citas provistas en estas fuentes. Sin embargo no tengo ninguna razón para dudar de su veracidad, sobre todo porque varias fuentes proporcionan algunas de las mismas cotizaciones.

*I’d like to thank my friend Jeremy Patterson for his help in translating the English version of this article into Spanish.

Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.

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The Importance of 1 Samuel 16:14-23 for a Sound Theology of Music

January 9, 2014

First Samuel 16 reveals several truths that are lacking in the theology of music of many believers today. Because the Holy Spirit has inspired this passage of Scripture to profit us so that we will be thoroughly equipped to do every good work (2 Tim. 3:15-17), we must give close attention to this passage if we are to have a sound theology of music.

Godly music is not just about words that are sung

After informing us that the Spirit was on David from the day that Samuel anointed him (1 Sam. 16:13), First Samuel 16:14-23 immediately thereafter provides us with a lengthy report of how David’s skillfully playing the harp relieved Saul from terrible affliction:

1Sa 16:14 But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him.

 15 And Saul’s servants said unto him, Behold now, an evil spirit from God troubleth thee.

 16 Let our lord now command thy servants, which are before thee, to seek out a man, who is a cunning player on an harp: and it shall come to pass, when the evil spirit from God is upon thee, that he shall play with his hand, and thou shalt be well.

 17 And Saul said unto his servants, Provide me now a man that can play well, and bring him to me.

 18 Then answered one of the servants, and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, that is cunning in playing, and a mighty valiant man, and a man of war, and prudent in matters, and a comely person, and the LORD is with him.

 19 Wherefore Saul sent messengers unto Jesse, and said, Send me David thy son . . .

 23 And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took an harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him. (bold added to the original)

The flow of thought from 1 Samuel 16:13 to this passage shows that the passage is not merely stressing that a skillful harp player profited Saul, but that a Spirit-empowered skillful harp player did so (cf. “the Lord was with him” [16:18]). We know, therefore, that the skillful music that David was playing was not merely humanly produced instrumental music—it was divinely empowered instrumental music and therefore godly music.

Moreover, this passage speaks only of David’s skillfully playing the harp and does not say anything about his singing to Saul. In fact, five explicit references to the playing of a musical instrument (1 Sam. 16:16 [2x]; 17; 18; 23) show incontestably that God is emphasizing instrumental music—apart from any words— in this passage.

The passage thus stresses to us that David’s ministry of that solely instrumental music that was Spirit-empowered powerfully benefited Saul for good (1 Sam. 16:23). A sound theology of music, therefore, must account fully for the teaching of this passage that shows that godly music without words had powerful effects for good.

Godly music is not just about humans

An evil spirit was plaguing Saul (1 Sam. 16:14). To relieve him of his affliction that was caused by that spirit, his servants advised him with confidence that his availing himself of certain skillfully played instrumental music would make him well (1 Sam. 16:15-16).

Just as they had said, Saul’s receiving such ministry did refresh him and make him well (1 Sam. 16:23). David’s instrumental music did so because it had a profound spiritual effect of delivering him from the supernatural cause of his affliction—“the evil spirit departed from him” (1 Sam. 16:23)!

This passage shows that godly instrumental music drove away an evil spirit that was afflicting Saul. David’s godly instrumental music, therefore, not only had a beneficial spiritual effect on Saul—it also had a powerful spiritual effect on an evil spirit!

We must learn, therefore, that godly music without any words does not just affect humans; it also has effects on evil supernatural spirit beings. Although we should expect unbelievers to deny any such aspect of music and hold that music is only about humans, believers cannot and must not deny that godly instrumental music is not just about humans.

Godly music is not just about emotions

This passage shows that godly instrumental music ministered by a believer who had the Spirit upon him (1 Sam. 16:13) did not just profit Saul by changing his emotional state. Although it did benefit him emotionally, the instrumental music also profited him spiritually by driving away an evil spirit that was afflicting him!

We, therefore, must not make the serious mistake of restricting our understanding of godly instrumental music to its emotional effects on humans. Although the emotional effects of music on humans are very important, godly instrumental music has spiritual effects that go far beyond the effects that it has on the emotions of the hearer.

Discussion

A theology of music that understands that godly music must have lyrics for it to benefit other believers spiritually is an unbiblical theology. Rather, believers must hold that godly instrumental music also profits believers not just emotionally but also spiritually, including helping to relieve them from any oppression by evil spirits that they may be experiencing.

In the debates about what music and musical styles are fitting for believers, believers must not just talk about how various pieces and styles of music affect human emotions. They must also keep in mind that instrumental music has spiritual effects on both humans and supernatural beings.

Furthermore, demanding that people explain in detail how such spiritual effects are specifically mediated by specifics about how the godly instrumental music is played is an unbiblical insistence. God has not given us detailed explanations about how godly instrumental music influences the spiritual realm, and many such things may very likely be entirely beyond human comprehension (cf. John 3:8).

Simply because we cannot explain how godly instrumental music affects supernatural beings does not justify our denying that it does. The revelation given in First Samuel 16:14-23 demands that we accept what God teaches about the spiritual effects of godly instrumental music whether we can explain them or not.

Conclusion

A sound theology of music must reflect fully the important divine revelation provided about music in 1 Samuel 16:14-23.  God teaches us through this passage that a sound theology of music understands that not only is godly music not just about words that are sung, it also is not just about humans and their emotions.

Related posts:

David’s Instrumental Music Was Not Amoral

Did an Unholy Spirit from God Torment Saul?

Correcting a Wrong Handling of the Accounts of David’s Music Ministry to Saul

Resources That Provide Answers to Key Issues concerning CCM

 

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Why 2 Kings 4:38-41 Shows That 1 Timothy 4:3-5 and 6:17 Do Not Automatically Justify CCM

January 2, 2014

I have deleted this post at this time so that I can fix parts of the article to clarify the position that I have held all along. I have not changed my position on the relevance of 2 Kings 4:38-41 in relation to 1 Tim. 4:3-5 and 6:17 and how they pertain to the issue of justifying CCM, but I do believe that the article will be better by my clarifying what I wrote.

Update:

While I continue to work on the full revised version of my article, I would like to share the following brief statements that present the basic gist of how 2 Kings 4:38-41 argues against the validity of justifying CCM through an argument based on creation.

1. Second Kings 4:38-41 shows that something that God originally created as good for food (the wild vine that produced gourds) was no longer good for that God-given purpose. Based on that data, it is illegitimate to claim based on the nature of the original good creation of God that all substances that God originally gave to man for food (plants and animals) are necessarily all still inherently good for the purposes for which God originally created them.

2. God did not create any musical styles. Even if He had created all musical styles originally as inherently good, a claim that all musical styles are all still inherently good for the purposes for which God originally gave music would similarly not be automatically true just because God would have originally created them.

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On Singing, Dancing, and Playing Instruments in Scripture

December 31, 2013

Scripture speaks in at least 26 passages about various people dancing.[1] A close examination of three references to dancing in First Samuel brings out an important point about interpreting other passages in Scripture that mention both singing and dancing.

First Samuel 18:6-9

After David had killed Goliath, he served Saul faithfully wherever he sent him (1 Sam. 18:5a). David prospered, he was exalted by Saul to be over his army, and he was pleasing to all the people, including the servants of Saul (1 Sam. 18:5b-c).

When David was returning from killing Goliath, women came out from all the cities of Israel (1 Sam. 18:6a). These women were singing, dancing, and playing musical instruments when they went out to meet King Saul (and David):

1Sa 18:6 And it came to pass as they came, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women came out of all cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with tabrets, with joy, and with instruments of musick.

 7 And the women answered one another as they played, and said, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.

This musical exaltation of David above Saul led to Saul’s becoming very angry and suspicious of David “from that day and forward” (1 Sam. 18:8-9).

This passage teaches us that there were at least some women in every city of Israel at this time who were able to sing, dance, and play musical instruments at the same time (cf. Exod. 15:20-21). Moreover, they thought it fitting to do all three in honoring those to whom they believed honor was due.

From this passage, we infer that music was an important part of life in all Israel at this time in its history. Two later references to the same event teach us an important point about music in relation to singing and dancing in the thinking of the people in one of the neighboring nations.

First Samuel 21:11 and 29:5

The Philistines were one of the key enemies of Israel in the days of Saul and David. Yet, when Saul began to try to kill David, David fled (1 Sam. 21:10) to Achish the king of Gath (a key city of the Philistines and the hometown of Goliath). Somehow, the servants of the king knew about the musical reception that Saul and David had received earlier when they returned from his killing Goliath:

1Sa 21:11 And the servants of Achish said unto him, Is not this David the king of the land? did they not sing one to another of him in dances, saying, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands?

Comparing their report of that event with what actually took place (1 Sam. 18:6-7) brings out two key points. First, the servants of Achish do not mention that it was the women of Israel who sang and danced when they greeted Saul and David with these words. Second, they make no mention of the women playing musical instruments on that occasion.

At a later time, a different situation yet included similar omissions in the reporting of that same event: When the Philistine princes were preparing to go to war with Israelites (1 Sam. 29:1-7), they objected to Achish’s allowing David and his men to join the Philistine forces in fighting the Israelites (1 Sam. 29:1-4). The princes said,

1Sa 29:5 Is not this David, of whom they sang one to another in dances, saying, Saul slew his thousands, and David his ten thousands?

Comparing all three texts shows that both of the Philistine reports do not mention that it was the women who sang and danced and that they played musical instruments when they sang these words about Saul and David.

This comparison shows that in two later reports about people who sang and danced on an important occasion, the people reporting the event did not think that it was necessary to mention that those who were singing and dancing on that occasion were also playing musical instruments while they were singing and dancing. Apparently, these people took for granted that telling others about singing and dancing taking place would be enough for their hearers to understand that the actual event included singing, dancing, and playing musical instruments.

Alternatively, their failure to mention the playing of music on that occasion could have stemmed from their not being told (by the source of their information) about any music being played at that event. In this case, we still see two clear instances in Scripture of people whose report about an event only talks about singing and dancing taking place when actually the event also included the playing of musical instruments.

The Relevance of These Passages for the Interpretation of Another Key Passage about Singing and Dancing 

Based on the biblical evidence treated above, I believe that we have scriptural warrant for understanding that any account in Scripture of people both singing and dancing was also an instance where there was the playing of musical instruments as well—whether or not the report of that event explicitly says anything about musical instruments being played. The strong Scriptural connection between instrumental music and dancing in many other passages supports this interpretation.[2]

This line of Scriptural reasoning has important implications for how we are to interpret what took place at another key occasion in the history of God’s people. The report of the Golden Calf incident shows that the people were singing (“the noise of them that sing do I hear” [Ex. 32:18]) and dancing (“he saw the calf and the dancing” [Ex. 32:19]) as part of their shameful behavior at this time (Ex. 32:25). Common sense, many other passages that link playing instruments and dancing, and the comparison of the three passages from First Samuel in this article point to the people playing musical instruments as well in the Golden Calf incident while the people were shamefully singing and dancing.

Based on this interpretation of the Golden Calf incident, the passage would further show that the composite sound that Moses and Joshua assessed from a distance to be ungodly—without hearing any of the words—was produced by the people singing and playing of instruments as well. The assessment of Moses and Joshua thus would point to the propriety of holding that music that includes both instrumental accompaniment and lyrics can be assessed to be ungodly by assessing its composite sound without knowing what the words are that are being sung.

 

[1] Exod. 15:20; 32:19; Jdg. 11:34; 21:21, 23; 1 Sam. 18:6; 21:11; 29:5; 30:16; 2 Sam. 6:14, 16; 1 Chr. 15:29; Job 21:11; Ps. 30:11; 149:3; 150:4; Eccl. 3:4; Isa. 13:21; Jer. 31:4, 13; Lam. 5:15; Matt. 11:17; 14:6; Mk. 6:22; Lk. 7:32; 15:25.

[2] Exod. 15:20-21; Jdg. 11:34; 2 Sam. 6:14-15 cf. 1 Chr. 15:27-29; Ps. 149:3; 150:4; Jer. 31:4-7; Lam. 5:14-15; Matt. 11:17; Lk. 15:25

 

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