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Making

Making . the. Case. The Case For. A cappella. Praise. Nation’s Largest Church of Christ Adding Instrumental Service. The Christian Chronicle , Dec. 12, 2006.

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Making

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  1. Making the Case

  2. The Case For A cappella Praise

  3. Nation’s Largest Church of Christ Adding Instrumental Service The Christian Chronicle, Dec. 12, 2006 • “The Richland Hills church in Texas – the largest of the nation’s 13,000 a cappella Churches of Christ – has decided to add an instrumental worship assembly with communion on Saturday nights.” • “Jon Jones, an elder and former pulpit minister at the 6,400-member church, told the congregation on Dec. 3 that Richland Hills’ elders “fully and completely” endorsed the decision.”

  4. Nation’s Largest Church of Christ Adding Instrumental Service The Christian Chronicle, Dec. 12, 2006 • “Senior minister Rick Atchley…told the congregation the decision should help ease crowding at Richland Hills’ two Sunday morning services. Moreover, he said, it will allow the congregation to “reach more people who need Christ.” Rick Atchley

  5. Nation’s Largest Church of Christ Adding Instrumental Service The Christian Chronicle, Dec. 12, 2006 • “We didn’t make this decision on a Tuesday and announce it on a Sunday,” Atchley said in the adult Bible study, citing much study, prayer and fasting by the elders. “This has been part of about a three-year journey that the leadership has been on.” Rick Atchley

  6. Nation’s Largest Church of Christ Adding Instrumental Service The Christian Chronicle, Dec. 12, 2006 • “I greatly appreciate a cappella praise,” Atchley told Richland Hills members. “There is no intention of this leadership to force anyone to worship any other way if that is their choice… But I firmly believe that if Richland Hills is to be most faithful to God’s word and Christ’s mission, we must become a both/and church with regard to instrumental and a cappella praise.” Rick Atchley

  7. The Case For A cappella Praise

  8. I. A cappella Praise because the New Testament Directs It

  9. A cappella means: “without instrumental accompaniment” – Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary

  10. Matthew 26:30; Mark 14:26 And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

  11. Acts 16:25 But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.

  12. Romans 15:9 and that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy, as it is written: " For this reason I will confess to You among the Gentiles, And sing to Your name."

  13. 1 Corinthians 14:15 What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding.

  14. Ephesians 5:18-19 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord

  15. Colossians 3:16 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.

  16. Hebrews 2:12 saying: "I will declare Your name to My brethren; In the midst of the assembly I will sing praise to You."

  17. James 5:13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms.

  18. I. A cappella Praise because the New Testament Directs It

  19. Burn Incense (Ex. 30:7-9) Light Lampstand (Ex. 40:4) Keep Sabbath Day (Deut. 5:12-15) Play Instruments (2 Chron. 29:25) Sing (Ps. 30:4, 12) Silent Silent Silent Silent Sing (Col. 3:16) Old Testament or New Testament Worship? O.T. N.T.

  20. I. A cappella Praise because the New Testament Directs It II. A cappella Praise because History is for It

  21. “There is no record in the NT of the use of instruments in the musical worship of the church. In this regard, early believers followed the practice of the Hebrew synagogue music.” (“Music,” Wycliffe Bible Encyclopedia, p.1163) “The primitive Christian community held the same view, as we know from the apostolic and post-apostolic literature: instrumental music was thought unfit for religious services; the Christian sources are outspoken in their condemnation of instrumental performances. Originally, only song was considered worthy of direct approach to Divinity.” (“The Music of Post-Biblical Judaism,” The New Oxford History of Music, Vol. I, p.135)

  22. Eusebius (275-339) Eusebius (275-339) wrote, “Throughout the world – in cities, in villages and in the country – in all the churches of God the people of Christ, who have been chosen out of all the nations, send up, not to the native gods nor to demons but to the one God spoken of by the prophets, hymns and psalmody with a loud voice so that the sound of those singing can be heard by those standing outside.” (Eusebius, Commentary on Psalms 65:10-15)

  23. Eusebius (275-339) Niceta (335-414) Niceta of Remesiana (335-414) wrote, “It is time to turn to the New Testament to confirm what is said in the Old, and, particularly, to point out that the office of psalmody is not to be considered abolished merely because many other observances of the Old Law have fallen into desuetude. Only the corporal institutions have been rejected, like circumcision, the Sabbath, sacrifices, discrimination in foods. So, too, the trumpets, harps, cymbals and timbrels. For the sound of the those we now have a better substitute in the music from the mouths of men.” (Niceta, bishop of Remesiania, On the Utility of Hymn Singing)

  24. Eusebius (275-339) Niceta (335-414) Augustine (354-430) Augustine (354-430), wrote, “musical instruments were not used. The pipe, tabret, and harp here associate so intimately with the sensual heathen cults, as well as with the wild revelries and shameless performances of the degenerate theater and circus, it is easy to understand the prejudices against their use in the worship.”

  25. Eusebius (275-339) Niceta (335-414) Augustine (354-430) Pope Vitalian (approx. 670). “Pope Vitalian is related to have first introduced organs into some of the churches of Western Europe, about 670; but the earliest trustworthy account is that one sent as a present by the Greek emperor Constantine Copronymus to Pepin, king of the Franks, in 755” (American Encyclopedia, Vol. 12, p. 688) Vitalian (670)

  26. Eusebius (275-339) Niceta (335-414) Augustine (354-430) Greek Orthodox Church (1054). “The execution of Byzantine church music by instruments, or even the accompaniment of sacred chanting by instruments was ruled out by the Eastern Fathers as being incompatible with the pure, solemn, spiritual character of the religion of Christ” (Constantine Cavarnos, “Bysantine Sacred Music,” cf. G.I. Papadopoulos, A Historical Survey of Byzantine Ecclesiastical Music (in Greek), Athens, 1904. pp. 10-11) Vitalian (670) Greek Orthodox (1054)

  27. Eusebius (275-339) Niceta (335-414) Augustine (354-430) Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) wrote, “Our church does not use musical instruments, as harps and psaltries, to praise God withal that she may not seem to Judaize.” (Thomas Aquinas, Bingham’s Antiquities, Vol. 3, p.137) Vitalian (670) Greek Orthodox (1054) Aquinas (1225-1274)

  28. Eusebius (275-339) Niceta (335-414) Erasmus (1469-1536) wrote, “We have brought into our churches a certain operose and theatrical music; such a confused, disorderly chattering of some words as I hardly think was ever heard in any of the Grecian or Roman theatres. The church rings with the noise of trumpets, pipes, and dulcimers; and human voices strive to bear their part with them. Men run to church as to a theatre, to have their ears tickled.” (Commentary on 1 Corinthians 14:19) Augustine (354-430) Vitalian (670) Greek Orthodox (1054) Aquinas (1225-1274) Erasmus (1469-1536)

  29. Eusebius (275-339) Niceta (335-414) John Calvin (1509-1564) wrote, “Musical instruments in celebrating the praises of God would be no more suitable than the burning of incense, the lighting up of lamps, the restoration of the other shadows of the law. The Papists, therefore, have foolishly borrowed this, as well as many other things, from the Jews. Men who are fond of outward pomp may delight in that noise; but the simplicity which God recommends to us by the apostle is far more pleasing to Him.” (John Calvin, Commentary on Psalm 33 and 1 Samuel 18:1-9) Augustine (354-430) Vitalian (670) Greek Orthodox (1054) Aquinas (1225-1274) Erasmus (1469-1536) Calvin (1509-1564)

  30. Eusebius (275-339) Niceta (335-414) Augustine (354-430) John Wesley (1703-1791) wrote, “I have no objection to instruments of music, in our chapels, provided they are neither heard nor seen.” (Adam Clarke, Commentary, vol. IV. Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 1977. p. 684) Vitalian (670) Greek Orthodox (1054) Aquinas (1225-1274) Erasmus (1469-1536) Calvin (1509-1564) Wesley (1703-1791)

  31. Eusebius (275-339) Niceta (335-414) Adam Clarke(1762-1834) wrote, “I say the same, though I think the expense of purchase had better be spared... I am an old man and an old minister, and I here declare that I never knew them [instruments of music] productive of any good in the worship of God, and have had reason to believe that they were productive of much evil. Music, as a science, I esteem and admire; but instruments of music in the house of God I abominate and abhor. This is the abuse of music, and here I register my protest against all such corruptions in the worship of the Author of Christianity” (Adam Clarke, Commentary, vol. IV. Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 1977. p. 686) Augustine (354-430) Vitalian (670) Greek Orthodox (1054) Aquinas (1225-1274) Erasmus (1469-1536) Calvin (1509-1564) Wesley (1703-1791) Clarke (1762-1834)

  32. Eusebius (275-339) Niceta (335-414) Augustine (354-430) Charles H. Spurgeon(1834-1892) said, “What a degradation to supplant the intelligent song of the whole congregation by the theatrical prettiness of a quartet, bellows, and pipes. I would as soon attempt to pray to God with machinery as to sing to Him with machinery.” Vitalian (670) Greek Orthodox (1054) Aquinas (1225-1274) Erasmus (1469-1536) Calvin (1509-1564) Wesley (1703-1791) Clarke (1762-1834) Spurgeon (1834-1892)

  33. Eusebius (275-339) Niceta (335-414) Augustine (354-430) J.W. McGarvey (1829-1911) wrote, “I again repeat, that every man who bows to the authority of God’s word, must oppose the use of instrumental music in the church” (Glenn McCoy. Return to the Old Paths. Yorba Linda, CA: McCoy Publications, 2004. p. 231) Vitalian (670) Greek Orthodox (1054) Aquinas (1225-1274) Erasmus (1469-1536) Calvin (1509-1564) Wesley (1703-1791) Clarke (1762-1834) Spurgeon (1834-1892) McGarvey (1829-1911)

  34. A cappella means: “without instrumental accompaniment” – Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary “As far as church history is concerned, the most telling confirmation of textual silence, ironically, is found in the very words, a cappella. Cappella is Latin for chapel or church. Taken in its literal meaning, the Italian a cappella means “in chapel style,” or “in the style of the church.” From the first century onward, vocal music was so distinctive from the instrumental music used in both pagan worship and private entertainment that it was uniquely known as music of the church – that is a cappella! So when we say that we sing a cappella, we are affirming what millions of believers over the centuries have affirmed – that the music of the church is distinctively vocal.” (F. Lagard Smith, The Cultural Church. p. 201)

  35. I. A cappella Praise because the New Testament Directs It II. A cappella Praise because History is for It III. A cappella Praise because Instrumental Music Does Not “Work”

  36. Nation’s Largest Church of Christ Adding Instrumental Service The Christian Chronicle, Dec. 12, 2006 • “Senior minister Rick Atchley…told the congregation the decision should help ease crowding at Richland Hills’ two Sunday morning services. Moreover, he said, it will allow the congregation to “reach more people who need Christ.” Rick Atchley

  37. III. A cappella Praise because Instrumental Music Does Not “Work” Instrumental Music Does Not Make Converts (Rom. 1:16; John 8:31-32) Instrumental Music Does Not Edify Saints (Col. 3:16) Instrumental Music Does Not Promote Unity (Eph. 4:3)

  38. Nation’s Largest Church of Christ Adding Instrumental Service The Christian Chronicle, Dec. 12, 2006 • “Atchley acknowledged that Richland Hills could lose some members to other churches as a result of allowing instrumental worship. But he said, “We’ve already lost too many over a question that’s way too unimportant.” Rick Atchley

  39. Nation’s Largest Church of Christ Adding Instrumental Service The Christian Chronicle, Dec. 12, 2006 • “Two of the congregation’s 17 elders resigned as a result of the decision, a church member who spoke on condition of anonymity told The Christian Chronicle. [Roger] Dean, one of the remaining 15 elders, confirmed that he understood the decision had prompted two elders to resign.”

  40. III. A cappella Praise because Instrumental Music Does Not “Work” Instrumental Music Does Not Make Converts (Rom. 1:16; John 8:31-32) Instrumental Music Does Not Edify Saints (Col. 3:16) Instrumental Music Does Not Promote Unity (Eph. 4:3)

  41. III. A cappella Praise because Instrumental Music Does Not “Work” Instrumental Music Does Appeal to the Flesh Instrumental Music manipulates mood, emotion and pulse. Instrumental Music entertains and teaches that worship is a performance!

  42. John 4:23-24 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."

  43. The Case For A cappella Praise

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