Rev. Dick
Strict psalmody people would limit the singing in public worship services to the one hundred-fifty psalms of the Old Testament. Presumably, and strategically, if not logically, it would follow that whatever instrumental music is allowed in these worship services would be of psalter numbers only—lest the worshiping people be led by the pianist in her prelude or offertory if not by the Devil himself in his treachery to hum or to meditate on A Mighty Fortress.
A duo of texts wheeled out to defend the position of strict psalmody is Ephesians 5: 19 and Colossians 3:16.
In our last blog-post we considered the noticeable lack of support these texts lend to the claim that these texts are speaking only of public congregational worship. If these texts are referring literally and only by psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to the Old Testament psalms (between Job and Proverbs) they are clearly not referring to the singing of them or to teaching and admonishing by the use of them in one setting only (formal public worship). In fact the Ephesian passage is wisdom, generally, for the children of light in evil days—not just for Sundays for an hour or two (Ephesians 5: 8-17). Colossians 3: 1-12 strings together (as pearls!) several exhortations for the saints who, since Christ is risen and they have been given faith in him, are “risen with Christ” (v.1), the elect, holy, and beloved people of God. It too, as the Ephesian passage, is wisdom for God’s people. For by the use of psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs the Colossian risen-with-Christ believers are to let the word of Christ dwell in them richly in all wisdom, 3: 16. That would be in all wisdom…every day, in every circumstance, always.
Let it be known: if Ephesians and Colossians refer to Old Testament psalms only, and if the correct understanding of these passages is that the psalms and them only are given by God to be sung by the New Testament Church, then these songs and these only are to be our songs for everywhere, and always. And not, and never A Mighty Fortress.
Another reason why it is incorrect to use the Ephesians and Colossians texts to advance the exclusive psalmody position is that these passages do not refer merely to singing—only or even primarily to singing, and that, out loud. The Ephesians 5 passage calls us to speak to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, to sing in them, and to make melody in our hearts to the Lord (Ephesians 5:19). Colossians 3 calls Colossian saints and all of us to teach and admonish one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, while singing with grace in our hearts to the Lord (Colossians 3:16).
But the main reason these or any other texts cannot teach exclusive psalmody is that the position demands that we go backwards, indeed, that we take a giant step backwards. For the position insists that we, as the new covenant people of God, do Old Testament things with Old Testament words. Like sing Old Testament songs. Though it cannot be proven that the Jews themselves sang only the one hundred fifty psalms (and not the Song of Moses, etc..), yet the exclusive psalmody people would have us sing them and them only. This, they say is necessary, is orthodoxy, is purity, is safe.
But this is deadly. And this is dangerous. For to go back to the Old Testament worship not only to pattern our worship, somewhat, after the Jews, not only to find abiding principles God has given for worship, but to seek to replicate Jewish worship, at least in our singing, is precisely contrary to the wisdom and instruction for worship and life revealed in texts such as Ephesians 5 and Colossians 3 and in the entire New Testament.
What is the wisdom, what is the all wisdom (Colossians 3:16) of Scripture fully revealed, incarnationally revealed, and poured-out-spiritually revealed in these last days? That wisdom is Christ. That wisdom is Christ Jesus. That wisdom is Christ Jesus not only promised (in the Old Testament), but who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption—that it is written, He who glories, let him glory in the Lord (I Corinthians 1: 30, 31)
That wisdom, that Christ Jesus, and that gospel leads the new covenant people to worship God not in an earthly Jerusalem, nor by the repetition of the Jewish Jerusalem’s songs, but in the Spirit of Christ poured out, and in the truth of Christ fully revealed (John 4: 21-24).
That wisdom also leads the new covenant people to compose a New Testament psalmody or psalmody/hymnody, whatever it be called. It is the psalmody of those actually and fully redeemed by the blood of the Lamb and wonderfully indwelt by his Spirit. In this last days singing we are blessed and privileged to name the name of Jesus, and to speak and sing to one another, to God’s praise and our edification, of the redemption accomplished and applied in him.
This is something the Old Testament singing saints could only long for, knowing the holy gospel only foreshadowed (Lord’s Day 6) and waiting to be fulfilled in time’s fulness.
This is something the strict psalmodists miss. Christ is in the Old Testament, to be sure, for he is ever and always the one word and wisdom of God in all ages, in both testaments, and the principal singer, also, of the inspired psalms. But Christ Jesus, that name, that full revelation of God was not yet given, nor his Spirit (John 7: 39), when the psalms were given for the worship of the old covenant people. But now it is and they are! And of this we must and shall sing in the fullness of the New Testament light of this great and unspeakable gift.
So the exclusivists may think they have something of which to boast, for they sing the psalms. But the name of Jesus, for all their lovely singing, they cannot take upon their lips. They are left singing, if not in the dark, yet of shadows and of promises yet to come to pass. The legislators and the sectarians have outlawed the Church’s public and corporate singing of that name, and by this neglected the fulness of all God would say and has said to us in his great and final word, the incarnate, crucified, and risen Son. Surely the word of Christ cannot dwell in such a choir richly (Colossians 3:16), but only poorly.
Beautiful Savior! Just ask who that may be. The Old Testament strict psalmody choir can sing no answer.
But the New Testament choir of New Testament psalms and hymns and spiritual songs can.
Just ask who that may be? Christ Jesus it is he!
Let me sing it to you. Let us, whose only song in life and in death is of the Name above every other name, sing it!
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