“I regard the Sunday School as an innovation. I can’t see it in any other light.”
- N. L. Clark, “Editorial Notes,” FF 23 {29 Jan 1907}, 4
“Where, oh where is the Bible authority for Sunday School?”
- N. L. Clark, “Debate with Whiteside,” FF 22 {13 Nov 1906}, 4
A Summary of the Prosecution’s Case
It has been pointed out in prior installments that I have been using a courtroom metaphor that derives its existence from the book Seeking True Unity. The metaphor is a good one and I mean no disrespect through its use at all.
We have heard from several members of the panel for the prosecution so far but we hear from Jeff Jenkins now for the first time. Brother Jeff informs us that worship is “now one of the most controversial issues in the church of our day” (p. 37). At the heart of the worship wars is none other than instrumental music.
Jeff approaches the jury box and he asks a very good question “Does God regulate our worship to Him?” After responding to Mike Cope (p.38) who opined that IM does not matter to God, Jeff asserts that it matters a great deal because God has in fact regulated worship. Indeed Jeff says, “Before we make the bold assertion that it doesn’t matter how we worship God we should carefully consider the biblical material” (p. 39). This is an interesting statement for I have never heard anyone claim that it does not matter how we worship God, including from Cope! Jeff appeals to Cain (Genesis 3) and Nadab and Abihu (Leviticus 10) to show that “obedience matters to God” (p. 39). I agree obedience matters to God.
Then Jeff informs the jury that “thousands of wonderful, loving, highly educated brethren” could not be guilty of “shoddy hermeneutics” on matters of biblical interpretation (especially on IM). He then lists these men and says “These men are hardly the kind of men who would build their teachings on ‘shoddy hermeneutics!’” (p. 40).
According to Jeff there are, apparently, some who are trying to convince those in Churches of Christ that our music is “peculiar to churches of Christ.” (Again I have never heard or read such a claim). No he says. Rather a cappella is not a tradition but instrumental music is “definitely an addition.” Jeff concludes his presentation by stating it is of paramount importance of how we interpret the Bible. We must worship not only from a “right heart, we must also worship as He has commanded” to which our brother cites John 4.24 (p. 41).
Deliberating with the Jury
In many ways I am deeply sympathetic with the prosecution on this matter. I have wrestled with the instrumental music issue off and on for years. I agree with Jeff that our lives—our worship—is regulated by God. Life and Assembly are overshadowed by the Lord God of the Universe. Of this I have no doubt. I also agree that worship is a hot topic and I have even published a book, along with John Mark Hicks and Johnny Melton, on the subject called A Gathered People: Revisioning the Assembly as Transforming Encounter (2007). The fact is I have no desire to introduce instrumental music in my local congregation. I love Darryl Tippens recent small booklet That’s Why We Sing: Reclaiming the Wonders of Congregational Singing (2007). You can order this for 3 dollars at 1.877.816.4455 toll free. Thousands of these were handed out at the Pepperdine Lectures. A cappella music, when well done, stirs my soul. It can be harnessed and used powerfully in the assembly to glorify God and edify the saints.
Yet I remain unconvinced that instrumental music should divide the family of God. Worship has always, not just recently, been a subject of heated debate. In our own history for the last 125 years there has been nearly constant warfare over what the assembly can and cannot do.
Mack Lynn states that the total number of Churches of Christ in theU.S.
Mack Lynn states that the total number of Churches of Christ in the
1875-1890 Rebaptism, card-playing, dancing, going to the theater, reading fiction, and going to baseball games
1890-1910 instrumental music, blue laws (Sabbath question), use of tobacco, pacifism, role of women, role of the Holy Spirit
1910-1940 premillennialism, use of prepared Sunday school literature (i.e. Gospel Advocate Quarterly), congregational autonomy
1940-1960 non-institutionalism, non-class, kitchens in the church building, one-cup, Holy Spirit, and mutual edification
1960-1985 bible translations, Holy Spirit, pacifism, marriage, divorce and
1985-1999 authority of elders, rebaptism, hermeneutics, women's role, worship
The opening quotes above by N. L. Clark are directed to the Sunday School issue. This issue actually split our fellowship. In 1925 R. F. Duckworth published an exclusive list in the Apostolic Way of churches because “congregations were being imposed by Sunday-School preachers coming into their midst claiming to be sound, and while there, sowing the seed of discord” (quoted in Ronny Wade, The Sun Will Shine Again Someday, 44). These brothers believe the work and worship of the church is also “regulated.” In fact they look at “us” and say we have done exactly as the Christian Church as done: failed to interpret Scripture properly at best and rejected biblical authority at worst!
Deliberating on Hermeneutics
I do not believe the Bible, or the NT, is a “love letter” from God. This lingo originated in an analogy first used by Mike Armour and Randy Fentor to emphasize both the occasional nature of the epistles and the love dimension of them. This analogy has never had a major following though some to the right “love” to play on it for all its worth. But in many ways it is a better analogy than that of a constitution or case law.
I believe the Scriptures are covenantal documents. In the canonical arrangement accepted by the church there is a plot, or overriding story, or narrative to these documents. One might say scripture is more like a drama divided up into “Six Acts.” Those Acts are Creation, Fall, Israel
I think the term “shoddy hermeneutics” is inflammatory and not helpful for the conversation. But I do think that there have been some arguments that are not quite satisfactory that are used to disprove instrumental music. Gopher wood is one such argument.
Gopher wood is a classic argument used in our debates with our playing brethren. It is even appealed to previously in Seeking True Unity (p.13). It is claimed that God gave a specific command and if Noah used another kind of wood he would likely die. In fact Thomas B. Warren claims that since God “specified” gopher wood that if “he [Noah] had used some other kind of wood he would not have been saved” (When is an ‘Example’ Binding?, p. 115, his emphasis). This is mistaken hermeneutics at best! There is not a shred of evidence that “gopher” wood was a specific type of wood. In fact you will not even find “gopher” in any modern translation. Way back in 1835, Alexander Campbell himself pointed out how erroneous the KJV is in Genesis 6.14. Campbell Campbell Campbell
Leviticus 10 is another text that is simply abused. It is appealed to by Jeff himself. I grew up on Nadab and Abihu. I even made it through Bible college without ever actually having studied the entire text! The rest of the chapter did not and does not serve the prosecutions case at all. But the second half of the chapter show Eleazar and Ithamar violating a real “specific” command. They were told what to do and how to do it and there would be no variation. But they did violate the specific commands and were not burned up like their brothers. Did God violate his own rule? If all that was involved in the the first half of the text was some technical violation then explaining the rest of the text becomes exceedingly difficult. Or is something else going on in the text as a whole. God is not a God of technical precision, nor of precision obedience, and Lev 10.11-20 proves it beyond a doubt. It seems that v.8 provides the needed insight into what is going on in the text. Moses did not suddenly, and arbitrarily, in the midst of tragedy decide it was a good opportunity to speak of the evils of whiskey. The word of Moses has direct relevance to the tragic death of Nadab and Abihu. They had the audacity to show up in the holy Presence of Yahweh and offer their unholy drunken worship in front to the entire assembly. God dealt with that arrogance swiftly. But the disobedience of Eleazar and Ithamar is a completely and totally different matter. God accepted their sacrifice and covered their sin with his grace because their hearts were completely different.
I would suggest that Jeff has also misinterpreted John 4.24. This is a crucial text as he rightly points out but he buys into the polemical use of that text rather than let the Gospel of John tell us what it means. We have a lengthy discussion of this text in A Gathered People, pp. 133-136. The interpretation of this text needs to be governed by two iron-clad rules, context and context! Historical and Literary. The question in context is which temple should be worshipped in (Gk, en). Readers of the Gospel are informed in chapter 2.19-22 that Jesus himself is declared to be the "temple" of God. Jesus is the new temple according to the Gospel. In this new temple worshippers will worship in (en) Spirit and truth. The contrast is between temples, it is not between physical, fleshy, immaterial and inward. Jesus is not saying that Israel temple of Jesus temple of Jesus
The word “truth” in John 4.24 does not mean “according to the command” or “by the book.” The term occurs 55x in the Gospel and consistently takes on a typological meaning. For example law came by Moses but truth by Jesus (1.17), the snake was lifted in the wilderness as Jesus would be on the cross (3.14). The context of John 4 is NOT truth (i.e. biblical revelation/ideas) vs. falsehood (i.e. unscriptural ideas) but shadow versus reality. To worship the Father in Spirit and truth is to praise the Father in his new temple in the power of the Spirit. We worship, as we wrote, “the Father in a Triune way—we worship the Father in the Spirit (eschatologically) and in the Son (the true temple)” (A Gathered People, p. 136)
This does not mean that God is not interested in proper worship but it does mean that these texts are not about what they have been asked to support by the prosecution. So I agree with my beloved brother Jeff that how we interpret the Scripture is of critical importance. So important that we need to let our polemical use be subjected to some rather close scrutiny.
Some Final Reflections
First, saying that numerous respected brethren could not use faulty hermeneutics does not prove a single thing. The brethren on the other side point to an equally large number of brothers who have advanced degrees, prayed and studied and came to the exact opposite conclusion on instrumental music. They probably don’t like being told that they have build their case on “shoddy hermeneutics” any more than brother Jeff does.
Second. as I pointed out to brother Phil (who never gave a reasoned reply) if Paul and the church in Jerusalem could worship in the Temple
Third. This is directly related to the last statement. If, as I believe to be the case, that the Holy Spirit does carry us into the very throne room of God during our worship then in some sense we DO worship with instruments. We join the great universal church that surrounds the throne of God and we join them in their praise of the Holy One of Israel.
Fourth, The rational given for excluding my brothers on the other side of the keyboard from fellowship is the exact same rationale that Duckworth and many others have used to exclude both Jeff and myself. Jeff will protest by saying that those brethren have bound their opinions and fail to discern expedients and aids. But it is dubious at best to draw theology from an idea that Scripture is also “silent” as the grave on. There is not an iota in the text about discerning the difference between aides and additions.
Fifth, I am a Christian first and then a member of the Stone-Campbell movement. That heritage is not canonical but God has worked in it just the same. And that history, especially the union of Stone with the Christian Connexion, the welcoming of the Dunkards congregations associated with Joseph Hostetler, the right hand extended to Alyette Raines and the miracle of Stone and Campbell coming together gives me reason to believe there is insufficient grounds given for with holding my hand from one whom the Lord Jesus Christ has brought into the family and is attempting to live in covenant and obeys his will to the best of their ability … how could I do otherwise?
Sixth, in light of the problems at Corinth … far more severe than Richland Hills or Southeast Christian Church … I can only follow the great apostle’s example and thank God every time I think of them. I can only rejoice in the “grace” that has been given to them in Christ Jesus. And I can only extend my hand to those who are of the “Church of God
"The nearer we come to Christ's cross, the nearer we come to each other. How can our divisions and our enmities be maintained in the sight of his bitter suffering and death? How, in the light of Christ's 'open heart,' can we remain closed and be fearful about the church? And how can we, grasped by the outstretched arms of the suffering God upon the cross, clench our fists or with unrelenting fingers hold fast to our separateness?" (Jurgen Moltmann, The Passion for Life, 84-85)See Seeking True Unity #1 HERE
See Seeking True Unity #2 HERE
See Seeking True Unity #3 HERE
See Seeking True Unity #4 HERE
See Seeking True Unity #6 HERE
Shalom,
Bobby Valentine
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