What do you guys think about church choirs? Are they Biblical? Are they helpful? If you could have your preference, would your church have a choir? Why or why not?
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5 comments:
No choirs for me.
I think choirs obscure the congregational nature of worship.
Now, certainly this doesn't have to be the case. You could have a choir and do it in such a way as to encourage congregational worship. However, that is usually not the case.
The same principles apply to solos. Choirs are usually just solos involving more people.
I think choirs and solos can be encouraging and Christ-exalting. We can worship by singing or by listening. We don't insist that everyone must read the Scripture together as a congregation always (though we do and should sometimes). No, sometimes we listen to it being read. And that too can be distracting if done in a prideful way.
I like what Bob Kauflin says on the subject.>
In order to answer the first question here that Justin has asked we must answer the second question first. Are choirs Biblical? I would say that they are not Biblical for us to practice in corporate worship today. In order to see this answer we must look into the scripture to see how God regulates His worship. As Justin had mentioned during the discussion on deacons and deaconesses the regulative principle is a key factor of viewing every topic from deacons to choirs. Why? It is because it is biblical and God does regulate through His word how things should be handled especially in corporate worship.
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16
Here Paul tells us that the word of God is given to us so that we may be competent and equipped for every good work. The scripture does not just equip us for some things, but for everything. It is only after studying the scriptures finding the answers that God has given us that we can then express how we think on the subject choirs. Often times we do think first which then effects how we may view a certain topic.
Examples:
What if a person thinks that it is alright to speak in tongues during worship without any interpretation? It is obviously wrong, but they think that it is God honoring and encouraging to others.
What if you go to a church and during their time of singing they have a praise band that plays hymns, but they focus much more on the music and doing solos than the words of the song.
These examples show clear reasons why they are wrong in their practices, and are not obeying the word of God. Obedience to God and His word should be our focus, and not what we leave up to our feelings or imaginations. Let me now state that I am not implying that anyone here is not seeking to obey God and His word, but I do realize that there is difficulty in examining topics such as this.
Now thinking of the previous examples and how they are very obvious to see why they are not in harmony with God’s word. I will give you one more to think about that is not so obvious maybe.
1. What about the way churches today do missions and hire pastors? Does the SBC do biblical missions as well as how they set up a website so pastors can put their resumes on them to get another church? The answer is no. This may come to shock for most of you, but this is not the way the Bible prescribes us to do either one of these things. It is clear from the book of Acts that the local churches are responsible for sending people out. (Acts 13:1-3) The same thing goes for pastors. They are not to be sending off resumes, but local congregations are to raise up pastors from within. (Acts 13:1-4, 1 Tim. 2:1-2)
In all of the above that I stated let us go on to discuss the topic of choirs.
1. If you notice as I wrote above I did not say that choirs are unbiblical, but that choirs are not biblical for use to practice in corporate worship today. Under Jim’s comment Bob Kauflin stated several places in the Old Testament where choirs were used in the worship of God. This true that that choirs were used in the Old Testament, but it does not make a case for the use of choirs in the New Covenant era. In the Old Testament choirs were originally appointed from three Levitical clans: Kohath, Gershon, and Merari by David serving in the tabernacle services and then temple services. (1 Chron. 6:31-47; 16:37-42; 25:2-6) In these passages you can also see that singers and musicians were added too. There were great regulations for this choir such as: the total must be 4,000 they had to be a specific age before one could join. (1 Chron. 23:5; 23:3,24,27) They also had certain functions as in 1 Chron. 23:30-31. Kauflin also mentions a passage in Nehemiah 12 where there are two Levitical choirs that proceed around the reconstructed wall. From this information it is clear that these choirs mentioned in the Old Testament were completely constituted by Levites who were priestly in not only their constitution, but function as well. In seeing that these choirs were formed from the priestly Levitical tribe for the worship of the tabernacle and temple performing these different ceremonial acts will prove that choirs are not biblical for corporate worship.
In this New Covenant era there has been some changes from the Old Testament. What we will now look at is the change in the priesthood, and the passing away of the ceremonial law. The book of Hebrews is our main book for looking into this subject. From this book it is clear that the priesthood is now after the order of Melchizedek, and no longer under the Levitical tribe. Jesus is our great high priest who has established a better covenant. Not only that, but us believers are now in the priesthood as well. (1 Peter 2:5,9. Rev. 1:6;5:10;20:6) Now it is the congregation as a whole, that has been made this priestly nation, who sing the praises of God, and it is our great high priest who leads us in this worship. (Ps. 22. Hebrews 2:12) Therefore, it is a glorious thing that we get the privilege to sing as one as a priestly nation for God.
tcl
Maybe we first need to have the discussion of whether or not it is incumbent on us to obey descriptive passages.
Wow,
Is Choir biblical?
I will say yes. Choirs were use by Nehemiah in Neh. 12:31,38-40.
The Israelites sang in Exodus 15:1 Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the Lord, and spake, saying,
I will sing unto the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously:
the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.
Why to praise God.
Does God love praises, Yes
Did he put together worshipers, Yes
In a nut shell, there is need to praise Him on earth as it being done in Heaven, Choir is biblical.
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