Singing In The Church - The One Year Book of Psalms
Singing In The Church
Following are some verses that show that God’s people have always been encouraged to sing praises to the Lord:
- Psalm 33:3
- Acts 16:25
- 1 Corinthians 14:26
- Ephesians 5:19-20
- Colossians 3:16
Governor Pliny was having a hard time. The number of Christians in his province of Bithynia was increasing daily. He had put a few of them to death, but this didn’t seem to have any effect on the growing sect. Finally, Pliny wrote to Emperor Trajan in Rome asking for advice. He explained that he had been trying hard to find something to accuse them of, but he couldn’t find anything—except that they refused to offer sacrifices to the emperor. Oh, yes, there was one other thing that was a bit peculiar: “They meet at dawn to sing a hymn to Christ as God”—a rather generous “criticism” that has gone down in history as one of our earliest outside descriptions of Christian worship.
Sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, Paul told the Colossians. The psalms were from the Old Testament, but they found new meaning in Jesus Christ. The hymns were early Christian compositions of praise to God that had come to be accepted by the church as a whole. We will be looking at some of these throughout the year. Spiritual songs were probably more spontaneous expressions by members of the congregation.
And notice the accompaniment that Paul speaks of in Ephesians 5:19. The actual instruments used are not as important as the joyous sound of thankful hearts and harmony among the believers. If the voices blend musically—all the better! But what God desires most is the blending of our hearts.
How sweet and heavenly is the sight
When those who love the Lord,
In one another’s peace delight
And so fulfill his Word.
R. G. SWAIN
“The early church was a singing church; it had a happiness that made men sing.”
WILLIAM BARCLAY
