Musicals and Morality: Initial Thoughts Toward a Christian View of Musicals

Musicals and Morality: Initial Thoughts Toward a Christian View of Musicals 

No doubt you have heard of musicals before.  Not sure? How about a sampling of titles to spark the remembrance: The Sound of Music, Singing in the Rain, Fiddler on the Roof, or perhaps Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. Of course, there are hundreds of these movies or stage performances that are specifically identified as musicals.  Some are books turned to movie, such as Les Miserables.  Many of the lyrics and musical arrangements are simply memorable and are masterfully put together.
I would suggest that is part of why they get stuck in our heads so easily.   We'll use this topic to do a short series on musicals and morality.  If you don't watch them, rent or own them, that's an option.  I'd rather Christians be biblically-educated and exercise discernment.  If it is a stumbling block, then when you come for a visit we won't watch it.  I do not write this because I object to musicals, I've had multiple of my children perform and sing in them.  I concern is discernment.  Cultural discernment, that is.

Here's a thought.  Do we ever think through the morality and/or ethics of musicals?  Or do we simply lump them all together and say no to all of them?  Consider the main male character in "The Music Man."  The character, Professor Harold Hill, is a traveling salesman.  His job (if you want to call it that) is to sell/promise boy's band uniforms and musical instruments.  Being a traveling salesman is an occupation just like any other.  You can sell any product honesty for God's glory.  Right there.  That's the catch.  The means or methodology by which Prof. Hill sells his products is down right dishonest.  Shall we simply call this lying.  He repeatedly makes promises that are impossible to keep.  He remains one step ahead of the law and those who would keep him accountable.

What does the viewing or listening audience walk away with?  Many catchy tunes, either as solos or choral arrangements.  Many of which Christians enjoy to sing or simply to hum along.  Consider our example above.  You would be surprised the number of musical arrangements found in musicals that you either know the title or some of the lyrics already.  How many almost know the tune or words containing "Seventy-Six Trumpones" or "Marian the Librarian" perhaps even "Gary, Indiana."  All these are taken from "the Music Man."  At what point does the movie content cross the line to be less than wholesome for Christian consumption? 

We could go through scores of examples.  Many of which come from musicals which you have probably not even heard of but you know the lyrics or a tune from it.  Imagine how much Disney has done in this arena.  How many Christian children know "Let it Go" from the movie "Frozen" or shall we spell out that long word from "Mary Poppins."  You know the one where the main character is actually a flying magician/witch.  Yet Christians can rattle off scores of titles or perhaps even have a friend, "with a wooden leg named Smith!"

Thoughts and Comments encouraged.
This is only the beginning of this series.

Music in the Old Testament: Sometimes they call it Prophecy.

Music in the Old Testament. 

Apart from terms such as praise, psalm, and other related terms, one that stands out as special in relation to music is prophecy.  For our consideration of this topic we should briefly overview First Chronicles 25.  Several points emerge from the text which can be useful when wading through the water of the current music and worship war debate.

This text is not new to the issue of music.  It will no doubt be championed by some and ignored by others.  Our main concepts for viewing this passage are two-fold: first, the appearance of the term prophecy, and second, how this term is used and abused in the context of music and worship.

Leadership and Selection

First, leadership was involved in the selection of musicians.  Notice in verse one that the sons of three men Asaph, Heman and Jeduthun were "separated" out for this purpose.  For what were they selected out?  Prophecy.  Is this foretelling the future or adding to an already completed collection of scripture?  This verse defines prophecy (at least in this context) as music with instrumental accompaniment. This musical understanding of the term is repeated in verse three.  As a side note for future articles, the musical writings (at least as has been preserved for us) by these three men have been recorded for us in the book of Psalms.  For example, note Psalm 73, "A Psalm of Asaph."  Taking into consideration that these three authors wrote Psalms (for musical accompaniment) at a minimum implies that the Psalms were meant to be sung with musical accompaniment.  This is further encouraged based on the fact that many Psalms include a specific tune for which to sing that particular Psalm. 

Content and Focus

Second, the content and focus of their music is also made known.  It was for the purpose of giving thanks and praise.  The distinct focus of the music was the LORD (Yahweh).  If this is truly a faithful means for viewing song content then the content of the Psalms should be of utmost importance to us (death, suffering, pain, praise, sorrow, history, righteousness, wickedness, sin).  There is much content in the Psalms for which we can meditate upon.  We do have 150 to occupy our singing.  Seems rather strange that most church don't sing them at all.  I think I can safely say (without refutation) that the vast majority of evangelical denominations sing songs (music) on a weekly basis (without singing one Psalm).  I would guess you would be hard pressed to find more than a handful of Psalms in your local church hymnal.

Training and Dedication

Third (and lastly), these were well-trained men.  Even the well-intended need to take note here.  Yes, lets take for granted not everyone will be able to sing well (I'd be happy if people just sang period).  Anyone who has put forth effort to produce music knows that time and effort has been put forth.  My children every week practice piano.  We pay for lessons and they practice (through much pain, suffering and woe--well, not always).  There must be something to this because God specifically mentions, "all these were under the hands of their father for song" and later "their brethren that were instructed in the songs of the LORD."

If this last one sounds kind of harsh or too restrictive, try to remember which of the twelve tribes were able to participate.  Don't forget the other eleven were not selected.  Remember this when people in 2016 squabble about gender participation and music leading.  Take note of the trends in current new evangelicalism.  Just try to apply a consistent form of regulative principle to Christian music today on the gender issue.  Are you forced to appeal to a historical narrative by desperation?  Any actual prescriptive exhortations?  1 Cor 14?  Mary?  Anna?  Deborah?  

If the text actually matters then we have some weighty ideas to consider.  From here well will turn to the ark of the covenant and the relation it has to worship and music in local churches.  Does God give actual commands and precepts for worship?  What happens when we refuse to listen?  What happens when we decide to do it our own way (even if we had good intentions)?

Hope this helps some.  Comments (as always) encouraged.

Useful Resources in the Local Church Music and Worship Wars (Resources that have at least helped me).

I pray the following resources help to build up and encourage believers.  May these be resources that help Bible-believing Christians to make wise choices in the constant music and worship wars debate.

I am not listing them in any order of value or importance but simply following an alphabetical listing by book title. 


By the Waters of Babylon. (Worship in a Post-Christian Culture). By. Scott Aniol (Kregel, 2015).


***Covenantal Worship. (Reconsidering the Puritan Regulative Principle).  By. R. J. Gore Jr. (P&R Publishing, 2002).

Harmony at Home (Straight answers to help you build healthy music standards) By. Time Fisher (Sacred Music Services, 1999).


Measuring the Music (Another Look at the Contemporary Christian Music Debate) By. John Makujina (Old Path Publications, 2002.


Singing and Making Music. (Issues in Church Music Today). By. Paul S. Jones (P&R Publishing, 2006).


Sound Worship (A Guide to Making Musical Choices in a Noisy World) By. Scott Aniol (Religious Affections Ministry, 2010).


The Battle for Christian Christian Music (2nd Ed.) By. Tim Fisher (Sacred Music Services, 2004).


The Beauty of Holiness (A Guide to Biblical Worship) By. Michael P. V. Barrett (Ambassador International, 2006).

The Worship of the English Puritans. By. Horton Davies (Soli Deo Gloria Publications, 1997).

Treasury of Great Hymns and their Stories.  By. Guye Johnson (BJU Press, 1986).

***What to Listen for in Music. By Aaron Copland. (New American Library, 2009; McGraw-Hill, 1939).

Worship in Song. (A Biblical Approach to Music and Worship). By. Scott Aniol (BMH Books, 2009).


Why Johnny Can't Sing Hymns. (How Pop Culture Rewrote the Hymnal). By. T. David Gordon. (P&R Publishing, 2010).


(Note of caution: Several texts are written by authors holding to positions on music and worship contrary to what this author considers correct.  I would deem these to be less helpful in coming to a Biblically-conservative and theologically accurate position on this issue.  ).***

Hope this is helpful to someone out there.  Comments encouraged.

The God-Ordained hymnal: The Psalms. God does have a say in this matter.

The God-Ordained Hymnal: The Psalms

It appears as though God does have a say in what text and tune should be used by God's people for worship.  God did provide his people with a hymnal of his own choosing and arrangement.  He provided his people a 150 page (chapter) hymnal.  I can just imagine trying to do this today with a scroll.  The worship/song leaders stands up and says, "Please roll your scroll to Psalm 118."   Can you imagine how long that would take?  Imagine a synagogue full of people rolling their scrolls.  Praise the Lord for the invention of codex.

Just consider a standard page found in an English text Bible.  I turn to a Psalm, let's say Psalm four (150 to choose from). As you quickly glance at the text you see several things. First, a title in bold font Psalm 4 or perhaps Psalm Four (most likely it says Psalm 4).  But look right below that title for Psalm 4.  There's some more information provided for us.  Second, we have the person or sometimes the group for which this psalm was written.  Not on that but many psalms (like this one) include either the musical instrument intended for it, the musical tune, or perhaps even the mood by which it is to be sang or played.  Lastly, many psalms include the human author who wrote under divine inspiration of the Holy Spirit, in this psalm specifically it is called a psalm of David, perhaps Asaph, or maybe we don't no specifically who wrote it.

Perhaps your thinking well that was just added by the translators or by a publishing house.  Think something similar to reading the gospels and the two color font used by some publishers.  The color red denotes the publishers aid to the reader in distinguishing when Jesus is speaking and when his is not.  Here's a point of similarity.  The font whether red or black in an English translation is based on an underlying Greek text.  Question: is there any underlying Hebrew text for these titles and related introductory information?  Check out a Hebrew Old Testament text or find and interlinear.  When you look at the text in Hebrew where is verse one?  Do you translate this way, "Hear men when I call"?  Or do you translate it, "to the chief musician on Neginoth"?  Where is verse one and verse two?  Is there an interesting change occurring between Hebrew and English?

This not the only place in the Old Testament where this concept appears.  Consider also a text like Habakkuk chapter three. Verse one, "A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet upon Shigionoth."  Sounds like many of the psalms.  But look also how chapter three ends, "To the chief singer on my stringed instruments " (v. 19).  Oh, and by the way, there is Hebrew text underlying both of these verses.

One more little piece of evidence remains.  The little word Selah.  The meaning at present is not as important as when it appears.  It occurs to my knowledge 74 times in the Old Testament.  The number itself is not that important either.  When and where does it appear?  Only two books in the entire Old Testament.  Three times in Habakkuk chapter three and guess where else?  The book of Psalms, the God-ordained hymnal.

Perhaps there is more evidence for God determined text and tunes than you might have imagined.  What happens when we sing the Psalms?  Are we singing a text and tune which God chose?  Do you you think God would have chosen tunes that are described as worldly or flesh-arousing?  Let us also remind ourselves historically, that many within church history rejected and opposed the creation of hymns (and a hymnal for that matter).

Here's where another battle begins.  This is apart from the God doesn't care about the tune crowd.  Or God consider's all cultures neutral crowd.  Even to suggest otherwise to many evangelicalism smacks of a warped definition of cultural superiority or racism.  We don't have the exact tune preserved in the text for us.  What do you think a holy and reverent God would choose?

Hope this helps some in this matter.  Comments and questions encouraged.

Singing Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs: One or Three Issues?

Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs: One or Three Issues?

Strange as it may sound this is an issue.  An issue that existed far before 2016 and our church worship wars (sad to use worship and war in the same sentence).  Are these three distinct categories or are they synonymous? Does history have a voice?  Where do commentators stand on this issue?  Do these words occur elsewhere in scripture?  What should we sing in our churches today?

First a quick scriptural overview. The underlying Greek term for the English gloss "Psalms" occurs seven times in the New Testament.  Every time it occurs outside of both Ephesians and Colossians it directly refers to the book of Psalms in the Old Testament canon.  One of those five references is used to create a three-fold division for the OT, "in the Law of Moses and the prophets and the Psalms" (Acts 1).  One of these references strongly supports the continued singing of the psalms in local churches, "when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm" (1 Cor 14:26).

So should we take the remaining two references to the same Greek term to have any other meaning?  Seems obvious that the meaning has not changed, especially since one of those other five references is by Paul himself (writer of both Ephesians and Colossians).

Well that was rather easy and painless.  Now the harder part.   What do hymns and spiritual songs represent?  Restatement of the Psalms or distinct categories?  First, the underlying term for hymns occurs two times.  Guess where?  Ephesians 5 and Colossians 3.  No help there. How about spiritual songs?  Is there any help here identifying these three categories or whether they all refer to the same thing?  The term for songs occurs five times in the NT. Two occur in our common texts (Eph 5 and Col 3). The other three occurrences appear in the book of Revelation (5:9, 14:3, and 15:3).  Eighty three times(LXX) it occurs in the OT, many of which are references found within the book of Psalms.

Singing is also done by Jesus and his disciples in the gospels.  Consider Mt 26:30, "And when they had sung an hymn."  I wonder what they sang?  Is it one of our three terms from Ephesians or Colossians?  Wonder what the content was?  Did it have a tune?

This time the word under focus is a verb.  It occurs four times in the New Testament (Mt 26:30, Mk 14:26, Acts 16:25, and Heb 2:12) and 97 times in the Septuagint (LXX).  It is related to one of the three terms used in both Ephesians and Colossians.  It is the second term "hymns."  Acts and Hebrews translate the concept as "singing praise."  This is very similar to the Hebrew title for the book of Psalms, "Book of Praises."  Our English title "Psalms" comes from the Septuagint not necessarily from the Hebrew text.

So regardless of where you come down on this issue there is at least enough evidence to show that all three categories, directly or imply a source in the book of Psalms.  So lets look at it from both sides by way of application.  Yes, there are multiple commentaries that come down on both sides of this issue.

If all three categories refer to the Psalms, what does your local church do on Sunday Morning or evening?  Okay, for the sake of argument, that they are three separate categories, then at least is your church one-third obedient?  Are they at least following this pattern at all?  If not, why not?  Hymnal too old-fashioned?  Not cool, trendy, and relevant enough?

I praise the Lord for churches in our history who sang from a Psalter.  The church we used to attend in South Carolina explicitly used a hymnal that contained many of the Psalms put to music, both carefully and reverently. Our family still sings from this same hymnal.  I'm thankful our children can learn to sing the Psalms from it too.  There appears to be a strong precedent for taking a detailed look at the psalms for our music and worship concerns within a local church. 

Hope this helps some.  Comments encouraged.

Spirit-Filled Singing: Seeking Clarification and Definition (Part Two)

Music Series Part One

Spirit-Filled Singing

What is Spirit-filled singing?  Or for that matter, Spirit-filled music?  Paul had to mean something specific.  For this article, the attempt at addressing the music issue will focus on with Ephesians 5.

Ephesians 5:18-19 are as follows, "And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord."

The  focus on music and singing immediately follows two imperatives, both of which appear as present passive verbs.  The theological debate concerning the filling is not the intent of this article. On the other hand, the verbs which follow are our concern.  Verses 19-21 contain a series of participles.  As I understand it these participles are the result of Spirit-filling.  They are as follows:

Verse 19, "speaking, singing, and making melody"

Verse 20, "Giving thanks"

Verse 21, "Submitting yourselves"

As best I can tell, the first four participles are present active participles and the fifth is a present passive participle.  The intermittent prepositional phrases are taken the same way as in the previous article addressing the sister passage in Colossians 3.

Back to our original focus.  Spirit-filling directly affects or controls our music.  Specifically, our use of psalms, hymns and spiritual songs is of great concern.  So Paul has repeated the exact same phraseology in two different epistles to two different local churches (Ephesians and Colossians).  

So how do we actually evaluate what is spirit-filled music?  Please rest assured I am neither the first nor the last person to ask and wrestle with this question.  By what parameters or criteria do we use to evaluate music?  This is no small matter.  When do local culture and/or context become a factor?  Does every culture have an element of "worldliness"?   Or have too many cultures and music become so intertwined that a difference can no longer be established?

Do numbers serve as a gauge or litmus test for spirit-filled music?  If numbers are important, and pragmatism rules then consider the following (not music related):

1.  How dare anyone attack Joel Osteen (if numbers are our criteria for Spirit blessing)?

2. How dare anyone attack Bill Hybels or a Willow Creek (again, if numbers are the standard)?

3. What of people like Rick Warren, John Piper, or Rob Bell?

If the reasons are preaching, theology, practice or whatever the reasons are you object to the above individuals, then how do we evaluate when God is actually blessing a ministry?  How much church history and practice must we reject to create yet again standards for God's blessing?

Does it require my agreement?  Hope not.

Hope this helps some.  May create more questions than answers.

Comments of course encouraged as always.

Music and Affections: Paul seems to think there is a connection.

Music and Affections: Paul seems to think it matters.

Taking a cursory look at Colossians 3, some important details emerge in relation to our standing in Christ and the resulting condition of our affections and our music.

(Yes, I am finally going to tackle the church  music issue.  I need to put these thoughts down for my own growth and personal challenge).  At the end of each article I plan to challenge both those who agree and disagree with what I consider to be Biblical based positions.  Also in a following post I wish to include a multitude of texts (books) that have helped and challenged me in this issue.

Consider Col 3:1 "If ye then be risen with Christ,..."  I take this grammatically to be a first class condition assuming the reality of the condition.  The "if" protasis being the reality in the previous sentence, "If ye then be risen with Christ" and the standard "then" or apodosis is a series of imperatives (appearing both in present and aorist tense).

I list them as follows:

Verse 1, "seek those things which are above"
Verse 2, "set your affection on things above"
Verse 5, "mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth"
Verse 8, "But now ye also put off all these"
Verse 9, "Lie not one to another"
Verse 12, "Put on therefore, as the elect of God,..."
Verse 15, "And let the peace of God rule in your hearts,"
Verse 16, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom"

Verses 18-22 address wives, husbands, children and servants.

For our discussion, we will focus on the complete quotation of verse 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."

Let's go through the verse clauses (grammatical goofs are mine):

First, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom." The imperative is "let... dwell."  It is a present imperative displaying a habitual action in progress the Christian should engage.  What is to be dwelling or living in the Christian?  The word of Christ.  Simply put, we'll call this scripture or God's word.  Unless I missed a reference, this genitive phrase appears elsewhere appears only in Rom 10:17, "So faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."  Translations such as the ESV and NASB, include a different English gloss rendering, "the word of Christ."  The prepositional phrase, "in all wisdom" seems to describe either the means or manner of the scriptures dwelling. 

Second, "teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs."  The two terms "teaching" and "admonishing" are both present active participles.  I take the text to be saying the means of both teaching and admonishing is achieved through psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.  As to what the last two entail I am not certain.  As for the first it should be obvious to match it with the book located in the Old Testament, which contains 150 chapters (many of which include spiritually associated musical tunes, moods, and even instruments).

Third, "singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord."  A third participle clearly identifies the concept of singing with your mouth.  The manner in which we sing is "with grace."  The location of this grace is "in your hearts."  The audience for which we singing corporately or privately is "the Lord."

The following quote comes from "Already Gone: Why your kids will quit church and what you can do to stop it" authored by Ken Ham and Britt Beemer.  It's intent is to discover why youth are leaving the church:

"Our research showed that music is not a fundamental factor in young adults choosing to leave or stay in a church..."

As we shall see through this study, why then the need to use music (including the sound) to draw people in or to sound more relevant and modern  (think contemporary)?

The same research book includes the following also:

"many times the music worship time is more of a stage production and entertainment."

Questions for thought:

1.  What form of teaching and admonish do you experience via singing?
2.  How much of what your church sings actually contains scripture?
3.  Does your church sing the Psalms?  Any of them?  Or is this old fashioned?
4.  Does your church use music to edify those who are already attending or to draw them in?

Next I will address the similarities and differences between this passage and the mirror image found in Ephesians 5:19.  The context is different and will need added attention.

Hope this helps some. Comments encouraged.  Hopefully nothing here is trendy or novel.