Can an instrument be in a church, or is it a sin?

Sincerely,
Open Mic

Dear Open Mic,

God has given us instruments to use for worshipping Him – our hearts (Eph 5:19).  In the New Testament, God tells us to sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to Him.  He wants the only melody He hears to come from our hearts.  Instrumental music wasn’t introduced into the church until over three hundred years after Christ.  In fact, ‘a cappella’ singing (singing without instruments) literally means ‘as the church’.  There are no examples of the church using instruments to worship God in the New Testament.  If we start using them, we are adding something to God’s Word (Rev 22:18-19).  All we are ever told to do is “sing and make melody in our hearts”… pluck your heartstrings as you sing to God, and you will make God happy.

Having preached for the first time as a commissioned minister, I received a check for the service. I believe I should endorse the check and give it back as a ‘first fruits’ offering. As I wish to continue on this path, do you concur?

Sincerely,
It’s Harvest Time

Dear It’s Harvest Time,

You don’t have to give the money back as a contribution, but it certainly would be a blessing to do so. Whenever we give to God, we are the ones that are blessed the most (Php 4:17), not necessarily physically – but spiritually. When we give to God, we store up treasures for ourselves in heaven (Matt 6:20). Give cheerfully (2 Cor 9:7) and deliberately (1 Cor 16:2).

On a separate note, what is a “commissioned minister”? Could you show us a verse in the Bible that talks about that? Who does the commissioning? We are concerned because that terminology smacks of denominationalism and man-made religious ideas. As you are embarking on a lifetime of preaching, we would hate for you to get wrapped up in the religious confusion that is so often found in today’s churches. You will be asserting yourself as a teacher… and a teacher incurs a stricter judgment (Jas 3:1). The Bible only speaks of ministers. “Commissioned ministers”, “lay ministers”, “youth ministers”, “outreach ministers”, etc. are all man-made titles that have been added as people overcomplicate and warp the Bible. We recommend you read “Preacher Interrogation” and interrogate yourself to see whether or not you are planting a preaching career on solid Biblical ground.

Are there any examples in the New Testament of Christians assembling for a worship service?

Sincerely,
Attendee

Dear Attendee,

There are a couple of very clear examples of Christians assembling to worship.  Acts 20:7-12 describes a Sunday worship service that lasted until midnight… that is where we get our example of taking the Lord’s Supper on the first day of the week.

However, probably the clearest examples of Christian worship services can be found in Acts 2:42 and Acts 5:11-12.  The church met regularly at the temple to hear the apostle’s teachings, break bread (i.e. Lord’s supper), and pray.

I am looking for a lesson on the authority of worshipping on Sunday as opposed to serving the Lord on Saturday.  After reading about the Council of Laodicea and seeing that after Christ died 300 plus years later, the church seemed to take a change.  Although I have heard lessons on this subject, it has been some time, and unfortunately, I need a refresher.

Sincerely,
Ready For The Weekend

Dear Ready For The Weekend,

Christians have always worshipped God on Sunday.  The easiest place to see this in Acts 20:7 where Paul met with a congregation to worship on Sunday.  Furthermore, local congregations are commanded to gather together and take up a collection on Sundays (1 Cor 16:1-2).  The pattern of the church meeting on Sundays is established very early in the New Testament.  Sunday worship is the Biblical pattern of worship – not Saturdays.

[This question is a follow-up to “In A Bond Bind”]

You said it that the weekly collection was the only biblical way for a church to raise funds. Then you said that selling bonds was the same as getting a loan (though it really is not). You then said a church needed to use wisdom whether it should borrow money from a bank. Can you please show how your first point relates to the last? If the collection is the only authorized way, where does wisdom enter the ball game?

Sincerely,
007

Dear 007,

A bond is exactly the same as getting a loan.  In finance, a bond is an instrument of indebtedness of the bond issuer to the holders. It is a debt security, under which the issuer owes the holders a debt and, depending on the terms of the bond, is obliged to pay them interest.

There is a difference between a church borrowing money and a church raising money.  When a church borrows money, their income hasn’t changed – they just have an obligation to pay the borrowed money back, typically with interest, at a later date.  It is the same as when someone borrows money to buy a car.  The borrowing requires them to raise money eventually to pay back the loan… the loan doesn’t change their income.

This is where the real issue is.  The church is only given one example of raising money for its work – through a collection of the saints on the first day of the week (1 Cor 16:1-2).  The congregation must then be wise about how they steward that money.  Acquiring, or not acquiring, loans to purchase a church building (or other major expenses) is part of that stewardship.