Exclusive Psalmody

[Reformed1689]

Does anyone here subscribe to exclusive Psalmody in worship? If so, why?

 

[Reformed]

I have a number of Presbyterian friends who are "E.P." They give many reasons for their position, the most repeated being they consider the psalter to be the hymnbook of the Bible. They say there is no scriptural warrant for singing uninspired hymns in worship, and that Ephesians 5:19 is taken out of context by those who advocate singing uninspired hymns.

 

[Reformed1689]

I have a number of Presbyterian friends who are "E.P." They give many reasons for their position, the most repeated being they consider the psalter to be the hymnbook of the Bible. They say there is no scriptural warrant for singing uninspired hymns in worship, and that Ephesians 5:19 is taken out of context by those who advocate singing uninspired hymns.

How do they believe it is out of context? I'm assuming you aren't one that is holding to the position by your first post.

 

[Reformed]

How do they believe it is out of context? I'm assuming you aren't one that is holding to the position by your first post.

No. I am not E.P. Many E.P. advocates state that Ephesians 5:19 is referring to interpersonal relationships among Christians, not corporate worship.

 

[rlvaughn]

Does anyone here subscribe to exclusive Psalmody in worship? If so, why?

I do not, and am not personally aware of any Baptists who do. (There probably are a few, however.) I most often read this from Presbyterian and Reformed writers. Most connect it with the Regulative Principle of Worship. For example, Michael R. Kearney:

"God has commanded us not to worship him in any other way than he has directed in his Word. The book of Psalms is a songbook directly from God, and in Scripture we are commanded to sing from it. Therefore, the divinely inspired psalms are the only acceptable songs for congregational worship."

In my opinion, Exclusive Psalmody rises from a strong base, in that most Christians believe it is scriptural to sing the Psalms. Nevertheless, the weight of this practice hangs massively on one assumption, that we are commanded to sing only from the book of Psalms in the Old Testament. The issue seems, to a large degree, to rise or fall with the interpretation of “psalms, hymns and spiritual songs” in Ephesians 5 and Colossians 3.

To me an odd thing about Exclusive Psalmody, if it is correct, is that we can take the New Testament as the basis for our scripture readings, the texts for our sermons, and the rule for our faith and practice – but can't sing it in our assemblies. If we can only sing the Psalms, we cannot sing Matthew 6:9-13 or Acts 1:8 or Romans 8:28-39 or Galatians 2:20 or any other New Testament passage of scripture! We who are under the New Testament cannot sing the New Testament? That seems ludicrous on its very face.

 

[Martin Marprelate]

The Free Church of Scotland sang only metrical Psalms until quite recently, and one or two other small Scottish Presbyterian denominations still do it.
I'm aware of two Baptist churches in England that sing only unaccompanied metrical Psalms, though there may well be more. One of these is Emmanuel Church, Salisbury where I have worshipped on one or two occasions. It seems very strange never to sing the name of Jesus, but each to his own, I suppose. I find myself in agreement with @rlvaughn's post above.
Here is a defense of exclusive Psalm-singing by Malcolm Watts, the Pastor of Emmanuel:
https://www.salisburyemmanuel.org.uk/assets/public/articles/worship/Psalm-Singing.pdf

 

[Marooncat79]

The RPCNA is exclusive. I think it is Scottish?

 

[Yeshua1]

I have a number of Presbyterian friends who are "E.P." They give many reasons for their position, the most repeated being they consider the psalter to be the hymnbook of the Bible. They say there is no scriptural warrant for singing uninspired hymns in worship, and that Ephesians 5:19 is taken out of context by those who advocate singing uninspired hymns.

In my opinion though, they are legislating as a Standard fr all that God intended to be preference and conviction!

 

[Yeshua1]

I do not, and am not personally aware of any Baptists who do. (There probably are a few, however.) I most often read this from Presbyterian and Reformed writers. Most connect it with the Regulative Principle of Worship. For example, Michael R. Kearney:
In my opinion, Exclusive Psalmody rises from a strong base, in that most Christians believe it is scriptural to sing the Psalms. Nevertheless, the weight of this practice hangs massively on one assumption, that we are commanded to sing only from the book of Psalms in the Old Testament. The issue seems, to a large degree, to rise or fall with the interpretation of “psalms, hymns and spiritual songs” in Ephesians 5 and Colossians 3.

To me an odd thing about Exclusive Psalmody, if it is correct, is that we can take the New Testament as the basis for our scripture readings, the texts for our sermons, and the rule for our faith and practice – but can't sing it in our assemblies. If we can only sing the Psalms, we cannot sing Matthew 6:9-13 or Acts 1:8 or Romans 8:28-39 or Galatians 2:20 or any other New Testament passage of scripture! We who are under the New Testament cannot sing the New Testament? That seems ludicrous on its very face.

Also appears to discount that God gifted any to bring great hymns and worship songs into the church!