Featured Is music inspired?

I would say no, not in the way scripture is inspired...the easy way to prove this is to find a "Christian" song with unbiblical lyrics. It's not that hard.

As to why we use it...
1. Lots of psalms say to sing...even new songs
2. Ephesians and Colossians tell us to encourage and exhort one another in song.
3. Many songs are prayers, and we are told to pray.
4. The truths of God's Character and Works are of such a character that merely explaining them does not do them justice...they must be exulted in.

 

To follow up, as I had to run earlier; I would say that there is nothing wrong with saying a certain song was "given" by God, since every good gift does come from Him.

But it would be similar to the man who stood up in our church 2 years ago and said he believed God wanted us to rebuild a church in Haiti that was destroyed in the earthquake. I believe that idea was from God, and we did end up doing exactly that...now, that man is not infallible, and anything anyone says should be tested for both consistency with scriptures and for general wisdom. I have no problem saying God "inspired" that man to say that, as long as we realize we are speaking of something different than the inspiration of scriptures.

The same could be said for "It is Well", or "In Christ Alone," or "Jesus Freak." In each of those cases, we could say the song was a gift of God, but that it was though of, and written down by a flawed human, and so none of those songs are as good as they might be had God written them perfectly himself. And any song, old or new, COULD have some error in it, and so all music considered for church use should be examined for doctrinal truth.

 

QF,
Some make the case that the Psalms are the divinely inspired song book,
and scripture as well.

http://www.banneroftruth.org/pages/articles/article_detail.php?1414

some look at it ,but are not convinced;

http://www.the-highway.com/psalmody_Irons.html

 

I have been to baptist churches that did not believe in playing music in the song worship service and their scripture was 1 Cor 5:19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord. I have been in church services where the congregation had such beautiful voices that music was not needed. IMO music can be a help or it can be a hinderance. The bible say's make a joyful noise unto the Lord. Some people are not gifted in carrying a tune when they sing but God recieves their worship as much as the person that has a eloquent voise, but music does help in some circumstances. I believe you can have to much music, (drums, horns, guitars, ect) and music that is to loud, electrical instuments of any kind that drowns out the singing.

 

-Just a clarification: A Capella singing IS music...I think you mean "Instrumental Music", right?

TRUE!

True, you can have too much music (too many songs) AND too much instrumentation, (such as a very large pipe organ playing too loud).

Or you could have some electrical instruments at a reasonable level that complement the singing...For example in very humid areas on the mission field, an electric piano makes a lot more sense than a real one...it would go out of tune so fast!

 

Wouldn't call them inspired but there's many deeply spiritual ones to be found in the Old School Hymnal.

 

Right, that's what we were discussing

 

Music itself is not inspirted, but the scripture tells us to use psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. So while a song isn't inspired, the some of the words it uses may be if they come from scripture. Music can definitely by spiritual.

 

Yes, but songs i used to think were inspired by the Holy Spirit, years later as i looked at the words i could see that another spirit had composed them. Songs like i'll fly away, oh glory, i'll fly away, and turn your radio on and get in touch with God are just wordly gingles to jump start the flesh. Songs today that inspire me to worship are songs of praise to the Lord that leave out stanza's of what man can do, or what man should do for God.

 

I am saying he is incorrect if he is putting it on the same level as scripture. The Lord may well have led him to write a song, but the song is not inspired like scripture.

 

Mechanical instruments of music is neither prescribed nor prohibited in the NT.

 

I don't know any songwriters. I was merely answering your question. I made it clear that scripture has a level of inspiration from God that nothing else does. You are the one that pressed the point as if songs could be inspired. I am telling you they can not in the same regard as scripture. The word means God-breathed in the bible. I thought you knew that was the level to which I was referring.