Originally posted by Matticus:
but as for hymns, a hymn is a song of praise to God. It does not matter what style it is. Everything CCM puts out can be considered a spiritual song.
Eph.5:19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;
Col.3:16 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.
Hymn: from Strong's:
umnoV humnos hoom'-nos
apparently from a simpler (obsolete) form of hudeo (to celebrate; probably akin to 103; compare 5667); a "hymn" or religious ode (one of the Psalms):--hymn.
A hymn is properly a song or ode in honour of God.
pneumatikos pneumatikoV pneumatikos pnyoo-mat-ik-os' Spiritual
from 4151; non-carnal, i.e. (humanly) ethereal (as opposed to gross), or (daemoniacally) a spirit (concretely), or (divinely) supernatural, regenerate, religious:--spiritual. Compare 5591
5603. ode wdh ode o-day'
from 103; a chant or "ode" (the general term for any words sung; while 5215 denotes especially a
religious metrical composition, and 5568 still more specially, a Hebrew cantillation):--song.
Spiritual songs. Spiritual odes--wdaiV. Odes or songs relating to spiritual things in contradistinction from those which were sung in places of festivity and revelry. An ode is properly a short poem or song adapted to be set to music, or to be sung; a lyric poem.
"Everything CCM puts out can be considered a spiritual song." That's a mouthful. Almost everything that is CCM is described from a Biblical point of view as carnal, fleshly--not spiritual at all. Both in message and in music CCM fails. Much of it fails to exalt the name of Christ, and is even somewhat blasphemous. Much of it is vague in its message as if it could be describing any god. I am speaking in general terms, not speaking of all of CCM, but of much of it. Remember, you said "EVERYTHING" CCM puts out is spiritual. Most of the music itself is what the Bible describes as being "not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish" (James 3:15).
CCM is cheap imitation of the world's music. The Christian envies the world and says that's what I want too. So instead of honoring God with Godly music and a Godly message, it takes its appeal to the world, copies the world, and tries to blend in with the world as much as possible.
1John 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
DHK