Jesus prayed that we "all may be one" (John 17:21-23). Paul wrote: "I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing" (I Cor. 1:10). It is simply not the case that one is at liberty to believe and teach that "one church is just as good as another." The scriptures speak of one church, (Eph. 4:4). Jesus called it "my church" (Matt. 16:18). He and he alone, has the authority to lay down the rules.
Jesus gave the rules for our worship. He condemned the "doctrines" of men (Matt. 15:9).
In this article, we will study the scriptures concerning worship. The pattern Christ commanded his church to follow which makes it distinctive.
We believe that the Bible is the inspired word of God. Peter said "we have also a more sure word of prophecy...that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation...but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost" (II Pet. 1:19-21; II Tim. 3:16-17).
We are commanded to sing (Col. 3:16; Eph. 5:19). This is not optional, it is not something we can leave off. Note: "Speaking to yourselves [one to another] in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs..."(Eph. 5:19). We reject mechanical instruments of music. Every passage in the New Testament that refers to our singing praises to God, identifies it as acappella. Nine of the passages are: Matt. 26:30, Mark 14:26, Acts 16:25, Rom. 15:9, I Cor. 14:14, Eph. 5:19, Col. 3:16, Heb. 2:12, and James 5:13. Not one of these passages even hint at the use of mechanical instruments of music. But, in the Old Testament where it refers to mechanical instruments, it always names the instrument (Ps. 150). Now, note what the New Testament says about the instrument, as we continue Eph. 5:19; "singing and making melody [psallo] with the heart to the Lord" (ASV). What is the instrument named? The heart. In Ps. 98:5, David said: "sing [psallo] unto the Lord with the harp." Paul said to psallo with the heart: one mechanical, the other spiritual. God forbids adding to or taking away from his word (Rev. 22:18- 19; Deut. 12:32, 18:20; Prov. 30:6). "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God" (Heb. 10:31).
But we are not the only ones who do not use mechanical instruments of music in our worship. That alone does not make us different.
We are commanded to eat the Lord' supper every first day of the week. We read where Paul, when in Troas, waited seven days in order to take the Lord's supper. "And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread..."(Acts 20:7). What was the purpose for the wait? It was to break bread. When did they break bread? Upon the first day of the week. How many weeks have a first day? Note a similar usage: "Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store..." (I Cor. 16:2). All understand this to be every first day of the week.
We read in Matt. 26, Mark 14 and Luke 22, where the Lord instituted the Lord's supper. Then in I Cor. 11, Paul clearly implies that at least the basic purpose for the church to come together in "one place," was to eat the Lord's supper. But because of the way they were acting, they were making a common meal out of what should have been the Lord's supper. They had "added to" what Christ has instructed. Paul corrected them in their error (vs.23-30). The Lord's supper is a memorial. He said as often as we eat the bread and drink the cup, it was in "remembrance of me." Christians are to continue this till he comes again (v26). This alone doesn't make us different.
"If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God" (I Pet.4:11).
Don H. Noblin
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