Christian Rock Music,
Good or
Evil
?
by Bob Phillips
[CRD Webmaster's Note: 1 discovered Bob Phillips! website last night while
searching for documents concerning Christian rock. This article is reproduced
here with his permission.]
I have heard most of the arguments made by Christians opposed to Christian
Rock & Roll and any other style of Christian music they don't approve of I think
most of this is personal dislike for a music style being misinterpreted as a
message from God. I don't believe music itself has a moral status, the good or
evil is in the lyrics and the thoughts and ideas they promote. Many of the hymns
we sing in church were written to die bar tunes of that time period. 1 challenge
anyone to find one scripture in the Bible that refers to any such thing as an
evil music style. To say that they did not have rock music back then is beside
the point. The Bible has everything we need to know about Godliness even for our
generation.
2 Peter 13-4 3
According as his divine power hath given unto us an things that pertain unto
fife and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory
and virtue: 4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises:
that by these ye n-fight be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the
corruption that is in the world through lust
Many of the pagan "M" celebrations included music, using many of the same
instruments that the Israelites were commanded to praise God with
Daniel 33-5 3
Then the princes, the governors, and captains, the judges, the treasurers,
the counsellors, the sheriffs, and 2-11 the rulers of the provinces, were
gathered together unto the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king
had set up; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 4
Then an herald cried aloud, To you it is commanded, 0 people, nations, and
languages, 5 That at what time ye hear the sound of the comet flute, harp,
sackbut p5altery, dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship
the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up:
Some churches even forbid use of musical instruments, yet the Israelites praised
Him with all kinds of instruments, and not only tame sounding ones.
2 Samuel 6:5 5
And David and all the house of Israel played before the LORD on all manner of
instruments made of fir wood, even on harps, and on psalteries, and on timbrels,
and on comets, and on cymbals.
1 Chronicles 13:8 8
And David and all Israel played before God with all their might and with
singing and with harps, and with psalteries, and with TimbreIs, and with
cymbals, and with trumpets.
1 Chronicles 15:28-29 28
Thus all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the LORD with shouting,
and with sound of the Comet, and with trumpets, and with cymbals, making a noise
with psalteries and harps. 29 And it came to pass, as the ark of the covenant of
the LORD o the city of David, that Michal the daughter of Saul looking out at a
window saw king David dancing and playing: and she despised him in her heart.
The idea that Christian music consists only of the type that the choir in church
might sing is also not supported in scripture. 11c Israelites were commanded to
Praise God with instruments that would be unwelcome in a lot of our churches.
2 Chronicles 5:12-14 12 Also the Levites which were the singers, all of them of Asaph, of Heman, of Jeduthun, with their sons and their brethren, being arrayed
in white linen, having cymbals and psalteries and harps, stood at the east end
of the altar, and with them an hundred and twenty priests sounding with
trumpets:) 13 It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one,
to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD; and when they
lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of musick,
and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endure for ever:
that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the LORD; 14 So
that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the
glory of the LORD had filled the house of God.
This does not sound like the mellow worship music in many of our churches but
God was pleased with this loud music. Here are many more scriptures.
2 Chronicles 30:21 21 And the children of Israel that were present at Jerusalem
kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with great gladness: and the
Levites and the priests praised the LORD day by day, singing with loud
instruments unto the LORD.
Psalms 33 : 1-3 1 Rejoice in the LORD, 0 ye righteous: for praise is comely for the
upright. 2 Praise the LORD with harp: sing unto him with the psaltery and an
instrument of ten strings. 3 Sing unto him a new song; play skilfully with a loud noise.
Psalms 98 : 1-5 1
O sing unto the LORD a new song; for he hath done marvellous
things: his tight hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory. 2 The LORD
hath made known his salvation: his doteousness hath he openly shewed in the
sight of the he.athen. 3 He hath remembered his mercy and his truth toward the
house of Israel: all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. 4
Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and
rejoice, and sing praise. 5 Sing unto the LORD with the harp; with the harp, and
the voice of a psalm.
Psalms 1501-6 1 Praise ye the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise hirn in
the firmament of his power. 2 Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him
according to his excellent greatness. 3 Praise him with the sound of the ~pet:
praise him with the psaltery and harp. 4 Praise him with the timbrel and dance:
praise him with stringed instruments and organs. 5 Praise him upon the loud
cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals. 6 Let every thing that hath
breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD.
It seems to me that God Ekes loud worship. It may be that he knows we are
usually loud only when we have our hearts into something. We can get loud at
sporting events and rock concerts and no one has a problem with that. 1 think
God wants even more from us in praise to Him.
Luke 19:37
37 And when he was come nigh, even now at the descent of the mount of Olives,
the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud
voice for all the mighty works that they had seen;
It seems He also likes new music (songs). Could that be because He knows humans
tend to get bored with music they have heard many times. He wants us to be
excited about our worship to Him, and half hearted singing of songs we have
repeated too many times to be excited about does not glorify Hint Those
looking on at our half hearted worship are not convinced that the God we claim
to worship means anything to us.
Revelation 5:9-12
9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to
open the seals thereof.. for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy
blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the
earth.
11 And 1 beheld, and 1 heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and
the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten
thousand, and thousands of thousands;
12 Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power,
and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.
Many Christians are losing their children to the evil ideas promoted by secular
music because they are not interested in finding Christian music that fits the
musical tastes of the younger generation. You can forbid them to listen, but
even if you could follow them everywhere they go you are fighting a losing
battle. If
you expect your children to like the music you grew up with then apply the same
standard to yourself How far back would we have to go to make your parents or
grandparents happy? Classical? Lawrence Welk ? Opera? We wonder why our children
are not excited about worship. Could it be that they need the "new songs" that
the Bible talks about? Something they can relate to. Music styles are a cultural
thing, and the Bible only commands rejecting cultural things, that promote evil.
On this point someone will quote the
scripture...
1 John 2:15
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.
... and I am in total agreement all scripture. If the meaning of this scripture
is to reject a music style because the world listens to i~ then it follows that
an~ the world uses for evil we must reject- Radio has some very evil music, so
all radio must go. TV has- many evil shows, so throw it out too. Cars have been
used for evil purposes also. 1 could go on and on but you can fill in your own
at. 1 think the point of the scripture is that we should not "Love" the world.
Much the same as...
1 Timothy 6: 10
10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted
after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many
sorrows.
... does not mean that money itself is evil. I am happy that finally all styles of
music are represented by some Christian equivalent. Based on the following scripture 1 think Paid would
have fell the same way.
1 Corinthians 9:19-23 19 For though
I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that 1 might gain the more. 20 And unto the Jews
I
became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as
under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law; 21 To them that
are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God but under the law
to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law. 22 To the weak became
I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I
might by all means save some. 23 And
this I do for the gospels sake, that 1
might be partaker thereof with you.
As Christians we need to reject past traditions that are not supported by
scripture and are hindering reaching this generation. The message of the gospel
never changes, but the delivery of the message must be relevant to those
receiving. Our youth need to see that our God IS relevant to their generation,
and that we will follow Christ's example and set aside self (our preferences) to
reach them. Yes, we. will be criticized by modem day Pharisee types, Jesus was
in His day.
Matthew 9:10-12 10 And it came to pass, as Jesus sat
meat in the house,
behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples. 11 And when the Pharisees saw
it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your
Master with publicans and sinners? 12 But when Jesus heard that, he said unto
them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.
This scripture also gives support to the idea that "Love not the world" does not
mean total isolation from everything in the world Instead of fighting music styles
lets light evil There is enough real evil in our world to fight against.
All scripture quotations are from the King James Version