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ENDANGERED HERITAGE



INTRODUCTION

        An envelope was sent to the church with a cover letter that said that a Church of Christ preacher had delivered an address at "Restoration Forum VI" in Akron, Ohio. This forum took place November 1-3, 1988. The author of the letter thought that the speech was so informative that "all Christians should have a chance to hear it or read it."


I. SOURCE OF AUTHORITY

        In the introduction to this speech Walt Yancey sets the limits of his study. He said that it is not necessary to understand the Greek or Hebrew. All we need are "a Bible written in our native tongue, English, using an English dictionary to define particularly difficult words." He said that we can "ignore" historical records and word origins. He said that this is the "safe and proper approach."

  1. Word origins and the historical background are necessary for understanding many important issues of doctrine and today. Background, coins, dates, time and other matters are not answered with only an English Bible and an English dictionary.

    1. Foot-washing
    2. Communion
    3. Measuring of time
    4. Roman Empire
    5. Coins

  2. Many matters of doctrine are not answered with just an English dictionary and a Bible in one's native tongue.

    1. Baptism - Sprinkling, Pouring, Burial
    2. Communion - Unleavened bread
    3. Organization - Elders, Bishops, Pastors
    4. Baptism - For the remission of sins
    5. Worship - On Sunday


II. LAW OF SILENCE

Next, he raises the issue of the "law of silence." "We say that the Scriptures tell us to sing, but are silent regarding instrumental music."

Then he states, "I want to suggest to you that there is not at this time, and never has been neither in the laws of God nor in the laws of man, an "law of silence." There simply is no such thing."

  1. There is a law of silence. Alexander Campbell said that we should speak where the Bible speaks and be silent where the Bible is silent. This is the law of silence. Peter expressed it in I Peter 4:11 with the words, "If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God." This is the law of silence.

  2. The law of silence says that we do not preach urban renewal, international politics and spend Bible class time discussing the killing of baby seals in Alaska. The economy, politics, the price of gas, and the riots in Korea are not matters for the pulpit or Bible class.

  3. Walt Yancey is confusing the law of silence with the "law of exclusion." The law of exclusion has to do with the fact that when one matter is specified, it is not necessary to list all the matters that are not included. If a parent asks a child to go to the store for a loaf of bread, it is not necessary to list each item that he is not interested in purchasing.

  4. The law of exclusion says that when a specific is commanded, then it is understood that all others are to be excluded. When God said, "Sing," then playing is excluded. When one chooses a mate he, by the very nature of the case, excludes all others. When I selected Janet, I decided not to marry any number of others that may have been available.

  5. The matter of instrumental music is not determined on the basis of the silence of scripture. Instrumental music is not part of the plan of God by the law of exclusion.

  6. Walt Yancey later in his speech uses the very argument that he says does not exist and never has existed. He argues the law of silence with the statement, "God nowhere in the New Testament...I repeat He nowhere, specified a cappella singing." His argument is made that God did not specify, therefore the law of silence applies.


III. SING = SING WITH THE INSTRUMENT

Walt Yancey next asserts that "we in the Church of Christ have assumed, clearly stated and absolutely insisted that the word "sing" is identically equal to the phrase "sing a cappella." ...Thus we have claimed that in the New Testament the only commands to sing are commands to sing a cappella (vocal only) and the only examples of singing are a cappella (vocal only)."

  1. A verb NEVER, NEVER, NEVER includes the direct object of that verb. I could say, "The boy hit the ball." The verb is "hit". What was hit is not included in the verb. The same is true with the verbs in Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16. The verb does not include the direct object.

  2. It is not proper to argue that the verb "sing" includes an instrument, does not include an instrument or any other direct object that might be placed following the verb. A verb describes an action. The direct object is the thing that is acted upon.

  3. The Greek word here is "psallo." Psallo does not include the instrument. Psallo does not exclude the instrument. Psallo means to "twitch, twang, pluck or pull." that which is plucked could be:
    1. a banjo
    2. a chicken
    3. a piano
    4. a human heart
    5. a chalk line

    In the New Testament passages cited, the direct object is the human heart. "Making melody in the heart." (Eph. 5:19) "Singing with grace in your hearts." (Col. 3:16)

  4. The term "a cappella" is from the Latin. It means, "from the chapel." The concept is that in the early centuries of the church the music that came from the chapel was vocal. If one heard music from the chapel, it was vocal music without any instruments. Today the word describes singing that is vocal only.


IV. GREEK IN THE DICTIONARY

Walt Yancey said that we do not need the know the Greek or Hebrew words. All we need is a good English Bible and an English dictionary. Then he used the English dictionary as the source of his Greek words. He quotes from Webster's Third New International Dictionary. "PSALM: [fr. GK psalmos - song sung to the harp, fr. psallein - to pull, twitch, play upon a stringed instrument."

  1. Webster, or any other dictionary, reflects the current usage of words. Look up the word "baptism" and the dictionary will define it with how the word is used in the English - speaking world today. The dictionary defines the current usage.

  2. Words are in constant flux. They change meaning. Sometimes they come to mean the exact opposite of a former meaning. In 1611 the word "let" meant to hinder, to restrict or hold back. Today the word means to allow, to permit. In 1611 the word "prevent" meant to precede, to go before. Today the word means to hold back, to block. In the KJV the word "suffer" means allow, and the word "conversation" means a manner of life or life style.

    It is not possible to take a good English Bible, the King James Version, and an English dictionary and know the meaning of the text. Ask any teen today. "Bad" means good. "Grass" is a drug. "Mean" means powerful.

  3. There is no argument with what the dictionary says. It reflects what is in current usage. The way words are used today is not what God had in mind when He inspired them to be written. Neither do they mean what they meant in 1611.


V. THE MOMENT OF TRUTH

In his conclusion, Walt Yancey states, "I am convinced that a large percentage of Church of Christ members do not understand why instrumental music is the terrible sin that some of our leaders would have us believe." With this statement, I am in complete agreement. I believe that the very reason for this address is that he, Walt Yancey, does not understand why instrumental music is a sin. He demonstrates in this speech a lack of understanding the basic issues.

He also states that "on this issue we in the Church of Christ have been wrong. We have taught a false doctrine. We have caused division; and even the best of our current leaders are perpetuating this division by their refusal to deal with this issue in a straightforward and forthright manner in their public communications."

In this matter he missed the target. Division is caused when one alters the pattern. For centuries, the pattern was for worship to include vocal, congregational singing. It was not vocal music that was caused a split in the body of Christ. It was the introduction of the instrument that caused the division.

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