2006 marked the centennial of the official split between the Christian church and the churches of Christ. One key difference then and now is the issue of instrumental music in the worship. Two stories surrounding J. W. McGarvey are presented below in the hopes that we may learn from his experiences over 100 years ago.
William Woodson tells the following in the May 5, 1996 issue of Vigil:
‘First, it was recalled that in the early 1870’s, with the knowledge and approval of J. W. McGarvey as one of the elders, a small instrument was placed in the basement of the building of the Lexington Christian church to be used by the young people in improving their singing. No one, especially McGarvey, would have thought of, let alone approved, moving the instrument upstairs to be used in the worship services. “Years went by; the youngsters grew up and took their places in the church. And so it occurred that in November 1902 a move was made to introduce instrumental music into the worship services, and McGarvey’s sensitive conscience in the matter forbade his remaining with the Broadway church. The vote taken – 30 for and 202 against—meant that what had been refused a few years before as allowed, and the McGarvey’s went elsewhere.
“One may admire McGarvey’s action on principle in 1902, but that allowance and approval of the organ in the basement in the early 1870s remains a troubling fact. It is not known how many of the youngsters who had been trained in singing with the organ in the basement voted for the organ in the worship, but the likelihood is that few who were so trained voted against its use in 1902.”
Mike Winkler adds the following in his book on Successful Christian Living in Today’s World. This account is from a conversation between Jesse P. Sewell and J. W. McGarvey in January 1903, at the Pearl and Bryan Street church of Christ in Dallas, Texas:
“While sitting on the front seat, waiting to speak, brother McGarvey leaned over to brother Sewell and said, ‘Brother Sewell, I want to say something to you, if you will accept it in the spirit in which I mean it.’ Brother Sewell assured him that he would and brother McGarvey continued, ‘You are on the right road, and whatever you do, do not let anybody persuade you that you can successfully combat error by fellowshipping it and going along with it. I have tried. I believed at the start that was the only way to do it. I have never held membership in a congregation that used instrumental music. I have, however, accepted invitations to preach without distinctions between churches that use it and churches that do not. I have gone along with their papers and magazines and things of that sort. During all these years I have taught the truth as the New Testament teaches it to every young preacher who has passed through the College of the Bible. Yet, I do not know of more than six of those men who are preaching the truth today.’ He then affirmed, ‘It will not work’.”
“While sitting on the front seat, waiting to speak, brother McGarvey leaned over to brother Sewell and said, ‘Brother Sewell, I want to say something to you, if you will accept it in the spirit in which I mean it.’ Brother Sewell assured him that he would and brother McGarvey continued, ‘You are on the right road, and whatever you do, do not let anybody persuade you that you can successfully combat error by fellowshipping it and going along with it. I have tried. I believed at the start that was the only way to do it. I have never held membership in a congregation that used instrumental music. I have, however, accepted invitations to preach without distinctions between churches that use it and churches that do not. I have gone along with their papers and magazines and things of that sort. During all these years I have taught the truth as the New Testament teaches it to every young preacher who has passed through the College of the Bible. Yet, I do not know of more than six of those men who are preaching the truth today.’ He then affirmed, ‘It will not work’.”
—copied
In Ephesians 5:19 we read, "Speaking to yourselves in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord." Also we read in Colossians 3:16, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching, and admonishing one another in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord." Here we see in our singing, we are to speak, teach, and admonish one another. This is what God expects us to do when we sing.
But can a mechanical instrument of music speak, teach, or admonish as God wishes us to do when we sing? Of course it can not. A mechanical instrument of music cannot accomplish anything God has commanded when we sing to Him in worship. Here we see that when we sing, we are "to sing with grace in your hearts" and "make melody in your heart." The melody God wants is to come from the human heart and not from lifeless mechanical musical instruments. The mechanical instrument does not have a heart from which it can worship God.
God has not authorized its use in worship to Him. God has only told us to sing. People like the sound of a piano, organ, or a band. They like to be entertained. This is what they want. They don’t really care what God has authorized. People are on very dangerous ground when they take this attitude. Please respect what God wants and has authorized in His word, because this is the only way we will be able to please Him and go to Heaven.
We read in 2 John 9, "Whosoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God." To go beyond the doctrine of Christ is to do that for which we have no authority. We can not practice instrumental music by the authority of Christ, because Christ has nowhere authorized it, and because of this we will not have God.
Some people say ‘I like instrumental music in worship.’ If this is the case then what "I like" becomes the authority and not God. When man becomes his own authority then each worshipper can introduce anything he likes with no regard to what God has said. It becomes: "I like it, I want it, and I am going to have it." Their feelings take precedence over everything else. What God says becomes meaningless when we allow our emotions and feelings to become our guide. Many people seem to think they are wiser than God and believe that instrumental music is more pleasing to God because it seems to be more pleasing to them. In Proverbs 28:26 we read, "He who trusts in his own heart is a fool." The Bible is our only authority in matters of religion; not our opinions, emotions, conscience, or human feelings.
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