Putting Singing into Perspective
The scriptures are clear: singing is important.
Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Col. 3:16
speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; Eph. 5:19
I enjoy congregational singing and singings. A “song service” many times can either “make or break” an assembly. I believe singing schools are entirely appropriate and that we need more good hymn writers and effective song directors. With that said, however, let me come to my point: we can overemphasize this matter of singing. That’s right—we can put way too much importance on it.
Unequally emphasizing matters is an old problem: Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others. Matthew 23:23. There was nothing wrong with tithing herbs but the Jews had elevated and emphasized the practice to such an extent that it had become more important than truly “weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness.” Such unequal emphasis was wrong.
This same mistake was made in Corinth. There were those who thought that the gift of tongues was the gift of all gifts and Paul wrote at length to correct this notion (1 Cor. 12-14). In regard to tongue-speaking, the Holy Spirit said, Now I wish that you all spoke in tongues, but even more that you would prophesy; and greater is one who prophesies than one who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets, so that the church may receive edifying. 1 Cor. 14:5. Tongue-speaking was important. However, the church receiving edification through prophesying was more vital than tongue speaking. That took nothing away from tongue-speaking; it simply put it and the other gifts into proper perspective.
We can make a similar mistake today with singing. As was true with tithing herbs and speaking in tongues, so it is with singing: there were some things more important than tithing herbs and tongue-speaking and there are some things more important than singing.
Listen further to the Holy Spirit:
the gospel,…is the power of God for salvation Rom. 1:16. Singing is not God’s power unto salvation; the gospel is.
preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. 2 Tim. 4:2. Singing hymns isn’t the source of the reproof, rebuke and exhortation that brings salvation; preaching the word is.
God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. 1 Cor. 1:21. Songs that are sung are not what God chose to save those that believe; the message (gospel) that is preached is.
listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation--having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, Eph. 1:13. Songs that are listened to are not the message of truth; the gospel is the thing listened to that brings salvation.
It was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Thess. 2:14. Singing is not what calls us; the gospel is what calls us to the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Is this taking anything away from singing? Certainly not. It is putting this practice into perspective. While we certainly need men and women who can write fine hymns and men who can effectively lead us in hymn singing, what is of even greater importance is men and women who have a thorough knowledge of God’s will and who can effectively preach and teach it. We need more teachers and preachers and spiritual leaders than song leaders; we need more good Bible students than good music students.
There are a couple of things which concern me and cause me to caution about this emphasis on singing:
1-Congregational singings. As stated previously, I believe it entirely appropriate for congregations to provide for “singings” and spend an hour or whatever time period in singing old hymns and learning new ones. I think it is wonderful when you can get one thousand people---some driving great distances---to assemble for that purpose. But I believe it is sad when you cannot generate that same enthusiasm and get that same number to assemble for the purpose of listening to Bible preaching or engaging in Bible study---something more valuable than singing or learning new songs.
2-Only sing in heaven. Somewhere along the line, someone came up with the idea that about the only thing we are going to be doing in heaven is singing, therefore the need to give it special emphasis here on earth in order to prepare us for heaven. Now I don’t know where we got this idea but I do know that it is the height of arrogance for anyone to say that they know for sure what the only thing is that we will be doing in heaven. Will we sing in heaven? There is no question about it. Will singing be the only thing we will be doing? Be real careful before you give that an unqualified affirmative answer.
Let us be very careful to do all that God instructs in regard to singing and do our very best in this phase of our collective or individual worship. Let us make sure we give it the emphasis given to it by God. But at the same time beware that we don’t over-emphasize and, in the process, neglect weightier things.
David Smitherman