Ephesians 5:19 makes this statement,
“Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and
making melody in your heart to the Lord.”
Note that the words spiritual songs are used in this example of Bible
principles of musicing unto God. The
Greek words pneumatikos (4152) and oide (5603) mean spiritual i.e.
non-carnal songs. Notice that the author
of the letter to the Ephesians was very careful not to use the Greek word oide
by itself. If he had that would have admitted
all melodies, sounds and songs. We know
further that St, Paul who was a linguist, was referring to the formal
properties of the music because he follows the words psalmos (5568), humnos (5215),
pneumatikos oide, and ado (103) with the words making melody (psallo 5567). The word psallo means to touch the parts of a
stringed instrument i.e. to play a melody on a stringed instrument.
Note that the word ado is a direct
reference to singing but the Greek word psallo does not refer to singing
directly but rather to accompanying singing (ado).When Paul used the word psallo he was without doubt referring
to the sounds produced from the formal properties of the music when it was
produced on a musical instrument. St.
Paul used the word pneumatikos to signify that it was necessary to use non-carnal
sounds when musicing unto the Lord. So,
conversely there are sounds which may be produced from the formal properties of
carnal music that do not please God.
This scripture is a Bible proof that musical sounds do communicate
meaning. If musical sounds were (and
therefore are) incapable of communicating meaning, St. Paul would not have
clearly stipulated the use of pneumatikos oide i.e. spiritual or non-carnal
songs produced by touching the parts of a stringed instrument.
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