Musicing—Is it Foolishness? part 4

Musicing—Is it Foolishness? part 4

1Corintians 2:14, “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”

Ancient philosophers believed that music could have a profound moral effect on the hearer.  “All ancient peoples of whom we have knowledge gave music a place of honor, they considered it a potent religious and moral force, intimately related to the most formal, as well as the most informal aspects of life.”1 It has only been the product of modern man’s mind that music is amoral.  Although philosophers and musicians have argued for centuries about how music affects us or exactly what moral effect music had on the auditor and the performer, they have always believed that music had a message.            Philosophers have always believed that music had great power over everyone.  It has only been since the 20^th century that some Christian philosophers have come to the conclusion that style in music is neutral and therefore amoral.  Under this new “liberated” philosophy anything goes in church music.  To them, church music exists in an absurd universe and is a standardless art.  Since church music is without absolutes or any standard of correctness it is merely a matter of personal taste.  These modern church music philosophers quote St. Matthew 7:1, “Judge not, that ye be not judged.”  They purport that Jesus put an end to judgement when it comes to Christian living.

Scripture for the Day

1Corinthians 1:21, “For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe”.

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