More on Musical Truth Found in the Bible-part 1

More on Musical Truth Found in the Bible-part 1

All Christian music educators should be concerned about the authenticity of what they use in the instructional process. Should a Christian music educator refer to Scripture as an historical and philosophical basis for musical convictions? At least two concepts are important to the process of Christian music education. First, what the Bible has to say about music and musicing is relevant to music education in the twenty-first century. Second, the music educator should quote Scripture and treat it as authoritative truth concerning music. Many music educators are overly concerned about whether or not they are qualified to quote both Old and New Testament Scriptures that mention music because they are not sure what they mean or how they are applied to modern day musicing. It is true that the Bible does not deal with every aspect of music that twenty-first century Christian musicians encounter.

 Although the Bible does not provide us with exhaustive truth concerning music, what it does tell us is always true. As Francis Schaeffer wrote, “It is an important principle to remember, in the contemporary interest in communication and in language study, that the biblical presentation is that, although we do not have exhaustive truth, we have from the Bible what I term ‘true truth’. In this way we know true truth about God, true truth about man and something truly about nature, thus on the basis of the Scriptures, while we do not have exhaustive knowledge, we have true and unified knowledge.”  Schaeffer, Escape from Reason, 21.  

Thought for the Day

We know that all Scripture (both Old and New Testament) is profitable.  It is the Christian musician’s responsibility to struggle with what these passages of God’s Inspired Word mean.