Traditional Church Music—part 1

Traditional Church Music—part 1

          Traditions are harmful when they are in conflict with God’s Word. Colossians 2:8, “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.”   However, St. Paul states in 2Thesalonians 2:15, “Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.”  So, the New Testament writers only condemned traditions that were in conflict With Scripture—not all traditions.  The word paradosis (3862) which was translated traditions is derived from paradidomi 3860 which means to instruct or transmit.  So, St. Paul was admonishing the Christians at Thessalonica to stand fast in these truths which had been transmitted to them.

          Traditional church music is harmful when it takes the focus off of the main things i.e. the “weightier matters” (Cardinal doctrines) found in the Bible or when it is partnered with confusing or incorrect doctrine.  Matthew 23:23, “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cumin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.”  If traditional music is so shallow that it obscures the “weightier matters” then it is harmful to public worship.  However, worship leaders should not act as if traditional church music is the only music that is capable of being banal music or an inadequate vehicle or the transmission of the gospel of Jesus Christ.