The First Church was A Singing Church

All the churches we read about in the New Testament were singing churches. The churches we read about in the centuries that followed were singing churches. In fact. the term acapella, singing without accompaniment of musical instruments, simply means “in the manner of the church.” I affirm that the church today should be a singing church, i.e. acapella. Why? 1) They had many wonderful things to sing about and 2) They were following the teachings of the Lord through his personal representatives. In this lesson I emphasize #1 and will sketch the reasons for #2.

James, the Lord’s brother, wrote, Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise (James 5:13). That church had a lot to sing praise about. Let me suggest a few. Next in probable order of writing, comes Paul’s letter to the Corinthians. Describing their worship assembly, he writes, I will sing praise with my spirit, but I will sing with my mind also (1 Cor. 14:15). A review of Paul’s letter reveals many things to sing praise about. Instead of the confusion, in chapter 14, they could sing about God’s grace and faithfulness they had experienced (1 Cor. 1:9) and the secret and hidden wisdom of God revealed in Paul’s preaching of the cross (1 Cor. 2:7-10). Next comes Paul’s circular letter to churches of Asia that we call Ephesians. Instead of drunken orgies, they are commanded to be filled with the Spirit addressing one another is psalms, and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with all your hearts (Eph. 5:19). To the praise of God’s glorious grace, they sing to one another about God’s blessings, their election and God’s plan to unite all things in Christ (Eph, 1:3-10). Then follows the companion letter, Colossians where Paul writes, Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual hymns with thankfulness in your hearts to God (Col. 3:16). Here we sing of the preeminence of Christ (1:15-18) and celebrate that we have been given that fullness in faith and baptism. Then we come to a 2nd generation preacher who proclaims the new and living way to enter God’s presence by the blood of Christ. Without using the verb to sing, he concludes, Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name (Heb. 13:15). Finally, we come to the Revelation of John where we hear the singing of a new song by the choirs of heaven (Rev. 5:9).They are joined by the redeemed who sing their own new song (Rev. 14:3), We sing because there are so many wonderful things to sing about. Come let us all unite to sing.

—Tom Yoakum