Why Don’t We Sing? - part 1
Speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs
- Ephesians 5:19
Important Disclaimer*
Flummoxed
I must admit that when I came to this exhortation I found myself at a loss. I looked at different translations, I examined the Greek words, I considered the greater context of this letter and its sister, Colossians... yet it still said the same befuddling thing: “Communicate among yourselves with singing!”
Less Than Organized
This made little sense to me. What does this look like? Spiritual singing in groups normally happens in a Church setting – or any place where Christians are meeting for the purpose of worship God together. That singing is planned and organized. However, I don’t think that’s what we’re looking at in Ephesians. Were Paul addressing here the Corinthians and their need for an “orderly manner” in their gatherings, then organized singing might be in scope, but here in Ephesians the focus is on the inter-relational workings of the Church. Paul is talking about unity – the God-given oneness of believers in the local Church – and how that unity is worked out among us. If we are to grow into Christ, we must do it together – that we cannot do it otherwise. How we speak to and act toward one another determines whether unity will be preserved or destroyed. So singing to each other here is something that happens in the context of those relationships.
Not Natural for Us
Perhaps you’ve a different experience, but my time with other believers is not characterized by singing spiritual songs. I can’t recall any conversations where one of us said, “Let’s sing,” unless it was Christmas carols or a musician-to-musician thing. So why don’t we sing?
Singing in the Early Church
Are we missing out on something that was common practice to earlier Christians? Singing certainly shows up in the New Testament . Christ sang with His disciples after the Last Supper. Paul and Silas sang in prison. Paul and James encouraged believers to sing. The Christians at Corinth also were prepared to sing when they gathered together. Pliny, a second century Roman governor in Asia Minor reported to Emperor Trajan that Christians met together before dawn (to avoid persecution) to sing praise to Christ as God. Tertullian, writing from North Africa toward the end of the same century, describes a Christian feast at which "Each is invited to sing to God in the presence of others from what he knows of the holy scripture or from his own heart."
So Christians have been singing a long time, and if we are to look at Ephesians 5:19 honestly, we must conclude that singing could, perhaps even should, happen at any time among believers. So why don’t we sing?
More to come...
*Disclaimer
If you are reading this post and have not trusted exclusively in Christ Jesus as God and Savior, then this will mean little to you. The sweetest possible fellowship between people is reserved only for those who have been "granted the right to be called children of God." We who have believed in Christ for salvation are family. Jesus Himself prayed for our unity and so, while it will never be perfect this side of heaven, we can say with the Psalmist, "How good and pleasant it is when the brothers live together in unity!" This salvation is available to all who repent of their sins and look to Jesus for forgiveness and mercy. Jesus said that any that fail to do so will die in their sins. Call on Him now and be saved from the wrath of God that will come all too soon.
- Ephesians 5:19
Important Disclaimer*
Flummoxed
I must admit that when I came to this exhortation I found myself at a loss. I looked at different translations, I examined the Greek words, I considered the greater context of this letter and its sister, Colossians... yet it still said the same befuddling thing: “Communicate among yourselves with singing!”
Less Than Organized
This made little sense to me. What does this look like? Spiritual singing in groups normally happens in a Church setting – or any place where Christians are meeting for the purpose of worship God together. That singing is planned and organized. However, I don’t think that’s what we’re looking at in Ephesians. Were Paul addressing here the Corinthians and their need for an “orderly manner” in their gatherings, then organized singing might be in scope, but here in Ephesians the focus is on the inter-relational workings of the Church. Paul is talking about unity – the God-given oneness of believers in the local Church – and how that unity is worked out among us. If we are to grow into Christ, we must do it together – that we cannot do it otherwise. How we speak to and act toward one another determines whether unity will be preserved or destroyed. So singing to each other here is something that happens in the context of those relationships.
Not Natural for Us
Perhaps you’ve a different experience, but my time with other believers is not characterized by singing spiritual songs. I can’t recall any conversations where one of us said, “Let’s sing,” unless it was Christmas carols or a musician-to-musician thing. So why don’t we sing?
Singing in the Early Church
Are we missing out on something that was common practice to earlier Christians? Singing certainly shows up in the New Testament . Christ sang with His disciples after the Last Supper. Paul and Silas sang in prison. Paul and James encouraged believers to sing. The Christians at Corinth also were prepared to sing when they gathered together. Pliny, a second century Roman governor in Asia Minor reported to Emperor Trajan that Christians met together before dawn (to avoid persecution) to sing praise to Christ as God. Tertullian, writing from North Africa toward the end of the same century, describes a Christian feast at which "Each is invited to sing to God in the presence of others from what he knows of the holy scripture or from his own heart."
So Christians have been singing a long time, and if we are to look at Ephesians 5:19 honestly, we must conclude that singing could, perhaps even should, happen at any time among believers. So why don’t we sing?
More to come...
*Disclaimer
If you are reading this post and have not trusted exclusively in Christ Jesus as God and Savior, then this will mean little to you. The sweetest possible fellowship between people is reserved only for those who have been "granted the right to be called children of God." We who have believed in Christ for salvation are family. Jesus Himself prayed for our unity and so, while it will never be perfect this side of heaven, we can say with the Psalmist, "How good and pleasant it is when the brothers live together in unity!" This salvation is available to all who repent of their sins and look to Jesus for forgiveness and mercy. Jesus said that any that fail to do so will die in their sins. Call on Him now and be saved from the wrath of God that will come all too soon.
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