FELLOWSHIP WITH CHURCHES THAT USED INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC

Bro. Waddey:

Is there a basis for fellowship between an "instrumental" Church of Christ and a "non-instrumental" Church of Christ provided that is the only difference? Or are these two just totally different groups? (The question was prompted by an earlier article that pointed out that some Independent Christian Churches who worship with instrumental music call themselves Churches of Christ).

Also, I hear that some Churches of Christ are have two services - One "instrumental" and the other "non-instrumental" - How do we handle fellowship in situations like this? Mack

Dear Bro. Mack:

There are numerous differences between churches of Christ and the Christian Churches.  Instrumental music is perhaps the most visible one and the one that has gotten most of the attention.  Our a cappella singing sets us apart from them and most denominational bodies so it is sort of a lightening rod that attracts a lot of attention.

Even if the use of instrumental music were our only difference it would be sufficient to be an obstacle to our fellowshipping those people.  It is not that this is a new issue that has just arisen.  They have chosen to have their instruments over our fellowship for over 100 years.  It is not that we have just discovered that God does not authorize or approve of instrumental music in worship.  Since the beginning of our back to the Bible movement, our people have  understand this to be God's approved way of worship.  Before then (c.a. 1800) other religious leaders and organizations also understood the matter just as we do. Notable among them was John Calvin, Ulric Zwingle, John Wesley, Charles Spurgeon and beyond them even the Catholic church and her early leaders up until about 1070 A.D. We cannot fellowship those in the Christian Churches so long as they are joined to their idols.

If someone is struggling to escape the snares of religious error and embrace simple Bible Christianity, we should be very patient with them and help them. Just as Prisca and Aquila did with Apollos.  But when we witness brethren who know better, who have spent years in the church and heard the simple gospel preached a thousand times...and preached it themselves in days past, abandon the Scriptural way for the popular denominational way, then the case is different.  We remind them of God's truth, we warn them of the error they are embracing.  We pray for their repentance.  But if they persist in their error we are right in saying we will not count you as a faithful brother (Rom. 16:17-18).

When a church of Christ tries to straddle the fence and offer two services, one with and without instrumental music they are hoping to indulge the worldly among them who clamor for unauthorized changes and still hold on to their older members who would not stay if they were forced to worship with a band.  Since those older members are a significant financial base for a congregation and since they might have enough strength to force the dismissal of a change agent preacher, they are pacified by having separate services.  It will be just a matter of time until the change agents prevail and all the services will be of that kind.  The Christian Churches followed a similar path a hundred years ago.  If a congregation wants to allow instrumental music in worship, whether it is once a month, once a week, at alternative worship, Sunday night or Sunday school, they have chosen to leave the ranks of their brethren in churches of  Christ.  For all practical purposes they have become Christian Churches.  While we regret their decision. It is better for them to go than to stay among us and corrupt still others.