The vast majority of the songs congregations of Christ sing when worshiping
God conform to the New Testament standard, but there are some songs that
do not. I would like to cite some of the songs that need to undergo lyrical
changes or be discarded because they express sentiments that promote false
doctrine or contradict God's word.
Paul wrote the following words to the brothers and sisters in Colossae,
"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one
another in all wisdom, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, with
thankfulness in your hearts to God." (Col. 3:16, ESV-2011) According to
Paul, we teach when we sing. So it is appropriate to ask, "May we sing
songs that do not harmonize with sound teaching? May we sing words that
contradict sacred scripture?" The fact is, since we teach when we sing, we
should be as certain that we sing the truth, as we should be that we preach
the truth.
There is a song in the older books titled "When we All Get To Heaven."
Someone understood that biblically speaking "We All" will not get to heaven.
(Mat. 7:13-14; 25:41,46) The song has been updated in many of the newer
books, and it now says, "When the Saved Get To Heaven." Why the change?
Because we are to teach the truth when we sing. The song was not abandoned,
but some of the words were changed to bring the song into conformity with
New Testament teaching.
There is another song titled "What If It Were Today?" The opening line
says, "Jesus is coming to earth again, What if it were today?" The main
problem is this: by no stretch of the imagination is it true that our Lord is
ever coming to the earth again! Paul said we "will be caught up in the clouds,
to meet the Lord in the air." (1 Thess. 4:17) The words of the song contradict
the word of the Holy Spirit.
There is also a song titled "Jesus Is Coming Soon." Many congregations
have sung this song. The melody is a toe tapper and very delightful to the
ears. But, that is not the standard by which we determine if a song is
appropriate in the worship of God. It may be the case that Jesus will come
soon, but what scriptural testimony do we have to that effect? Some people
appeal to the words "I am coming soon" in Rev. 22:7,20; NIV, ESV) as
evidence that his second coming will be soon. The ASV-1901 says, "I come
quickly." Why the difference? The Greek word tachu is always used in
adverbial phrases in the New Testament and expresses the manner by which
something is done. It indicates speedily, quickly, without delay, and can
connote soon, in a short time. Even if tachu can be translated "soon" the
question is this: Is Rev. 22:7,20 speaking about the second coming of Christ?
The answer is a resounding no! Whatever the "coming" of this passage refers
to, it was a message of consolation to the seven congregations of Christ in
Asia at that time. (Rev. 22:16) The Lord would come in judgment against the
enemies of his people near the end of the first century. The song "Jesus is
Coming Soon" reflects a mistaken view of Mat. 24 where the Lord is talking
about the destruction of Jerusalem, not his second coming. One thing that
may help is to sing "Jesus May be Coming soon," rather than singing "Jesus
is Coming Soon."
Another beloved song among members of the body of Christ is, "Lift Him
Up." It is a take on the words of Jesus in John 12:32, where the Master said,
"And if I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all people unto me." Friends,
Jesus is referring to his crucifixion. The very next verse says, "But he said this,
signifying what manner of death he would die." The chorus of the song says,
"Lift him up (lift the precious Savior up...) still he speaks from eternity..." When
we sing the chorus that says "Lift him up," based on the context of Jno. 12:32-33,
are we not saying crucify him?
There is a song titled "Jesus Paid It All." The third verse says, "Sinner, not
for me alone did the Son of God atone; Your debt too, he made his own, On
the cruel tree. Come to him with all your sin; Be as white as snow within; Full
salvation you may win And rejoice with me." The New Testament does not
teach that Jesus made our "debt" or sin his own. Our sin is our sin. Jesus was
the sacrifice for sin but he did not make our sin his own, (2 Cor. 5:21). If he
made our sin his own, how could he not be a sinner by transfer? (Heb. 4:15;
1 Pet. 2:22) The concept of Jesus making "our" sin "his" own is purely
Calvinistic denominationalism!
Another song frequently sung by Christians is "It Won't Be Very Long."
The song says "It won't be very long till Jesus shall descend." The question is:
how do we know this to be true? How can we know what Jesus doesn't even
know? He said, "But about that day and hour no one knows, not even the
angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." (Mat. 24:36; NIV-2011)
How do we know "It won't be very long?" Therefore, how can we sing what
we don't know as if we know it?
Another song that has gained great notoriety among believers is "Guide
Me O Great Jehovah." The name of the deity is Jehovah? One thing that
nearly all, if not all, Hebrew scholars acknowledge is the fact that God's
name is not Jehovah. As expressed by the Hebrew tetragrammaton, deity's
name is YHWH and God himself says so. (Ex. 3:14-15; Isa. 42:8;
Jer. 10:16; 16:21; Amos 9:6, etc.)YHWH is used in the Hebrew scriptures
about 6800 times and is never correctly represented by the name "Jehovah."
Jehovah is of late medieval origin. It does not accurately represent any form
of the Name ever used in Hebrew. God's name has never been, is not now,
and never will be Jehovah.
Friends, let us pay more attention to the songs we sing when we worship
God. This is especially important when we become aware that many of the
most loved hymns were written by people from Calvinistic, Pentecostal,
and denominational backgrounds. Their theology influenced the lyrics of their
songs. We teach when we sing and it is mandatory that we always teach the
truth. (Colossians 3:16)
R. Daly
Copyright 2012
God conform to the New Testament standard, but there are some songs that
do not. I would like to cite some of the songs that need to undergo lyrical
changes or be discarded because they express sentiments that promote false
doctrine or contradict God's word.
Paul wrote the following words to the brothers and sisters in Colossae,
"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one
another in all wisdom, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, with
thankfulness in your hearts to God." (Col. 3:16, ESV-2011) According to
Paul, we teach when we sing. So it is appropriate to ask, "May we sing
songs that do not harmonize with sound teaching? May we sing words that
contradict sacred scripture?" The fact is, since we teach when we sing, we
should be as certain that we sing the truth, as we should be that we preach
the truth.
There is a song in the older books titled "When we All Get To Heaven."
Someone understood that biblically speaking "We All" will not get to heaven.
(Mat. 7:13-14; 25:41,46) The song has been updated in many of the newer
books, and it now says, "When the Saved Get To Heaven." Why the change?
Because we are to teach the truth when we sing. The song was not abandoned,
but some of the words were changed to bring the song into conformity with
New Testament teaching.
There is another song titled "What If It Were Today?" The opening line
says, "Jesus is coming to earth again, What if it were today?" The main
problem is this: by no stretch of the imagination is it true that our Lord is
ever coming to the earth again! Paul said we "will be caught up in the clouds,
to meet the Lord in the air." (1 Thess. 4:17) The words of the song contradict
the word of the Holy Spirit.
There is also a song titled "Jesus Is Coming Soon." Many congregations
have sung this song. The melody is a toe tapper and very delightful to the
ears. But, that is not the standard by which we determine if a song is
appropriate in the worship of God. It may be the case that Jesus will come
soon, but what scriptural testimony do we have to that effect? Some people
appeal to the words "I am coming soon" in Rev. 22:7,20; NIV, ESV) as
evidence that his second coming will be soon. The ASV-1901 says, "I come
quickly." Why the difference? The Greek word tachu is always used in
adverbial phrases in the New Testament and expresses the manner by which
something is done. It indicates speedily, quickly, without delay, and can
connote soon, in a short time. Even if tachu can be translated "soon" the
question is this: Is Rev. 22:7,20 speaking about the second coming of Christ?
The answer is a resounding no! Whatever the "coming" of this passage refers
to, it was a message of consolation to the seven congregations of Christ in
Asia at that time. (Rev. 22:16) The Lord would come in judgment against the
enemies of his people near the end of the first century. The song "Jesus is
Coming Soon" reflects a mistaken view of Mat. 24 where the Lord is talking
about the destruction of Jerusalem, not his second coming. One thing that
may help is to sing "Jesus May be Coming soon," rather than singing "Jesus
is Coming Soon."
Another beloved song among members of the body of Christ is, "Lift Him
Up." It is a take on the words of Jesus in John 12:32, where the Master said,
"And if I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all people unto me." Friends,
Jesus is referring to his crucifixion. The very next verse says, "But he said this,
signifying what manner of death he would die." The chorus of the song says,
"Lift him up (lift the precious Savior up...) still he speaks from eternity..." When
we sing the chorus that says "Lift him up," based on the context of Jno. 12:32-33,
are we not saying crucify him?
There is a song titled "Jesus Paid It All." The third verse says, "Sinner, not
for me alone did the Son of God atone; Your debt too, he made his own, On
the cruel tree. Come to him with all your sin; Be as white as snow within; Full
salvation you may win And rejoice with me." The New Testament does not
teach that Jesus made our "debt" or sin his own. Our sin is our sin. Jesus was
the sacrifice for sin but he did not make our sin his own, (2 Cor. 5:21). If he
made our sin his own, how could he not be a sinner by transfer? (Heb. 4:15;
1 Pet. 2:22) The concept of Jesus making "our" sin "his" own is purely
Calvinistic denominationalism!
Another song frequently sung by Christians is "It Won't Be Very Long."
The song says "It won't be very long till Jesus shall descend." The question is:
how do we know this to be true? How can we know what Jesus doesn't even
know? He said, "But about that day and hour no one knows, not even the
angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." (Mat. 24:36; NIV-2011)
How do we know "It won't be very long?" Therefore, how can we sing what
we don't know as if we know it?
Another song that has gained great notoriety among believers is "Guide
Me O Great Jehovah." The name of the deity is Jehovah? One thing that
nearly all, if not all, Hebrew scholars acknowledge is the fact that God's
name is not Jehovah. As expressed by the Hebrew tetragrammaton, deity's
name is YHWH and God himself says so. (Ex. 3:14-15; Isa. 42:8;
Jer. 10:16; 16:21; Amos 9:6, etc.)YHWH is used in the Hebrew scriptures
about 6800 times and is never correctly represented by the name "Jehovah."
Jehovah is of late medieval origin. It does not accurately represent any form
of the Name ever used in Hebrew. God's name has never been, is not now,
and never will be Jehovah.
Friends, let us pay more attention to the songs we sing when we worship
God. This is especially important when we become aware that many of the
most loved hymns were written by people from Calvinistic, Pentecostal,
and denominational backgrounds. Their theology influenced the lyrics of their
songs. We teach when we sing and it is mandatory that we always teach the
truth. (Colossians 3:16)
R. Daly
Copyright 2012
