Psalm Singing Once More

There is an experience I have often had as a presbyter in the floor debates some motions. That experience is relevant to the discussion of whether or not the Church is required to sing Psalms only. Many of you will be able to relate to this experience. Someone will make a motion that is seconded and then debated. People on both sides of the issue will engage in vigorous debate and support of their views. I have seen the debate on some motions last for thirty minutes or more. Finally, there comes the time to cease debating and take the vote. At that point, someone often rises and requests the chair to have the motion read one more time so the commissioners can know what they are voting on. That begs the question: If they do not know what the motion is, then what were they debating for the past thirty or so minutes?

The reality is that most of us operate in that way. We debate the secondary and tertiary effects of a motion and often lose sight of the primary principle. Is that what has happened with respect to the debate over ‘exclusive psalm singing.’ I think so. There is no doubt that many of the psalms were to be sung. Some of them are titled, for instance, “For the choir director. A psalm of the sons of Korah”—or something very similar. Most Christians sing psalms. In my congregation, we even have some psalms in our small praise booklet. The singing of psalms speak to my heart as I am sure they do for others. Thus, there is no question that we should sing psalms. But that is not the primary question and that is not the primary principle. Also, there is no question that singing psalms purifies the singing of a congregation. The Psalms are God-breathed. But, once again. . . that is not the primary principle either. 

There are some Vanguard congregations that sing psalms only and they are free to do so. That is their sincerely held view. This article is not being written with them in mind at all and I am not trying to convince them to change. Rather, I was prompted to write these articles after a minister who holds to exclusive psalm singing called me to discuss the matter of possibly transferring into Vanguard. I informed him that most Vanguard congregations are not exclusive psalm singing congregations and that it would be difficult for him to pastor a church if he refused to join in the singing of a congregation that sings “psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.”     

So, what is that primary question or primary principle of those who hold to exclusive psalm singing? Well, here is what must be the primary principle of those who advocate for exclusive psalm singing: The Scripture requires that the Church sing only the Psalms inasmuch as they are the inspired hymnbook for the church. But, is that so? Maybe someone has addressed this question elsewhere, but I have never known anyone who even attempted to prove that the Scriptures specifically state that all churches are required to sing only the psalms. That principle is assumed without any direct statement of Scripture to support it. Thus, their arguments for exclusive psalm singing quickly move to the secondary and tertiary principle while the primary principle is assumed, but not proved. 

Another argument that I have heard for exclusive psalm singing is that the regulative principle requires the singing of Psalms only. What is the regulative principle? It is the principle that corporate worship is to be founded on what God specifically prescribes. The opposite of that principle, which is the normative principle, is that anything is allowed in corporate worship unless it is specifically denied by Scripture. I believe in the regulative principle. Vanguard Presbytery holds to the regulative principle. There are two very different positions that people can hold concerning the regulative principle in worship. The first is that the regulative principle requires the Church in corporate worship to sing only the words of Scripture. The second is that the Scripture requires the Church to make sure everything that is sung in corporate worship is according to Scripture. 

The first principle of the advocates for exclusive psalm singing is narrower even than Sola Scriptura. Their first principle is that in the corporate worship of the Church only the words of the Psalms can be sung. Yet, for such a narrow and specific requirement they need a “Thus saith the Lord.” In other words, if the Scripture is that specific concerning the exclusive singing of psalms, then where are the passages that teach that? It is not enough to say that the Psalms were given for the purpose of being sung by the Church because there are many other songs given in both Testaments. If the other songs in the Scripture cannot be sung by the Church, then there needs to be some Scripture references to prove that view. 

Another argument that I often heard in favor of singing psalms only is that the hymnbooks of most denominations have enough errors in their hymns to start a heresy trial. I would certainly agree with that view point. But. . . I would go beyond that, way beyond that. I would point out that corporate singing is only one part of corporate worship. There are several other parts of worship that are also regulated by Scripture, especially the public prayers and the preaching of the Word. Are those parts of corporate worship to be fulfilled by preaching that uses only the words of Scripture or Psalms? If so, how would such preaching differ from the reading of Scripture? Are the prayers that are offered in corporate worship restricted to praying only the same words found in the prayers in the Bible? If so, how do such prayers differ from the simple reading of those Scriptural prayers? The regulative principle has to be that all corporate worship must be according to Scripture. It cannot be that all corporate worship must be only the Scripture. Note well that distinction. The first principle of those who hold to exclusive psalm singing is a principle that they cannot hold to consistently with respect to the other parts of corporate worship.

I would certainly agree that there are some abominable hymns being sung in worship service all across the world. I would also vigorously argue that there are some absolutely wonderful hymns that have been written down through the history of the Church that have greatly enriched millions of Christians. My friends, let us leave that discussion aside for a moment, though. Have you considered the abominable sermons that are being preached across the world? Do the errors and heresies in those sermons far outweigh the errors in the hymns and spiritual songs that are being sung? I would certainly assert that is so. In some churches, it seems there is a new heresy each week or the repackaging of some old heresy. So, here is the relevant question. What is the solution? Is it to require all ministers to include only actual quotes from the Scripture in their sermons without any further comment or elaboration or any personal illustrations? In other words, should sermons be composed of Scripture verses only? Note the emphasis on “only.” If the regulative principle requires the singing of psalms only, then the preaching of the Word must use Scripture verses only also. If that is the correct view of the regulative principle (and I do not think it is), then it has to be applied across the board to all other parts of corporate worship. Or, are ministers supposed to preach their sermons according to Scripture? Friends, the requirement of the regulative principle has to be that the corporate worship must be “according to Scripture.” That principle cannot be that the corporate worship must be “Scripture only” in all parts of the service.  

So, what then about prayers? Must prayers be quotes from Scripture only or must they be according to Scripture? I have heard some truly dreadful prayers by ministers before. Several years ago, I was with a group of ministers in for a meeting with a candidate running for the Republican Party’s nomination for President. After that candidate spoke to us, there was a further program and all the ministers prayed for different matters. There were a couple of the prayers of the ministers that sent cold chills down my spine. Those men prayed disrespectfully. They demanded of God. They prayed like God was their servant. So, what is the solution for such horrible praying in corporate worship? Is it to require all prayers to be only the very words of Scripture? Or, is it to require all prayers to be according to Scripture? It clearly has to be the latter. The first requirement could never amount to anything and would make corporate worship irrelevant. Whatever the regulative principle requires for corporate worship it must require across the board for all parts of the Church’s corporate worship. 

The exclusive psalm singing position elevates the Book of Psalms above all the rest of Scripture. It establishes a standard for corporate worship that cannot be proved—no matter how many churches and denominations have held to that position and still hold to it. The exclusive psalm singing position says that God gave the church in all ages a divine hymnal before the completion of the Old Testament; before the completion of the Scriptures; before the coming of Christ; before the Messiah was manifest in the flesh and tabernacled among us; before Christ died for the sins of His people; before He rose from the dead; before He ascended into heaven; before the mystery of the Gentiles being included as fellow members of the body was revealed; before the Second Coming of Christ was announced. Thus, all of those things and many more can be sung about by the Church only in the vaguest sense. Augustine once said, “The Old Testament is in the New Testament revealed; the New Testament is in the Old Testament concealed.” The exclusive psalm singing position requires the Church to sing about the fuller revelation of the New Testament only in the concealed, shadowy way of the Old Testament. For all I know, that may very well be exactly what God has intended for His church. But it seems to me that it takes more than an assertion by various ministers, churches, denominations, and creedal statements to prove that position. It takes some very clear statements of Scripture to do so and without such clear Scripture verses I cannot accept it as the position of the Bible concerning corporate worship.