Exclusive psalmody
Exclusive psalmody is the practice of singing only the biblical
History
The singing of
The Psalms of David formed the core of
During the
Once the Genevan Psalter was translated into German in 1573, exclusive psalmody became the dominant mode of Reformed congregational singing for 200 years following John Calvin everywhere but in
Seventeenth-century Reformed theologians did not reach a consensus on the propriety of hymns in worship, and several argued that they were permissible, including
In 1719,
Possible Biblical basis
The practice of exclusive psalmody is sometimes based on a strict (sometimes called '
Another basis would be the Christology of the Psalms, especially seen in Hebrews 2:12 quoting Psalm 22:22 as the words of Christ, demonstrating Christ being among the congregants during worship. The clean, pure and holy one of Psalm 24, who is able to stand perfectly before the Father, would also be the King of glory, and the only Mediator who can lead the congregation to worship the Father (John 14:6).
Objections
One counterargument to the doctrine is the fact that exclusive psalmody (EP) implicitly prohibits the New Testament (NT) revealed name of Jesus in sung worship. The EP position is that the word ישוע ("yeshua") is used many times in the Psalms and it is the root source of the name of Jesus. The assertion is that this satisfies any requirement concerning the use of Jesus' name in sung worship. The complication arises when the context of the word in the Psalms is considered. ישוע is always used to speak of salvation, not directly as the name of the One who is the revealed source and author of salvation, namely Jesus. This may be theological/linguistic gymnastics to support a false conclusion. It is widely understood by the Christian community that the Old Testament, including the Psalms, only speak of Jesus in "types and shadows", not directly using His revealed NT name. The argument claims that to rightfully sing of Jesus as Lord and Savior, one must sing incorporating the proper name of Jesus (i.e., Joshua, Yeshua, Ἰησοῦς, ישוע) to refer to the revealed Jesus, which the Psalms do not do.
An additional objection to the doctrine aligned to the
1. The Psalms are a trustworthy guide to proper worship.
2. The Psalms command that we sing of the works and deeds of the Lord:
[Psalm 9:11 ESV] Sing praises to the LORD, who sits enthroned in Zion! Tell among the peoples his deeds!
[Psalm 105:2 ESV] Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wondrous works!
[Psalm 107:22 ESV] And let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving, and tell of his deeds in songs of joy!
3. The works and deeds of the Lord Jesus are most fully revealed in the New Testament.
4. The Psalms command new songs (Psalms 33:3, Psalms 40:3, Psalms 96:1, Psalms 98:1, Psalms 144:9, Psalms 149:1).
Therefore, the argument goes, new songs concerning the works and deeds of Jesus from the NT are commanded and required for proper worship.
Additionally, EP doctrine does not allow the "whole council of God" to be included in sung worship, vs allowing it in all other elements.
psalmos and the use of musical instruments
One objection to the non-use of musical instruments is that the Greek word ψαλμός (psalmos) literally means " a striking of strings".[1] This means that the use of musical instruments is implied by the word itself.
Denominations
- American Presbyterian Church
- Associated Presbyterian Churches
- Australian Free Church
- Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Australia
- Free Church of Scotland (Continuing)
- Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland
- Presbyterian Church of Eastern Australia
- Presbyterian Reformed Church
- Reformed Presbyterian churches
- Reformed Presbyterian Church of Malawi
- Southern Presbyterian Church in Australia
- Westminster Presbyterian Church in the United States
- Igreja Puritana Reformada no Brasil (Puritan Reformed Church in Brazil)
- Pilgrim Covenant Church (Singapore)
- Free Reformed Churches of North America
- Gereja Jemaat Protestan di Indonesia
- Heritage Reformed Congregations
- Netherlands Reformed Congregations
- Nigeria Reformed Church
- Old-Reformed Congregations in the Netherlands (Oud Gereformeerde Gemeenten in Nederland)
- Old-Reformed Congregations (unconnected) (Oud Gereformeerde Gemeenten buiten verband)
- Reformed Congregations (Gereformeerde Gemeenten)
- Reformed Congregations in the Netherlands (Gereformeerde Gemeenten in Nederland)
- Reformed Congregations in the Netherlands (unconnected) (Gereformeerde Gemeenten in Nederland (buiten verband))
- Reformed Congregations in North America
- Restored Reformed Church (Hersteld Hervormde Kerk)
See also
References
- ^ ISBN 978-0664225797.
- ^ Charlesworth, James H., ed. and trans. The Odes of Solomon. Oxford: Oxford UP, 1973, 4.
- ^ ISBN 978-0300105070.
- ^ ISBN 978-0664250379.
- ^ a b c d Haykin, Michael A.G.; Robinson, C. Jeffrey (2011). "Particular Baptist Debates about Communion and Hymn-Singing". In Haykin, Michael A.G.; Jones, Jones (eds.). Drawn Into Controversie: Reformed Theological Diversity and Debates Within Seventeenth-Century British Puritanism. Göttingen, Germany: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht.
- ^ "Reformation Presbyterian Church, Australian Presbytery". Reformation Presbyterian Church, Australian Presbytery. Retrieved 2023-04-21.