The Gospel and Music
- Brian Thomas
- Apr 11, 2005
- Series: Music
Our culture is saturated with music. Whether we are at home, the office, church, a café or restaurant the one constant factor is that music is lingering somewhere in the background. In fact, as I write this I am streaming my favorite radio station from Seattle , which is 1300 miles away from my desk. 1 We spend more money on music – CDs, DVDs, IPODs, concerts, etc. – than any generation before us.
Many in our culture find their social identities within musical genres such as Goth, Hip-hop, or Country and Western; their lifestyles reflecting the attitude, clothing, and general interests of their particular musical subculture. Whether you consider your musical taste to be refined or an eclectic hodge-podge you cannot deny the power of music. Music has been used to soothe and bring comfort; to stir the hearts and minds of worshipping communities; to teach young and old; to express the emotions of the heart; to stir the passions in the bedroom; to stimulate the courage of men on the battlefield; and lastly, as a destructive influence to promote ungodliness (to name just a few).
In this article, I will set out to define the role of music in the life of the believer and the culture in which we live. At the outset, let me say that this is not an easy task. I recognize the personal and pervasive nature of music. Differences of opinion over styles of music have been one of the leading causes of church division over the last century.
Many of you threw out your CD collection upon coming to Christ and will only listen to “Christian” music, citing that all other music is from the devil. Others have no problem with contemporary music and without discernment will listen to any and everything. Some of you are musicians and struggle with using your gifts both in the church and out in town. Is it okay that I favor one style of music over another? How should I judge music if I want to be discerning?
Over the past twelve years I have been an active participant in music ministries, while also leading several bands as a singer and guitarist playing the live music circuit in town, and these are just a couple of questions that I have personally had to struggle with as a musician and a Christian.
Music as God's Creation and Gift
If you are going to begin a discussion about music, the best starting point is with the giver of music, namely God. The reason why the role and nature of music deserves consideration is because it is a divine gift of our creator.
Music is an inherent part of our humanity as image-bearers of God. And like all gifts, it is meant for the good of the receiver. Robin Leaver writes:
Although there is no specific chapter and verse in which is to be found a clear theological statement concerning the nature and function of music, there is nevertheless hardly a page of the Bible from which some musical inference cannot be drawn. Music is the accompanying counterpoint to the divine message and in all the might acts of God music is never very far away. From eternity to eternity, from creation to judgment, from Genesis to Revelation, the sound of music is to be heard. 2
Although just one of many art forms given to man for enjoyment and God's glory, music is the most comprehensive in nature, serving many purposes. Music accompanied creation (Job 38:7). The role of musician as a legitimate calling is found in the heritage of Jubal, Asaph, and Chenaiah in Scripture. As we read through Scripture we see that music will be a large part of the joyful future of all saints as we join the angels singing heavenly anthems in worship.
The great reformer Martin Luther was a strong supporter of music and mentor of musicians both in the church and in the broader culture. For Luther, the basis of understanding music in the life and worship of God's people was viewing music as creation and gift of God. Luther's own words make this point again and again. In the preface to Georg Rhaus's Symphonieae Iucundae , he repeatedly stresses music as God's gift.
I would certainly like to praise music with all my heart as the excellent gift of God, which it is and to commend it to everyone…
And you, my young friend, let this noble, wholesome, and cheerful creation of God be commended to you… At the same time you may by this creation accustom yourself to recognize and praise the Creator. 3
To think of music to the contrary, for Luther, was to call into question one's humanity. He pulled no punches when he wrote:
A person who gives this some thought and yet does not regard it [music] as a marvelous creation of God must be a clodhopper indeed and does not deserve to be called a human being; he should be permitted to hear nothing but the braying asses and the grunting of dogs. 4
This may sound harsh, but Luther was passionate about music because he rightly understood that music originated with God. Many well-intentioned Christians who sought to condemn music because of its potential to influence people away from God confronted Luther. In his preface to the Wittenberg Hymnal he wrote of such people:
Nor am I of the opinion that the gospel should destroy and blight all the arts, as some of the pseudo-religious claim. But I would like to see all the arts, especially music, used in the service of Him who gave and made them. 5
In similar fashion, Luther in his Table Talk speaks of music as a high and profitable art that he set next to theology in importance. Music is an endowment and gift of God, not a gift of man.
The reason I cite Luther is because he esteemed both Scripture and song highly, not seeing them as conflicting in purposes, but serving one another in harmony. Luther set the stage for the freedom of composers, congregations, choirs, and instrumentalists to develop their talents and abilities to the highest degree possible.
Lutheran composer Johann Sebastian Bach was considered a bit of a radical in his day because of the rich complexity of his sacred and secular arrangements. Bach served both in the church and performed to the larger world around him, signing both sacred and secular pieces with the words “ Soli Deo Gloria” (To God alone be glory). As Carl Schalk concludes, “the church, together with its musicians, found Luther's paradigm of music as creation and gift of God to be a preeminent constructive element in the development of a rich musical culture in which to live, work, play, and praise their God.” 6
Culture and the Cultured
There are several reasons why we should be involved with, and concerned about, music in our culture. First, God is carrying out his sovereign plan of redemption in time and history . We cannot cut ourselves off from the world and its artistic development – past or present – because we are a part of that plan as individuals and as a worshipping community. 7
Second, the arts act as a mirror reflecting the particular worldviews, issues, problems, and themes of culture. The lyrics and mood of songs are used as a medium for praise, reflection, protest, beauty and countless other thoughts and emotions. What is a particular culture feeling, thinking, questioning? Listen to the music of the day and those questions will be quickly answered.
Lastly, much of today's popular music reflects a vague spirituality and theology, showing that we live in a culture that is concerned with spiritual matters. This should excite the Christian community because we have answers to the questions artists are asking. The Black Eye'd Peas ask in their popular song: “Where is the love?” REM's biggest hit was “Losing my Religion.” In her song, Forgiven , Alanis Morisette writes, “We all had delusions in our heads. We all had our minds made up for us. We had to believe in something; so we did.” Pop-spirituality may be pluralistic, relative, and largely without God, but at least our culture is not afraid to discuss matters of faith and religion. Therefore, the church should be listening to and engaging the world, because music is an influential and powerful tool of both God and culture.
To better understand the purpose and power of music in culture, I think it's helpful to have a good understanding of culture in general. The Lausanne Committee on World Evangelism defines culture as “an integrated system of beliefs, values, customs, and institutions which binds a society together and gives it a sense of identity, dignity, security, and continuity.” From this sort of definition, you come away thinking that culture is everything. But an important distinction between creation and culture needs to be made. Creation is what God makes; culture is what we make (or God makes through us - understanding that God is sovereign over culture as well as creation).
After creating the heavens and the earth and everything in it, God gave Adam and Eve a command to create culture.
God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and every living creature that moves on the ground.” Genesis 1:28
Theologians have called this command the “Cultural Mandate”, and it is very important to the subject of music. The first thing our parents Adam and Eve are told is to fill and till the earth. As John Frame writes, Adam and Eve are to “use the resources of God's creation, to bring out the potential of the heavens and the earth, to facilitate their rule under God. They are to turn the creation into a culture, into a home for society… so culture is what we make, and it begins right after creation, in response to God's command… Culture is not only a fact, but also a value. It is not only something that happens; it is something God desires, something God values.” 8
When we bring the idea of values, beliefs, worldviews, etc. into our understanding of culture, we are talking religion (whether you like it or not). Frame continues, “If a society worships idols, false gods, that worship will govern the culture of that society. If a society worships the true God, that worship will deeply influence, even pervade its culture. If, like ours, a society is religiously divided, then it will reveal a mixture of religious influences.” 9 In other words, everything a culture expresses and communicates in some measure is a religious conviction, either faith in, or a denial of the true God.
Therefore, when we think about culture, or elements of culture (such as music), that deny God, we must go back to our first parents and Genesis 3. The Bible teaches that we have fallen into sin and that culture reflects the fall. “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23 ).
Culture and Common Grace
By reading the above verse, some may be led to believe that there is nothing good in culture after the fall, but this is not entirely true. Every culture possesses goodness in some measure: products, skills, wisdom and art. I realize the word “good” can be problematic. People can be ethically “good”, or merely “good” at a skill. My mechanic may be good at repairing my car, while at the same time dishonest in billing me. Nevertheless, to the extent that an individual or culture possesses something good (morally or skillfully), we can attribute that goodness to the grace of God.
Theologians differentiate between two types of God's grace. There is efficacious or special grace, resulting in salvation, and there is common grace or what we may call the general influence of the Holy Spirit, which to a greater or lesser degree is shared by all men. God causes the sun to shine on the good and evil; he sends rain upon the just and unjust alike (Matt. 5:43-38, Acts 14:17); He gives many things that result in the happiness and well being of society (Rom. 13:4, 1 Tim. 2:1-2), despite that society's unbelief. Lorraine Boettner's classic definition is extremely helpful:
Common grace is the source of all the order, refinement, culture, common virtue, etc., which we find in the world, and through it the moral power of truth upon the heart and conscience, is increased and the evil passions of men are restrained. 10
Although common grace does not save, it does restrain sin, promoting that which is good. It is a reflection of God's goodness and mercy upon mankind and culture.
I say all of this to make the point that non-Christian music (or theatre, art, sports, cinema, etc.) can be both good and enjoyed by the Christian. We are not only members of our religious sub-culture, but we are also an important part of the broader culture we live in - and we should not shun the music of our culture because it may lack the requisite “CCM” label. I am not saying we should absent-mindedly accept everything our culture offers, because there are certainly many artists and songs that promote perversion and evil. But far too many Christians have thrown out the baby with the bathwater as the saying goes, forsaking all music, particularly rock and roll as inherently evil, which was the theme of the popular evangelical documentary, We Sold our Soul to Rock and Roll .
I take issue with this movie, because the filmmakers not only took many Biblical verses out of context to marginally prove their point; but like Saturday Night Live's “Church Lady,” they read into many popular songs and artists in a vain attempt to make everything satanic. 11 I do applaud the filmmaker's interest in the subject and the conversation it promotes.
With a proper understanding of God's common grace, you can see that a lot of the music in culture that is out-rightly forsaken by the cultural critics can and should be enjoyed with proper discernment.
Some of you are saying, “I don't like certain types of music,” and asking, “What if the artist promotes questionable content?” If you cannot enjoy music due to personal taste or content (which is understandable), it is important that you are at least aware of the musical influences (both good and bad) that our culture is promoting.
For example, I cannot personally stand the music of Eminem (rap is just not my bag). I don't buy or support his records, but I do stay informed of the lyrics of his songs and the content of his videos; because this artist heavily influences a major portion of our world. Eminem's lyrics and attitude are representative of a lot of young men and women ( all the Slim Shadys ) who have grown up suffering from the effects of poverty, abuse, alcoholism, and broken families.
As a Christian I am concerned about the problems, needs, and questions of my society. Popular music provides one way for the church to stay relevant of such things. This is the Apostle Paul's point in 1 Corinthians 9 when he says he becomes all things to all men that he might save some. Paul is not condoning the sins of the Jews and Gentiles of his day, but he is saying that he is intimately aware of their lives to such a degree that he can converse with them. Paul was relevant in his culture without being irreverent. He tried his best to understand and break down the cultural barriers in order to open a way for all kinds of people to hear the good news. And this is his charge to us today.
Discerning Listeners
For you readers that are still with me (I realize I have probably pissed-off most CCM loving anti-culture monastic conservatives by now), the question remains: “How can I listen to and enjoy music with discernment?”
In any form of art there is both an objective and subjective element that must be recognized. In music, there is an objective technical aspect that must be appreciated (what we may call its musicalness), though we may not subjectively like the piece (huh?). Let me explain, bluegrass music is technically difficult to play. I can appreciate the musicianship of the bluegrass artist, though the musical genre' doesn't hold much appeal for me personally. So on one hand I can objectively state that this is technically good music, and with the other I can say subjectively that it doesn't match my personal taste.
This is an important distinction, because we tend to write-off whatever doesn't pull our emotional strings. This is the problem I have with many cultural critics like Ken Myers, Alan Bloom, and Michael Horton. They tend to divide art into the high/low categories with almost all modern forms of music falling into the elitist basement known as “low” art. There is a subjective side of music, and it is okay to like or not like something on the basis of personal taste, but to criticize a genre' of music or arbitrarily draw a line in the sand that says this is “HIGH” (read: good) and this is “LOW” (read: bad) is to show immaturity in matters of cultural influence. Ken Myers can say that popular music “has no aesthetic importance” because he does not subjectively like popular music; and I would argue that he probably doesn't understand the technical proficiency of many of the popular artists that he condemns to the lowbrow shelf.
By making sweeping generalizations that ignore many of the good qualities in popular music (remember common grace), Myers is also ignoring the cultural influences of popular music, which as I've already stated does not help the forward progress of the gospel. We must not naïvely think that our musical tastes are free from cultural influence. 12
It's also important to recognize the difference between the art and the artist. While it is good to know the background of the artist, we should not judge their music solely on the fact that we do not share their worldview or like their lifestyle. If this were the case, then we would have to throw out most of the classical music that our elitist friends hold so dear. Britney Spears has 
nothing on the scandalous nature of Ludwig Beethoven's love of the fairer sex (just Google “Beethoven's women” to see what I mean).
Additionally, if we wish to be discerning listeners we must actually “listen” to what is being said, asking questions of the music we are evaluating. This takes a little effort, but is worth the time. Here are the types of questions you should be asking to better evaluate and comprehend the songs you listen to.
• Is this technically a good or innovative piece of music for its particular genre'?
• What's being said? What's the message(s) or issue(s)?
• Is there a worldview being communicated? Is it true?
• Where do I agree? Where do I disagree?
• Do I like it? Does liking or disliking this say something about me?
• Where does, or how can the gospel play a part in this song?
Listening, Learning & Leading
Christians have the tendency to talk a lot about the world, but not listen to it. If we are willing to listen to what the world is saying through its various art forms, and participate with our culture in the process, we may actually learn something about the world we are living and ministering in. And if we are willing to learn from our culture, we may actually find ourselves in a position to influence it for Christ and God's greater glory.
Until next time, turn up the tunes and rock-on my friends! Enjoy and employ the musical gifts of our good God.
Brian Thomas leads the house worship band Bezalel for Kaleo Church in San Diego, CA. If you're interested in enjoying the joyful noise Bezalel creates log-on to: www.myspace.com/bezalel
1 KEXP FM 90.3 “Where the Music Matters.”
2 Robin Leaver, Duty and Delight, (Norwich: Canterbury Press, 1985), p. 48.
3 Luther's Works, 53:321, 324.
6 Carl Schalk, Paradigms of Praise , (excerpts taken from an online article in Issues, Etc. from Dr. Schalk's book Luther on Music: Paradigms of Praise by Concordia Publishing House, 1988).
7 This is further elaborated in Jerry Solomon's Arts, Entertainment, and Christian Values , (Grand Radids , MI : Kregal Publications, 2000).
8 John Frame, Culture and Christianity (Lectures given at the Pensacola Theological Institute, 2001).
10Lorraine Boettner, The Reformed Doctrine of Predestination , (Philadelphia: P&R Publishing, 1974), p. 179.
11 The time and scope of this article does not allow me time to elaborate on this matter. Suffice to say, the artists featured in the movie certainly are not Christians to the best of my knowledge, and many of them promote an anti-christian agenda to be sure, but the film-makers went beyond the bounds of legitimate journalism in many cases and misrepresented lyrical meaning, giving Satan far more influence and power in the world than the Bible indicates, and falling into the same propaganda that the movie accuses the music industry of supporting.
12 This idea is fully developed in an interesting article by Kevin Twit entitled “Criteria for Judging Rock Music” at www.thirdmill.org .
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