BECAUSE OF ITS OPPOSITION TO INNOVATIONS IN WORSHIP

In studying about the worship of the Church, and the many innovations in doctrine, it will be impossible for us to notice all the innovations that have marred the worship of the Lord's Church. For that reason, we have selected three items of worship, and will notice some of the innovations that have destroyed their original beauty. They are: Music in the Church, The Teaching of the Word, and The Lord's Supper.

In John 4:24, we read the following, "God [is] Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." All acceptable worship must come from a pure heart, whose motives are just and true. And, all acceptable worship must be offered according to the truth of God's Word. A failure to observe either of these renders the worship vain and ineffective.

MUSIC IN THE CHURCH

A careful survey of the New Testament will reveal that only vocal music was used by early Christians in praising God. Such scriptures as the following bear this out: 1 Corinthians 14:15, "What is [the] [conclusion] then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding." Colossians 3:16, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord." Other passages could be offered as proof that early Christians sang unaccompanied, but these are sufficient.

Where did instrumental music come from? The answer to that may be found in any good encyclopedia. The Roman Catholics were the first to introduce the use of the organ into the worship of any body of people claiming to be Christian. This was 670 years after Christ. It was introduced by Pope Vitalian I. When it threatened to cause division in the Roman Catholic Church, it was removed to preserve unity; however, some 800 years after Christ, the organ was reintroduced into the Roman church. The Greek church, however, rejected it. (American Ency., Vol. XII, p.688)

THE TEACHING OF THE WORD

How did the New Testament Church teach the word of God? Was it in an undivided assembly or in segregated classes? Did men only do the public teaching, or did both men and women teach in the Church? The answers to these questions are basic and important. Because of a misunderstanding of them, innovations have again entered the Church.

The pattern of public teaching in the New Testament scriptures is very plain--always one man to one audience. This was the practice of Jesus while He was in the world. And it later became the practice of the Church. The following passages show this: 1 Corinthians 11:20, "Therefore when you come together in one place, it is not to eat the Lord's Supper." This passage shows it was the practice of the Church to come together into one place. They evidently did not segregate themselves into Bible classes or Sunday school classes as many do today. Also 1 Corinthians 14:23, "Therefore if the whole Church comes together in one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in [those] [who] [are] uninformed or unbelievers, will they not say that you are out of your mind?" Again, we see the contemplated practice of assembling in one place. Suffice it to say, not one case of the Church dividing into classes for the purpose of teaching can be cited in the entire New Testament. Can you find one?

What about women teachers? Let us go to the Bible for the answer.  1 Corinthians 14:34-35, "Let your women keep silent in the Churches, for they are not permitted to speak; but [they] [are] to be submissive, as the law also says. And if they want to learn something, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is shameful for women to speak in Church." Now someone is ready to say, "But that only applies to the wives of the prophets." Well, suppose it does. Why must the wives of the prophets remain silent? Here is the answer: "for it is shameful for women to speak in Church." That means any woman, be she wife of a prophet or not. Again, 1 Timothy 2:11-12, "Let a woman learn in silence with all submission. And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence." Why? "For Adam was formed first, then Eve."

But we ask, where did these Bible classes or Sunday schools come from? The answer: from man, where all innovations originate. Robert Raikes is given credit by many for being the founder of modern Sunday schools. The date was November 3, 1783, in England. You know as well as I do that 1783 is a long time after A.D. 33A.D., and England is a long way from Jerusalem.

THE LORD'S SUPPER

The simple primitive account of the Lord's Supper may be found in any of the following scriptures: Matthew 26:26-28; Mark 14:22-25; Luke 22:19-20; and 1 Corinthians 11:23-29. We do not have the space to quote all of them here but will give Matthew 26:26-29, "And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke [it], and gave [it] to the disciples and said, 'Take, eat; this is My body.' Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave [it] to them, saying, 'Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father's kingdom.' " This gives the account by Matthew of the institution of the Supper. From this the following may be seen:

But, today we see a change in this pattern. Instead of each member of the congregation drinking from the same cup, individual cups are used. Where did these come from? Again we must go to history for our answer. I quote, "Until near the end of the nineteenth century the chalise, or cup, was used in the distribution of the wine at the Lord's Supper. At that time more attention began to be paid to hygiene, and the use of the common cup began to be unpopular with the communicants. Rev. J. G. Thomas, who was both a minister and a physician, was the originator of the idea of individual cups. From his medical practice, he learned the uncleanness and danger of the common cup and felt the Lord's Supper could be made more attractive and beautiful by the use of individual cups. His first patent was granted in March 1894. The first individual cup service was held in a little Putnam County Church in Ohio." (Sacrament of The Lord's Supper--By Thomas H. Warner) So, there is the authority for individual cups. That is where they originated: in Ohio, not in Jerusalem; by a doctor, not by the Savior. The use of one cup, as opposed to more than one, is taught in the scriptures by example, command, and necessary inference. The following facts should abundantly prove this practice.

May God help us to restore the primitive beauty of the Lord's Supper by avoiding all human innovations.

Notice the following chart:

I ask you, can any of the above three lay any claim to Bible authority when they originated so recently? Are they not all innovations? Certainly so. To reject one and accept the others is a mistake. If we are going to oppose innovations, we must oppose them all. There is no middle ground. Will you not resolve today to return to the "old paths" and walk therein. Give up those things borrowed from sectarianism and return to a "thus saith the Lord." Speak where the Bible speaks and be silent where it is silent. Call Bible things by Bible names and do Bible things in Bible ways.

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