Yesterday’s post contains two possible categorizations of approaches to worship through singing in the church, by Michael Kearney and myself. I just found another. In Ezra 3, Union with Christ, and Exclusive Psalmody Vern S. Poythress lists what he believes are the five most popular answers to/views on what words ought to be used for congregational singing in the public worship:
(1) words of a translation of the 150 psalms (the exclusive-psalmody position)
(2) words of a translation of any song of Scripture, viz. the 150 psalms plus Exod. 15, Deut. 32, Judg. 5, etc. (the “inspired-song” position)
(3) words of a translation of Scripture (the “inspired-words” position)
(4) words that communicate the teaching (didascalia) of Scripture (the didascalia position)
(5) any words which are “edifying,” whether or not they go beyond Scripture (the edification position). Positions 1, 3, and 4 are frequently held in Reformed circles; position 5 is frequent in non-Reformed churches.In his footnote to position 5, Poythress writes, "Many congregations have not even consciously reflected on the question, what songs should be sung. Thus it is in some sense fairer to assign them no position at all..."
Is Exclusive Psalmody inspired? A misdirection.
"The worship of Jehovah is so important that nothing less than infallible Spirit-inspired lyrics are acceptable for praise in the church." – From Chapter 2 of Exclusive Psalmody, A Biblical Defense by Brian Schwertley
The average Exclusive Psalmodist makes a strong play on singing inspired songs rather than uninspired hymns. Yet, carefully examined, we find that on the one hand they would exclude a huge amount of inspired material and on the other hand do not dogmatically hold that the songs they sing are inspired!
Roughly 6% of all the words that God inspired are found in the book of Psalms.* For the sake of argument let us move the number favorably towards our opponents and assume the Psalms might be as much as 10% of the Bible. At that rate Exclusive Psalmodists exclude 90% of the Bible as optional singing material for assembled Christians. Yes, 90% of God's inspired words cannot be sung!! This emphasizes that the inspired versus uninspired argument is simply a diversion. It does not matter that it is inspired. It matters whether or not it is commanded.
Those caught in their own inspired psalmody argument must hem-haw around and build a straw man argument, because they do not really believe a metrical arrangement of a translation of the original tongue is inspired. For example, Brian Schwertley is quick to remind us that "Anyone familiar with Bible translation understands that a strictly word for word, absolutely literal translation of the Hebrew and Greek text is impossible...What is important is that Christ’s church be as faithful as possible to the original language as it translates God’s word." (Exclusive psalmody, the metrical Psalms, and Translation) Few would argue with Schwertley’s desire that translations “be as faithful as possible to the original language.” What should be caught, though, is that Schwertley doesn't believe translations (Or Psalters) are inspired. In The Regulative Principle of Worship: Explained and Applied (p. 224), Daniel F. N. Ritchie speaks of those who "demand that metrical psalm versions be absolutely brilliant before they can be sung" and refers to Schwertley's claim that those who use this argument "would ultimately require the Scripture reading in public worship be done in the original languages." But, in fact, it is only the exclusive psalmodist who has made any claim that the Psalter from which they sing is inspired.**
Oh, that those who befoul the internet with their ubiquitous urgings against uninspired hymns would speak plainly and honestly! Do they really believe their metrical versifications of English translations of the Hebrew Scriptures are inspired? Pin them in a corner and let them admit, "No!" Then wonder why all the squawking about inspired psalms versus uninspired hymns if they will not claim inspiration for the versifications? This is a misdirection, plain and simple.
* If an English Bible contains approximately 780,000 words in the whole Bible and about 44,000 in the book of Psalms.
** A Psalter is another name for the Psalms or a volume containing the Book of Psalms. In modern psalmody discussions it usually means a translated metrical version of the Psalms with musical settings.
[Note: Regarding this issue and "spiritual songs" in Eph. 5:19 and Col. 3:16, it is worth noticing that pneumatikos ‘spiritual’ and theopneustos ‘inspired’ are not the same.]
No comments:
Post a Comment