Q and A

Question #1: Can you give some advice for EPers who must (for some reason) attend non-EP churches?

Question #2: Psalm singing was part of the Old Testament temple worship. If the temple has been abrogated, how do we know that the Psalms have not been abrogated as well?

Question #3: How do we know that Christian worship is based on the worship of the Jewish synagogue?

Question #4: Why would you want to sing the Psalms since you can never sing the name of Jesus?

Question #5: How do we know that what Paul says in Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16 is meant to apply to public worship?

Question #6: There are so few churches that believe in exclusive Psalmody. How can the vast majority of Christianity be so wrong about singing hymns?

Question #7 : Is a Psalter a paraphrase or a translation? When we sing from a Psalter are we really singing the Word of God?

Question #8: It seems to me that those who promote Exclusive Psalmody have stirred up a lot of friction in the church. Why is the Exclusive Psalmody movement so divisive?

Question #9: Paul mentions ‘psalms, hymns and spiritual songs’ in Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16. Isn’t this proof that we should sing more than the Biblical Psalms in worship?

Question #10: Why do you put so much emphasis on exclusive Psalmody and create such a storm over a small issue? What’s all the fuss about?

Question #11: Is it a sin to sing uninspired songs in worship?

Question #12: If Biblical worship excludes uninspired songs and musical instruments, can this [exclusion] have a negative effect on its adherents at all?

Question #13: Do the same rules that apply to public worship (RPW, the regulative principle of worship) also apply to private and family worship? Are the songs we sing in private/family worship considered to be praise songs?

Question #14: What do you think of a compromise position between hymns and Psalms in worship? My church allows the singing of hymns before the Call to Worship and after the benediction, but only Psalms during the formal worship service.

Question #15: Why do so few Baptists practice exclusive Psalmody?

Question #16: Please tell me, where is the singing out of the Bible in Scripture?

Question #17: What about the other “songs” in the Bible? Is it ok to sing other inspired portions of Scripture?

Question #18: Is it a good idea for an EP church to be a part of a denomination that does not practice EP?

Question #19: What does the singing of Psalms exclusively have to do with the closing of the canon? Is the writing of new songs the same as writing new Scripture?

Question #20: What is the relationship between EP and Theonomy? What principles do they have in common? Why are some Theonomists opposed to EP? Why are some EPers opposed to Theonomy?

Question #21: Is the rejection of EP a sin? If so, can a person be barred from the Lord’s Supper because of it? see a discussion here on a quote by W.J. McKnight on the sin of singing hymns in worship.

Question #22: The Bible tells us to sing a “new song”. This seems to suggest we should not be limited to singing only the Old Testament Psalms. Isn’t that also proof that we should compose new hymns?