Do We Sing Jesus Christ’s Name in the Psalter? Rev. Travis Fentiman of the Free Church of Scotland (Continuing) has posted a very thorough article to answer the question.
Tag: questions
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?
Question #17: What about the other “songs” in the Bible? Is it ok to sing other inspired portions of Scripture?
Question #16: Please tell me, where is singing out of the Bible in scripture?
Question #16: Please tell me, where is singing out of the Bible in scripture?
John states the following under Question #15:
“I could produce *many* examples of where “reformed churches” cleave to the traditions of men, so please do not take it that I am making a mountain out of a molehill over the issue of hands (that was only an *example*). Since the topic is the Psalms, let me provide just one more example; one that, if you are not *truly* committed to the regulative principle of worship, you will likely never have even thought of before:
Please tell me, where is singing out of the Bible in scripture? The truth is, nobody ever sung out of the Bible in Bible times! They didn’t have enough Bibles to go around! They sang the Psalms from *memory*. They didn’t have personal Psalm books or hymn books or anything of the kind. They leaned the Psalms from the communal Bible and taught and sang them from memory. They also taught the other songs of the Lord (such as the song of Moses), and were to know them off by heart. This was even a command of the Lord. The Lord never said, “Sing the song of Moses from a prompt”. Rather, the Law states that men must *teach* the song to all the people: “: “teach it the children of Israel: put it in their mouths”. As we all know, after Jesus and his disciples had broken bread, they sang a Psalm, but they did so *from memory*! No mention of a Psalm book is made *at all*! Psalm books and hymn books in comunal worship are the inventions of men. The Lord has given all men a truly remarkable ability to remember words when put to a tune. Unfortunately, very few people in the church seem to want to worship God with it.
I hope this post has been challenging, and I pray that we will all learn more of the Lord.
“Make a joyful noise unto Jehovah, all ye lands. Serve Jehovah with gladness: come before his presence with singing.” (Psalm 100:1-2)”
John, thank you for the question, we’ll get to it very soon.