The Greek word psallo includes instruments.

Look in Greek dictionaries

  • Vine’s: “in the NT, ‘to sing a hymn, sing praise’”
  • Thayer’s Lexicon: “in the NT to sing a hymn, to celebrate the praises of God in song.”
  • Vincent’s Word Studies in the NT: “The verb, however, is used in the New Testament of singing praise generally.”
  • The word changed over time to mean singing in the time of the New Testament.
  • Words change meaning over time!

Look in reliable English translations

Romans 15:9 I Corinthians 14:15 Ephesians 5:19 James 5:13
NASB95 I will sing I will sing Making melody He is to sing praises
ASB Sing I will sing Making melody Let him sing praise
ESV Sing I will sing praise Making melody Let him sing praise
KJV Sing I will sing Making melody Let him sing psalms
NKJV Sing I will sing Making melody Let him sing psalms
NIV I will sing the praises I will sing Make music Let them sing songs of praise
CSB I will sing praise I will sing praise Making music He should sing praises
NLT I will sing praises I will sing Making music You should sing praises

The elders decided to have instruments. So if it’s wrong, they bear the guilt.

  • Titus 1:9; I Timothy 5:19-20 – Elders can make mistakes and should be rebuked when they do.

Harps are used in Heaven.

  • Revelation 5:8; 14:2; 15:2; 18:21-22
  • The first challenge is to even prove these are literal harps.
  • Second, why stop with the harps?
  • Events in Heaven aren’t instructions for Christians on earth.
    • Matthew 22:30

We should use our God-given talents to worship Him.

  • Is there any limit to this?
  • God wants us to follow His instructions in worship.
    • John 4:24; Matthew 15:9
    • Genesis 4:2-5; Hebrews 11:4; Romans 10:17 – Abel followed God’s instructions. Cain did not.
    • Leviticus 10:1-2

Instruments were used for Old Covenant worship.

  • That’s right!
    • Numbers 10:10; II Chronicles 29:25-28
    • These were commanded by God at that time.
  • But we follow the New Covenant, not the Old Covenant.
    • Hebrews 8:7-8, 13
    • Acts 15
    • Galatians 5:1-3

Conclusion

  • No one can argue that we should use instruments because they are clearly authorized as acceptable worship in the New Covenant.