Instrumental Music in The Worship by M. C. Kurfees

 

Instrumental Music in The Worship

by M. C. Kurfees

The full title of this book is Instrumental Music in the Worship or the Greek Verb Psallo Philologically and Historically Examined. The original copyright to this book is 1911. This gives an idea just how long the pro-manmade instrument crowd has been attempting to make the Greek word in Ephesians 5:19, psallo, to include or allow manmade instruments. Note that!

I recently saw a video which misrepresented the acapella position as wholly contingent on psallo excluding an instrument as if our whole case hinged on that one word and cited Kurfees’ work as evidence. Anyone who has read this work will quickly realize the video not only misrepresents the view on Ephesians 5:19 but also this work by Kurfees. Kurfees’ treatment of psallo was NOT to show that instruments were absolutely excluded by the term. In fact, Kurfees shows that the term was changing in meaning basically from a manmade instrument exclusively to one without a manmade instrument being required.

The Koine Greek was going through major changes due to Hellenism, and psallo was one such term. However, Kurfees did not advocate the position that psallo absolutely excludes the instrument in Ephesians 5:19. He merely proved the term had evolved to include singing without a manmade instrument being required. Or as one of the more up-to-date lexicon states “to sing songs of praise with or without instrumental accompaniment” (BDAG 1096). Incidentally, through the Byzantine Greek the narrowing would continue until in Modern Greek psallo evolved to mean vocal music exclusively (BDAG, 1096). Now, why would this narrowing trend continue toward vocal only? Because the early church utilized only the human voice for centuries before the adoption of the manmade instrument intruded upon acapella music. Incidentally, acapella not only meant vocal alone but also designated the type of music–sacred versus profane.

Some claim churches of Christ are deliberately obscuring the instrument in psallo, but that is a false charge. Question: Why do nearly all English translations, not produced by churches of Christ, not translate psallo as “play?” Translators recognized that psallo did not require a manmade instrument but the heart as the instrument. A comparison of Colossians 3:16 also shows this to be true. The challenge to the psallo argument in a nutshell is this: name the manmade instrument in the verse or in the worship of the first century church. The term psallo is a verb which does NOT include any manmade instrument. It is modified by the God-made instrument of the heart in Ephesians 5:19. We are to make melody with our hearts in devotion to God. No manmade instruments were named or included in First Century Worship, and we should continue to abide in that pattern!

Kurfees began his research at the request of preacher students in his class on New Testament Exegesis. Why? Because preachers were looking for an answer about psallo as justification for manmade instruments. What started as a paper was expanded into this work for publication. Its endurance is seen in being included in the Gospel Advocate Classic Series. 

If the reader would like a fuller treatment of this subject of controversy, see Dave Miller’s video lessons available on Apologetics Press’ YouTube Channel. Here is the link:

 Worship and the Instrument by Dave Miller

Originally printed in the West Virginia Christian, Vol. 30, No. 11, November 2023, p. 8. Reprinted by permission.