Contemporary “Christian” music has grown in acceptance and popularity over the last several decades. During this time, artists in more and more genres – including rock and hip hop – have been writing songs with lyrics that are more spiritual than secular. For many religious people, this is seen as an unquestionably positive development.
Before we consider whether these songs are ones that Christians should listen to, let us start with a definition of what we mean by Contemporary “Christian” music.
“Contemporary Christian music (CCM), also known as Christian pop, and occasionally inspirational music, is a genre of modern popular music, and an aspect of Christian media, which is lyrically focused on matters related to the Christian faith and stylistically rooted in Christian music. …the term is typically used to refer to pop, but also includes rock, alternative rock, hip hop, metal, contemporary worship, punk, hardcore punk, Latin, electronic dance music, R&B-influenced gospel, and country styles.” (Wikipedia)
Also, before talking about this music, I want to make a note about the term – Contemporary “Christian” music – and why I am including quotation marks around the word “Christian.” The New Testament only uses the term Christian to describe people who are disciples of Christ (Acts 11:26; 26:28; 1 Peter 4:16). It is never used in Scripture as an adjective, even for things that are good. For example, we sometimes hear brethren talk about a “Christian” home, but the New Testament never uses the term in that way. Homes may be made up of Christians (and we hope that more and more of them will be), but there is no such thing as a “Christian” home. While we might sometimes use the term in an accommodative sense, we need to be especially careful not to label unbiblical practices as “Christian.”
The Appeal of Contemporary “Christian” Music
Why has this form of music become so popular over the years? I believe there are two basic reasons for this:
- It is seen as a way to express one’s faith to audiences or through mediums where it is often absent.
- It is an alternative form of entertainment that allows listeners to enjoy music without profanity-laced lyrics that glorify sex, alcohol, drugs, violence, and more.
On one hand, it is encouraging that people want to bring “faith” into every sphere of life – even music. On the other hand, we need to make sure that what we choose to do is pleasing to God and not just assume that He will be pleased with it. Jesus addressed this in the Sermon on the Mount:
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’” (Matthew 7:21-23).
It is possible to claim that God is honored by something we choose to do, yet what we do is actually considered by the Lord to be “lawlessness.” In other words, we can do things for which we have no law (no authority) and deceive ourselves into thinking that God must accept our service because we believe He should.
Principle of Authority
As with anything we do, we need to act in a way that the Lord has authorized us to act. After His resurrection, Jesus told His apostles, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth” (Matthew 28:18). The fact that He possesses “all authority” was the basis for the teaching they were to do in making disciples and carrying out the Great Commission: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you…” (Matthew 28:19-20). Because Jesus has “all authority,” we must “observe all that [He] commanded.”
In Paul’s letter to the church in Colossae, he wrote, “Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father” (Colossians 3:17). This means that everything we do must be by the authority of Christ. In order to determine what has been authorized, we must look to His word, which reveals His mind (1 Corinthians 2:10-16) and equips us “for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
The way we can determine what has been authorized in His word is through commands, direct statements, approved examples, and divine implications (from which we draw necessary inferences).* That means if there is no command for us to do something, no statement that indicates we are to do it, no examples in the New Testament that indicate it is approved by the Lord, and nothing that allows us to safely infer that the Lord allows a particular act, then we cannot presume that God will be pleased when we engage in that practice.
Applying the Principle of Authority to the Music We Use in Worship
When it comes to the music we use in worship, there is one type of music for which we find authority in the New Testament – singing.
- Command – We are to teach one another through singing (Colossians 3:16). If we are merry, we are told to sing (James 5:13).
- Statement – Paul said we are to sing with the spirit and understanding (1 Corinthians 14:15). He also indicated that psalms would be sung when the church assembles (1 Corinthians 14:26).
- Example – Paul and Silas sang hymns while in prison in Philippi (Acts 16:25).
- Implication – As we are “speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs” (Ephesians 5:19), we will do so in the assembly of the church. Of course, the context of that verse is not about the assembly per se. There are other times when we can sing to one another in this way. But by implication, the assembly is included since we are singing to one another.
Notice the contrast between singing (above) and the use of musical instruments (which is also a feature of Contemporary “Christian” music):
- No command – We find no command in the New Testament to use instrumental music in our worship.
- No statement – No statement in the Bible indicates that the Lord’s church used instruments to accompany their songs.
- No example – We have no example of early Christians, under the direction of the apostles, using instrumental music in their worship.
- No implication – There is nothing that ever implies that instrumental music was part of New Testament worship.
Therefore, with no command, no statement, no example, and no implication, we cannot conclude that instrumental music in worship is authorized. Paul told Timothy that we are to “hold fast the pattern of sound words” (2 Timothy 1:13, NKJV). Instrumental music in worship is not part of this pattern.**
How Does This Apply to Contemporary “Christian” Music?
Contemporary “Christian” music is a genre created and defined by man, not by Scripture. Because of that, it may not be possible to make a blanket statement for or against Christians listening to it (or creating or performing it either). It will come down to the song (particularly the lyrics) rather than how a song has been labeled.
The fundamental question we must ask is this: Does a particular song qualify as a psalm, hymn, or spiritual song? These are the terms Paul used when discussing the singing done by Christians in two of the passages we cited above (Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16). What do these terms mean?
- Psalms – This can refer to the songs in the book of Psalms. The term also describes sacred songs that are directed to God.
- Hymns – These are simply songs of praise to God. (There will sometimes be an overlap in psalms and hymns – they are directed to God and praise God.)
- Spiritual songs – These are songs about spiritual topics (heaven, the Lord’s Supper, our duty as Christians, etc.).
If a song qualifies as a psalm, hymn, or spiritual song, then we need to respect what has been authorized in the New Testament regarding the singing of psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.***
However, if a song is wholesome, inspirational, and reflects a Biblical worldview, it may receive the label of Contemporary “Christian” music but not fit the definition of psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. In that case, the songs may not belong in our worship, but we could enjoy them as entertainment.
Conclusion
Our culture has produced an abundance of vulgar forms of entertainment that glorify and normalize sin. It is good to avoid and even seek out alternatives to this.
At the same time, if we are worshipping God or doing anything else, we need to act in a way that pleases Him. We can only know what pleases Him by looking to His word.
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* For a more in-depth explanation of the ways to determine what is authorized, see the article, By What Authority?
** For more on instrumental music in worship, which also includes an address of common arguments in favor of using instruments, see the sermon outline, Singing Only?
*** For a more detailed explanation of the difference between psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, including some examples we might use in worship, see the article, Singing That Glorifies God.
