Shall We Have Singing Solos in Worship?
by: Joe Spangler
If we allowed some prominent speakers and educators among us to have their heresies, we would! One music professor has written that the claim of "Biblical authorization for congregational singing (and only congregational singing) in the church assembly" is "simply wrong". He charges that the practice of singing one to another as we do is the product of "reading the Scriptures with twentieth-century eyes, which have been affected by centuries of tradition and convention".
Another who said he would like to put celebration back into our worship really advocates putting in solos and quartets. The same speaker said we should look at our coming together as a "party" and that where he is "the pulpit preacher" they often have such "special music". Around Independence Day 1989, for example, the congregation had some boy scouts bring in a flag and lead the congregation in the Pledge of Allegiance! What will men do next?
1 Corinthians 14:26
It seems that 1 Corinthians 14:26 has become a pet passage for those who want to have solos in our assemblies and to twist the Scriptures. Both of the men cited attempt to use the passage as a "proof text".
"How is it then, brethren? When ye come together, everyone of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying."
These men are assuming that the "psalm" under consideration is a church solo! The first has written that this passage is "our only specific example of singing in the 'worship service'" and that by it "we learn that individuals came with psalms to share with the assembly; this almost certainly (sic) was a case of one person singing to the rest."
A few observations are in order to show that 1 Corinthians 14:26 is not a passage authorizing solos and special musical groups in worship.
The context of the passages concerns revelation and miraculous gifts God then imparted by the laying on of the apostle's hands (Acts 8:17-19). The Corinthians were not coming together with songs of their own creation to "share" with other saints. Each thing that they had (1 Corinthians 14:26) was a divine product by revelation. The chapter deals with those who could speak in unknown tongues or languages with which God had miraculously endowed them (vs. 2); those who were given the power to interpret these foreign languages (vs. 13); prophecy (vs. 3); and revelation (vs. 26). It makes not sense to imply that individuals came with their own tongues, prophecy, interpretation, and revelation to "share with the assembly"! Did they come with their own "doctrine" (vs. 26) to share too? Each element of edification in verse 26 was a spiritual gift - including the psalm! In order for this to parallel solos and quartets, they would have to be miraculously provided of the Lord.
The advocates of solos presumptuously assume that the psalm in the passage is a solo. On any number of occasions in our assembly men have had "a psalm" but did not sing it. These psalms were not miraculously provided, but read from the book of Psalms. Paul quoted psalms in Hebrews and other epistles, but they were in writing! When he quoted the writing of the psalms a the synagogue in Antioch, did he halt his preaching to solo out the two psalms mentioned in Acts 13:33, 35? It is not the case that when you read of a psalm that it refers to a solo-singing performance or quartet or even necessarily something only to be sung.
1 Corinthians 14:26 refers to psalms delivered by the revelation of God and not a "song service". Two or more different psalms spoken at the same time would result in confusion and not edification, therefore, these as other revelations were to be delivered one by one (vs. 26b-33). Thus verse 24 is not reference to a solo, but merely calling the prophets to practice some decency and order in the gatherings!
Again back to one of our advocates of solo singing. He asks the question, "Is congregational singing scripturally 'authorized'?" He then answers, "Not specifically. Is it allowable? Certainly." The writer apparently things that congregational singing is allowed by Ephesians 5:18, 19 and Colossians 3:16 and says that we don't have to sing to one another simultaneously or congregationally. But "speaking to yourselves" and "teaching and admonishing one another in psalms" are commanded of EVERYONE. Must all of us, one by one sing a solo? Brethren, congregational singing is SPECIFICALLY AUTHORIZED or COMMANDED. Read Ephesians 5:18, 19 and Colossians 3:16.
Further, one of these men writes that he "would not advocate the reinstatement of solo singing into our meetings": because he says "We are not, as a brotherhood, comfortable with the concept." When he and others have convinced enough brethren of the permissibility of solos as they DO promote, obviously they will be comfortable enough to thrust it and their other heresies into the assemblies. (Matthew 7:15, Romans 16:17).