Sinclair Ferguson is a member of the Presbyterian Church

Singing Believers

    Sinclair Ferguson is a member of the Presbyterian Church but he wrote an interesting book called Devoted to God: Blueprints for Sanctification. In one chapter, he focuses on the teaching of Colossians 3. What struck me was his comments on how Christians are to dress and in one section, he writes that Christians should have Christ’s word dwelling in them. He draws that point from 3:16: “Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”

    Despite the fact that we have brethren who try to say that this passage and/or Ephesians 5:19 do not refer to corporate worship, most if not all commentators I have read do understand it so, as does Ferguson. He writes that “sanctified praise will have a manward part as well as a Godward dimension” (136). The psalms, comments Ferguson, illustrate his point. A third of the psalms are directed to God; one third are self-addressed; the final third are directed at others.

    Ferguson continues: “Thus, as we sing we are instructing, exhorting, encouraging, and teaching one another. This is one reason the words are always more significant than the music… It is also the reason sanctified believers will be singing believers. The word that indwells them comes with such power to them that it issues from them in heart-felt sung proclamation. Our singing of psalms, hymns and spiritual songs is therefore our corporate ministry of God’s word, a kind of mutual prophesying to one another to hear and live by the gospel. The more the word of Christ fills us by means of the words we sing, and as we sing them with understanding, the more we will be able to bless God, encourage one another, and be strengthened in ourselves” (136-137; emph. in orig.).

    A stronger argument for a capella worship could hardly be made. Our singing portion of worship is specifically intended to “teach and admonish.” When the music covers over the words, either through its volume or its aesthetics, the purpose of the singing has been completely obliterated. We are to be singing believers, not playing believers. Worship is not a talent show.

Paul Holland