We must respect the silence of the scrip-tures. “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God” Rom. 10:17. That is. we gain and grow our faith by what God has said. His Word is our final authority.

One topic that receives much attention is the matter of singing in worship to God. I have been asked, “Why doesn’t the Dalraida church of Christ have musical instruments or even clapping to accompany your worship in song?’ On one hand, I’m glad the person notices a difference in our worship, on the other hand, it’s tragic that so many people don’t know the will of God on this subject

In the New Testament, God tells us to sing. There are numerous examples of followers of Christ singing in the New Testament. In Matt 26:30. Jesus and His disciples “sung a hymn.” In Acts 16:25, Paul and Silas, “sang praises.” Not only are there examples of early disciples singing to God, there are direct commands for Christians to sing. “Speaking to one mother in psalms. hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord” Eph. 5:19. Col. 3:16 adds, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns, and spiritual songs. singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.”

There is not one passage of scripture to sanction mechanical instruments or clapping in the New Testament. That should be enough for faithful disciples of Christ who desire to speak where the Bible speaks, and be silent where the Bible is silent. Reason from the scriptures to see whether these things are so. Is it wrong, even sinful, to use instruments of music in our worship to God just because He did not say we could use them? Is silence authoritative?

In Hebrews chapter 7, the writer is addressing the priesthood of Christ and how it is superior to the Levitical priesthood. In verses 12-14, read carefully, “For the priesthood being changed. there is made of necessity a change also of the law. For He of whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe, from which no man has officiated at the alter. For it is evident that our Lord arose from Judah. of which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning priesthood.”

Why couldn’t Jesus be a priest under the old law? Because concerning the tribe of Judah, of which Christ came, Moses said nothing! Therefore, we have a standard of respecting the silence in the scriptures. In the old law, God specified the tribe of Levi as the only tribe priests could come from. All Levites weren’t priests, but all priests were Levites. The reason a person could not be a priest from the tribe of Judah is because Moses didn’t say anything about it! He told them that priests were to be Levites. Likewise,, God has told us what to do in the Christian age. He said sing. Concerning the use of mechanical instruments or clapping, God said nothing! Now are you going to be governed by what God has said, or by what God has said nothing about? Faithful Christians will allow the Word of God to gov-ern their obedient lives. Silence is authoritative. This answers why we don’t use instru-ments or clap during our song service. We must respect the silence of the scriptures.