Now, some passages:

Concerning music, there are two kinds that can be used in worship: One is vocal; the other, mechanical.

What is vocal music? Vocal music is that which is made by the human heart, singing with the mouth the praise of God. That’s singing.

Instrumental music is music made on something OTHER than the human heart and voice. It might be two sticks beating together. It might be a drum. It might be hitting a log. It might be a violin. It might be a piano, a guitar—you name it! But when you look at what is happening; what is happening is that one is using instrumental music instead of, or in place of, the human voice.

Now, a question: What did GOD say about the music the church is to use?

Well, in Ephesians, chapter 5, and verse 19… This verse was written to the church in Ephesus, AND in telling the church there what they were to do, Paul instructed them that they were to be “Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord…” The same thought is expressed in Colossians 3, and verse 16: “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.” Doing what? SINGING! Singing how? “…singing with grace IN YOUR HEARTS…” Singing how? “…singing with grace in your hearts TO THE LORD.” Doing what? Glorifying God, and edifying and instructing one another.

Now, these passages are clear. The translation is accurate, and the truth is that these verses and others that might be noticed tell the same thing. And that is that the New Testament teaches the church that, in the worship of God, there is to be singing. There is authority, instruction, from God to sing. There is NO INSTRUCTION to play instrumental music.

Now, let me illustrate that point in this way. It has been my privilege to know a lot of fine preachers. I have often thought that I grew up and began teaching in a wonderful period in the church, and that is, I got to know men in the nineteen fifties and on through the years, who are some of the best teachers and preachers I’ve ever heard of in the church. I moved to Tupelo, Mississippi, in 1957, and the preacher there was a man by the name of Floyd Decker. Floyd Decker was absolutely one of a kind. I think the Lord made Brother Decker…and then He said, “That’s enough. I thought about making another, but that’s too much.” [Laughter] Wonderful fella!

He held a meeting in a little place called—catch it, now—Gun Town, Mississippi. I don’t know why they call it that. Maybe the same reason they call a place in Oklahoma “Broken Arrow,” or “Cut And Shoot, Texas.” Can you imagine a name like that ?!? Well…anyway.

Brother Decker was in the meeting, and the night that I went with him, he talked about instrumental music. And here’s what he said… (Incidentally, I was in a meeting in a little town near Paducah, Kentucky, a few years later, a little town called Bandana, Kentucky. I told this account, and many people there said, “I was there! That’s exactly right!” Well, I knew it was right, ‘cause Decker told it! But they just confirmed it…)

Well, anyway, here’s the story that Brother Decker told: In nineteen hundred twenty seven, Floyd Decker was the preacher in what was known as the Merle [spelling?] Boulevard Christian Church in Paducah, Kentucky. He had been trained in the various Christian Church schools by very fine teachers. He believed, he upheld, the views of the Christian Church, and the Merle [spelling?] Boulevard Christian Church was doing quite well numerically.

In that little Christian Church, there was a woman who lived next door to a woman who attended the church of Christ where T. C. Wilcox preached. Well, these two women, as folks do, got to talking about all sorts of things. They finally got around to religious matters. And then, they go to talking about instrumental music and singing. Well, one would make this point, and the other wouldn’t know what to do—go talk to the preacher; come back; talk; back to the preacher; come back; talk…back and forth to the preacher. Finally, one day Brother Decker told this lady, “There’s no point in our doing this time and time again. You just tell your friend to tell her preacher, Mr. T. C. Wilcox, that if he has any conviction at all, he will agree to a debate on the subject of “Instrumental Music.” She hurried over and told her neighbor; her neighbor told Wilcox. He said, “Fine! When do you want to start?”

Well, they agreed—they were going to start on a Monday night and go through Saturday night. Had a biiiig crowd. Eeeeverybody verrry interested, and hereeeee the debate began.