Mark Tabata’s Weekday Devotionals:
Wednesday May 6 2026
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Ephesians 5:19-speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord,
“Brother Mark, the Bible teaches that instrumental music is to be used and practiced in the public worship assembly of the church!”
Melissa (not her real name) had been telling me the reasons why she had left the church of Christ years earlier.
While we were enjoying a cup of coffee and hot chocolate at a local restaurant in eastern Kentucky, I had listened patiently to Melissa’s litany of grievances with the churches of Christ. We had discussed each of them, but somehow everything kept coming back to the “music” issue.
Leaning forward, I asked her:
“Melissa, where is your evidence that instrumental music was used in the churches in the first century?”
She responded, “Right there in the Book of Ephesians.”
So, we turned to Ephesians 5:19, and she honed in on that word “psalms.”
Melissa: “You see, brother Mark, that word originally meant to sing with instrumental music!”
Mark: “You are absolutely correct.”
Melissa: “Wait…you think that is right?!”
Mark: “Of course. That is what the word meant originally.-at least, that’s part of what it meant originally.”
I then showed her that when the Greek word psallo (translated “psalms” in English) was originally used, it had reference to a few different things.
It could mean “plucking” an instrument (like a harp):
It could mean “plucking” a bowstring (like a hunter with a bow and arrow):
It could mean “plucking” a piece of hair out of someone’s head (while they were brushing it, or when they were being tortured or assaulted).
Like all words, psallo underwent significant change over time: so that when the New Testament was written, the word simply meant “to sing.”
However it is a well known fact that words change meanings over time. Even in our English language words will change meaning. Many years ago the term “gay” meant “happy”. Most people today associate the meaning of this word “gay” as a person who is a homosexual. In the 1970’s the term “bad” actually meant “good” when used in a certain way. The point is that words have a tendency to change meanings over a period of time. Our word “psallo” is a word that has done this. It has in fact changed meanings twice in its development. The word psallo originally had nothing to do with music at all. It was in reference to plucking a plum line. In carpentry a plum line is sometimes used to cut cement or wood. The line is chalked, stretched out tight, and then plucked against the concrete. It then leaves a chalk line that is used to trace as the cement is cut. This plucking was known as “psallo”, to pluck or twang or snap. Over hundreds of years the term psallo changed meanings. It came to mean the “plucking” or “twanging” the strings of a harp. The harp was used as instrumental accompaniment to the singing offered unto God during the worship ceremony on the Holy Sabbath day. Over hundreds of years the term psallo changed meanings AGAIN. It came to mean “sing”. When we read of the word in the New Testament, it is always translated just “to sing”. It is used 5 times in the New Testament. What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing (psallo) with the spirit, and I will sing (psallo) with the understanding also. (I Corinthians 14: 15) Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, (psallo) singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; (Ephesians 5: 19) 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 (psallo) with grace in your hearts to the Lord. (Colossians 3: 16) Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing (psallo) psalms. (James 5: 13) Please note that in each instance this word is translated “sing”. Over time the word changed meanings. As to where it used to have the connotation of plucking the strings of the harp, it does not have that meaning any longer. A few years ago I purchased a set of CD’s created by Dr. JC Davis a well known Greek scholar at South Western Christian College in Terrell Texas. On the first CD, brother Davis makes the following comments concerning the term psallo. The Christian church in Abilene Texas was having a sermon series on sound doctrine. They invited all to attend the services each night. They indicated that people were leaving other groups to join them. I heard that some were leaving churches of Christ and going into the Christian church. One night I went and the preacher gave his sermon and he explained his understanding of the New Testament teachings. Most of his sermon was similar to that preached in churches of Christ. But near the end of the sermon he said, “Why do we use mechanical instruments in worship?” He answered, “Because that’s what the Greek word psallo means, ‘to sing and to play.’” I raised my hand and stated that the word did not mean ‘sing and play’ in the New Testament but only ‘to sing’. He said the time is about up tonight, but talk to me after service. Then he said if you will come down here on Tuesday night I will discuss this issue with you. I went down and as I walked in he said, ‘I would like for you to meet Dr. McKissock. He has a Ph.D in Greek from Harvard University and he will discuss this with you. Immediately we got to the issue. The Dr. seated at a desk opened up Thayer’s Greek Lexicon and read, ‘psallo to sing to the music of the harp’ and looked up to me as if that settled the issue. But I had been studying Thayer’s Lexicon earlier and I said, ‘Read the next line.” Which says, ‘In the New Testament to sing a hymn to celebrate the praises of God song.’ Then I said, ‘Do you think that all the translators of the King James Version, (all 47), and all the translators of the American Standard Version, and all the translators of the Revised Standard Version were wrong when they never translated psallo sing and play a single time in the New Testament, and always translated it sing?’ (Davis, Audio Recording) It is undeniable that the term psallo means “to sing” in the New Testament. It does not mean to play. Therefore when we examine this argument thoroughly we find that the term psallo does not support the use of mechanical instruments of music in worship. Although there are Greek Lexicons and dictionaries that translate this term psallo as “to pluck or play”, Dr. Dave Miller shows that in the bible the term is never used this way. He wrote a book, Richland Hills and Instrumental Music, in which he placed a chart that shows how the term psallo is used in scripture. I will not reprint the entire chart here, but it is well worth an examination for the serious student. He shows conclusively that the term psallo is never translated as “play” in the Holy Scriptures. (Kennon D. Olison SR, Music in Worship: An Examination of the Contemporary Music in the Churches of Christ,3947-3989 (Kindle Edition): Bloomington, IN: Author House)
I pointed out to Melissa that one of the many challenges placed before Bible translators includes translating a word into our modern language which accurately conveys how that word was used and understood when it was placed in the text of Scripture at the time that it was written.
What did a particular word mean to the people living at the time and in the area that it was used?
As such, psallo meant many things before the first century, including the use of instrumental music: but by the time of Christ, it had to come mean simply “to sing.” I a
Indeed, the reason why this is case is because the text identifies the “instrument” itself: your heart! Does it not make sense that when we truly worship the Lord, we are “plucking” the emotions of our heart? That is why when we sing praises to God, we should do so with the right “spirit.”
John 4:23-24-But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
Hebrews 12:28-Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.
Hebrews 13:15-Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.
James 5:13-Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms.
As a side-note, this fact really illustrates a big problem for Melissa’s argument. The command of Ephesians 5:19 is for every Christian in the worship assembly to psallo. If psallo thus meant to use instrumental music in the public worship assembly, then it would follow that every Christian present must have their own musical instrument that they are plucking!
Thankfully, when we realize that the word psallo by the time of the New Testament meant to “sing,” we can all carry out that command.
How so?
By plucking the only instrument that God is truly interested in: a loving, humble, joyful, reverent, and thankful heart!
May we give our God the worship and praise that He deserves: for truly, He is worthy!
Lord, we praise Your holy Name! Amen.