# Turning verses from the NT into songs?



## shackleton (Nov 30, 2008)

My wife and I went to a chruch recently that sung a song that was basically the first chapter of Hebrews and I wondered if this would be allowed under the RPW?


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## cbryant (Nov 30, 2008)

If they were pulled directly from Hebrews 1 and were not put with other words outside of Hebrews 1(or the bible) then I don't know if anyone can say that this was an uninspired song. However, the argument could be made that the purpose of Hebrews was not directly for worship. A friend of mind claimed that Hebrews is a commentary on Psalm 110.


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## Confessor (Nov 30, 2008)

Still, even if Hebrews were a commentary on one of the Psalms, I don't think it would be proper for worship by God's decree. A worship song and an addendum regarding that worship song are not tantamount.

Regardless, it would be pretty close...


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## toddpedlar (Nov 30, 2008)

packabacka said:


> Still, even if Hebrews were a commentary on one of the Psalms, I don't think it would not be proper for worship by God's decree. A worship song and an addendum regarding that worship song are not tantamount.
> 
> Regardless, it would be pretty close...



I think what Ben means (if I can sift through the negatives, which seem to be one too many) is that despite the fact that it is Scripture, it is still improper for worship because it is not decreed by God as worship song.


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## Prufrock (Nov 30, 2008)

shackleton said:


> My wife and I went to a chruch recently that sung a song that was basically the first chapter of Hebrews and I wondered if this would be allowed under the RPW?



That depends who you ask on this board. 

Since coming to the PB, I've begun to lean back to the direction of "No, that wouldn't be allowed." Although, pragmatically speaking, I would probably be overjoyed if I walked into a formerly typical 'evangelical" church and found out they had put away the praise choruses in order to sing scripture instead. Even if it's not right, it's certainly a _giant_ step in the right direction.


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## Confessor (Nov 30, 2008)

toddpedlar said:


> packabacka said:
> 
> 
> > Still, even if Hebrews were a commentary on one of the Psalms, I don't think it would not be proper for worship by God's decree. A worship song and an addendum regarding that worship song are not tantamount.
> ...



Haha, I definitely added one too many negatives...

-----Added 11/30/2008 at 07:52:37 EST-----

Just corrected it.


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## Pergamum (Nov 30, 2008)

We are doing this very thing among a resistant Religion of Peace people group on another island. 

This group will not usually accept or read the Bible but love to listen to everything, and listening to the Word in their heart language and even hearing prayers in their own heart language (when usually their prayers are ritualistic and in arabic, which most do not even understand) is quite moving to them and often moves them to tears (my teammate just reported that this happened again a few months ago, he prayed with a gruff man in the local language and the tough man broke out crying and said he did not know he could talk to God in his own native tongue..and heis now open tothe Gospel and learning whereas before he beat his sister with a bamboo cane for converting).


Not only is this a good evangelistic technique in oral cultures or Religion of Peace societies where there is high illiteracy, and where reading is not a usual pastime, and there is an allergic reaction to the book of the Bible, but these songs are directly from the inspired Scriptures.....

...and we even get to mention the name of Christ!


I do not believe the RPW requires EP.


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## cbryant (Nov 30, 2008)

I was not affirming nor was I denying that the use of the NT scripture passages in song form in worship was allowed under the RPW. I was stating that an argument could be made. Also, I am not going to at this time give an apology (defense) of my understanding of the RPW.


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## Theognome (Nov 30, 2008)

shackleton said:


> My wife and I went to a chruch recently that sung a song that was basically the first chapter of Hebrews and I wondered if this would be allowed under the RPW?



I'd guess that I'm more 'liberal' in this area than most folks here, and I'm not against such use of Scripture. I've written a few songs myself- although I used passages from Isaiah and Ezekiel as my source texts, and arranged melodies from various 18th and 19th century composers to fit.

At my church, we are primarily but not exclusively Psalm singing for worship; and I quite often am very edified by the non-Psalm singing that occurs- just as I am likewise edified through the Psalms.

Theognome


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