I am a Church of Christ member, but there is one thing I real do not understand on the meaning of the word “Psalms” psalmos, psallo, psao, psalmoi and why church of church (sic) rejects music accompanied by instruments, is it biblical or man doctrine, when Paul says sing psalms what was the meaning of that bcos every word has a meaning. If you say the meaning changed it means the meaning of the word baptism, pastor, reverend changed too. Please clarify for me sir. ~ C. Dlakadla, Swaziland
The meanings of words in all living languages change over time through continued use. The New Testament was written in the Greek language originally. In order to understand the divine message that God conveyed to mankind through inspired writers who penned the New Testament, we need to know what the Greek words that appear in the New Testament meant when it was written. Greek lexicons (dictionaries) of New Testament words reveal the meanings of the words that comprise the New Testament part of the Bible. Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16 indicate that the activity in which psalms are a part of Christian music is through “speaking,” “teaching” and “singing”—voice activities rather than instruments of music. The first century church—the New Testament church—sang psalms without instrumental accompaniment, and instrumental music was not added to Christian worship until hundreds of years later, without scriptural authorization in the New Testament and against the practice of the infant, inspired apostle guided church of the first century. The word “a cappella” means, “(In the manner of the church) music is group vocal music or singing without instrumental accompaniment” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_cappella); the early church did not use instrumental music for worship, and the word “a cappella” demonstrates this.
The type of Greek language used for the New Testament is koine or common Greek. That type of Greek language is a dead (unchanging) language and differs from the modern Greek language. In that sense, the Greek language of the New Testament does not change.
See articles already in the Archive for Gospel Gazette Online that refer to the worshipful music of the early church.
https://www.gospelgazette.com/gazette/2003/sep/page12.htm
https://www.gospelgazette.com/gazette/2002/jun/page15.htm#music
https://www.gospelgazette.com/gazette/2007/mar/page2.htm
https://www.gospelgazette.com/gazette/2005/oct/page2.htm
https://www.gospelgazette.com/gazette/2005/oct/page10.htm
https://www.gospelgazette.com/gazette/2006/jun/page20.htm
https://www.gospelgazette.com/gazette/2001/jun/page20.htm#music
https://www.gospelgazette.com/gazette/2002/nov/page18.htm
https://www.gospelgazette.com/gazette/2001/jan/page15.htm
