The Importance Of Music In The Bible

ENDTIME ISSUES NEWSLETTER No. 205“THE IMPORTANCE OF MUSIC IN THE BIBLE”Samuele Bacchiocchi, Ph. D.,Retired Professor of Theology and Church History,Andrews UniversityINDEX OF TOPICS OF THIS NEWSLETTER * POPULAR BELIEFS: ARE THEY BIBLICAL? Special Introductory Offer Extended until July 4, 2008 * “THE IMPORTANCE OF MUSIC IN THE BIBLE” This is the essay of this newsletter* CRISTINA PICCARDI’S NEW DVD RECORDINGS done at Loma Linda. Special Package Offer on four albums.POPULAR BELIEFS: ARE THEY BIBLICAL? INTRODUCTORY PRICE EXTENDED UNTIL JULY 4! The demand for Popular Beliefs: Are They Biblical? has surpassed our fondest expectations. The first printing of 10,000 copies came out on April 25 and was sold out in one month. We expect to sell the second printing within the next few weeks. Yesterday we shipped over 1000 copies, 500 of them were sent to Singapore.Some churches and institutions have just learned about this timely book and are asking for a few days to collect the orders. To make it possible for them also to order the book at the special introductory offer, I decided to extend the offer until July 4, 2008. Why is the Demand for Popular Beliefs so Great?Two major factors are contributing to such an overwhelming demand for Popular Beliefs. First, is the urgent need felt by many Adventists for a compel ing witnessing book they can give with confidence to people inquir-ing about our faith. Many Adventists have emailed me messages saying that they have waited for years for a book like Popular Beliefs that shows The Importance of Music in the Bible2why the most popular Catholic and Protestant popular beliefs are unbibli-cal, while the less-popular Adventist beliefs are biblically correct.The second factor that explains the overwhelming demand for Popular Beliefs, is the subsidized price of $5.00 per copy for a case of 30 copies and $4.00 per copy for an order of 100 copies. Keep in mind that the regular price for Popular Beliefs is $30.00 per copy, because it is a big book of 384 pages with an attractive laminated four colors cover.The Subsidized Price has Been Made Possible by a Few Donors The subsidized price we have extended until now, has been made it pos- sible by the generosity of a few donors who offered to defray part of the cost of the book. However, the funds received have been depleted. This means that beginning from July 6, 2008, the price goes up to $7.00 for an order of 30 copies and $5.00 for an order of 100 copies or more. If you or your church have not yet ordered a case of 30 copies Popular Beliefs: Are They Biblical? at the special price of $150.00, be sure to place your order before July 4 to take advantage of the introductory offer. See details at the end.Popular Beliefs is an Ideal Witnessing BookPopular Beliefs: Are They Biblical? appeals especially to professional Adventists, who are eager to witness in the work place to colleagues inquiring about our Adventist faith. An attorney called me to order 240 copies of Popular Beliefs to give to clients with whom he has discussed his Adventist beliefs.During the past few weeks I have received numerous email messages from Adventists who have already passed out copies of Popular Beliefs to non-SDA family members, office workers, and friends. All of them take time to share with me the positive impact of the book. In a few instances, those who received a gift copy of the book, are asking for additional copies to give to Christian friends.The Importance of Music in the Bible3Popular Beliefs is a much needed witnessing book that you can give with confidence to friends who want to know why their popular beliefs are unbiblical and the Adventist beliefs are biblical correct. Each of the 10 popular beliefs is traced historically and examined biblically. The ultimate goal is to lead people to appreciate the validity and value of our Adventist beliefs. Special Offer Extended Until July 4, 2008 Several churches have asked me to extend the special introductory of-fer until July 4, 2008, because they are still in the process of collecting orders. Thus, I have decided to extend the special introductory offer until July 4, 2008. After that date the price goes up to $7.00 per copy for a case of 30 copies. This means that if you order a case now, you pay only $150.00 for case of 30 copies, but from July 6, the cost for a case of 30 copies goes up to $210.00. The regular price of the book is $30.00. My Legacy to our Adventist Church In many ways Popular Beliefs: Are they Biblical? represents for me my legacy to our Seventh-day Adventist Church. This may be my last and hopefully my most important contribution to the mission of our Adventist church. All my previous 17 books are making a contribution by helping truth-seekers to understand and accept fundamental Bible teachings held by our church. But the impact of Popular Beliefs most likely will be greater than any of my previous books, because it examines, not one, but 10 popular beliefs, which are biblically wrong. Popular Beliefs Expresses my Gratitude to God for His Healing When I was diagnosed with terminal liver cancer on February 2007, one of my deep regrets was the inability to complete Popular Beliefs during the remaining few months I was expected to live. I promised to the Lord that if He would extend my life, I would put forth my best efforts to complete Popular Beliefs, to express my gratitude for His providential healing. The Lord has answered my prayer in an unexpected way. He led me to Cancer Research Center in Goshen, Indiana, which is only one hour away from Andrews University where we live. The Center is a pioneer in the The Importance of Music in the Bible4field of nuclear oncology and treated my liver cancer with a combined strategy of chemotherapy and microsphere embolization — a treatment available only in few cancer centers. Within two months my cancer was reduced by 95%. Grateful to God for a new lease on life, I fulfilled my promise by devoting every spare moment of this past year to complete Popular Beliefs. When Popular Beliefs came off the press on April 25, I was overwhelmed by a deep sense of gratitude to God for restoring my health and for enabling me to complete this important research project. I felt that an appropriate way to express my gratitude to God, was to plan for a dedication service for the book. In a special way the service was a re-dedication of my life to His service. About 30 fellow believers, including three medical doctors and a few teachers, attended the dedication service at our home. A Most Effective Witnessing Publication Fellow-believers often ask me this question: What book would you rec-ommend for a neighbor or office worker who ask me questions about our Adventist beliefs? Until now my answer has been: “Unfortunately we do not have a single book that answers questions about our fundamental beliefs in the context of what other Christians believe.” The Good News is that finally this much needed book is available. Popular Beliefs: Are They Biblical? is designed to meet this specific need. Ad-ventists who have been looking for a book to witness to their friends, will be glad to give this book, because it exposes false teachings and affirms biblical truths in a calm, dispassionate, and objective way. My Sincere Hope I have written this book with the earnest desire to help Christians of all persuasions to re-examine their popular beliefs in the light of the norma-tive authority of the Bible. At a time when most Christians still hold to popular beliefs that derive from human traditions rather than from biblical revelation, it is imperative to recover those biblical truths that God has revealed for our eternal salvation. The Importance of Music in the Bible5It is my fervent hope that this book, fruit of many months of dedicated research, will help Christians of all persuasions to “come out” of the Babylonian confusion of popular but unbiblical beliefs, and accept God’s glorious plan for our present life and our future destiny. SPECIAL INTRODUCTORY OFFER UNTIL JULY 4 ONPOPULAR BELIEFS: ARE THEY BIBLICAL? For few more days, until July 4, 2008, we offer Popular Beliefs: Are they Biblical? at the following introductory prices: 1 copy of Popular Beliefs: Are they Biblical? at $30.00 per copy. Mailing expenses are included for the USA. Add $10.00 for AIRMAIL postage to any overseas destination. 10 copies of Popular Beliefs: Are they Biblical? at $10.00 per copy, postage paid, instead of the regular price of $30.00 ($100.00 for 10 copies). Mailing expenses are included for the USA. Add $50.00 for AIRMAIL postage to any overseas destination. 30 copies (one case) of Popular Beliefs: Are they Biblical? at $5.00 per copy ($150.00 for 30 copies). Mailing expenses are included for the USA. Add $100.00 for AIRMAIL postage to any overseas destination. Beginning from July 6, 2008, the price will go up to $7.00 per copy, that is, $210.00 for case of 30 copies. The airmailing cost remains the same. 100 copies of Popular Beliefs: Are they Biblical? at $4.00 per copy, postage paid. ($400.00 for 100 copies). Mailing expenses are included for the USA. Add $300.00 for AIRMAIL postage to any overseas destination. Beginning from July 1, 2008, the price will go up to $5.00 per copy, that is, $500.00 for 100 copies. The airmailing expenses remain the same. HOW TO ORDER POPULAR BELIEFS: ARE THEY BIBLICAL? You can order Popular Beliefs: Are they Biblical? at the introductory prices given above, in four different ways: (1) ONLINE: By clicking here: http://www.biblicalperspectives.com/cart/catalog/index.php?cPath=26_35 The Importance of Music in the Bible6(2) PHONE: By calling us at (269) 471-2915 to give us your credit card number and postal address. (3) EMAIL: By emailing your order to <sbacchiocchi@biblicalperspectives.com>. Be sure to provide your postal address, credit card number, and expiration date. (4) REGULAR MAIL: By mailing a check to BIBLICAL PERSPEC-TIVES, 4990 Appian Way, Berrien Springs, Michigan 49103, USA. We guarantee to process your order as soon as we receive it. WOULD YOU LIKE US TO PRESENT AT YOUR CHURCHOUR POPULAR SEMINARS WITH WORDS AND SONGS ? Would you like us to present at your church one of our popular seminars on the SABBATH or SECOND ADVENT or CHRISTIAN LIFE with Words and Songs? These seminars have been greatly enhanced by the participation of Cristina Piccardi, an outstanding soprano from Brazil who joined my ministry eight months ago. She sings several times before and after each of my lectures. She also gives a sacred concert on Sab-bath afternoon. Her powerful and passionate singing touches the hearts of people everywhere. Her singing has almost double the attendance at the seminars. Our 2008 calendar is already filled for the next few months, but we still have a few openings in the latter part of the year. We will be glad to email you the list of the open weekends so that you can choose the weekend that best suits your church. To make it possible for many churches to benefit from our seminars, we keep the cost of the seminar down by asking only for the refund of two airline tickets and two nights for two rooms in a reasonable hotel. We do not ask for any honorarium. Instead, we trust in the Lord to meet our financial obligations through the sale of our publications and recordings on Saturday night. The Importance of Music in the Bible7If your church board wishes to preview one of our seminars, we will gladly mail you free of charge the DVD album with our SABBATH SEMINARS with Words and Songs, that was recorded in Loma Linda. The album contains 3 DVDs with 6 hours of live recording of my lectures and Cristina’s singing. Feel free to contact us by email <sbacchiocchi@biblicalperspectives.com> or by phone (269) 471-2915. We will gladly supply you with any additional information and reserve a weekend for your church.“THE IMPORTANCE OF MUSIC IN THE BIBLE”Samuele Bacchiocchi, Ph. D.,Retired Professor of Theology and Church History,Andrews UniversityThe inspiration to write this newsletter came from two different sources. The first source is the powerful and passionate singing of Cristina Piccardi, who joined my ministry eight months ago. She is an outstanding soprano who came to Andrews University to accompany her husband who is a seminary student. In my view, she is by far the best soprano I have heard in the Adventist church. In fact, three years ago she won the first price at an international opera singers’ competition. Through the influence of an Adventist voice professor, she decided to devote her gift of singing to God, by singing sacred music.Eight months ago, Cristina joined my itinerant ministry. She sings several times before and after each of my powerpoint lectures. The response has surpassed my fondest expectations. Her powerful and passionate sing-ing touches the hearts of people wherever I present my seminars. This experience has made me forcefully aware of the marvellous way singing can help people conceptualize and internalize the beauty of our Adventist message. The powerful singing of sacred songs warms up the hearts of people and makes them receptive to the message. After presenting my seminars for the past 30 years, relying solely on my broken accent and gestures, now I feel like a blessed man to be able to present the beauty of our message with the help of Cristina’s powerful and passionate singing. Every where The Importance of Music in the Bible8we go our believers never stop thanking me for bringing along Cristina to sing at the seminars. Questions I have been Asked to AddressThe second source of inspiration for writing this newsletter, is the many questions people have been asking me about the music used for church worship. It is a known fact that some of the contemporary music used today in the worship service, is causing painful discussions and divisions in our Adventist church. Promoters of “Christian” rock appeals to certain Bible texts to defend the use of such music for church worship and to reach the rock and roll generation. Over the years they have specifically asked me to address the following major questions:(1) How do you deal with those Bible texts which call us to “make a joyful noise” or “a loud noise” unto the Lord”? Doesn’t “Christian” rock music fulfill this biblical injunction since it is loud and joyful?(2) How do you explain Psalms 149 and 150 which specifically enjoin us to “Praise him with timbrel and dance” (Ps 150:4; cf. 149:3)? If David himself “danced before the Lord with all his might” (2 Sam 6:14), what is wrong with dancing in the church today?(3) Does the Bible really make a distinction between sacred music for divine worship and secular music for entertainment? Isn’t the style of church music simply question of culture and personal taste?(4) Why women were not allowed to sing or play instruments in the music ministry of the Temple, synagogue, and early church? Was it because of cultural or theological reasons?(5) Why a number of musical instruments, such as drums, tambourines, were not allowed in the worship service of the Temple, synagogue, and early church? Does this mean that we must use in the church today only string instruments to accompany the singing, like in Bible times?The Importance of Music in the Bible9The Christian and Rock Music: A Study on Biblical Principles of MusicTo find answers to these questions, I devoted one year of my life research-ing what the Bible has teaches about music. The findings of my research have been published in the first half of the book The Christian and Rock Music: A Study on Biblical Principles of Music. The second half of the book is written by six contributors are from five different countries, namely, South Africa, Australia, USA, Norway, and Germany. Each of them is eminently qualified in the field of music, in terms of academic training and/or professional experience. More important still, all of them are passionately involved in enriching the worship experience of their congregations.The Christian and Rock Music is a most timely book, because contemporary Christian Music is fast replacing traditional music and instruments across denominational churches, including an increasing number of Seventh-day Adventist churches. In many churches today “praise bands” have replaced the choir, powerpoint slides have replaced the hymn books, synthesizers have replaced organs, and drums and guitars have taken their place in the repertoire of church music instrumentation.These changes in church music are causing controversies and divisions in many congregations. Some see the new “pop music” as the music of Babylon, while others as the prophetic “New Song” to reach and satisfy the baby-boomers’ taste for rock music. Often the arguments generate more heat than light, reflecting personal taste or culture rather than a grasp of the biblical principles of music. I am thinking of a lovely couple with whom I have stayed countless times in London, England. The husband felt compelled to resign as a local Elder, because he could not support some of the beat music used for worship. A good number of Adventists have shared with me the pain of having to leave the church they helped to build, because they could no longer toler-ate the “Christian rock” played during the worship service.The Christian and Rock Music: A Study of Biblical Principles of Music of ers a balanced and biblical analysis of the use of Contemporary Christian Music for worship and evangelism. The book has two major objectives. The Importance of Music in the Bible10The first is to help people understand the true nature of the various styles of rock music popular today. Special consideration is given to the problems arising from transforming rock music into a medium for Christian worship and evangelism. The second objective is to define those biblical principles that should guide Christians in making good musical choices.The aim of this symposium is not to dismiss all contemporary music as “rock,” because there are contemporary songs with music and words which are suitable for divine worship. Rather, the aim is to clarify how the music, words, and the manner of singing should conform to the Biblical principle of worship music.The Christian and Rock Music shows how clearly the Bible differentiates between the secular music used for social entertainment and the sacred music worthy of the worship of God. There are ample biblical and his-torical evidences indicating that music and instruments associated with social entertainment, were not allowed in worship service the Temple, synagogue, or early church. The reason is that such music would have tempted believers to turn their place of worship into a place of entertain-ment, as it happens in some churches today. To prevent this thing from happening, God’s people in Bible times were taught to use only the sacred music suitable for divine worship. The authors of this book believe that the same principle applies to the church today.If you do not have yet a copy of The Christian and Rock Music, you can order the book by phone or online. To order by phone call us at (269) 471-2915 to give us your credit card number and postal address. To order online, just clicking at this link ------------------ Objectives of This NewsletterFor the sake of brevity and clarity, I am dividing the findings of my re-search published in The Christian and Rock Music into three parts. Each of them is posted in a separate newsletter. This means that the next three newsletters will deal with three important biblical teachings on worship music.