Musical Instruments in Church: What Ephesians 5:18-20
Short answer: Ephesians 5:18-20 commands believers to be filled with the Spirit and to sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs from the heart to the Lord. It does not mention musical instruments in the assembly. The wider biblical witness includes instruments in temple worship and in the Psalms, while the New Testament emphasizes edification and order. Faithful Christians have therefore differed: some hold that only vocal singing is authorized for the church, while others hold that instruments may be used as an aid to praise. What Ephesians 5:18-20 settles is that worship must be Spirit-filled and Christ-directed, not merely that a particular instrument is present or absent.
What Ephesians 5:18-20 actually commands
The passage is a command with a contrast: drunkenness produces dissipation, but being filled with the Spirit produces worship. Paul writes, "Don’t be drunken with wine, in which is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit," as Ephesians 5:18 says. The grammar suggests a continual filling, not a one-time experience. The result is stated in the following verses, where singing, thanksgiving, and mutual submission flow from the Spirit's work.
Notice the direction of the singing. It is addressed to the Lord, and it comes from the heart. The Spirit-filled life is not silent or passive; it expresses itself in praise. But the emphasis falls on the source of the praise and the object of the praise, not on the mechanics of accompaniment.
That means the passage cannot be used as a proof text for or against instruments on its own. It does not command instruments, and it does not forbid them. It commands a Spirit-filled people whose hearts are engaged in praise. Anyone using this text to settle the instrument question must import an argument the text itself does not make.
Singing with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs
Paul describes the content of Christian singing: psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. These categories overlap, and they likely include Old Testament psalms as well as new Christian compositions. The point is not the label but the range: the church sings what God has revealed and what the Spirit has given.
The parallel passage in Colossians says, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your heart to the Lord," as Colossians 3:16 says. There, singing is explicitly teaching and admonishing. It is a means of edification, not merely a mood-setter.
This is why the instrument question, however important, is secondary to the question of content. If the words are true, edifying, and Christ-centered, the church is obeying the heart of these commands. If they are not, no arrangement of instruments can repair the deficiency. The instrument cannot make a bad song good; the word of Christ dwelling richly can make a simple song fruitful.
Instruments in the Old Testament temple and Psalms
Psalm 150 gives the most concentrated list of instruments in Scripture: trumpet, harp, lyre, tambourine, strings, flute, and cymbals. The opening call is, "Praise Yah! Praise God in his sanctuary! Praise him in his heavens for his acts of power!" as Psalm 150:1 puts it. The psalm does not merely permit instruments; it commands them as part of the praise of God's people.
David appointed Levites with instruments for temple worship, and the Chronicler records specific orders for trumpets, cymbals, and stringed instruments. These were not incidental to Israel's worship; they were commanded by God through his appointed leaders. The Psalms themselves repeatedly call for instrumental praise, which is why the question of instruments cannot be answered by a blanket assertion that God only ever wanted voices.
At the same time, the temple was a specific institution with a specific covenant setting. Its regulations, priesthood, and sacrifices are fulfilled in Christ. Thus Old Testament practice is not automatically normative for the Christian assembly without further argument. It establishes that God is not offended by instrumental praise, but it does not by itself prescribe it for the church.
Does the New Testament command or assume instruments?
The New Testament never explicitly commands instrumental accompaniment for church gatherings, and it never explicitly forbids it. References to music in the epistles focus on singing. Ephesians and Colossians speak of psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. James asks whether anyone is cheerful, and says to sing praise. First Corinthians 14 addresses the gathered church, where each may have a psalm or teaching, with all things done to build up.
That is the crux of the long-running disagreement. One side argues that since Christ and his apostles left instruments unmentioned for the assembly, the church has no warrant to add them; this is the historic a cappella position held by churches of Christ and some Reformed and Presbyterian traditions. The other side argues that instruments are a circumstance or aid of music, not an element of worship, and are therefore permissible under the general principle of doing all things decently and in order.
Honest readers should notice that neither position rests on the same kind of direct proof text. The a cappella position rests on an argument from silence combined with a theology of worship authority. The instrumental position rests on the Old Testament precedent and on the nature of instruments as an aid. Both are attempts to be faithful to Scripture, and each should be represented accurately.
Spirit-filling, order, and edification in the gathered church
First Corinthians 14 gives the controlling purpose for everything in the assembly. Paul writes, "What is it then, brothers? When you come together, each one of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has another language, or has an interpretation. Let all things be done to build each other up," as 1 Corinthians 14:26 says. Notice that a psalm is included in the list, and notice the rule that governs the list: edification.
That rule cuts both ways in the instrument debate. If a practice distracts, divides, or centers attention on performers rather than on Christ, it fails the test regardless of its category. If a practice serves the congregation's singing and helps the word of Christ dwell richly, it can pass the test. The question is never merely whether a thing is allowed, but whether it builds up the body in love.
Ephesians 5:18-20 places the same emphasis on the Spirit's filling. A congregation can have impeccable musical forms and no spiritual life, or it can have modest resources and rich praise. The controlling concern is the heart, the word, and the upbuilding of the church.
How faithful Christians have differed
Church history shows real disagreement among people who love Scripture. The Eastern Orthodox church has historically used only the human voice in its liturgy, viewing instruments as belonging to an older dispensation. Many Reformed and Presbyterian churches have held the same a cappella conviction, at least in principle. Churches of Christ have made the absence of instruments a matter of congregational identity and, in some cases, of salvation.
Other traditions, including Anglican, Lutheran, Methodist, Baptist, and Pentecostal churches, have used organs, pianos, guitars, and full bands at different times. Some of these also have a cappella traditions. The disagreement is not simply between the spiritually serious and the spiritually careless; it runs through the history of serious believers.
Where Scripture does not make a matter explicit, Christians should hold their conclusions with humility and charity. That does not mean the question is unimportant. It means we should be slow to treat our own inference as if it were the plain command of Christ, and slow to question another believer's sincerity where the text itself is silent.
Practical wisdom for churches making this decision
Any church weighing this question should begin with the clear commands: be filled with the Spirit, let the word of Christ dwell richly, sing with grace in the heart to the Lord, and do everything for edification. Those are not negotiable. A congregation that is divided over instruments but careless about content and order has missed the weightier matters.
Second, a church should consider its own history, its conscience, and its unity. If a congregation holds the a cappella conviction as a matter of principle, that conviction should be honored and the singing should be strong, not merely tolerated as a restriction. If a congregation uses instruments, it should ensure that the instruments serve the singing rather than replace it, and that the congregation's voice is the main sound.
Third, leaders should teach the reasoning behind their practice rather than assume it. People are helped by knowing why the church does what it does, and they are helped even more by seeing that the practice flows from a desire to honor Christ and build up his people. Whatever a church decides, it should decide in the fear of the Lord and in love for the brothers.
Biblical fidelity check
Ephesians 5:18-20 establishes that the Spirit-filled life produces praise, and that this praise is directed to the Lord with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs sung from the heart. It does not establish that instruments must be present in the assembly, and it does not establish that they must be absent. It is silent on the mechanics of accompaniment. Any claim that this passage settles the instrument question in either direction is going beyond what the text says.
A common misreading is to treat the absence of an explicit New Testament command as a total prohibition, or to treat Old Testament temple instrumentation as directly binding on the church. The first confuses silence with prohibition; the second confuses a fulfilled covenant institution with the new covenant assembly. A more careful reading keeps the command clear and the inference honest: worship must be Spirit-filled, word-centered, and edifying, and everything else should be judged by that standard.
Other passages that speak to Ephesians 5:18-20
Several related passages help fill out the biblical picture of worship and church order. For the place of instruments in Israel's praise, see Music and instruments in the Psalms: A Biblical Guide. For the unity that should mark a congregation's worship and decisions, see What Does 1 Corinthians 1:10 Mean? Context, Theology, and Application. For the calling and faithfulness that undergird all church life, see What Does 1 Corinthians 1:9 Mean? Context, Theology, and Application. For a broader study of the letter's opening themes, see 1 Corinthians 1: Called, United, and Boasting in the Lord. Together these passages show that the New Testament's central concern is a gathered people who are called, united, and built up in Christ.
Frequently asked questions
Does Ephesians 5:18-20 forbid musical instruments in church?
No. Ephesians 5:18-20 does not mention instruments at all. It commands being filled with the Spirit and singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs from the heart to the Lord. It neither commands nor forbids instruments. Those who argue for a cappella-only worship do so from the broader silence of the New Testament and from a theology of worship authority, not from this passage alone. Those who use instruments do so from Old Testament precedent and from viewing instruments as an aid to singing. The text itself settles neither side.
Why do some churches sing a cappella while others use instruments?
The difference usually comes down to what a church believes Scripture authorizes for worship. A cappella churches often hold that since Christ and the apostles did not command instruments for the assembly, the church should not add them. Instrumental churches often hold that instruments are a circumstance or aid of the command to sing, not a separate element, and are therefore permissible. Both views have long histories and serious defenders. The disagreement is a matter of inference from Scripture rather than a plain contradiction of an explicit command.
What should a church do when members disagree about instruments?
Begin with the clear commands: be filled with the Spirit, let the word of Christ dwell richly, sing with grace, and do all things for edification. Teach the reasoning behind the church's practice honestly, without caricaturing the other side. Honor conscience where the text is silent, and keep unity in view. Paul's instruction in 1 Corinthians 14:26 sets the goal: let all things be done to build each other up. If a practice divides the body and distracts from Christ, it fails that test no matter which side of the debate it comes from.
