Biblical Understanding of Making Musical Choices

By Erik Hanson | August 6, 2025

Respected professor and market specialist George Barna reports that media choices, including music, have a more significant impact on children than attending school. “A majority of the choices that we make, in terms of our worldview, and that then get demonstrated through our behavior, come because of the influence of media … The typical American will die possessing essentially the same worldview they had at the age of 13.”1 This illustrates the significance of our media choices and their influence on shaping our worldview and behavior. This includes making musical choices in our personal listening habits and corporate worship.

Biblical Principles for Decision-Making

In 1 Thessalonians 5:17-24, God provides guidance on making decisions. These instructions apply in every circumstance of life, including musical choice. God commands us to:

  1. Pray continually (5:17).
  2. Give Him thanks in every situation (5:18).
  3. Rely on the Holy Spirit’s working (5:19).
  4. Listen to His Word (5:20).
  5. Examine His Word and other sources as necessary to determine what is good (5:21).
  6. Avoid every appearance of evil (5:22).
  7. Rely upon Him to make the right decision (5:23).

In the process of spiritual growth, which includes developing personal convictions, believers can be confident in God’s faithfulness, calling, and grace (5:24). Ultimately, our desire should be to glorify God in every choice that we make (1 Corinthians 10:31).

Musical Choice and Tastes

The idea that music is solely a matter of taste or preference exists. Musicologist Julian Johnson writes, “We either fall back on the subjective claims of ‘taste’ and agree to differ or make ourselves ridiculous by stubbornly reasserting our own position.”2 He continues to say that music’s morality “is no more a matter of taste than was the orbit of the planets of the physiology of the human body. From Plato to Helmholtz, music was understood to be based on natural laws.”3 While acknowledging that preference is not the basis of musical choices, musicologists do agree that taste influences musical choices. However, believers should strive to cultivate musical tastes and preferences based on what God deems as “good” and “acceptable” and what reflects His divine attributes (Romans 12:2).

Musical Choice

God desires that we “approve things that are excellent” to avoid being an offense while giving Him glory (Philippians 1:10). This includes making musical choices that display the highest excellence in their lyrics, sound, and intrinsic meaning for God’s glory. Some songs, although morally good, do not edify (1 Corinthians 10:23b). The musical selection’s intended purpose should be considered, as it may not be appropriate or reverent in certain situations. Further, a song may be morally good and appropriate for worship, but it may not be expedient (wise) to use in worship due to association, culture, or conviction (1 Corinthians 10:23a-29). Caution should be exercised when making a choice solely based on association. An association issue may be cultural and temporal in nature (Romans 14:20-21). For example, the associations of certain hymns, lyricists, and composers may have initially influenced their use, but over time, these associations have become less relevant.

Musical Excellence

Examples of musical excellence in worship are lacking today. Calvin Johansson, church music scholar and educator, states that, often, church musicians know what musical composition displays the highest quality. Yet, in corporate worship, they “still choose pieces that are absolutely poverty-stricken” from the excellence standpoint.4 Renowned composer Ralph Vaughn Williams also concurs, writing that “correct music (musical excellence) is beautiful and noble” while citing hymn tunes ST. ANNE and OLD HUNDREDTH as examples.5 Further, he views this issue as “moral rather than musical,” and he states that the “sentimental hymn tunes which so often disfigure our services … would not be tolerated in any place of secular entertainment.”6 Johansson advocates the use of hymns with folk/traditional underpinnings in public worship. He writes, “folk music seems to be an ideal form of religious music. It shows unique traits of creativity that are fresh and vital … being music of integrity, (it) is able to carry the Christian message well.”7 This should motivate us to intentionally use and encourage music that displays and communicates moral excellence in worship with the motivation to give God the sacrifice of praise that pleases Him (Hebrews 13:15-16).

Musical Choice and Secular Music

As already established, God created all things, including musical elements, and intends for us to use music for our enjoyment and His glory. This includes secular music. Secular means not having “any connection with religion.” It describes an activity or item that is not necessarily about spiritual matters. However, “it is not anti-God by definition.” This includes songs such as “Happy Birthday,” “Shenandoah,” and “Danny Boy.” Furthermore, biblical evidence, with likely reference to secular music, allows for its use and enjoyment. David played instrumental music to refresh Saul’s spirit (1 Samuel 16:14-23). Following David’s victory over the Philistines, the women sang and played musical instruments in celebration (1 Samuel 18:6). Job referred to instrumental music (timbrel, harp, and organ) as a positive example for use in everyday life (Job 21:12). Even Christ used instrumental music as an example of a natural way to celebrate joyous occasions (Matthew 11:16-17). In each of these examples, except for David’s victory of the Philistines, Scripture mentions that only instruments were played, indicating that secular music was used. Considering the context (1 Samuel 18:6-8), the content of the lyrics that the women sang in response to David’s victory centered on David and Saul and did not indicate any spiritual reference.

It should be noted that many of our hymn tunes used in public worship are “mostly related to the secular folk-song tradition” and can even be traced “to specific folk-song melodies.”8 Some hymn texts have even been set to tunes written by classical music composers such as Beethoven, Mendelsohn, Mozart, and Haydn.

A Matter of Importance

Since divergent views of biblical worship are at the heart of the music controversy, it is essential that believers study this topic in the context of Scripture. Without a biblical study, problems will arise involving musical choice. These include hymn choice, the appropriateness of musical instruments (if any), and the suitable musical/performance style. Further, God commands us to “prove (examine) all things” (1 Thessalonians 5:21) with the intent of finding out what He deems “good” and “acceptable” (Romans 12:2). As a result, we should make musical decisions that glorify God which is His intended purpose mankind (1 Corinthians 10:31; Ephesians 1:11-12).

Like Augustine, this should also be our heartfelt prayer to the Lord regarding musical choice. “The pleasures of the ear had a more tenacious hold on me … Thus, I fluctuate between the danger of pleasure and the experience of the beneficent effort … that the custom of singing in Church is to be approved, so that through the delights of the ear, the weaker mind may rise up towards the devotion of worship.”9

Previously In This Series:

Erik Hanson holds a DMin. in Preaching and Leadership and serves as Assistant Pastor at Stanfordville Baptist Church in Hallstead, PA.

Photo by Federico Scarionati on Unsplash

  1. Anton Carillo, “Children’s Worldview More Impacted By Movies And Music Than School, George Barna Says,” accessed July 24, 2025. [↩]
  2. Julian Johnson, Who Needs Classical Music? Cultural Choice and Musical Value (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002), 10. [↩]
  3. Johnson, 12. [↩]
  4. Calvin M. Johansson, Music & Ministry: A Biblical Counterpoint (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1998), 24. [↩]
  5. Paul Westermeyer, Te Deum: The Church and Music (Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg Fortress, 1998), 290. [↩]
  6. Westermeyer, 290. [↩]
  7. Johansson, 83. [↩]
  8. Harry Eskew and Hugh T. McElrath, Sing with Understanding: An Introduction to Christian Hymnody (Nashville, TN: Broadman Press, 1980), 112. [↩]
  9. Augustine of Hippo, Confessions, X, Trans. Henry Chadwick (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1981). 207-208. [↩]

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