19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord,
Verses 19 to 21 give four effects of being filled with the Spirit. The words “speaking,” “singing and making melody,” “giving thanks,” and “submitting” all modify “be filled with the Spirit.” These words indicate the results or evidence of being filled with the Spirit.
Verse 19 has two dimensions: (1) ministering to other believers by various systems of music and (2) worshiping the Lord by personally singing and making melody in our heart.
speaking to one another
The first of four results of being filled with the Spirit is ministering to other believers by music in corporate worship.
“Speaking” implies that we minister to one another by content—that is, the content of what we believe. Often this word communicates divine truth that builds up the congregation. The parallel passage in Colossians 3:16 sets forth this idea.
Music in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs is a means of ministering to one another. The gathering of Christians is the right place to worship.
in psalms
The idea of “psalms” is the Old Testament psalms sung with stringed instruments. The psalms are about praise and worship to God within various experiences.
and hymns
“Hymns” are direct praise to God.
and spiritual songs,
“Spiritual” means that this singing of lyrics is sacred music that comes from the filling of the Spirit.
“Songs” is the general term for singing lyrics (Ps 96:1-2). These songs may not strictly be directed towards God but may also include exhortations and encouragement to Christians.
Ps 40:3, He has put a new song in my mouth—Praise to our God; Many will see it and fear, And will trust in the Lord.
PRINCIPLE:
Worship is a manifestation of being filled with the Spirit.
APPLICATION:
It is not enough to keep the reality of the Spirit-filled life to ourselves; we need to share it with fellow Christians.
Jesus and His disciples sang at the Last Supper before going to Gethsemane (Mt 26:30). Paul and Silas sang hymns of praise while in prison in Philippi (Ac 16:25).
Joy is a fruit of being filled with the Spirit (Ga 5:22). Joy is no superficial emotion that rises and falls with the good or bad that falls to a believer. Rather, joy is an animation of the soul produced by the Holy Spirit regardless of circumstance. It is a thermostat rather than a thermometer. As the temperature rises and falls, so the thermometer rises and falls. However, when we set the thermostat, we determined the room’s temperature. The filling of the Spirit sets our situation. When He fills us, we have a song in our hearts. This is no trifling ditty that has no or little biblical content.
I got JOY JOY JOY JOY down in my heart down in my heart down in my heart to STAY!!!!!!!!
I struggle with this verse so much. How do we know for sure that “speaking to another through hymns and psalms…” refers only to corporate worship and church gatherings? What if what Paul meant by this command is hymns, psalms and word of God as natural means of communication. So, for instance, I meet with 3 believers over coffee and instead of talking about ordinary life, laughing together, sharing events from the week and so on we are supposed only to quote hymns, psalms and Bible verses at one another? The verse doesn’t mention at all that this is connected with a church service. Also,sInging worship songs on Sunday morning does not require being filled with the Spirit, many many of people do it despite being only “formal” christians, out of sense of duty or sth but who would speak through hymns and psalms during a dinner with a family if not a person filled with the Spirit? Don’t misunderstand me, I want to be so full of God that I can share Bible verses and songs and godly poems even when I meet with fellow believers for an evening of board games or a picnic but I can’t imagine being so spiritual and “other-wordly” that all I do is sing and quote hymns, psalms and Bible verses. I’m so confused and weighed down by this command 🙁
Anastazja, there is nothing in this passage to preclude you from worshiping as you say. The application can be made to both the individual/s or worshiping in a church service.
Thanks for your writing but can you please explain to us the spiritual songs. What type of songs are spiritual songs?
Jerome, spiritual songs is a general term for singing about Christian experience such as “Amazing grace that saved a soul like me.”
I got really blessing and shared with church today.
Jehangir, thank you for your encouraging words.
I struggled with this, but from a different angle. Isaiah 54.1, we’re instructed to sing.
At the time I had nothing to sing about, But I learnt, we need to ask God for a song. He will give us the song, which will rise within us.
I believe thats when we truely sing, even when things are not going well. This is when others will hear our rejoicing, in corporate worship or at the coffee table in conversation.