The Rhythm of Rock – Ephesians 5:18-19

Lesson on how to identify the rhythm of rock music and why it is wrong.

Having studied a snapshot of the history of rock and roll and the evil fruit it has produced, we now turn to a consideration of the rock beat itself. It is important that we learn what it is and how to identify it.

We will briefly review some notes on Ephesians 5:19 and then view the majority of Pastor Ian Western’s lecture on the “Rhythm of Rock”. This will be followed by a brief testimony from N. Chaney on her experience with rock before salvation and how her tastes have changed after salvation.

The Source of Melody in godly Music

“in your heart”

The work of the Spirit of God in the heart is what produces godly melody. Beautiful, tuneful, melodious music is the fruit of revival and the genuine work of the Spirit. This is why the greatest hymns of the faith have come out of times of spiritual reformation, revival and refreshing. Harry Ironside writes, “Every believer’s heart is like a harp, and as the Spirit of God breathes over the heart-strings, real melody goes up to the ear of God.”

Conversely, dark, rhythmic, beat dominated music is a fruit of man’s depraved appetites under the influence and control of Satan.

The Standard of Melody in godly Music

“singing and making melody”

The word ‘melody’ literally means ‘psalming’ which in its literal sense has to do with playing of a tune on a stringed instrument. It means “to cause to vibrate by touching, to twang” (Strong) The word ‘melody’ comes from two Greek words, ‘meloidia’ meaning “choral song” derived from ‘melos’, tune, plus ‘aoidein’, “to sing” (Garlock & Woetzel).

An excellent book entitled Music in the Balance by Frank Garlock and Kurt Woetzel notes, “The part of music to which the spirit responds is the melody. Ephesians 5:18-19 gives us a clear indication the part of music which God wants to be preeminent in the music of a Christian. Verse 18 commands us to be “filled with the spirit”. The word ‘filled’ literally means “to be controlled.” The very next verse then states that we should be “making melody” …Thus, when the King James Version of Scripture follows the command to be filled with the Spirit with the musical form melody, it is accurately teaching that this element of music and God’s control in our lives are closely related.”

This verse very clearly teaches that the kind of music the Holy Spirit’s filling produces is melodious, tuneful music. This is the opposite to rock and roll music which is rhythm dominated with its back beat and sensual dance rhythms.

The Trinity of Music. Music reflects the character of the Triune God who created it. There are three elements in music: melody, harmony and rhythm.

1. Melody is the primary tune and ministers to the spirit. The melody is to dominate and control the music.
2. Harmony is “the combination of simultaneously sounded musical notes to produce chords and chord progressions having a pleasing effect.” (Oxford Dictionary) The harmony is what ministers to the soul.
3. Rhythm is the pulse of the music and ministers to the body. It is the physical part of music. The analogy between the pulse and the rhythm will help the Christian to be discerning in his choice of music (from Music in the Balance):
   1. Too much pulse (or erratic pulse) – the body is sick.
   2. Too much rhythm (or erratic rhythm) – the music is sick.
   3. No pulse – the body is dead.
   4. No rhythm – the music is dead.
   5. Pulse under control – the body is well.
   6. Rhythm under control – the music is well.
   7. “The pulse is there to sustain life. It does not call attention to itself in that role. Rhythm should play the same part in music. It is there to keep the music moving, not to dominate the sound.” (Garlock & Woetzel)
   8. Note: In good music, you are generally unaware of the rhythm as it does not draw attention to itself.
   9. The musical trinity corresponds to the order in the three parts of man.
      1. The spirit is to be the control center.
      2. The soul (mind, will and emotions) subservient to the rule of the spirit.
      3. The body under the control of the spirit.
   10. Question: Which part of music dominates in rock and roll? Melody or rhythm? Answer: The rhythm! This is the complete opposite to godly, Spirit-filled music which is melody dominated and controlled. This is why the contemporary Christian music movement is so unscriptural with its use of the world’s fleshly, ungodly style of music.
   11. Dan Lucarini: “Rock and roll is a musical style that was created for immoral purposes by immoral men, and has always been used by the world to express its immoral attitudes in song.” (Why I Left the Contemporary Christian Music Movement, p. 68)
   12. Gary Gilley: “The new-paradigm church has caught the wave of our times and has created a church for the entertainment age. Rather than expose and correct the superficiality and wrong mindedness of a generation addicted to fun, amusement and self, the modern church has all too often chosen to go with the flow and give ‘them’ what they want…it is very difficult to distinguish what the modern church is offering from what the secular world is offering.” (This little church went to market, p. 33.)
   13. Simon Frith in his book, Sound Effects, Youth, Leisure and the Politics of Rock’ n’ Roll states, “The sexuality of music is usually referred to in terms of its rhythm – it is the beat that commands a directly physical response.”¹
   14. Charles T. Brown in his book The Art of Rock and Roll makes the following statement about all kinds of rock and roll: “Perhaps the most important defining quality of rock and roll is the beat…Rock and roll is different from other music primarily because of the beat.”²

The Rhythm of Rock Analyzed (Pastor I. Western)

From pages 41-46 of Biblical Christian Music by Pastor Ian Western.

References

1. Cited by F Garlock & Kurt Woetzel, Music in the Balance, p. 33
2. Ibid.