Harold M. Best The philosophy of music in the New Testament is broadly conceived. It is shaped particularly by Paul’s worldview, which did not accept the Greek ethos of the arts nor regard them as having intrinsic powers but focused rather on human responsibility. Such a view permitted Paul to encourage the extensive use of music in worship.
Music is gone as soon as it is made; especially where music is not recorded in some fashion, a piece of music can be reconstructed only if there are people who remember it and how to perform it. Because of the cultural and linguistic differences between our civilization and that of the ancient Israelites, it is difficult to recover the exact sound and use of biblical music in its historical context.
Music in free worship is not bound to the text of worship itself but appears here and there as separate, special, occasional, and incidental to the order of worship. This approach has led to a wide divergence of practice among churches.