Should we sing worship songs from Bethel, Hillsong, and Elevation Worship?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

Bethel, Hillsong, and Elevation Worship hold and promote serious doctrinal errors, some of which drift into heresy, and are heavily influenced by emotionalism, pragmatism, and liberal theology. Anything they produce must be carefully evaluated before being consumed. Music is particularly dangerous because it embeds itself into our memory, influencing our thinking. Whether to sing one of their songs must be up to the church or the individual, but such discernment applies even to theologically solid artists, as we must always guard our hearts (Proverbs 4:23).

At the same time, Bethel, Hillsong, and Elevation Worship profess to be believers, so that does not mean that every song written by them is sinful or heretical. Since songs sung in church both worship God and teach truth, each must be examined to ensure it teaches sound doctrine. Pastors are called to guard their members (Acts 20:28) and have the final say over music, as they will be held responsible by God. Two general guidelines apply to all music: it must honor God (1 Corinthians 10:31) and edify others (Colossians 3:16).

Outside the church, individual Christians are personally responsible for what they consume. Those who feel ill-equipped to discern truth from error would be wise to avoid music from outlets with a poor theological track record. Alternatively, working through the lyrics of a specific song with a mature believer can help them grow in discernment.

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• Not all worship pleases God. Indeed, some make Him angry. Nadab and Abihu learned this the hard way when they offered “strange fire” to God. We read, “each took his censer and put fire in it and laid incense on it and offered unauthorized fire before the LORD, which he had not commanded them. And fire came out from before the LORD and consumed them, and they died before the LORD” (Leviticus 10:1–2). God killed them because they worshiped Him in a way other than what He had commanded.
• Care is needed when we evaluate our song choices. While believers vary on musical styles, what should not vary is one’s commitment to theological accuracy. One way that theological accuracy is affected is by how non-believers worship. Those external practices can adversely influence how we worship. For example, see Deuteronomy 12:29–32 and the warning that the Israelites were not to allow pagan worship practices to creep into their worship of God.

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• Music in the church must be theologically accurate. This is because, even though music raises emotions within us, we must ground those emotions in truth as we worship God, who is a God of truth (e.g., John 4:23–24). Everything we do must honor Him (1 Corinthians 10:31).
• Songs in the church are intended to teach each other doctrine. Paul said, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God” (Colossians 3:16; cf. Ephesians 5:19). Allowing Christ to dwell richly refers to having a deep theologically rich understanding of Him such that it flows out in our singing to help others grow in their knowledge of Him.
• Therefore, music is not just the “warm up” for a service, but it’s a period of time whereby we are truthfully praising God for who He is while also teaching ourselves and each other truths about Him.
• Music embeds itself into our memories and thoughts—we often remember it more than the sermon! So, it must be teaching sound doctrine. Pastors have been given the solemn task of protecting their congregation. To such leaders Paul said, “Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood” (Acts 20:28). Pastors are shepherds, protecting the believers God has placed in their care and they will stand in judgment for how they led (Hebrews 13:17). Therefore, they must guard against false doctrine in avenues such as music. Because that is their responsibility, we must submit to their protection by not making their lives difficult if they won’t allow our favorite music.
• As individuals, we must also watch our own hearts outside of the church. Everything that we sing influences how we think. Paul said, “whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” (Philippians 4:8). Music is one way that we think about things, so we must be careful about what we allow into our minds because it affects our hearts (cf. Proverbs 4:23).
• With particular regard to Bethel, Hillsong, and Elevation Worship, false teachers are to be avoided (Romans 16:17). They are not just non-Christians but also some who call themselves Christians (2 Peter 2:1). These organizations have a poor track record in theology. Their dangerous and heretical views include teaching the prosperity gospel, New Apostolic teachings, contemplative (mindful) worship, and other unorthodox practices and teachings that make them dangerous to believers. Therefore, evaluating their music against Scripture is an imperative for churches and individuals alike.

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

Music among believers is a divisive topic. The questions range from the style of music to whether we can listen to secular music to whether we should sing songs by discredited individuals or organizations. The question about music from Bethel, Hillsong, and Elevation Worship falls into that latter category.

Historically, Christians have split along two main lines: 1) being completely separate from anyone remotely connected to error, or 2) being willing to connect in a limited sense to those in error, while staying away from their errors. Those unwilling to consider songs from those organizations fall into the first group, whereas those willing to sing some of their songs fall into the second.

You will ultimately have to decide into which category you fall. However, here’s some advice to help you. Remember that all music that claims to be worship music is intended to glorify God and to teach believers. This means that all music produced as Christian must be evaluated more strictly than secular music. Any deviation from Scripture should be cause for concern. Therefore, one helpful way to examine Christian music is to actively connect it to Scripture in your mind by locating and thinking about the specific passages that support what is being sung. If the words ever teach anything that contradicts Scripture, it should be rejected because it’s teaching you to think wrongly about God, Jesus, or your spiritual life. Similarly, if you ever find it difficult to connect it to Scripture because of its vague, imprecise statements, and since Scripture is so precise, think carefully as to whether that song is profitable to your spiritual growth.

Regardless of your decision, be charitable toward other believers who may reach a different conclusion from you!

UNDERSTAND

• Not all worship pleases God—it must be theologically accurate.
• Church music has a teaching function, making theological accuracy in music as important as it is in preaching.
• We must evaluate all music including that from Bethel, Hillsong, and Elevation Worship against God's Word.

REFLECT

• How carefully do you evaluate the theological content of the music you sing in church and listen to privately?
• In what ways are you tempted to prioritize emotional engagement or musical style over theological accuracy when choosing songs?
• How does submitting to your pastor's decisions about music reflect a biblical understanding of pastoral authority and your responsibility to make their work a joy?

ENGAGE

• What does God's immediate judgment of Nadab and Abihu for unauthorized worship reveal about how seriously He regards how worship is done, and how should that affect the standards churches apply to their music?
• How can we practically evaluate whether a song from a theologically questionable organization is suitable for corporate worship?
• How can we respond to people, pastors, or churches who come to different convictions regarding what music they listen to or sing?