Our Dutch Reformed church only sings the Psalms. Why, when nobody else does?

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The exclusive use of Psalms in worship, known as exclusive psalmody, is rooted in the conviction that the Psalter is the divinely inspired hymnbook of the Church, providing the only songs explicitly commanded by God for public worship. While many Reformed traditions include non-canonical hymns alongside the Psalms, exclusive psalmody aims to safeguard the purity of worship by grounding the congregation's song solely in the authoritative, inspired Word of God. The Biblical Foundation for Singing Psalms: Proponents of exclusive psalmody point to the unique nature of the Book of Psalms as the only songbook directly authored by the Holy Spirit. As **John Calvin** observed in his **Institutes of the Christian Religion 1.20.32**, the Apostle Paul explicitly commands singing in the life of the Church. Calvin notes that when Paul speaks of singing 'psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs' in **Colossians 3:16**, he provides a pattern for the faithful to edify one another. For those who hold to exclusive psalmody, the term 'psalms' refers to the canonical Book of Psalms, while 'hymns' and 'spiritual songs' are viewed as alternative biblical designations for the same divinely inspired collection. This approach seeks to ensure that the praise offered to God is beyond human error and is inherently holy. By relying solely on the text provided by the Lord, the Church avoids the potential dangers of man-made compositions that may inadvertently lack theological depth or precision. Scripture itself, as noted in **Psalms 119:163**, emphasizes the believer's love for God's law, which encompasses the entire Psalter as a primary vehicle for prayer and praise. The Reformed Context and Artistic Liberty: Historically, the Reformed tradition has wrestled with the intersection of art, music, and the Regulative Principle of Worship. **Abraham Kuyper**, in his **Lectures on Calvinism (Stone Lectures) - Lecture V**, highlighted how the Reformed movement, through figures like Bourgeois and Goudimel, sought to 'purify and baptize' popular melodies for use in the sanctuary. This era marked a shift where the congregation, rather than an elite choir, became the primary singers of the liturgy. While this allowed for a blossoming of musical expression in some branches of the Reformed family, others maintained that if music is to be 'spiritual,' it must be strictly tethered to the text of the inspired Psalter. The argument here is that human music, regardless of its beauty, is prone to 'lower passions' and subjective interpretation, whereas the Psalms provide an objective, God-ordained standard for the affections. As **Westminster Confession of Faith 21.5** confirms, the 'singing of Psalms with grace in the heart' is an ordinary part of religious worship, yet different sub-traditions within the Reformed world have interpreted the scope of that 'singing' differently. For those committed to the exclusive use of the Psalms, this practice is not about aesthetic dullness, but about a deep, rigorous commitment to the sufficiency of Scripture in all aspects of life, especially in the approach to the living God. Cross-tradition Comparison: The question of exclusive psalmody highlights a genuine difference within Protestant worship. Reformed Presbyterians and certain Dutch Reformed churches often lean toward the exclusive use of the Psalter, viewing it as the 'hymnbook of the Holy Spirit.' Conversely, many Lutheran and Anglican traditions have long embraced a wider diversity of music. As the **Apology of the Augsburg Confession, Article XV** notes, Lutherans have historically maintained the use of German and Latin hymns alongside the Psalms, arguing that these songs serve to teach and admonish the people, thus calling forth faith and fear in the heart. Similarly, the **Book of Common Prayer (1662)** arranges the Psalter to be read through monthly but also incorporates other liturgical music. These traditions argue that while the Psalms are supreme, the Spirit of God continues to move the Church to compose new songs of praise that reflect the gospel's ongoing triumph, provided they are consistent with the doctrine of Scripture. The divide is not typically about whether the Psalms should be sung—all are agreed on that—but whether the command to praise God in 'psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs' is an exhaustive list (limiting us to the Psalter) or a descriptive list (inviting the Church to write new songs that mirror the depth and theology of the biblical Psalms). The Gospel at the Heart of Praise: Ultimately, the debate over what we sing in church finds its resolution in the object of our praise: the Lord Jesus Christ. The Psalms themselves are fundamentally Messianic, pointing forward to the coming of the King, as we see in **Psalms 2:11-12**, where the nations are called to 'kiss the son' and find refuge in Him. Whether a church sings only the Psalms or includes modern hymns, the goal of worship is to see the glory of God in the face of Christ. As **The City of God, Chapter 8** suggests, David’s love for music was not merely a matter of artistic taste but a 'mystical representation' of the well-ordered city of God. The true 'ornamentation' of the Church, as the **Second Helvetic Confession, Chapter XXII** wisely notes, is found not in the melodies we employ but in the 'frugality, piety, and virtues' of the people who gather. We are sinners in need of grace, and our song is our response to the Gospel—the announcement that God has visited His people. In Christ, we are provided with the perfect sacrifice and the perfect song. The Christian life is a participation in the praise that Christ offers to the Father (Hebrews 2:12), and our singing, whether psalmic or hymnal, must always be an act of faith that directs the weary, loved sinner back to the finished work of Jesus. We sing because He has first sung over us, and we are held fast by His grace.

Our Dutch Reformed church only sings the Psalms. Why, when nobody else does?

The Biblical Foundation for Singing Psalms

The Reformed Context and Artistic Liberty

Cross-tradition Comparison

The Gospel at the Heart of Praise

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