The Psalter: The Only Hymnal?

Book Description

Praise sung to God is the effect of a saving knowledge, given by the Holy Spirit through Scripture. On that all Christians are agreed, but on the words to be used in praise there is considerable difference, and even controversy. Advocates of the modern disagree with the traditional and vice versa. In the midst of contemporary discussion the question is heard, ‘Why not return to the one inspired book of praise which God has given in the Psalms? Should anything be allowed to replace inspired Scripture?’ And the question gains force from the fact that from the earliest times Christian churches have commonly valued psalm-singing.

Iain Murray has sympathy with the question. Psalms set to music are a rich heritage and one not to be set aside, yet he argues that there are biblical reasons why it is a mistake to suppose that the words of the Old Testament alone are to be used in the singing of
praise. The fullness of truth in the great Christian hymns could not have been written before Christ ‘abolished death and brought life and immortality to light.’ With that progress in revelation the church moved from infancy to maturity and, corresponding with her changed experience and privilege, came an augmentation in the language of her praise.

Author

Born in England in 1931, Iain Murray studied history and philosophy at the University of Durham and considered becoming an English Presbyterian Church minister. While at the university, though, he read material written by the Puritans and began assisting at St. John’s Free Church in Oxford. While there, he served as the first editor of The Banner of Truth magazine. From 1956-1959, he served as assistant to D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones at Westminster Chapel and, in 1957, he co-founded the Banner of Truth Trust. Iain Murray books include J.C. Ryle: Prepared to Stand Alone, giving Christians the opportunity to discover more about this influential 19th century evangelical author who had been largely forgotten; a two-volume biography titled D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (with individual volumes also available separately: 1 and 2); Forgotten Spurgeon in which he focuses on clearing up misconceptions about Spurgeon and delineates his spiritual beliefs; and a biography of a remarkable woman, Amy Carmichael.

Additional Information

Cover: Booklet
Number of Pages: 32
Publisher: Banner of Truth
Publication Date: 2025