“Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord” (Eph. 5:19).
When Paul wrote, “Speaking to yourselves,” this refers to members of Christ’s Body speaking to one another when gathered together, for the purpose of edifying and ministering to each other (Col. 3:16). This edification pertains to worship and music. We worship the Lord through singing in the presence of other believers so that the Church might be ministered to and built up.
As we are filled with the Spirit (v. 18), He produces a desire to worship God and to encourage others in their worship. The Holy Spirit instills a selfless mindset, and He directs our focus toward others in the Church. He helps us to see that we strengthen and inspire one another as we express our joy in the Lord through song together.
As we do so, we often sing “psalms.” Many of the songs and choruses we sing today in the local church are from the Book of Psalms. And Psalm 105:2 encourages us to “Sing unto Him, sing psalms unto Him: talk ye of all His wondrous works.”
We also minister to one another by singing “hymns” or sacred songs of praise to God, which exalt and honor God and His greatness. The Lord and His disciples sang “an hymn” (Matt. 26:30) at the Last Supper before going out into the Mount of Olives. Paul and Silas “sang praises” (Acts 16:25) or hymns while suffering in prison in Philippi.
We also speak to one another in “spiritual songs,” which are songs of testimony about the Christian experience, songs proclaiming what God has done for us, giving praise for God’s power, help, or comfort.
When Paul wrote, “singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord” (Eph. 5:19), “singing” refers to lifting one’s voice audibly, but “making melody in your heart” refers to inaudible praise that takes place within. We praise God in song both audibly and inaudibly, with our voices and within our hearts, in the quiet place of our spirits.
All this praise is directed “to the Lord.” The Spirit always points us to Christ. The Spirit’s ministry is to give Him glory. Our Savior is the audience to Whom we sing, and we offer our praise and worship to Him for all He has done for us in loving us, dying for us, saving us from all our sins, and bringing us into the household of God.