Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs

Colossians 3:14-17 esp.16
"Let the Word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God."

David Inks

Singing praise to God throughout Scripture is a hearty and beautiful response to who God is and His mighty acts in creation and redemption. You may ask, "why sing praise to God?" Psalm 150:2 gives the answer, "Praise Him for His mighty deeds, praise Him according to His excellent greatness". Because of God's greatness in who He is and because of His mighty deeds we should praise Him.

Praise is an element of worship. Reformed Christians have rightly identified the "regulative principle" in Scripture. We are to worship only as God has commanded and what He has not commanded He prohibits. However, Reformed Christians are split over how this principle applies to worship. Those who argue for "Exclusive Psalmody" (EP) say that God has commanded us to sing only inspired songs from the Psalter in public worship. Those who argue for "New Covenant Hymnody" (NCH) say that God has commanded us to construct songs out of the rich resources of His Word, especially as it has come to its consummation in the work and Word of Jesus Christ. Though we should deeply respect the venerable history of Psalm singing I believe that the correct exegesis of Colossians 3:16 leads to using the entire Bible as fulfilled in Christ as a resource for singing in public worship. Let's examine now this text under three points:

1. The Word of Christ
2. The Wisdom of Instruction
3. The Way of Praise.

I. The Word of Christ

What does this phrase "the Word of Christ" mean? Is is a generic term for simply "God's Word" or is it specifically directed toward the New Covenant revelation which has dawned in Christ? EP argues that the "Word of Christ" is a generic reference to God's Word but here it is sung when we sing the Psalter. As one EP pastor stated, "when we sing the Psalms we then let the Word of Christ dwell in us richly". I see two problems with this interpretation.

First, Paul operates with a typical distinction between God speaking in the Old Covenant through Moses and the prophets and His final speaking in the New Covenant in Jesus Christ. There is a redemptive historical distinction made between these two bodies of revelation which Paul observes in the book of Colossians. This very common distinction is found for example in John 1:17: "the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ". Also, notice Hebrews 1:1-2a which says, "God after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets, in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son". Notice the redemptive historical distinction between the testaments: "in times past in the prophets" vs. "in these last days in His Son". This distinction is operative in our text and is evident when you cross-reference a few passages in Colossians. Note Colossians 1:25-28,

"of this church I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God, that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations; but has now been manifested to His saints, to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. And we proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, that we may present every man complete in Christ."

1. Paul has a stewardship of the Word of God in preaching "the mystery"
2. "the mystery" was hidden in past generations
3. "the mystery" then hidden is NOW revealed
4. "the mystery" is "Christ in you" which is NOW made known
5. "the mystery" of the Word of God equals "proclaiming Him" so as to present every man complete in Christ.

Paul's proclaiming the Word of God in Christ is contingent upon the revelation of Jesus Christ in history, His incarnation, life, death, resurrection, ascension and session at the Father's right hand. The redemptive and revelatory work of Christ informs the revelatory Word of Christ which equals New Covenant revelation, of which Paul was an apostolic organ. Again, notice Paul's formulation in 2:2-3:

"…attaining to the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God's mystery, that is, Christ Himself, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge."

This fact is further born out by looking at the parallel passage in Ephesians 5:18-19. Paul tells the Ephesians to be "filled with the Holy Spirit speaking to one another in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs". This is the Spirit, again, not in some timeless sense, but the Spirit given at Pentecost as the gift of and presence of the resurrected Christ, which like the Word is to issue in praise. In Titus 3:6 Paul said that the Holy Spirit has been "poured out richly" upon the church and that in Romans 8:9 He "indwells" every believer. We have here strong parallel thoughts in Paul: a richly indwelling Word of Christ and a richly indwelling Spirit of Christ. Both are the pool out of which proceeds praise. By combing these two parallel texts we get a complete and compelling picture: "be filled with the Spirit" (who is richly poured out to indwell us) or "let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly" issuing in SPEECH, in speaking to God and in speaking to His people. Word and Spirit are two sides of a single redemptive historical coin bestowed by the resurrected Christ. The EP perspective must broaden its understanding of the phrase "the Word of Christ" to mean a kind of generic word which includes both testaments. But Paul's proclamation of "the Word of God", "the Word of Christ", and "the mystery" is redemptive historically specific and thus is a reference to the revelatory Word of the New Covenant, of which, he was an apostle. Thus here, the phrase "Word of Christ" cannot be a reference to the Old Testament Psalter.

The second problem I see with the EP perspective on this text is in the natural order or flow of the text itself. In other words saying that "when we sing the psalms, then the word of Christ indwells us" is precisely inverting the order and distorting the meaning of the text. We begin to see this as we move to the next phrase having to do with:

II. The Wisdom of Instruction

The speech flowing out of the filling of the Spirit and the Word of Christ dwelling richly within you is "in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another". This matches Paul's ministerial means and goals in 1:28: "whom we preach, admonishing every man and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man complete in Christ Jesus". By proclaiming Christ Paul taught and admonished or informed and confronted with all wisdom. Again, the pool out of which Paul drew was New Covenant revelation issuing in wise proclamation which taught and admonished for spiritual growth unto conformity to Christ. The "means" were proclamation and confrontation…the "goals" were conformity to Christ. No way can this be reduced to Biblical quotations. This is a process of reflective and wise exposition and explanation based upon Christ's revelation. As Reformed Christians we've never had any problem with the formula that: "preaching the Word of God IS the Word of God". And yet never was preaching the Word of God ever conceived as lining verses up one after another lest somehow Biblical integrity and authority get lost or submerged in mere human words. Never. Rather, if preaching and teaching were faithful expositions of Scripture they were received as the Word of God. The authority never became diluted in Reformed theology because the message was preached, explained, interpreted and expounded. So, in Colossians 3:16 there is here indicated an order, a process of interpretation and wise exposition which is drawn from the rich well of New Covenant revelation identified as "Word of Christ" from which then flows "psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs". The point is simply this: New Covenant revelation in Jesus Christ does not result in Old Covenant Psalms. Old Covenant Psalms came 1000 years before New Covenant revelation. These psalms of Colossians 3 are derived from teaching, which is derived from the New Covenant "Word of Christ". And insofar that these "psalms, hymns and spiritual songs" are drawn from the revelatory Word of the risen Christ they should not be dubbed mere "man made" compositions any more than preaching should be reduced to "corrupt compromised meanderings of man". Of course, this is a challenge to EP, and I hope you are willing to consider it carefully.

Anyway, whether you are EP or NCH the passages in Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16 clearly combine horizontal speech for instruction in the body along with vertical speech rendered in praise of God. A dual purpose is achieved here: in the same act of singing Christ is exalted and His body is edified. If this is the case, is anything less that robust singing satisfying? The texts tell us to sing "with thanksgiving" and "with the heart" to the Lord. This is not melodic mumbling! So let us purpose to sing with a robustness and heartily to our God!

III. The Way of Praise

I have already mentioned the logical progression of the text. The suggestion, as I heard one EP Pastor argue that "when we sing from the Psalter then we allow the Word of Christ to dwell in us" is reading the text backwards. The text says that when we let the Word of Christ dwell in us in wisdom and teaching, then we will sing "psalms, hymns and spiritual songs". I have also already sought to demonstrate that the "Word of Christ" Paul speaks of is the redemptive historically discreet Word of the New Covenant that flows from the resurrected Christ, and is set in contrast to the Old Covenant age and Word when "the mystery of Christ" was not yet revealed. By correctly identifying the order of the text and the content of "the Word of Christ" EP is thus found wanting.

Let us focus now more closely on the content of this praise. EP says that the three words Paul employs are three headings for the Psalms as found in the LXX. Thus, when the three are grouped together they are a functional code for "Psalter" or "Book of Psalms". But some of the Psalms are called "hallelujahs" in the LXX. Are we to leave out those Psalms? Claiming that the use of "psalms, hymns and spiritual songs" means "Psalter" as a kind of code cannot be demonstrated. A further difficulty is that the Psalter does not use the adjective "spiritual" but merely labels some of the Psalms as "songs". Paul's use of these words seem to be headed in a different direction than pointing exclusively to the Psalter. Paul could have staked his claim as an EP man by switching the order of the text and then by simply stating the "Book of Psalms" as Luke does in 20:42 and Acts 1:20 if he wanted to confine the church's corporate praise to the Psalter.

The EP position is rendered awkward not only in the arrival of new revelation in Christ but in new songs which accompany it. We find "new songs" in response to the "new thing" God is doing in Jesus Christ which is strong evidence that new praise is generated in response to God's redemptive historical activity and thus not to be restricted to the Psalter alone. We read of the songs of Mary, Zachariah, and Simeon in response to Christ's advent. Also, many scholars have seen evidence of hymn fragments in the epistles, for example, in Colossians 1:15-20, Philippians 2:5-11. Even some EP have conceded that the Psalm of I Corinthians 14:26 is of New Covenant revelation. It seems to be connected to Paul's "singing in the spirit" ( a revelatory activity) in 14:15. Moving on to the last book of the New Testament we are greeted with heavenly singing which, incidentally, is the domain of the church's worship (Hebrews 10-12). Revelation 5:8-10 states,

"And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying, 'Thou are worthy to take the book, and to open the seals there of: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; and hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth'."

"And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps: And they sang as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty-four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth."

"And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gained the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying 'Great and marvelous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify they name? For thou only are holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy righteousness has been revealed'."

The content of praise then in the New Covenant is informed and based directly upon the new redemptive work in Jesus Christ and the rich word which flows from the resurrected Christ who is the mystery now revealed. He enables us with "raised veil" (II Cor.3:14-16) to re-interpret the Old Covenant in Him and therein to offer Him a "new song" based upon His work and word. Such praise exceeds the boundaries of the Psalter and includes the "spiritual wisdom" of composing not only sermons but songs drawn from the "riches and treasures" of the "mystery of Christ".

Conclusion

Those of us who believe in sola scriptura and the regulative principle of worship, though bound together in many crucial doctrines, find ourselves divided on this issue of song in corporate worship.

Those who hold to EP are conscience bound to sing what they believe the Lord has commanded in worship - Psalms only. Those who hold to NCH are also conscience bound to praise God as they believe He has commanded - out of the wells of New Covenant revelation in Christ. If a committed EP man would sing a hymn in corporate worship it would violate conscience. But if a NCH man fails to sing a Biblically sound hymn that would violate his conscience since he believes God has ordained it.

I have argued from Scripture for NCH. I would be pleased if all were persuaded. Let us examine the Scriptures to see whether these things be so. But let us also be patient with one another and remember Paul's admonition in Romans 15:6-7 which calls us to "accept one another", even in the midst of differences, and "glorify God with one voice". For there is indeed one great reality we can affirm together: Let us sing praise to God as He has commanded us in His Word!

We gladly yield obedience to His command with thankful hearts because:

1. He, by the blood of Christ shed on the cross, has cleansed our conscience and washed our hearts clean, and by His resurrection has given us new life and the hope of heaven.
2. And we praise Him, knowing that our sometimes divided understandings and thus divided tongues will certainly be united flawlessly in the world to come, and for this we can all say ... AMEN!