#6 The earliest hymn book.
By Shad Sluiter
Available at www.GospelHall.org
The first of many…

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
First known church building.
First known piece of the New Testament.
First known complete copy of the New Testament.
First known copy of the Old Testament.
First known picture of Jesus.
First known hymn.
First known archaeological evidence of crucifixion.
Earliest Hymns

 The first hymns sung in Christian gatherings were
probably the Psalms from the Hebrew scriptures.
However, there are verses in the New Testament that
seem to come from other hymns that were being
sung by the early Christians regarding Christ,
salvation and Christian living.
 The earliest hymn lyrics accompanied by musical
notes was discovered in Egypt in 1913.
The Oxyrhynchus hymn

 The Oxyrhynchus hymn (or P. Oxy. XV 1786) is the earliest
known manuscript of a Christian hymn to contain both lyrics
and musical notation.
 Unearthed in 1918 in Egypt, the discovery was first published
in 1922. The hymn was written down around the end of the
3rd century AD
The Oxyrhynchus hymn

 Here is a MIDI file to play the tune.
 Try the following link to hear a more elaborate performance.
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLYfLEZW3bc
Lyrics of the Oxyrhynchus hymn

.. Let it be silent
Let the Luminous stars not shine,
Let the winds (?) and all the noisy rivers die down;
And as we hymn the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit,
Let all the powers add "Amen Amen"
Empire, praise always, and glory to God,
The sole giver of good things, Amen Amen.
The first hymns from Paul…
Philippians 2:6–11 (AD 62–63)
Colossians 1:15–20 (AD 62–63)
Titus 3:4–7 (AD 62–63)
1 Timothy 3:16b (AD 62–63)
Ephesians 1:3–14 (AD 62–63)
Ephesians 2:14–16
Ephesians 5:14
2 Timothy 2:11–13 (AD 62–63)
Key Points:
 Hymn type text can be
identified because of the
rhythm in the original Greek,
by unusual (i.e. poetic) words
or phrases or symmetry in
the ideas and phrases.
 Paul was writing hymns
while he was in prison.
 Most of the hymn quotes
were from Paul’s later letters.
Philippians 2:6–11

(6) who, though he was in the
exalted him and bestowed on him
form of God, did not count
the name that is above every
equality with God a thing to be name,
grasped,
(10) so that at the name of Jesus
(7) but made himself nothing,
every knee should bow, in
taking the form of a servant,
heaven and on earth and under
being born in the likeness of men. the earth,
(8) And being found in human (11) and every tongue confess
form, he humbled himself by
that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the
becoming obedient to the point of glory of God the Father.
death, even death on a cross.
(9) Therefore God has highly
Colossians 1:15-20
(18) And he is the head of the
(15) He is the image of the
invisible God, the firstborn of all body, the church. He is the
creation.
beginning, the firstborn from the
(16) For by him all things were dead, that in everything he might
created, in heaven and on earth, be preeminent.
visible and invisible, whether
(19) For in him all the fullness of
thrones or dominions or rulers or God was pleased to dwell,
authorities--all things were
(20) and through him to reconcile
created through him and for him. to himself all things, whether on
(17) And he is before all things, earth or in heaven, making peace
and in him all things hold
by the blood of his cross.
together.
1 Timothy 3:16b

Great indeed, we confess, is
the mystery of godliness: He
was manifested in the flesh,
vindicated by the Spirit, seen
by angels, proclaimed among
the nations, believed on in the
world, taken up in glory.
Ephesians 1:3–14

(3) Blessed be the God and Father of our will, according to his purpose, which he set
Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in
forth in Christ
Christ with every spiritual blessing in the (10) as a plan for the fullness of time, to
heavenly places,
unite all things in him, things in heaven
(4) even as he chose us in him before the and things on earth.
foundation of the world, that we should be (11) In him we have obtained an
holy and blameless before him. In love
inheritance, having been predestined
(5) he predestined us for adoption as sons according to the purpose of him who works
through Jesus Christ, according to the
all things according to the counsel of his
purpose of his will,
will,
(6) to the praise of his glorious grace, with (12) so that we who were the first to hope
which he has blessed us in the Beloved.
in Christ might be to the praise of his glory.
(7) In him we have redemption through his (13) In him you also, when you heard the
blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses,
word of truth, the gospel of your salvation,
according to the riches of his grace,
and believed in him, were sealed with the
promised Holy Spirit,
(8) which he lavished upon us, in all
wisdom and insight
(14) who is the guarantee of our
(9) making known to us the mystery of his inheritance until we acquire possession of
it, to the praise of his glory.
Ephesians 1:3–14

(3) Blessed be the God and Father of our will, according to his purpose, which he set
Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in
forth in Christ
Christ with every spiritual blessing in the (10) as a plan for the fullness of time, to
heavenly places,
unite all things in him, things in heaven
(4) even as he chose us in him before the and things on earth.
foundation of the world, that we should be (11) In him we have obtained an
holy and blameless before him. In love
inheritance, having been predestined
(5) he predestined us for adoption as sons according to the purpose of him who works
through Jesus Christ, according to the
all things according to the counsel of his
purpose of his will,
will,
(6) to the praise of his glorious grace, with (12) so that we who were the first to hope
which he has blessed us in the Beloved.
in Christ might be to the praise of his glory.
(7) In him we have redemption through his (13) In him you also, when you heard the
blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses,
word of truth, the gospel of your salvation,
according to the riches of his grace,
and believed in him, were sealed with the
promised Holy Spirit,
(8) which he lavished upon us, in all
wisdom and insight
(14) who is the guarantee of our
(9) making known to us the mystery of his inheritance until we acquire possession of
it, to the praise of his glory.
Ephesians 2:14–16

(14) For he himself is our himself one new man in
peace, who has made us place of the two, so
both one and has broken making peace,
down in his flesh the
(16) and might reconcile
dividing wall of hostility us both to God in one
(15) by abolishing the law body through the cross,
of commandments
thereby killing the
expressed in ordinances, hostility.
that he might create in
Ephesians 5:14

For anything that
becomes visible is
light. Therefore it says,
"Awake, O sleeper,
and arise from the
dead, and Christ will
shine on you."
2 Timothy 2:11–13

(11) The saying is
trustworthy, for: If we
have died with him,
we will also live with
him;
(12) if we endure, we
will also reign with
him; if we deny him,
he also will deny us;
(13) if we are faithless,
he remains faithful-for he cannot deny
himself.