Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs

[Part 3]

In the previous two studies under this heading we looked at the meaning and difference between psalms and hymns as used in the two parallel passages Ephesians 5:18,19 and Colossians 3:16. We saw no reason not to accept that Paul, in these passages, could have been referring to the Old Testament psalms, as in the book of that name; many of them being quite suitable to express praise in any dispensation. Together with hymns, psalms are seen as an outward expression of an inward reality and proceed from the Holy Spirit filling the believer with the word of Christ.

Hymns, although not absent from the Old Testament (see the Greek version, the Septuagint), represent expressions of Christian praise specifically to God, rather than about Him, and although the word originally had heathen associations in New Testament times, there was no reason to reject it as a description of those 'songs' written to express Christian truths and directed to 'the true and only God'. Nevertheless, the Apostolic Fathers, and others from the first to the third centuries AD, seem to have been reluctant to use the word of Christian worship.

That there was originally a difference between psalms and hymns, in that the former suggests accompaniment by a stringed instrument and the latter may have been unaccompanied, cannot be ruled out. It is also possible that Paul refers to some of the earliest Christian hymns in passages where he seems to express truth in poetical language, such as 1Timothy 3:16, where he sets forth "the mystery of godliness" and 2 Timothy 2:11-13, distinguishing between living or reigning with Christ, but there is little evidence for this.

Spiritual Songs
If psalms and hymns are difficult to distinguish from each other, how do they both differ from "spiritual songs"? The word "songs" here is the Greek ode, which comes directly over into the English, ode. Trench in his Synonyms of the New Testament (1865) wrote:

If psalms represent the heritage of sacred song which the Christian Church derived from the Jewish, the hymns and 'spiritual songs' will between them cover what more in the same kind it produced out of its bosom; but with a difference.

He then went on to ally 'spiritual songs' with the time when "Christian thought and feeling" had "expanded into a wider range of poetic utterances than those in which there is a direct address to Deity". Unfortunately, he did not himself go on to expand what he meant by this, except to refer to the lyrics of George Herbert (1593-1633) in The Temple and John Keble in his book of poems, The Christian Year (1827), works with which few modern readers are familiar. Whilst Archbishop Trench shows no sign of seeing any difference between the Acts church and The Body of Christ, his suggestion that 'spiritual songs' belong to a later period of time, when 'Christian thought' had moved on, helps us to see that they may indeed be looked upon, as Paul saw them, as peculiar to the church which is The Body of Christ, revealed for the present dispensation.

Song in Revelation
Apart from Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16, the only other occurrences of the Greek ode, (song) in the New Testament are in Revelation 5:9; 14:3; 15:3, where the adjective "spiritual" is not included:

5:9	four living creatures and 24 Elders "sang a new song"
14:3	144,000 undefiled ones "sang a new song" and only they "could learn the song"
15:3	those victorious over the beast "sang the song of Moses….and the song of the Lamb"

This is not the place to discuss who these companies are; for our purposes it is enough to note that they are exclusive companies of beings. In the case of the 144,000 (14:3) they sing a new song that only they could learn. As The Companion Bible points out, the new song of 14:3 is the "only instance where the words of the song are not given". It suggests a secret only made known to a few.

Song in Ephesians and Colossians
Armed with these suggestions, and conscious that any application or parallel to our own position is of the grace of God, we approach the references to 'song' (ode) in Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16. These references are set in the context of a secret (mystery) made known initially through Paul (Ephesians 3; Colossians 1:24-28) and which he wanted to "make plain to everyone" (Ephesians 3:9).

Before pushing this analogy too far, we must look at the references to the adjective "spiritual", which is only attached to the word "song" in the two epistles under consideration:

Ephesians 1:3	spiritual blessings in the heavenly realms (or places)
Ephesians 5:19	spiritual songs
Ephesians 6:12	spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms (or places)
Colossians 1:9	spiritual wisdom and understanding
Colossians 3:16	spiritual songs

Reading the context of these references, the "spiritual blessings" are for an exclusive company of believers that "he (God) chose in him (Christ) before the creation (foundation) of the world". Their present "struggle" is with "the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places". They need "spiritual wisdom and understanding" to "live a life worthy of the Lord". The Spirit fills them with the word of Christ and this expresses itself in "spiritual songs".

Going back to the book of the Revelation, those who are victorious over the beast at the end time and do not bow down to his image, "sing the song of Moses" (see Deuteronomy 31:30-32:47). The song is a rehearsal of all the Lord's dealings with Israel, and the heavens and the earth are called upon to hear (32:1). The exclusive company in Revelation also sings "the song of the Lamb" (much used throughout the book to refer to Christ) and the words of this song follow. "Great and marvellous are your deeds, Lord God almighty…" (15:3,4). The two songs look back to the Lord's past dealings with Israel and look forward to the time when "All nations will come and worship" before Him (15:4). The association of this company and the two songs with Israel is irrefutable.

We suggest that, just as they have songs that set forth the deliverance and blessings the Lord has poured upon them, so we, members of the Body of Christ, have our own peculiar songs. They are spiritual, because they are associated with "spiritual blessings" (not earthly, as with Israel) in "heavenly places". They do not concern Israel and its prime place among the nations of the earth, for in our calling no such distinction between Jew and Gentile (as to position) exists (Ephesians 2:11-22).

While we see many of the Psalms as setting forth eternal truths that can bring forth praise from all generations of man, we have to remember that they were written against the background of Israel's privileged position amongst the nations of the earth. Hymns to God may praise Him for the salvation and the blessings that flow from the person and work of Christ and offered to all mankind. Spiritual songs, however, belong to those whose blessings are "spiritual". They should set forth the 'peculiar' nature of their position and blessings associated with Christ.

God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:6,7).