Hymns Q & A

	How are hymns different from other types of songs?

The essence of hymns and spiritual songs is the Spirit.

Hymns and other spiritual songs are distinct from all other songs because they are actually of a divine, spritiual essence. Therfore, as we sing and speak them, we are contacting and enjoying the Divine Trinity Himself. This is clear in Ephesians 5:18-20, where Paul encourages the believers to speak to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs (songs of the Spirit) as a way to “be filled in spirit.” The word “spiritual” indicates that all the songs are spiritual poems of the Spirit. This means that the Spirit is the very essence of our psalms, hymns, and songs, unlike secular poetry and songs, which are of another kind of essence. When singing or speaking psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, we often have the deep feeling that we are touching a divine, spiritual essence, and this essence is the very Spirit of God. Similarly, when we speak these songs, we are speaking something of the essence of the Spirit to one another. Psalms are long poems, hymns are shorter ones, and spiritual songs are the shortest. All are precious and necessary provisions from the Lord for us to be filled with Him and to overflow with Him in our Christian life. (Living in and with the Divine Trinity)

	Why do we need hymns?

Singing hymns is not only the outflow of being filled in spirit but also a way to be filled in spirit, uplifted, enlivened, and refreshed. (Ephesians 5:19, footnote 1, Recovery Version of the New Testament)

According to 1 Corinthians 14:26 and Hebrews 10:25, there is the need for both speaking and singing in Christian meetings. This speaking is not only the speaking of the word of God or the speaking forth of Christ, but also the speaking of the hymns. In fact, the first item listed by Paul in 1 Corinthians 14:26 is a psalm. (“Whenever you come together, each one has a psalm…”) A psalm is poetry set to music. In both Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16, Paul again charges us to speak to one another in hymns. This indicates that the believers in the early Christian meetings used a lot of hymns. Many times it may be difficult to find Scripture that meets the real need in a meeting or in our personal situation, but we can easily find a hymn that meets the need. (Speaking Christ for the Building Up of the Body of Christ) Singing hymns in the meetings is a primary need; singing opens the heavens and brings us to the heavens. We should spend time to sing in different ways whenever we meet. When hymns are used adequately and properly in meetings, the meetings will be uplifted, enlivened, and refreshed. (Life-study of Nehemiah)

Hymns are an essential and scriptural component of the Christian life, whether in church meetings or in our personal time with the Lord. Praying and singing are the best ways to exercise our human spirit, where Christ as the Spirit dwells within us. Hymn singing is particularly effective in freeing us from distractions. It causes us to exercise the spirit and to forget ourselves and our problems. For example, before going out to preach the gospel, it is best to sing one or two gospel hymns. When we sing or pray, our spirit is strengthened. (Messages in Preparation for the Spread of the Gospel)

Praising the Lord in our singing is also a precious key to our experience of the victorious Christ. When we face hard situations in our daily living, we can apply the all-inclusive Christ, the One who is so present and available, by singing hymns of praise to Him. (The Secret of Experiencing Christ) When we are in turmoil or discouragement, sometimes the most restful thing we can do is to sing a hymn. Singing a hymn fills us with encouragement and joy and helps us to enjoy Christ as our rest. The chorus of Hymn #308 says: “This is my story, this is my song,/ Praising my Savior all the day long.” Singing and psalming with our heart to the Lord (Ephesians 5:19) causes us to live a rejoicing life, a life of enjoying God in Christ as everything to us. (The History of God in His Union with Man)

	How do I sing a hymn?

As a general principle, in everything we do in our meetings and in our daily life—whether the singing and speaking of hymns, prayer and praise, Bible reading, or fellowship—we should enjoy Christ as the center and source. (The Lord’s Table Meeting for the Remembrance of the Lord and the Worship of the Father)

Our meetings should be filled with singing, which issues from our being filled with grace (Colossians 3:16c). When we have an inner realization of God’s grace, this realization will stir up our heart to sing to Him. Singing also issues from our being filled with the word (Colossians 3:16a). When the word of Christ fills us up from within, the Spirit bubbles from within us in lauding melodies and we will spontaneously flow out in singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Thus, we should not sing the hymns in a formal, dead way, but in a living, exercised way with the release of the spirit. For example, we do not necessarily have to sing a hymn in sequence from the first verse to the last. We may begin with any verse, according to the leading of the Spirit. (Fellowship Concerning the Urgent Need of the Vital Groups)

We should sing by exercising our human spirit (1 Corinthians 14:15b). We should not merely sing in our happiness or according to our mood. We should sing joyfully in our spirit. Our singing must come out from our spirit. In singing, just as in praying, in reading the word, and in turning our heart to the Lord, the secret is to exercise our spirit. (The God-Ordained Way to Practice the New Testament Economy)

	When do we sing hymns?

We should be encouraged to sing throughout our daily life, not solely or primarily in meetings.

We are often short in our experience of Christ because we do not sing to Him often enough with grace in our hearts. Similarly, we need more experience of teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs (Colossians 3:16). For example, perhaps a wife could sing to her husband hymn #312 (click here for complete lyrics):

Singing is one of the outstanding traits of a Christian. Ephesians 5:18-19 says, “Be filled in spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and psalming with your heart to the Lord.” When we are filled with God in spirit, we will spontaneously—throughout the day—sing psalms, hymns, and songs, speaking to one another and praising the Lord. When we are filled in spirit, what we have of Christ within us will spontaneously be expressed without. We will begin to sing with our heart to the Lord. We Christians are a singing people. (Key Points on the Home Meetings)

	Where are hymns mentioned in the Bible?

• Hebrews 2:12, which is a reference to the prophecy in Psalms 22:22, says, “I [Jesus] will declare Your name [the Father’s name] to My brothers; in the midst of the church I will sing hymns of praise unto You [the Father].”
  
  This is the firstborn Son’s praising of the Father within the Father’s many sons in the church meetings. Now Jesus, as the indwelling Spirit, sings praises to the Father through us—the church. (Hebrews 2:12, footnote 3, Recovery Version of the New Testament)
  
  
• Matthew 26:30 says, “And after singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.”
  
  This was a praise to the Father sung by the Lord with His disciples after the Lord’s table. (Matthew 26:30, footnote 1, Recovery Version of the New Testament)
  
  
• Ephesians 5:18-19 says that when we are filled with the Spirit, we will sing hymns and songs. But a corollary verse, Colossians 3:16, says that when we are filled with the Word, we will sing hymns and songs.
  
  These “sister books,” taken together, tell us that we have to be filled with these two essential elements—the Word and the Spirit—every day. When we are filled with the life-giving Spirit and with the word of Christ, we will overflow with Christ in speaking, psalming, and giving thanks to God, singing with grace in our hearts to God.
  (Ephesians 5:18, footnote 1 and 5:19, footnote 1, Recovery Version of the New Testament)

The above answers were compiled from a number of ministry books written by Witness Lee. Click on the reference title to view the original text.

© 2001 Living Stream Ministry. All rights reserved.