Renewed worship

Christian musicians Chris Tomlin and Ben Fielding last week released “The First Hymn” using the words and melody from an ancient Greek hymn. An accompanying documentary film, The First Hymn on Monday was released for home viewing. A formal premiere was held at Biola University in La Mirada, Calif., with another event scheduled Tuesday night at the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C.

The film, hosted by historian John Dickson, explores the discovery of the 1,800-year-old Christian hymn believed to be the oldest found complete with its original lyrics and musical notation. Dickson found the hymn while working on his Ph.D. at Oxford University eight years ago. It was among a collection of documents originally discovered in Egypt by archaeologists from the university at the turn of the 20th century, he said. Scholars wrote about the song numerous times, he said, but none took it to modern churches.

Dickson in 2022 brought the idea of reviving the song to Fielding, and later, Tomlin. The team spent more than 2½ years producing the new song and documentary. WORLD spoke with Dickson about the song and the documentary.

“The hymn is thoroughly orthodox. It’s praising the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and it predates the Council of Nicaea, predates Constantine, predates the Arian heresy, but it’s all about the Trinity,” Dickson said. The manuscript’s melodic structures were in the ancient Greek style, which he said is more similar to modern pop and worship than the monkish chants associated with the Roman Catholic Church. It is one of about 50 songs that have survived from the ancient Greek world, and it is the only Christian one, Dickson said. The next-oldest known Christian hymn dates to about four centuries after this song, and he said was written in a Gregorian style similar to hymns sung in the Catholic church.

The ancient Christians were persecuted for their faith. “We know this was written in a period of intense persecution of the Christians,” Dickson said. Among a collection of half a million parchment fragments in which archaeologists discovered the hymn, they also found an arrest warrant for a Christian from the same period, he said. Despite the danger early Christians faced, Dickson said the song is full of joy and confidence. “I think we could learn something from that as we sometimes feel like the world is out to get us,” he said.

The original lyrics, as Dickson translated them, read:

“Let all be silent: The shining stars not sound forth. Rushing rivers be still as we sing our hymn to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. To our God be glory, honor, power forever. To the only giver of all good gifts. Amen. Amen.”

The song comes from a time before denominations and communicates the central truth of God’s power and the Trinity, Dickson said. “What I hope and what I find myself praying, is that there would be a little point of unity as Christians of all stripes join together and sing this most ancient Christian song,” he said. The hymn can also remind Christians of the history of their faith, and that worship of the one true God is eternal, Tomlin said in a statement. While Tomlin and Fielding used the exact words from the hymn, Dickson said they incorporated the ancient melody into a more modern tune. The team also plans to release an ancient Greek version with the Wheaton College choir.