Ephesians 5:19

“. . . addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart . . .”

When interpreting scripture one of the most crucial aspects (if not the most crucial aspect) of interpretation is determining the context of what we’re reading. However, when we interpret the context it is more nuanced than understanding what is simply on the page. We must determine the author's context. “This means we must get into the author’s context, historically, grammatically, culturally and the literary forms and conventions the author was working in”[1] So when we come to this passage it is important to ask the question “what did Paul mean when he wrote psalms, hymns, and songs?” In history, by the time Paul wrote this letter, the bible that the Christian (Apostolic) church had was called the Septuagint (LXX). The LXX was the Greek translation of the Old Testament scripture, and this is what the Christians had at their disposal. This was the bible they knew. This was a great mercy of God because Greek was the most widely spoken language on the Earth at this time. The significance of the LXX cannot be overstated. Of the 343 Old Testament quotations found in the New Testament, over 21% of them are from the LXX. This makes the LXX indispensable in the field of biblical interpretation. 

Continuing with this understanding, when we come to Ephesians 5:19 (and Colossians 3:16 for that matter) it becomes very clear that the LXX influenced Paul’s thinking in a significant way. In the Psalms, we see superscriptions at the beginning of many Psalms that act as an introduction to the Psalm. These superscriptions are recognized as part of the divinely inspired text of scripture and have clearly influenced New Testament writings. They have influenced Paul’s writings because in the LXX (and the Masoretic text)[2] we find the Psalms being referred to as Psalms, hymns, and songs, throughout the book of Psalms.[3] So, anyone reading the book of Psalms would immediately recognize that the Psalms can rightly (and divinely) be called hymns and songs while still speaking of the same collection of Psalms. 

When we read Paul, therefore, it is imperative to get into his head in order to understand rightly what he is trying to convey to the original audience and the reader in every age. Paul is no stranger to the LXX, even quoting the LXX 22 times in the book of Romans. So, we can conclude nothing else other than that, when Paul tells the Ephesians and Colossians to sing psalms, hymns, and songs, he is only referring to the 150 Psalms of the Old Testament. Furthermore, when he tells them to sing this way, what would this make the original audience think? Remember, the only bible they had was the LXX which titles the 150 Psalms, Psalms, Hymns, and Songs. Therefore, when Paul gives this instruction, the reader would think “I know exactly what Paul is directing me to sing.” There is nothing else Paul would have meant, and there is nothing else that the audience would have known him to mean. To make hymns or songs mean something other than this is to read a modern-day understanding of these words into the text of scripture, which is a method of interpretation fraught with errors and delusions. 

The grammar of the text also proves the point above. When we come to this passage, which is one of the few passages in the New Testament where we derive that one element of worship is praise, we see what first appears to be three different types or groupings of songs, namely psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Grammatically, this phrase is known as a hendiatris.[4] In this passage we see Paul using three different words to articulate one category of song which ought to be sung by the church, namely the Psalms. Along with this, there is another grammatical fact to see here, and it is referred to as the two-kai configuration.[5] Edward Ronsbon explains, 

“Concerning Ephesians 5:19 there is a very simple point to make. If any one of the three terms in Ephesians 5:19 is scripture, all of the terms are the equal of scripture. This is what an interpretation of the two-kai configuration means. Psalms are the O.T. Psalms. Hymns and Songs are made the equal of the Psalms by virtue of being joined with the Psalms in the two-kai configuration”[6]

The adjective “spiritual” before the word “song” is also often a cause for concern. However, in this case, along with every single other case of this word being used in the New Testament (save one), it is used in reference to the Holy Spirit, as in, produced by or belonging to the Holy Spirit.[7] B.B. Warfield comments saying, 

“Of the twenty-five instances in which the word occurs in the New Testament, in no single case does it sink even as low in its reference as the human spirit; and in twenty-four of them is derived from [pneuma], the Holy Ghost. In this sense of belonging to, or determined by, the Holy Spirit, the New Testament usage is uniform . . .”[8]

 

So, because all three terms are linked together by what is mentioned above, the word “spiritual” is a modifier that is rightly applied to all three. In other words, it could rightly be read as “spiritual Psalms, spiritual Hymns, and Spiritual Songs” because all three come from the Holy Spirit.  This is not a new occurrence in the scripture either. Consider Philippians 2:25 which says, “...Epaphroditus my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier…” In Greek, this literally says “a brother, and a co-laborer, and a co-campaigner of me.” In this instance, the modified “my” or “me” appears at the end of the hendiatris and applies to all three of the terms for Epaphradotius. Therefore all three terms, Psalms, Hymns, and Songs, that Paul commands to be sung refer to the 150 Psalms of the Old Testament. 

Colossians 3:16

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”

For this passage, I will not repeat what was said above regarding Ephesians 5:19, however, some understanding of what Paul is commanding in this text is crucial to seeing how the church of Christ ought to be conducting herself. Paul here is giving one simple command, which is this: that “the word of Christ dwell in you richly.” This command is followed by him telling the church how to go about doing that. He says it is done by “teaching and admonishing” on the one hand, and “singing” on the other. And then Paul goes on to describe what is involved in teaching and admonishing, as well as describing what is involved in singing. 

By saying “teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom” Paul is telling the church to preach the word of God. Teaching and admonishing is preaching. In Colossians 1:28 he says something very similar: “Him we proclaim, warning [admonishing] everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ” (Emphasis mine). This idea of admonishing and teaching with all wisdom is a theme that runs through this letter. So when we come to chapter 3 Paul still means that preaching Christ looks like admonishing and teaching. Likewise, when Paul says “with all wisdom” he is speaking of the scriptures. Wisdom comes from all of God’s word. He writes to Timothy saying, “from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” So, when Paul says in Colossians 3:16 “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom…” he is speaking of preaching that is rooted in scripture. 

Additionally, when it comes to singing Paul is more specific on what the church ought to be singing. Paul not only requires that singing be rooted in the scripture, but he narrows the field of content to “psalms and hymns and spiritual songs.” Paul requires that nothing other than the 150 Holy Spirit-inspired songs in the book of Psalms be sung by the church. So Paul is clear here by saying that teaching and admonishing (preaching) may be done from all of scripture, and this is why we can write books on the bible and have systematic theologies on our bookshelves. Then, however, Paul is equally clear when he tells us that our singing must be biblical and from the book of Psalms alone. 

 

1 Corinthians 14:15, 26

“What am I to do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also; I will sing [psallō] praise with my spirit, but I will sing [psallō] with my mind also...What then, brothers? When you come together, each one has a hymn [Psalm/psalmos], a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up.”

When we come to 1 Corinthians 14 there is no doubt that this section of scripture is within the context of corporate worship. This being that case, there is little doubt that whatever Paul commands here as good and right in the household of God is what we should continue doing today. 

Regarding these texts, John Calvin writes that the songs being sung are not newly written or uninspired songs, saying, 

“When he says, I will sing Psalms, or, I will sing, he makes use of a particular instance, instead of a general statement. For, as the praises of God were the subject-matter of the Psalms, he means by the singing of Psalms — blessing God, or rendering thanks to him, for in our supplications, we either ask something from God, or we acknowledge some blessing that has been conferred upon us.”

 

Calvin also affirms that singing Psalms was the practice of the Corinthians,

 

“From this passage, however, we at the same time infer, that the custom of singing was, even at that time, in use among believers, as appears, also, from Pliny, who, writing at least forty years, or thereabouts, after the death of Paul, mentions, that the Christians were accustomed to sing Psalms to Christ before day-break. I have also no doubt that, from the very first, they followed the custom of the Jewish Church in singing Psalms.”

[1] Davis, James. 2013. “Principles of Biblical Interpretation.” Bible.org. https://bible.org/seriespage/lesson-6-principles-biblical-interpretation.

[2] The Masoretic Text is the authoritative Hebrew Aramaic text of the 24 books of the Tanakh in Rabbinic Judaism. This is the text that we find translated into English in the vast majority of our English bibles

[3] Ps 4:1; 65:1; 66:1; 67:1; 68:1; 75:1; 76:1 for example

[4] a figure of speech used for emphasis, in which three words are used to express one idea

[5] In Greek kai is the word that is translated “and” in our English Bibles

[6] Prutow, Dennis J. 2013. Public Worship 101. N.p.: RPTS Press. pg 244,245

[7] Prutow, Dennis J. 2013. Public Worship 101. N.p.: RPTS Press. pg 245

[8] ibid