CHRISTOLOGICAL HYMNS IN THE WRITINGS OF ST PAUL

According to some theologians, the New Testament teaching on the person of Jesus is virtually contained in its hymns. Three Christological hymns that are outstanding in Pauline literature include Philippians 2.5-11 as well as Colossians 1.15-20 and 1 Timothy 3.16.

The hymns are essentially soteriological (about salvation) in their purpose, and set forth the person of Christ in relation to his world as reconciler and world ruler.

Scripture scholars speak of a criteria for detecting hymns in Sacred Scripture, and they are listed as follows:

a) a formula that elsewhere introduces or concludes quoted material;

b) the self-contained character of the passage - the prose or style are different;

c) contextual dislocation where the flow of the passage is interrupted;

d) introductory phrases where the initial relative pronoun "Who" suggest that a preformed composition is being added;

e) hymnic material is marked by a pronounced and recognisable rhythm;

f) an antithetical style sets up contrasts or comparisons - parallelisms - couplets with similar sounding openings (anaphora) or similar sounding endings (epiphora).

The focus or the subject of the hymn is God or Christ and praises some aspect of the divine nature or activity. Hymns were born out of a need to assert the centrality of Christ in God’s saving plan and his unique relationship to God; the true meaning of Christian life as one of moral excellence; and the freedom of believers from all forms of bad religion and superstition. The first hymn I would like to look at is found in the letter to the Philippians.

Philippians 2.5-11

"Into this hortatory context Paul inserts a hymn to Christ, possibly a Jewish-Christian liturgical origin, which he has modified slightly by adding the words, 'even death upon a cross.' The hymn represents an early kerygmatic (initial call to conversion)confession. The hymnic interpretation of this section is based on the rhythmic quality of the sentences, on the use of parallelism (found Old Testament psalms and poetry), and on the rare, characteristically, un-Pauline expressions. (Kenosis) Though there appear to be two periodic sentences, each is composed of nine cola and the whole is conveniently divided into six strophes (sections). Christ is the subject in the first three and God is the subject in the last three" (Jerome Biblical Commentary - Joseph A. Fitzmyer).

The Christ is depicted in a cosmological role in a twofold way. First, his pre-existence and pre-temporal activity in creation are at the beginning of the hymns. From the divine order he descends and is made incarnate - epiphany. In other words, he comes down from heaven and becomes flesh and makes himself known.

At the conclusion of his human life, he ascends to take his place with God by receiving the universal homage and acclamation of the cosmic spirit powers which confess his lordship and so are forced to abandon their title of control over human destiny.

His saving work is seen as that of bringing together the two orders of existence - heaven and earth. His reconciliation is described within a cosmic setting.

Colossians 1. 15-20

A key element in Colossians’ presentation of Christ is a poetic passage describing his role in creation and reconciliation, a passage commonly regarded as a hymn. This hymn has been the subject of extensive bibliography, but for the purposes of this presentation I would like to point out just a few points. The writer was using an already existing Christian hymn familiar to the Colossians and perhaps to the whole area evangelised from Ephesus. Finding ideas in the hymn useful for correcting the false teaching, the writer of Colossians made them sharper by minor additions. The hymn, which resounds in later parts of the letter is the cornerstone of the author’s argument.

Many critics have agreed that Colossians 1:15-20 is a Christian liturgical hymn. Some scholars have suggested that the hymn was added by another hand. But the overwhelming majority of exegetes consider it part of Colossians because many of its themes appear elsewhere in the letter: Some examples include: Image of God in 1.15 and 3.10; Principalities and powers - 1.16 and 2.10; Head - 1.17 and 2.19; Fullness - 1.19 and 2.10; Reconciliation - 1.20, 22.

Opinion is divided as to whether the author composed the hymn or used it because it was known to the Colossians from their (baptismal) liturgy, or adapted a pre-Christian Gnostic hymn by incorporating it into a Christian baptismal profession of faith. Most popular is the thesis that the hymn is inspired by (Hellenistic) Jewish hymns to the personified Wisdom of God. (Proverbs 8.22-31; Sir 24; Wis 7.21-30, 9.1-4). (The Jerome Biblical Commentary Joseph A. Grassi.) Two scholars, E. Norden and J. M. Robinson suggest the following analysis:

In this Christological hymn, there is a most visible parallelism between the descriptions in:

15-16a "he is the image of the invisible God, the first born of all creation, for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created," and 18b-19 "He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead . . . for in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell.

1 Timothy 3.16.

In this poetic passage, there are three units, each including a contrast. He was revealed in the flesh, vindicated in Spirit:

"Flesh" means human nature. "Vindicated" does not have the usual Pauline meaning of purified from sin, but the original meaning of shown to be just. The justice and divinity of Christ were manifested in a special way through the operation of the Holy Spirit in the glorious resurrection of Christ (Romans 1.4; Acts 5.30-32). The glorified Christ was "seen by angels" when he was "taken up in glory" at the time of the ascension. Without any doubt, the mystery of our religion is great:

He was revealed in flesh, vindicated in Spirit,

seen by angels, proclaimed among Gentiles,

believed in throughout the world, taken up in glory.

This hymn, which possesses a rhythmic quality - is also a confessional statement (a profession of faith or belief) which was most likely sung within liturgical situations - like Baptism.