What are psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs?

Many churches are still wrestling with this question of what

style of music to employ in worship. What does the Bible say
about this issue? Two New Testament texts, Ephesians 5:19
and Colossians 3:16, prescribe the formula for the style of
music to be used in worship as being psalms, hymns, and
spiritual songs. Most Christians have not taken the time to
study what are psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, so here are
the definitions.

1. Psalms where the Hebrew worship songs. Most of the

ancient psalms were recorded in scripture, but some were
written later. The psalms had a different sound, a unique
meter/beat that unified and tied together the lyrics of the
psalms. This was important because Hebrew poets were less
concerned about making words rhyme than they were about the
symmetry of the lyrics.

Christians were instructed to use psalms in worship, to write

them on their hearts, and to sing them from their hearts to the
Lord. Sadly, psalms are not widely used in worship today,
although there are some churches who ascribe to what is called
the regulatory principle of worship and worship exclusively
through the singing of Psalms. Perhaps we could all use to sing
more scripture when we gather together as believers.

2. Hymns were the songs of the church, written after

Pentecost, in which the orthodox beliefs of the church were set
to rhyme, meter, and music. Paul often quoted first-century
hymns in his inspired letters to the churches. The great
Christological treatise of Philippians 2:6-11 is believed by
most scholars to be a verse from a first-century hymn. Other
examples include 1 Timothy 1:15 and 2 Timothy 2:11-13
among others.

The church has continued to write hymns for the last two
thousand years. Modern day hymns are spiritual songs (a
category that will be defined in the next bullet) that became so
strongly accepted as orthodoxy that the church was moved to
incorporate them into their repertoire of worship. Eventually,
they were compiled into books that we call hymnals and were
memorized and sung for generations.

3. Finally, there are spiritual songs. These were songs that

people wrote in a local style, a local “spirit.” It should not be
hard to imagine that different parts of the Roman empire were
given to different styles of music. As the gospel spread, and as
creative people became taken by the love of God expressed in
the gospel message, they wrote songs in the style unique to
their culture in order to express their love for God.

Even today, people from all different cultures are touched by

the gospel, and creative people from those cultures write songs
in expression of love. Poets influenced by the Nashville culture
write songs with a country flavor; we call it southern gospel.
Other artists influenced by the rock and roll culture of Ohio
write songs with a rock and roll flavor; we call it contemporary
Christian. Artists influenced by the rap culture of L.A. write
Christian rap. Still others from the Motown culture of Detroit
write Christian music with a soulful spirit.

The New Testament prescribes that Christians should worship

God in response to His willingness to save them by singing
psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs from their hearts. God is
Lord of the Hebrews and the Greeks. He is Lord of Palestine
and of Macedonia, and He is Lord of Nashville, Detroit, L.A.,
Ohio, and every culture in between. As the love of God
impacts artists from these cultures, the same love should be
expressed back to Him by the hearts that are saved by His
grace.

All who are filled with the Spirit of God should have a vast
repertoire of songs in their hearts. When we address one
another outside the four walls of the church building, our
addresses should be in harmony with the psalms, hymns, and
spiritual songs we are singing on the inside. When we come
together for corporate worship, we should be able to express
our heartsongs together. We should be willing to worship with
our brothers and sisters who come from different cultures,
willing to sing their songs and have them sing ours. While we
all might come from different backgrounds, we all have one
Lord, one faith, and one Spirit that unites us in Christ.