“New Song” and

“Harmony”

Music concepts in Early Church’s Theological

Interpretation

Early Christianity Supervisor: Dr. Dieter MitternachtPresented by Jenny Bai Dec.1. 2011

Presentation content

I. New Song1. “New song” in Bible2. “New Song” and Jesus Christ: An Interpretation of “New

Song” in Early Church

II. Harmony1. Cosmic harmony2. Church harmony 3. Harmony of OT and NT

III. ConclusionIV. Bibliography

I. New Song

Psalm 33:3 Sing to him a new song

Psalm 40:3 He put a new song in my mouth

Psalm 96:1 Sing to the Lord a new song. sing to the Lord, all the earth.

Psalm 98:1 Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things; his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him.

Psalm 144:9 I will sing a new song to you, O God.

Psalm 149:1 Sing to the Lord a new song.

Isaiah 42:10 Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise from the ends of the earth

1. “New Song” in Bible

Revelation 5:9 And they sing a new song: “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.”

Revelation 14:3 And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. No one could learn the song except the 144.000 who had been redeemed from the earth.

2. “New Song” and Jesus Christ: An Interpretation of “New Song” in Early Church

Clement of Alexandria (c.150 - c. 215 A.D ) He united Greek philosophical traditions with Christian doctrine.

Exhortation to the Heathen : How, let me ask, have you believed vain fables and supposed animals to be charmed by music; while Truth’s shining face alone, as would seem,appears to you disguised, and is looked on with incredulous eyes?

What my Eunomos sings is not the measure of Terpander, nor that of Capito, nor the Phrygian, nor Lydian, nor Dorian, but the immortal measure of the new harmony which bears God’s name—the new, the Levitical song. “Soother of pain, calmer of wrath, producing forgetfulness of all ills.

Behold the might of the new song! It has made men out of stones, men

out of beasts. Those, moreover, that were as dead, not being partakers of

the true life, have come to life again, simply by becoming listeners to this

song.

What, then, does this instrument—the Word of God, the Lord, the New

Song—desire? To open the eyes of the blind, and unstop the ears of the

deaf, and to lead the lame or the erring to righteousness, to exhibit God to

the foolish, to put a stop to corruption, to conquer death, to reconcile

disobedient children to their father.

He has been called by me the New Song. This Word, then, the Christ,

the cause of both our being at first (for He was in God) and of our well-

being, this very Word has now appeared as man, He alone being both,

both God and man—the Author of all blessings to us; by whom we, being

taught to live well, are sent on our way to life eternal.

Would, then, that these heretics would learn and be set right by these

notes, and turn to the sovereign God! But if, like the deaf serpents, they

listen not to the song called new, though very old, may they be chastised

by God, and undergo paternal admonitions previous to the Judgment, till

they become ashamed and repent, but not rush through headlong

unbelief, and precipitate themselves into judgment.

Methodius of Olympus (260-312 A.D. ) Saint, bishop, Martyr, ecclesiastical writer.

Oration on the Psalm:

wherein they struggle against the lusts of the flesh, they have taught them to sing a new hymn of conquest and a new song of peace to Christ who giveth the victory.

Victorinus of Pettau (d. c.304 A.D) Saint, bishop, Martyr, ecclesiastical writer.

Commentary on The Apocalypse of The Blessed John:

The proclamation of the Old Testament associated with the New, Points out the Christian people singing a new song, that is, bearing their confession publicly. It is a new thing that the Son of God should become man. It is a new thing to ascend into the heavens with a body. It is a new thing to give remission of sins to men. It is a new thing for men to be sealed with the Holy Spirit. It is a new thing to receive the priesthood of sacred observance, and to look for a kingdom of unbounded promise. The harp, and the chord stretched on its wooden frame, signifies the flesh of Christ linked with the wood of the passion.

II. Harmony

1. Cosmic Harmony

Pythagoras (c.580-c.500 B.C. Greek philosopher, mathematician,

musician.) assumes that this world was created according to music

principle and the frame of the cosmos is organized by musical harmony.

The early church fathers particularly appreciate this music concept and

widely applied it to the interpretation of Christianity.

Clement of Roman (d. c.101 A.D) First Clement, bishop of Roman, Saint.

The Epistles of Clement: Chapter XX.—The Peace and Harmony of the Universe.

The heavens, revolving under His government, are subject to Him in

peace. Day and night run the course appointed by Him, in no wise

hindering each other. The sun and moon, with the companies of the stars,

roll on in harmony according to His command, The very smallest of living

beings meet together in peace and concord. All these the great Creator

and Lord of all has appointed to exist in peace and harmony.

Clement of Alexandria (c.150 - c. 215 A.D )

Exhortation to the Heathen:

Behold the might of the new song! It has made men out of stones, men out of beasts. Those, moreover, that were as dead, not being partakers of the true life, have come to life again, simply by becoming listeners to this song. It also composed the universe into melodious order, and tuned the discord of the elements to harmonious arrangement, so that the whole world might become harmony.

Hippolytus of Roman (170-236 A.D) was disciple of Irenaeus who was disciple of Polycarp, who was disciple of John. Saint, Martyr, was most important theologian in third century in Roman.

The Refutation of All Heresies:

And this person, instituting an investigation concerning natural phenomena, combined together astronomy, and geometry, and music. And so he proclaimed that the Deity is a monad; and carefully acquainting himself with the nature of number, he affirmed that the world sings, and that its system corresponds with harmony, and he first resolvedthe motion of the seven stars into rhythm and melody.

2. Church Harmony

Origen (c.184-c.253)

Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew The word symphony is strictly applied to the harmonies of sounds in

music. And there are indeed among musical sounds some accordant and others discordant. But the Evangelic Scripture is familiar with the name as applied to musical matters in the passage, “He heard symphony and dancing.” For it was fitting that when the son who had been lost and found came by penitence into concord with his father a symphony should be heard on the occasion of the joyous mirth of the house.

“Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about any thing you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. ” Matthew 18:19

for the instruments thus fitted with might and with songs, had in themselves the musical symphony which is so powerful that when two only, bring along with the symphony which has relation to the music that is divine and spiritual, a request to the Father in heaven about anything whatsoever, the Father grants the request to those who ask along with thesymphony on earth,—which is most miraculous,—those things which those who have made the symphony spoken of may have asked.

Ignatius (30-107 A.D)

The Epistle of Ignatius to The Ephesians

Wherefore it is fitting that ye should run together in accordance with the

will of your bishop, which thing also ye do. For your justly renowned presbytery, worthy of God, is fitted as exactly to the bishop as the strings are to the harp. Therefore in your concord and harmonious love, Jesus Christ is sung. And do ye, man by man, become a choir, that being harmonious in love, and taking up the song of God in unison, ye may with one voice sing to the Father through Jesus Christ, so that He may both hear you, and perceive by your works that ye are indeed the members ofHis Son.

Clement of Alexandria

Exhortation to Heathen

The union of many in one, issuing in the production of divine harmony out of a medley of sounds and division, becomes one symphony following one choir-leader and teacher, the Word, reaching and resting in the same truth, and crying Abba, Father. This, the true utterance of His children, God accepts with gracious welcome—the first-fruits He receives from them.

3. Harmony of OT and NT

Origen is the first theologian calls Gospels and the letters of Apostles as “New Testament”.

Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew

Old scripture and new scripture in the harmony But the Word is the

one Shepherd of things rational which may have an appearance of

discord to those who have not ears to hear, but are truly at perfect

concord.

For as the different chords of the psalter or the lyre, each of which gives forth a certain sound of its own which seems unlike the sound of another chord, are thought by a man who is not musical and ignorant of the principle of musical harmony, to be inharmonious, because of the dissimilarity of the sounds, so those who are not skilled in hearing the harmony of God in the sacred Scriptures think that the Old is not in harmony with the New, or the Prophets with the Law, or the Gospels with one another, or the Apostle with the Gospel, or with himself, or with the other Apostles.

But he who comes instructed in the music of God, being a man wise in word and deed, and, on this account, like another David—which is, by interpretation, skilful with the hand—will bring out the sound of the music of God, having learned from this at the right time to strike the chords, now the chords of the Law, now the Gospel chords in harmony with them, and again the Prophetic chords, and, when reason demands it, the Apostolic chords which are in harmony with the Prophetic, and likewise the Apostolic with those of the Gospels.

III. Conclusion

From the references of the early Christian writings, we can see that the concept of “New Song” comes from Old Testament and the Christian theologians interpret it as a title of Jesus Christ and He is regarded as the true musician to tune all the discord in to the harmony of the kingdom of God.

Harmony is widely used in the Christian writings to indicate the relationship between God and His creations, the relationship between human and his neighbors and God, and the relationship between OT and NT.

Modern scholars may despise or neglect these music thoughts in theological arguments, nevertheless, these thoughts are not only in a allegorical sense to shaped early church’s understanding of Christianity, but also influenced the development of western music.

IV. Bibliography

Clement of Alexandria, Exhortation to the Heathen, [in Philip Schaff (ed),Ante-Nicene Fathers ,Vol. II ] Clement of Roman ,Pseudo-Clementine Literature – Homily， [ in Phili

p Schaff (ed) ,Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol.VIII] Clement of Roman,The Epistles of Clement , [in Philip Schaff (ed),Ante-Nicene Fathers ,Vol. IX.] Hippolytus, The Refutation of All Heresies,[ in Philip Schaff (ed),Ante- Nicene Fathers ,Vol.V], p.17. Ignatius， The Epistle of Ignatius to The Ephesians [in Philip Schaff(e

d) Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol.I ] Justin Martyr， Hortatory Address to the Greeks,[in Philip Schaff(ed) Ante-Nicene Fathers,Vol.I ]

Origen , Origen’s Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew, [in Philip

Schaff(ed) ,Ante-Nicene Fathers ,Vol.IX] Origen, Origen Against Celsus, [in Philip Schaff (ed),Ante-Nicene

Fathers,Vol.IV], p.1181. Victorinus, Commentary on The Apocalypse of The Blessed John,

( English translated by The Rev. Robert Ernest Wallis,PH.D.) [in

Philip Schaff (ed),Ante-Nicene Fathers ,Vol. VII ]

Thank you !