DTS' official hymn

[Notthemama1984]

I found something out about DTS yesterday that put a smile on my face. One of DTS' doctrinal statements is "We believe that all who are united to the risen and ascended Son of God are members of the church which is the body and bride of Christ, which began at Pentecost and is completely distinct from Israel."

But the seminary hymn (All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name, The Diadem) includes a stanza which treats the church as Israel.

"Ye chosen seed of Israel’s race, ye ransomed from the fall,
Hail Him Who saves you by His grace, and crown Him Lord of all.
Hail Him Who saves you by His grace, and crown Him Lord of all."

So much for consistency!

 

[Marrow Man]

 

[Willem van Oranje]

Funny that DTS thinks the church at Pentecost was not Israel, since Jesus refers to Pentecost as the restoration of the kingdom of Israel in Acts 1:6-8!

 

[Notthemama1984]

It is funny to think that somehow Abraham wasn't united to the risen and ascended Son of God.

 

[Jack K]

While we're on the topic (sort of)...

I've noticed before that the Trinity Hymnal has: "Ye seed of Israel's chosen race."
While elsewhere (including DTS, apparently) I've always seen: "Ye chosen seed of Israel's race."

Do any of you know why this is? Is there a theological difference?

 

[Willem van Oranje]

While we're on the topic (sort of)...

I've noticed before that the Trinity Hymnal has: "Ye seed of Israel's chosen race."
While elsewhere (including DTS, apparently) I've always seen: "Ye chosen seed of Israel's race."

Do any of you know why this is? Is there a theological difference?

It seems that the former makes it more clear that the chosen seed is coextensive with the race of the nation, not just a chosen few from among the larger Israel. Not sure exactly, but that is my take. Though I know that the TH doesn't hesitate to change words to improve the theology of the hymns. That's why they apparently also publish a "Baptist" edition without the changes.

 

[Notthemama1984]

While we're on the topic (sort of)...

I've noticed before that the Trinity Hymnal has: "Ye seed of Israel's chosen race."
While elsewhere (including DTS, apparently) I've always seen: "Ye chosen seed of Israel's race."

Do any of you know why this is? Is there a theological difference?

I had always heard the latter. When I saw the lyrics online I thought they were wrong so rewrote them.

 

[MarieP]

While we're on the topic (sort of)...

I've noticed before that the Trinity Hymnal has: "Ye seed of Israel's chosen race."
While elsewhere (including DTS, apparently) I've always seen: "Ye chosen seed of Israel's race."

Do any of you know why this is? Is there a theological difference?

I was just thinking about that earlier today! The TH Baptist edition also has "Ye seed of Israel's chosen race" I had the same thoughts as Riley- makes me even more curious as to the change!

---------- Post added at 08:21 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:04 PM ----------

Found some very interesting information! The TH rendering is the original

from a music history professor at Lipscomb University:

Stanza 2:
Ye chosen seed of Israel's race,
ye ransomed from the fall,
hail Him who saves you by His grace,
and crown Him Lord of all.

This stanza has an interesting and varied history. Perronet originally said "Ye seed of Israel's chosen race", which somewhere along the line was inverted to its present form. The altered version is probably better, since it emphasizes not a "chosen race", but a "chosen seed" of the faithful from that race, echoing Romans 9:6, "For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel..." There is no need for the overt hostility of the phrase "a remnant weak and small" found as the second line of this stanza in the version found in Walker's Southern Harmony, and it is a blessing that someone combined a couple of verses into this present form, which combines "Israel's race" with those "ransomeed from the fall". The latter are presumably Gentiles, who by comparison were without a new word or covenant from God since the time of the Fall of Adam and Eve:

Eph 2:13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in His flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments and ordinances, that He might create in Himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.(Ephesians 2:13-16)


The great heritage of faith from "Israel's race" pointed the way to Christ, and we cherish that history as we read of so many inspiring examples of faith. We are also warned that not even ties of blood were enough to make one acceptable before God; instead we "know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham."(Galatians 3:7)

David's Hymn Blog: All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name

 

[Jack K]

Thank you, Marie. That's great detective work!

So the Trinity Hymnal is the more authentic, original verse. That makes sense, because I could see no reason for that hymnal to change it to "chosen race" on theological grounds. It seems to me that "chosen seed" is probably slightly better theology if you had to pick merely on that basis.

 

[Willem van Oranje]

Thanks, MarieP!

The latter are presumably Gentiles, who by comparison were without a new word or covenant from God since the time of the Fall of Adam and Eve:

I take issue with this statement. "Seed of Israel's chosen race" or the other variant and "ye ransomed from the fall" ought best to be understood as the same group comprehending both Jews and Gentiles. That's why it seems good to have them together in one stanza.

 

[buggy]

Ah, dispensational churches and groups like to change hymns to fit their theology.
Back in my Dispensational days I remembered when we had to sing for Wesley's "Rejoice the Lord is King" for stanza 2:
"The Lord our Saviour reigns" instead of "Jesus our Saviour reigns". Lol.

 

[Curt]

Father Abraham has many sons... (love to hear of them singing that at Dispensational churches).

 

[Jack K]

Father Abraham has many sons... (love to hear of them singing that at Dispensational churches).

Ha. I've never liked that song. Too silly. Maybe I ought to rethink my position.

 

[Notthemama1984]

HAHA, I never put two and two together but I grew up singing that song in Dispensational churches. LOL