30 verses · KJV · every verse read aloud
Early Christians treated singing as a normal part of Christian worship, prayer, and daily devotion. Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, Hippolytus, Methodius, and the Apostolic Constitutions all connect singing with hymns to God, psalms, thanksgiving, and church life. The strongest and broadest witness is that Christians sang to Christ and God, often using the Psalms and other Scripture, and they also sang in homes, at meals, in worship, and at funerals. Some writers allowed instruments or described them in biblical or liturgical settings, while others warned against impure or careless songs. The evidence is broad and early, but it is mixed on instruments and on how much of the singing was formal worship versus private or household practice.
And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.
Shows Paul and Silas singing hymns in prison.
Also in NKJV · ESV What the early church said about Acts 16:25
Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;
Christ-focused singing with thanksgiving.
Also in NKJV · ESV What the early church said about Ephesians 5:19
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
New Testament command for Christ-centered singing.
Also in NKJV · ESV What the early church said about Colossians 3:16
Praise ye the LORD: for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely.
General biblical praise verse about singing praises.
Also in NKJV · ESV What the early church said about Psalms 147:1
Sing unto the LORD with the harp; with the harp, and the voice of a psalm.
Harp and psalm together in Scripture.
Also in NKJV · ESV What the early church said about Psalms 98:5
Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp.
Praise with trumpet, psaltery, and harp.
Also in NKJV · ESV What the early church said about Psalms 150:3
Praise the LORD with harp: sing unto him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings.
Praise with harp and ten-stringed psaltery.
Also in NKJV · ESV What the early church said about Psalms 33:2
Sing unto him a new song; play skilfully with a loud noise.
New song and loud strings in praise.
Also in NKJV · ESV What the early church said about Psalms 33:3
Let them praise his name in the dance: let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp.
Scripture passage attached to the early Christian evidence page.
Also in NKJV · ESV What the early church said about Psalms 149:3
O God, my heart is fixed; I will sing and give praise, even with my glory.
Scripture passage attached to the early Christian evidence page.
Also in NKJV · ESV What the early church said about Psalms 108:1
Praise ye the LORD. Sing unto the LORD a new song, and his praise in the congregation of saints.
Scripture passage attached to the early Christian evidence page.
Also in NKJV · ESV What the early church said about Psalms 149:1
Upon an instrument of ten strings, and upon the psaltery; upon the harp with a solemn sound.
Scripture passage attached to the early Christian evidence page.
Also in NKJV · ESV What the early church said about Psalms 92:3
Sing unto the LORD with thanksgiving; sing praise upon the harp unto our God:
Scripture passage attached to the early Christian evidence page.
Also in NKJV · ESV What the early church said about Psalms 147:7
Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.
Scripture passage attached to the early Christian evidence page.
Also in NKJV · ESV What the early church said about Psalms 95:2
I will also praise thee with the psaltery, even thy truth, O my God: unto thee will I sing with the harp, O thou Holy One of Israel.
Scripture passage attached to the early Christian evidence page.
Also in NKJV · ESV What the early church said about Psalms 71:22
Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him, talk ye of all his wondrous works.
Scripture passage attached to the early Christian evidence page.
Also in NKJV · ESV What the early church said about 1 Chronicles 16:9
Sing forth the honour of his name: make his praise glorious.
Scripture passage attached to the early Christian evidence page.
Also in NKJV · ESV What the early church said about Psalms 66:2
Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms.
Personal Christian singing when cheerful.
Also in NKJV · ESV What the early church said about James 5:13
Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.
Scripture passage attached to the early Christian evidence page.
Also in NKJV · ESV What the early church said about Psalms 100:2
How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying.
Scripture passage attached to the early Christian evidence page.
Also in NKJV · ESV What the early church said about 1 Corinthians 14:26
Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him: talk ye of all his wondrous works.
Scripture passage attached to the early Christian evidence page.
Also in NKJV · ESV What the early church said about Psalms 105:2
And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives.
Song at the Last Supper; supports early Christian use of singing.
Also in NKJV · ESV What the early church said about Matthew 26:30
It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of musick, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the LORD;
Temple singing with trumpets and other instruments.
Also in NKJV · ESV What the early church said about 2 Chronicles 5:13
And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the LORD, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the LORD; for his mercy endureth for ever.
Scripture passage attached to the early Christian evidence page.
Also in NKJV · ESV What the early church said about 2 Chronicles 20:21
I will praise thee with my whole heart: before the gods will I sing praise unto thee.
Scripture passage attached to the early Christian evidence page.
Also in NKJV · ESV What the early church said about Psalms 138:1
Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.
Scripture passage attached to the early Christian evidence page.
Also in NKJV · ESV What the early church said about Psalms 30:4
Then believed they his words; they sang his praise.
Scripture passage attached to the early Christian evidence page.
Also in NKJV · ESV What the early church said about Psalms 106:12
And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives.
Parallel Gospel account of the hymn after the meal.
Also in NKJV · ESV What the early church said about Mark 14:26
And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.
Scripture passage attached to the early Christian evidence page.
Also in NKJV · ESV What the early church said about Revelation 14:3
And David spake to the chief of the Levites to appoint their brethren to be the singers with instruments of musick, psalteries and harps and cymbals, sounding, by lifting up the voice with joy.
David appoints singers with instruments.
Also in NKJV · ESV What the early church said about 1 Chronicles 15:16
Easy to memorize, to write in a card, or to send to a friend.
“Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp.”
Psalms 150:3 KJV · 15 words
Listen“Sing unto him a new song; play skilfully with a loud noise.”
Psalms 33:3 KJV · 12 words
Listen“Sing unto the LORD with thanksgiving; sing praise upon the harp unto our God:”
Psalms 147:7 KJV · 14 words
Listen“Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him, talk ye of all his wondrous works.”
1 Chronicles 16:9 KJV · 14 words
Listen“Sing forth the honour of his name: make his praise glorious.”
Psalms 66:2 KJV · 11 words
Listen“Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.”
Psalms 100:2 KJV · 11 words
Listen“Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him: talk ye of all his wondrous works.”
Psalms 105:2 KJV · 14 words
Listen“Then believed they his words; they sang his praise.”
Psalms 106:12 KJV · 9 words
ListenExact words from our library of the early church writers. Each one opens at the place it was written.
“However it may have been with the time and the way this idea about the Psalms came to inspired David, he seems at least to have been the first, and indeed the only one, concerned with it, and that too at the earliest period, when he trained his fingers to play the psaltery. For if anyone before him showed the use of t…”
“For the apostle adds again, Teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your heart to God.”
“With loud voice singing the victorious hymn of Your majestic glory, crying aloud, praising, shouting, and saying:—”
“Since there are psalms, and songs, and psalms of song, and songs of psalmody, we still need to explain the difference between them. We think, then, that psalms are pieces played simply on an instrument, without the voice, and composed for the musical melody of the instrument. Songs are those performed by the voice tog…”
“Then the prefect Rusticus said to Chariton, “Tell me more, Chariton, are you also a Christian?” Chariton replied, “I am a Christian by the command of God.” Rusticus the prefect asked the woman Charito, “What do you say, Charito?” Charito answered, “I am a Christian by the grace of God.” Rusticus asked Euelpistus, “And…”
“Children, praise the Lord; praise the name of the Lord. We praise You, we sing hymns to You, and we bless You for Your great glory, O Lord our King, the Father of Christ, the spotless Lamb who takes away the sin of the world. Praise is fitting for You, hymns are fitting for You, glory is fitting for You, O God and Fat…”
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