‘The Christian Church was born in song’ (Martin, 1964, p. 39). One might be inclined to agree after reading the quotations presented in this chapter, but there is a distinction to be made. It is true that considerable evidence of warmth toward the notion of praising God in song appears in the pages of the New Testament, but there is a singularly elusive quality about most of the references in question. While singing is mentioned frequently, it is extremely difficult to determine just what is being sung and in what liturgical circumstances. There has been an attempt in any case to assemble here every passage that can reasonably be construed to describe religious song. Omitted, on the other hand, are actual quotations of putatively sung texts. The most obvious of these are the three canticles from the early chapters of Luke: Mary's Magnificat (1.46–55), Zachariah's Benedictus (1.67–79), and Simeon's Nunc dimittis (2.29–35). There are also numerous shorter passages that many scholars claim to be fragments of early Christian hymns woven into the text. Just one of these – 1 Tim. 3.16, a less controversial example – is included by way of illustration, while the reader is referred to Martin (1963) for a particularly cogent exposition of the subject.

In addition to passages that might have a bearing on sacred song, there are several that fall outside not only this category but any of the others discussed in the Introduction – for example incidental references to music in contemporary Palestinian life.