It is the mid-to-late-200s AD and the Christian church is facing the most dedicated persecution believers have seen to date. In AD 250, Emperor Decius seeks to unite the empire around traditional Roman religion and sees Christianity as a political threat. He issues an edict requiring all citizens to offer sacrifices to the Roman gods and the emperor or face imprisonment, torture and death. Many Christians renounce their faith; many others go into hiding while key Christian leaders are executed. The persecution intensifies under Emperor Valerian, who comes to see Christians as enemies of the state. In AD 257, he forbids Christian gatherings. In AD 258, he orders the execution of Christian clergy who refuse to make sacrifices, confiscates Christian property and targets Christian senators and high-ranking officials.
It is in this climate of fear that an Egyptian Christian sits down and writes an amazing hymn to God, who he describes as “. . . the only giver of all good gifts”.
an unexpected discovery
In 1897, British archaeologists Bernard Grenfell and Arthur Hunt were working in the ruins of the Egyptian city of Oxyrhynchus. A scattering of sunbaked stones was all that remained of what had been the country’s second-largest city in ancient times. However, their excavations would soon send shockwaves through the historian community. Grenfell and Hunt happened upon an ancient rubbish dump that contained more than half a million scraps of papyri.
Amongst this vast treasure trove was P.Oxy 1786—a ragged piece of papyri about 30 centimetres long and 5 centimetres high. Written on it was that ancient Egyptian Christian’s hymn—but not just the words. Under close examination, scholars would realise they held the first Christian hymn discovered with lyrics and music intact. For the first time, the world could know not only what these Christians were singing about but also what it sounded like.
The First Hymn is a documentary releasing in Australian cinemas in early July of 2025. It tells the story of this extraordinary hymn and the attempts of the filmmakers to bring it back to life. Host, Professor John Dickson says it is a testament to the confidence of the ancient church in the middle of violent persecution. “At times they were being hunted down, but here they were singing with joy and exuberance and inviting all creation to stand still and take notice.”
what does it say?
The lyrics of this “first hymn” challenge Christians to stand together on beliefs that predate any concept of denomination. At their heart is praise to God as “Father, Son and Holy Spirit”. And this single line also challenges critics of the Christian faith. It has been suggested in many popular historical accounts that the doctrine of the Trinity was a late addition to Christianity. Sceptics have argued that it was forced on the church by Emperor Constantine at the Council of Nicaea in AD 325. But here it is in a Christian song from the previous century. Wheaton College historian Dr Esau McCaulley says he isn’t surprised as the New Testament contains ample evidence that the first Christians believed in the divinity of Jesus Christ. “One of the things you can often discover in a text,” he says, “are the things people fought about. And you can tell by reading the text of the New Testament there’s a lot of fights about the Law, the place of the Gentiles and morality. You know what you don’t see them fighting about? The divinity of Jesus.”
According to The First Hymn, the writer of this ancient piece of music actually had his eyes set on appealing to the critics of his own day. Firstly, he employs music his unbelieving friends would have found very familiar. “The Christian hymn is a remarkable discovery,” says Oxford University’s professor of classics, Armand D’Angour, “because it isn’t really any different from that earlier music.” In short, it’s what the writer’s contemporaries would have expected to hear in a tavern or at the theatre. In addition, this early hymn employs language that addresses the gods they believed in. In the Greek pantheon, Zeus, the greatest of the gods, was referred to as “the giver of gifts.” But the author of this hymn refers to God as, “. . . the only giver of all good gifts.” The author’s clear intent is to lift his friends’ eyes to something more than they’ve been taught to believe in, in a way that they will be ready to receive it.
But that’s only the documentary’s first act. Dickson reasons that it’s not enough to inform Christians about the existence of this challenging piece of music. Going one step further, he aims to give the song back to the world. The documentary shifts gears and passes from historians to popular musicians. Dickson enlists the support of top Christian composers Ben Fielding and Chris Tomlin to analyse the hymn’s lyrics and melody and craft from them a new, resurrected song.
from Oxyrhynchus to Nashville
It would be hard to underestimate the significance of these two performers. Both are Grammy Award winners. Fielding is one of the creative geniuses behind contemporary church ballads “What a Beautiful Name” and “This I Believe” (also based on an ancient document, The Apostles’ Creed). Tomlin has sold more than 12 million records and has more than seven billion streams to his name. It’s estimated that 30 million people sing his music in churches each week. Time Magazine described him as “potentially the most often sung artist in the world”.
“The first hymn is a precious gift from early believers, some who literally gave their life for the gospel,” shares Tomlin. “And now, 2000 years down the road, we can stand in that long line of faithful believers and sing with them.” Fielding was equally moved by the opportunity to be involved. “I couldn’t be more excited to hear people singing this song,” he says. “We want to give it back to the modern church and imagine early Christians singing it too. That we can still sing today those same words in unity is unbelievable.”
So, The First Hymn team travels to Nashville, America’s music capital, to craft the new “First Hymn”. It was never going to be as simple as pasting an English translation on top of the ancient Greek melody. The style of music the Egyptian composer used strikes the modern ear as very strange. But the viewer will observe Fielding and Tomlin taking all the lyrics and musical elements from that first creation to create a modern, anthemic hymn that lifts the heart as well as the mind. The documentary travels through online exchanges, early rehearsals and studio recording sessions to arrive in Fort Worth, Texas. There, the Tomlin-Fielding version of this first hymn is released at a stadium concert attended by more than 10,000 people.
It’s a dramatic conclusion to a historical and musical journey that spans 1800 years. But it would be a mistake to think of this documentary as just an enjoyable way to spend 90 minutes. The song at the heart of this production challenges unbelievers to consider the identity of Jesus now as much as it did in the third century. The temptation remains to see this Carpenter from Nazareth as simply a good man or a gifted preacher. But The First Hymn makes it clear the claim Jesus was the divine Son of God is not an innovation of a later era. It was fundamental to the beliefs of the earliest Christians and it inspired them to a level of trust that could face down the severest repressions. In addition, the beauty of this revived piece of music offers to forge an enduring link in the mind of those open to reconsidering Jesus that will outlast many sermons.
For the Christian, The First Hymn offers a different opportunity. Watching their story unfold and connect with our present, we have the chance to stand together with ancient Christians who knew nothing about the battles in doctrine and practice that can divide the church today. We have a fresh chance to experience the unity that characterises all those who put their trust in Jesus. And singing this first hymn, we hold hands with that isolated Egyptian writer who could honestly say that, despite what the world threw at him, he was at peace with a Lord who was, “. . . the only giver of all good gifts”.
Mark Hadley is the scriptwriter of The First Hymn. The new “First Hymn” song is available on all streaming music services. The film will be released in Australia/New Zealand at cinemas in July and online in August of 2025.
To find out more, visit www.thefirsthymnmovie.com.
