The portion of scripture that we’ll be studying, Colossians 1:15-23, contains lyrics (verses 15-20) from what was probably an early hymn of the church. Peppered throughout the New Testament we find fragmentary evidence of the church’s earliest hymns. John 1:1-5, Philippians 2:6-11, Ephesians 2:14-16, 1 Timothy 3:16, 2 Timothy 2:11-13, Hebrews 1:3, and 1 Peter 3:18-22 are commonly cited as other examples of early hymn lyrics that are quoted in scripture. Around AD 111, the Roman Governor Pliny the Younger wrote a letter to Emperor Trajan regarding the early church. His report included the following description of Christians singing together, “They had met regularly before dawn on a fixed day to chant verses alternately among themselves in honor of Christ as if to God.” The tune that accompanied the lyrics found in verses 15-20 has long since been forgotten but the lyrics still have the ability to make our hearts sing as we think about their meaning.