For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. (John 3:16-17)
This is the fourth and last post in a series looking at 5th Century Christian hymns as recorded in Stephen Shoemaker’s book, THE FIRST CHRISTIAN HYMNAL. The first post was Jesus in the Old Testament the previous post was Christ Destroys Hell.
While today, many focus on Christ’s Second Coming as judgment day for sinners, the early Church celebrated Christ’s coming again to save the word:
… He will come again to save the world that he created. (p 41; all emphases have been added)
The hymns honor Christ for saving the human race, not just believers. Christ is praised as the Savior of humankind. He came not to fill hell with sinners but rather to empty it and destroy it; He came to save sinners not destroy them.
We sing to you, Christ, who rose from the dead on the third day, and who raised with you the human race. By the power of your resurrection, save us. . . . And you raised up with you those who were imprisoned in hell, and having clothed them with light, You presented them to the Father, as promised. (p 75)
Christ’s effort to bring about salvation, benefits everyone.
You suffered, O Savior of the world, for the sake of us who suffer, and you delivered the world and saved it from the original curse, because you are God and merciful. (p 203)
You were placed in the tomb for the salvation of the world … (p 257)
Today the joy of the entire world came into being when you arose from the grave, Christ… (p 281)
I also think it worth noting the following verse which speaks particularly to women, who otherwise are sometimes blamed in the Tradition for causing the Fall of humanity. Instead of a male schadenfreude that women deserve to be blamed for the Fall of humanity, this hymn rightfully celebrates their salvation by Jesus Christ which is the far more Christian concept of Christ saving/healing everyone:
You who destroyed the reproach of women… (p 163)
Christ ‘destroyed the reproach of women’, which means the sin of Eve is forgiven and shouldn’t be constantly brought up in Chistian thinking. There is nothing left to reproach women for because Christ has freed them and all men too from the curse of the ancestor’s sin.
Christ frees all of us from all the consequences of sin because He is the Savior of the world.
And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son as the Savior of the world. (1 John 4:14)
Fraternized 