Ahead of Easter week, Chris Tomlin brings oldest Christian hymn back to life

Schmidt Relations Press Release & Photo

It is not often that an artifact is a song.

Found in Egypt and written 1800 years ago, the lyric and musical notations are the oldest surviving Christian hymn ever found – “The First Hymn.” Known by scholars as “P.Oxy 1786,” this artifact was discovered by archaeologists in the ancient Egyptian city of Oxyrhynchus in 1918.

Grammy-Award winner Chris Tomlin and Ben Fielding, two of the most respected Christian composers and songwriters, were invited to bring the oldest hymn ever to be found back to life and resurrect the song into a piece of modern worship music, thus giving it back to the world almost two millenniums later. Tomlin and Fielding co-wrote “The First Hymn” using the original 35 words and music found on the small piece of papyrus that was unearthed. 

“ ‘The First Hymn’ is a sacred gift passed down from the early church – some of whom literally gave their lives for this song and for the gospel,” Tomlin shared. “Now, 1,800 years later, we stand in a long line of brave and bold believers, singing alongside them. 

He added, “This song reminds us of the history of our faith – it’s not a trend, it’s not a fad, and it’s certainly not 30 minutes old. It’s ancient, it’s historical, and it’s eternal. The worship of the one true God – the giver of all good gifts – has echoed through generations. I am incredibly grateful and humbled to join my friend, Ben Fielding, and the Undeceptions documentary team in honoring those who came before us and helping bring this powerful hymn back to life – and back into the voice of the church.”

“The First Hymn” song – both studio and live versions – are available now across all digital platforms here, along with a lyric video and live video available here. The video for the song was filmed at Tomlin’s concert in his home state of Texas. Fielding joined him for the first introduction to audiences and the first live showcase of the song – at a sold-out and attendance record-breaking concert at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth.

The original 35 words discovered in the unearthed hymn; now part of Tomlin’s “The First Hymn,” are: “Let all be silent: The shining stars not sound forth, // All rushing rivers stilled, // As we sing our hymn // To the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, // As all Powers cry out in answer, //

“Amen, Amen.” // Might, praise, and glory forever to our God. // The only Giver of all good gifts. // Amen. Amen.”

“The First Hymn Documentary,” presented by historian Dr. John Dickson, will have a Los Angeles premiere Monday, April 14, at Biola University’s Talbot School of Theology. To register for tickets, click here. The event is free to attend. 

“The First Hymn Documentary” will be available to watch in the U.S. beginning Monday, April 14, at wonder.watch. On Tuesday, April 15, Tomlin and Fielding will attend and share “The First Hymn” live at the documentary premiere at the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C. To purchase tickets, click here.

The feature-length documentary features the process of uncovering this hymn. The documentary follows Dickson and historians as they trace the history of the original hymn from its ancient resting place in Egypt to the U.K., and then its journey to Australia and America as Tomlin and Fielding take it in to the writing rooms and recording studios in Nashville to resurrect the hymn into “The First Hymn” for the modern church. The documentary will be available at digital retailers in August.

Watch the trailer for “The First Hymn Documentary.”

On Friday, April 18, Tomlin returns to Nashville for his “Good Friday Nashville” concert, the largest ticketed Christian concert ever at Bridgestone Arena. “Good Friday Nashville” continues its reign as the longest-running annual charity-related concert at Bridgestone Arena, as each year proceeds have gone back to the community. The event continues to benefit the foster care and adoption crisis through For Others, a nonprofit organization created by Tomlin and his wife, Lauren. For Others is a collective of donors, nonprofits, businesses and government agencies holistically addressing the crisis plaguing this nation’s most vulnerable through local and nationwide initiatives.

Tomlin’s participation in “The First Hymn” follows on the heels of his involvement in “The Last Supper” movie, where he not only executive produced, but also recorded, mixed, mastered and released (all in seven weeks) his song “No Greater Love,” as the end credits song for the film. This achievement was preceded by Tomlin’s involvement in Amazon Prime Video’s series, “House of David” with his song, “After Your Heart” included in the soundtrack. 

Tremendous achievements in 2024 included a record-breaking tour and the global success of the song “Holy Forever.” Tomlin recently announced a first-of-its-kind concert series taking place this year: “Worship Under The Stars,” inviting people to a breathtaking celebration of faith, worship, and the vast beauty of creation at hand-selected, spectacular outdoor venues – including Central Park in New York City, Red Rocks in Colorado, and Pier Six Pavilion in Baltimore. Click here for more information about “Worship Under The Stars.”

More about First Hymn Project

The First Hymn Project is a world-first for music, Christianity, and history. In the ruins of the ancient Egyptian city of Oxyrhynchus, archaeologists have uncovered a scrap of papyrus that contains the earliest known Christian hymn. Specialists were stunned to discover that “P.Oxy 1786” contained not just the lyrics of an 1,800-year-old song, but its music, as well. Australian historian John Dickson – now a professor at Wheaton College in the U.S. – is creating a feature-length documentary that aims to give this ancient hymn back to the world. It will recount the hymn's discovery in the deserts of Egypt, and analyze its contents at Oxford University. But this isn't just a historical documentary, it's also an epic musical journey. “The First Hymn” will be released on album and in concert as a finale to the production.

TIME magazine heralded Tomlin as the “most often sung artist in the world” as his music has inspired and uplifted an entire generation of believers. Along the way, Tomlin has scored 21 No. 1 radio singles, 30 Top 10 hits (more than any other Christian artist), and spent more than 150 weeks at No. 1 during his career. He’s sold more than 12 million albums with more than 7 billion career global streams, won a Grammy, three Billboard Music Awards, 30 Dove Awards (most recent win for Song of The Year for “Holy Forever”), became a two-time BMI Songwriter of the Year honoree and an ASCAP Songwriter of the Year. In 2016, he was named one of only four artists ever to receive the Sound Exchange Digital Radio Award for over 1 billion digital radio streams, alongside Justin Timberlake, Pitbull and Garth Brooks. Tomlin is also the first Christian artist to reach the billion streams threshold on Pandora and was presented with the BILLIONAIRE award.

More about Ben Fielding

Fielding is a Grammy Award-winning, multi-Platinum Australian songwriter and artist. A prolific songwriter, he has written many of the most sung and loved modern hymns across the church globally. Fielding is the only songwriter to have four songs reach No. 1 on CCLI as the most sung songs in the global church: “Goodness Of God,” “What A Beautiful Name,” “Who You Say I Am” and “Mighty To Save.” He also wrote the certified Gold “This I Believe (The Creed)” which, like “The First Hymn,” is the translation of an ancient text into a modern worship song.