One of the reasons I love the psalms is that we are told to sing them. I lead a weekly bible study that's been going through Colossians and here's what I discovered in Colossians 3:16:
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.(16) "and let the word of Christ dwell in you richly"... This is a command. The Colossians are to let Christ's word dwell in them. He also tells them how this is to happen:
- teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom,
This sounds a lot like preaching. Paul says that one way for the Christ's word to live within these Colossians is for them to preach to one another. What are they to preach? Paul isn't specific here, except saying that they are to do so in all wisdom. The proverbs are an excellent source of wisdom, and speak to how to give a wise word.
Consider also the union with Christ we've seen Paul claim. He sees his suffering as Christ's suffering. He would also see his preaching as Christ preaching. Considering this, what better way to have Christ's word richly dwell within us, than to be preached to by Him? - singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
The second way for Christ's word to live within them is for them to sing. What are they to sing? Paul says literally "psalms, hymns and songs spiritual". Are these 3 different types of music? Does "spiritual" refer only to songs?
What would psalms, hymns, songs spiritual (ψαλμοῖς, ὕμνοις, ᾠδαῖς πνευματικαῖς) mean coming from Paul's mouth? (See also parallel in Ephesians 5:19). What did Paul have in mind? "Psalms" (ψαλμοῖς) would instantly make his audience think of the psalms in the Old Testament. They would be most familiar with the Septuagint, which is the Greek translation from the Hebrew. In the Septuagint translation of the Psalms, there are headings, many of which title themselves as "psalms". Interestingly enough, some of the psalms are also called "songs" or "odes" (ᾠδαῖς) in their title. (18, 30, 47, 48, 65, 66, 68, 75, 76, 83, 87, 88, 92, 98, 108). Consider also the title of Psalm 76 (in the Septuagint, psalm 75):
To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments (= "a hymn"). A Psalm of Asaph. A Song.
Psalm 76 is described in the Septuagint as a psalm, a hymn, and a song! As seen in the translation, "hymn" originally meant something similar to "to pluck a stringed instrument". It's meaning changed over time. Psalm 76 is not alone, many other psalms are referred to as "hymns" in the Septuagint, including 6, 54(53), 55(54), 61(60), 67(66), 76(75). We also see hymn used to refer to a group of psalms in the note found in Psalm 72:20:
Psalm 72:20 (numbered in the Septuagint as 71:20)
The prayers (= "The hymns") of David, the son of Jesse, are ended.
ἐξέλιπον οἱ ὕμνοι *δαυιδ τοῦ υἱοῦ Iεςαι
In Psalm 72:20, Hymns were synonymous with prayers. Hymn later came to mean the words of a psalm. The meaning of the word changed yet again as it is commonly used today.
The most natural meaning for Paul saying "singing psalms, hymns, and songs" would be the the 150 psalms of the Old Testament. (See also Matthew 26:30, Mark 14:26, Acts 16:25, 1 Corinthians 14:26, James 5:13) Paul is emphasizing his point by saying the same thing in three ways (Like, "Friends, Romans, Countrymen"). If this is His meaning, what an incredible gift we have in the 150 psalms! These are the word of Christ that we may sing to one another... the same words Christ himself sang.
What about "spiritual" (πνευματικαῖς)? The adjective comes at the end of the list of words, and thus can describe all three "psalms", "hymns", and "songs". "Spiritual" for Paul usually means having to do with the work of the Holy Spirit. In this case, it would probably mean "psalms, hymns, and songs" (i.e. the whole psalter) which is inspired by the Holy Spirit. Notice the union between the word of Christ and the work of the Spirit.
