옛날 새찬송가 1962 (오프라인) - Google Play

- I created this because it is a hymnbook that is out of print.

- It may be discontinued later if copyright issues arise.

- June 10, 1983 (Printed)

Editor: New Hymnbook Compilation Committee, General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Korea

Author: Word of Life Publishing, General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Korea

- Preface to the Hymnbook -

If the Bible, the Word of God, is a treasure trove that provides the food of life, then hymns praising God are indeed the expression of the faith life overflowing with gratitude and deep emotion of the saints who have received the grace of forgiveness.

This can be described as being like the wings of an eagle soaring from the earth to the heavens, or as a joy like a ladder connecting the finite world to the eternal world. Ephesians 5:19 states, "Speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your hearts to the Lord."

Today, our Korea has a history of 76 years since the Gospel of the Lord was introduced. And throughout this history, there have been many external and internal turmoils resulting from various persecutions.

However, the remarkable progress, rarely seen in the history of world missions, is something to be greatly congratulated. We simply believe and give thanks that this is a special blessing from God, who protected and safeguarded us amidst various difficulties.

First, I would like to point out that the history of this hymnbook cannot be told solely as the story of a single denomination. Looking back, the hymnbook was first published in the Korean language by Missionary Won Doo-woo 68 years ago in 1893. In 1897, the Methodist Church published "Chansongga" and the Northern Presbyterian Church published "Hyangsongsi." In 1918, the Joint Hymnbook was published by the Presbyterian and Methodist Union. Meanwhile, the General Assembly of the Holiness Church published Gospel Songs in 1911, and eight years later, released an expanded edition titled "Sinjeong Bokumga." It is a noteworthy historical event that in 1928, the Presbyterian and Methodist joint publication of the "New Hymnal" failed to achieve its intended purpose of joint use due to circumstances. Consequently, the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church published and used a separate "New Edition of the Hymnal" consisting of 400 hymns, while the Holiness Church reorganized the earlier "Gospel Hymns" into "Revival Hymns." Thus, the hymnals of the Korean church have undergone a history marked by changes in volume and structure at times, shifts in name, or divisions, and have also produced a diverse range of versions compiled separately by individual churches. Amidst this recurring history, the issue of this hymnbook required another revision following the liberation of the homeland on August 15, 1945. It is an unforgettable part of our country's hymnbook history that the so-called Joint Hymnbook Committee of the three denominations—Presbyterian, Methodist, and Holiness—was formed in 1946 to make efforts toward its publication, while the General Assembly of the Koryo faction continued to use the aforementioned "Newly Compiled Hymnbook" as is. Furthermore, regarding this "Joint Hymnal," the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Korea passed a resolution in 1953 to revise it, albeit only by a few chapters and verses. Subsequently, as the years passed, issues regarding translation and the presence or absence of inspiration evolved into the task of compiling a separate hymnal due to the WCC ecuministic debate. Meanwhile, although the motives may have differed, the General Assembly of the Koryo side formed a Hymnal Compilation Committee in 1957 and pursued the project for several years. However, in 1959, after the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Korea withdrew from the WCC and resolved to oppose the ecuministic movement, they declared that the publication of the "Joint Hymnal" up to that point was also part of an ecuministic plan and severed ties with it, simultaneously formally forming a Hymnal Compilation Committee. Although these two committees were initially seeking a fresh start from their respective positions, the two General Assemblies merged on December 13, 1960, and a resolution was passed to publish a new hymnal as one of the commemorative projects. With the arrival of spring, this project was given a new impetus, and as we formally pursued concrete publishing activities, this new hymnbook was produced as a result of research conducted through dozens of meetings over the years; it has come to be called the "New Hymnbook."

To explain in more detail the process of how this "New Hymnbook" came to be, the Joint Committee, when formulating the publication plan, established a fundamental principle to base it on the previous "Newly Compiled Hymnbook." Furthermore, they decided to select hymns from dozens of church hymnbooks in the West and America, meticulously verifying the original texts, compositions, dates, and publication histories. They also attempted direct translations from the originals while supplementing and addressing any shortcomings of previous editions to ensure perfection. At the same time, considering future relationships with other denominations that would stand in the same conservative camp, they proceeded in the order of selection, translation, and editing. They did not neglect multiple rounds of review for every single detail, from scripture, composition, and lyrics to titles, the addition of indexes for the first line of lyrics, and the handling of responsive readings. Therefore, although the publication of this hymnbook is the work of ourselves—and the aforementioned hymnbooks of each denomination have undergone continuous progressive revisions—the "Joint Hymnbook" was hastily produced without proper study, driven solely by the joy of liberation. Consequently, it suffers from the flaw of being little more than a collection of sacred songs; thus, since those of interest have strongly demanded a hymnbook worthy of the name, we have responded by doing our utmost to select and supplement the material. However, due to a lack of time, we hope for an opportunity to make further additions in the future.

Finally, although there were various difficulties in publishing this "New Hymnbook," we completed it in cooperation with "Word of Life Publishing." We conclude by praying that this will permanently become the hymnbook of the entire conservative camp of the Korean Christian community.

- December 1962

- All members of the New Hymnbook Compilation Committee of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Korea