Word Supreme Before Creation
Word supreme before creation
The hymn expresses the Lutheran understanding of Christ as the eternal Logos through whom all things were created, emphasizing the mystery and majesty of the incarnation. It connects to Lutheran Christology's affirmation that the divine and human natures in Christ work redemptively for human salvation.
History & Background
Matthias Loy composed this hymn as a Christological meditation on the incarnation of the Word, published in Lutheran hymnals of the 19th century. It appeared in The Evangelical Lutheran Hymn-Book (TLH) as a standard hymn for Christmas and Epiphany seasons.
Hymnal Appearances
- Lutheran Worship — 368
- The Lutheran Hymnal — 271
Bulletin Note
Composed by Matthias Loy in 1880, this hymn anchors Lutheran Christology in the Johannine prologue, affirming both the Word's cosmic reign and redemptive humility in the flesh.
Preaching Connection
This hymn expounds how the Law written into creation through the Logos finds its Gospel fulfillment in the incarnate Word, who redeems us by grace rather than by the works creation demands of us.
Themes
Incarnation Christ as Logos Divine majesty Redemption