"THE STRIFE IS O'ER"
"I am He that liveth, and was dead; and behold, I am alive for evermore..." (Rev. 1.18)
INTRO.: A hymn which praises the Lord for the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is "The Strife Is O'er." The text is an anonymous seventeenth century Latin hymn, "Finita jam sunt praelia" which may actually date back to the twelfth century, taken from the 1695 Koln Symphonia Sirenum Selectorium of Cologne, Germany. The English translation was made by Francis Pott, who was born at Southward in Surrey, near London, England, on Dec. 29, 1832. Graduating from Brasenose College, Oxford, with B. A. and M. A. degrees, he became an Anglican minister in 1856. After working with churches at Bishopsworth in Gloucestershire, Ardingly in Berkshire, and Ticehurst in Sussex, he was minister at Northill in Bedfordshire for 25 years and made important contributions to hymnody thorugh his translations from the Latin, serving as a member of the original committee for Hymns Ancient and Modern in 1861. That same year, he published his own Hymns Fitted to the Order of Common Prayer, which included this translation. Forced to retire from the ministry in 1891 because of deafness, he became active in research and writing, editing The Free Rhythm Psalter in 1898. He died on Oct. 26, 1909, at Speldhurst in Kent, England.
The most common tune (Victory or Palestrina) used with the hymn is an arrangement of a melody by the Renaissance Italian church composer Giovanni Perluigi di Palestrina. However, some books use another tune (Gelobt Sei Gott) attributed to Melchior Vulpius, who was born around 1560 at Wasungen in Thuringia and was a Lutheran musician at Weimar, Germany, for approximately fourteen years. Producing many chorale melodies which were published in Cantiones Sacrae from 1602 to 1604, he is best remembered for his contrapuntal settings of established tunes published in the Kirchengesange und geistliche Lieder of 1604, as well as in Canticum beatissimae in 1605 and Ein schon geistlich Gesangbuch in 1609, the last of which included this tune, possibly of folk origin, set to the chorale "Gelobt Sei Gott." Also, he produced a setting for the Passion according to St. Matthew from 1612 to 1614. He died at Weimar around Aug. 7, 1615. This tune was introduced into English hymnody with "Good Christian Men, Rejoice and Sing" by Cyril Ailington in the 1931 Songs of Praise.
The modern harmonization of the melody was made by Henry George Lay, who was born on Dec. 30, 1887, at Chagford in Devonshire, England. Trained as a chorister at St. George's Chapel in Windsor, he studied music at Uppingham, the Royal College of Music, and Keble College. During his life, he served as Precentor at Radley College, music director at Christ Church Cathedral from 1909 to 1926, Choragus of the University at Oxford, professor of organ at the Royal College of Music in 1919, and organist at Eton College. He died on Aug. 24, 1962, near Ottery in Devonshire, England. Among hymnbooks published by members of the Lord's church during the twentieth century for use in churches of Christ, the text appeared with the Palestrina tune in the 1921 Great Songs of the Church (No. 1) edited by E. L. Jorgenson, and with the Vulpius tune in the 1963 Christian Hymnal edited by J. Nelson Slater. Today, the text is found with the Palestrina tune in the 1986 Great Songs Revised edited by Forrest M. McCann.
The song is a paean of praise for the resurrection of Jesus from the dead and what it means to us.
I. Stanza 1 says that Christ won the victory
"The strife is o'er, the battle done; The victory of life is won;
The song of triumph has begun: Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!"
[Different editors must have done some tinkering with this hymn because some books have alternate readings:
"Now is the Victor's triumph won; O let the song of praise be sung."]
A. The song pictures the crucifixion as a contest between Christ and the devil: Matt. 12.29
B. Christ won the victory of life for us and proved who He was by the resurrection: Rom. 1.3-4
C. Therefore, we can join the song of triumph which has begun: Rev. 5.8-10
II. Stanza 2 says that Christ dispersed the powers of death
"The powers of death have done their worst; But Christ their legions hath dispersed;
Let shouts of holy joy outburst: Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!"
[Death's mightiest powers have done their worst....Let shouts of praise and joy outburst"]
A. The powers of death, or gates of Hades, sought to keep Christ from His mission: Matt. 16.18
B. However, Christ dispersed their legions: Col. 2.15
C. Therefore, we can let shouts of holy joy outburst: Phil. 4.4
III. Stanza 3 says that Christ rose from the dead
"The three sad days are quickly sped; He rises glorious from the dead;
All glory to our risen Head! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!"
["On the third morn He rose again, Glorious in majest to reign;
O let us swell the joyful strain."]
A. Jesus predicted that He would be in the tomb three days: Matt. 20.12-19
B. However, after that time He rose glorious from the dead: Mk. 16.1-9
C. Therefore, we should give all glory to our risen Head: Lk. 24.26
IV. Stanza 4 says that Christ closed hell and opened heaven
"He closed the gates of yawning hell; The bars from heaven's high portals fell;
Let hymns of praise His triumphs tell! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!"
A. He closed the gates of yawning hell in that He made it possible for us not to perish: Jn. 3.16
B. He opened the gates of heaven in that He made it possible for those who would be barred from heaven by sin to be forgiven and have the hope of going there: Heb. 6.19-20
C. Therefore, we should let hymns of praise tell His triumph so that we be be released from the fear of death: Heb. 2.14-15
V. Stanza 5 says that Christ makes us free
"Lord, by Thy stripes which wounded Thee, From death's dread sting Thy servants free,
That we may live, and sing to Thee: Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!"
A. The Lord was wounded by stripes for us: Isa. 53.4-5
B. However, it was by those strips that He has set us free from death's sting: I Cor. 15.54-57
C. Therefore, as we live, we can sing to Him alleluia: Rev. 19.6
CONCL.: Translations of ancient Greek, medieval Latin, and Reformation German hymns became very popular in the middle to late 1800's. Some of these have continued in popularity, but many of them are no longer well known, and very few have appeared in our books. Those in the religious world who no longer accept the truth of God's word often reject a lot of these older hymns. One writer said of this hymn, "It is doubtful if contemporary Christians universally will accept this statement of the function of the Crucifixion or of the ideal of a future life." That may be of some who call themselves "contemporary Christians," but those who truly believe the teachings of the scriptures concerning the death and resurrection of Jesus will be filled with joy and thanksgiving knowing that in Christ "The Strife Is O'er."