Dictionary of Hymnology

Hymnology

Apostles of the risen Christ, go forth

An entry on Horatius Bonar's missionary hymn published in Hymns of Faith and Hope.

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Horatius Bonar — Related author Horatius Bonar

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Authored by the Scottish minister and poet Horatius Bonar, this missionary hymn was published in 1863 in the second series of his Hymns of Faith and Hope under the title "The Great Message." Formatted in five stanzas of six lines, the text is introduced by a Latin motto drawn from an early church hymn.

Theme-driven and focused on the worldwide proclamation of the Gospel, the hymn calls upon believers to carry the Word to the nations. Although less common in British hymnals, the text achieved significant adoption across Protestant hymnals in the United States.

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Horatius Bonar
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Apostles of the risen Christ go forth Horatius Bonar Hymns of Faith and Hope Missionary Hymns American Hymnody

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