Hymn
Christ the Foundation of the Church
Behold the sure Foundation-stone
Which God in Zion lays,
To build our heavenly hopes upon,
And His eternal praise.
Chosen of God, to sinners dear,
And saints adore the name;
They trust their whole salvation here,
Nor shall they suffer shame.
The foolish builders, scribe and priest,
Reject it with disdain;
Yet on this Rock the Church shall rest
And envy rage in vain.
What though the gates of hell withstood,
Yet must this building rise:
’Tis Thine own work, Almighty God,
And wondrous in our eyes.
Christ the Foundation of the Church — Text from Evangelical Lutheran Hymn-book, 1918. Public domain. https://yeshuanow.com/hymns/christ-the-foundation-of-the-church
Chord chart coming soon
Want to play this one? Leave your email and we'll let you know when the chords are ready.
Questions about this hymn
Who wrote Christ the Foundation of the Church?
The words of Christ the Foundation of the Church were written by Isaac Watts; the version here was published in 1918. The library holds 248 more hymns by Isaac Watts, including God and His Church; or, Grace and Glory and The Glories of Adoption.
Is Christ the Foundation of the Church public domain?
Yes. The words here are taken from Evangelical Lutheran Hymn-book, published in 1918. Works published before 1931 are out of copyright in the United States, so you can print, project, perform and record this hymn freely. How we source and check every hymn.
What is the metre of Christ the Foundation of the Church?
Christ the Foundation of the Church is in Common Metre (8.6.8.6). Hymns in the same metre can usually be sung to the same tunes — for example, Preservation by Day and Night, Walking with God and God Reconciled in Christ.