And Can It Be?


Verse 1

G
And can it 
G/B
be that 
C
D
should 
G
gain
An 
Am7
interest 
G/B
in the 
C
Sa
A/C#
vior's 
D
blood?
D
Died He for 
C
me, who 
G/B
caused 
C
His 
D
pain--
For 
C
me, who 
G/B
Him to 
C
death 
D
pur
G
sued?
G
A
D/F#
mazing 
C
love! How 
Am
can it 
D
be,
That 
G/B
Thou, my 
C
God, should 
D
die for 
G
me?

Chorus

G
Amazing 
D/F#
love! How 
Am
can it 
Em
be,
That 
C
Thou my 
G/B
God, 
C
should 
D
die for 
G
me?

Verse 2 (Alternate Lyrics)

G
He left His 
G/B
Father's 
C
throne 
D
a
G
bove
So 
Am7
free, so 
G/B
infi
C
nite 
A/C#
His 
D
grace--
D
Humbled Him
C
self, how 
G/B
great 
C
His 
D
love!
And 
C
bled for 
G/B
Adam's 
C
help
D
less 
G
race:
G
'Tis 
D/F#
mercy 
C
all, i
Am
mmense and 
D
free,
G/B
praise my 
C
God, it 
D
reaches 
G
me!

Verse 3

G
Long my im
G/B
prisoned 
C
spi
D
rit 
G
lay,
Fast 
Am7
bound in 
G/B
sin and 
A/C#
nature's 
D
night;
D
Thine eye dif
C
fused a 
G/B
quicke
C
ning 
D
ray--
C
woke, the 
G/B
dungeon 
C
flamed 
D
with 
G
light;
G
My 
D/F#
chains fell 
C
off, my 
Am
heart was 
D
free,
G/B
rose, went 
C
forth, and 
D
followed 
G
Thee.

Verse 4

G
No condem
G/B
nation 
C
now 
D
G
dread;
Je
Am7
sus, and 
G/B
all in 
C
Him, 
A/C#
is 
D
mine;
D
Alive in 
C
Him, my 
G/B
liv
C
ing 
D
Head,
And 
C
clothed in 
G/B
righteous
C
ness 
D
di
G
vine,
G
Bold 
D/F#
I ap
C
proach the e
Am
ternal 
D
throne,
And 
G/B
claim the 
C
crown, through 
D
Christ my 
G
own.

Footnotes

Verse 2 alternate lyrics by Evangel Bible Church of Berkeley.

The phrase "emptied Himself" by itself is correct in the sense that Christ emptied Himself of certain divine prerogatives or powers (Philippians 2:7) in His "kenosis" or His leaving His heavenly glory to take on human flesh in the incarnation.  This is different than the "becoming nothing" in certain songs (like Once Again or Your Love Is Amazing) or in the NIV, which is a poor translation of that verse.

However, "emptied Himself of all but love" is not technically correct because Christ didn't empty Himself of ALL divine prerogatives or powers EXCEPT love.  I think we all can sing the phrase without getting stumbled in this theological point, but it does fall short under closer and more technical scrutiny.