2Lk14: Christmas Song for the Whole Year

Luke 2:14

"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!"

            The beginning of a new year means that the season for Christmas has come and gone. The hustle and bustle is over for now, and most people anticipate falling back into a routine. The trees are taken down, the lights stored for next year, the presents being used and displayed, and millions of Christmas cards simply thrown away. Most of those cards contained the above verse, intending to bring one’s focus to the true meaning of Christmas. However, the message proclaimed by the angels impacts a Christian’s mind throughout the entire year. Moreover, the importance of the angels’ praise to God is truly significant when one understands the specificity of their song.
            Many translations (including the ESV, NASB, HCSB, and NIV) phrase this verse with wording similar to that presented. On the contrary, others (such as the KJV and NKJV) translate the same as “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace, goodwill toward men!” The difference may be small, but the implications are great. The realm of textual criticism manifests the significant variation.

The editors of the UBS, 4^th ed., and the Nestle-Aland, 27^th ed., consider the above translation to be based on the original reading. The other major variant contains the nominative reading of eudokia (definition: “goodwill”), rather than the genitive eudokias. Bruce Metzger affirms that the latter reading is the more difficult, and its external evidence attests its originality. He explains, “The rise of the nominative reading can be explained either as an amelioration of the sense or as a paleographical oversight (at the end of a line eudokias would differ from eudokia only by the presence of the smallest possible lunar sigma, little more than a point),” (Metzger, Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament, p. 111).

This technical information can be simplified by looking at the respective translations. With the nominative, the text would read “goodwill among men.” The genitive basically means “among men of goodwill.” The second issue to decide is the use of this genitive. By analyzing Wallace’s overview of genitive uses, one can deduce the adjectival nature of Luke’s genitive. On the other hand, dogmatic assertions end there. A hesitant student would wisely classify the genitive here as a simply descriptive genitive. Therefore, the best key words to use would be “characterized by” or “described by.”

One last issue deserves explanation before the pieces form the whole. Whose goodwill is being proclaimed—angelic, human, or divine? MacArthur’s Study Bible explains that Luke uses a form of this word “goodwill” or “pleasure” several other times in his book (i.e. 3:22; 10:21; 12:32). Each of these times refers to the pleasure God is granted or gives under some circumstance. Moreover, Mounce illustrates in his Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words that eudokia refers to either God’s attitude or intent in seven of its nine uses. Therefore, a balanced translation reads “peace on earth among men characterized by God’s pleasure,” or as others have written “men on whom His favor rests” (though this last translation delves too deeply into interpretation).

The conclusion of this study is not meant to prove a certain theological position and rebuke others. However, the angels did much more on the night of Christ’s birth than announce a blanket of peace that covers all mankind. On a daily basis, people greet one another with goodwill and blessing, but the angels praised God for a more intimate bestowal. Whether one believes in God’s predestinated election of believers or not, he cannot deny that lost souls are separated from God, and they have no peace. The highest praise was offered to Almighty God because He had made reconciliation possible between Himself and those with whom He pleases.

Romans 5:1 states, “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (ESV). Only through justification, which is based on the sacrifice of Christ’s blood, humans have peace with God. When Jesus was born, the angels were singing glory to God because His people finally possessed the instrument of reconciliation. The Almighty made His move to mend the broken relationship between Himself and His people. Again, peace is not possessed by the unsaved because they are not characterized by God’s good pleasure. His pleasure only rests on His own, and they are granted a pure relationship with the Father.

Thinking on these things perhaps causes one to reflect on his own life. The holidays are over, and things are becoming more normal. But how much peace is in your heart at this moment? Are you satisfied with the life you are living? Are you content with the route your life is headed? Or perhaps you have begun to realize that culture, the popular lifestyle, and doing things on your own truly brings no peace. For those who have rejected the God of the Bible and attempted to fill their life with thrills and human wisdom, satisfaction is replete. Taking God out of the picture simply leads to hopelessness. Man cannot find peace apart from God, so I encourage the reader to examine how peaceful his life is. On the other hand, those who know Christ as Savior and worship the Father should find their fulfillment in that knowledge. The Almighty God chose to give peace to repulsive sinners for no reason other than His unconditional love. What a gift! They have been blessed beyond measure, and remaining faithful to the true God allows one to live in satisfaction. 

This message of peace is so potent and thrilling; it cannot be limited to one day a year. The external celebration of Christmas is over, but the joy of every believer should be just as exuberant all year long. All human are depraved sinners, who can do nothing to obtain eternal life and peace with God on their own. However, a personal and peaceful relationship was made possible through the birth and death of Christ. No one deserves this gift, but God granted His mercy and peace to those whom He favors. This is much more intimate than saying, “God bless you” to a friend. The angels proclaimed the Father’s granting of peace to those sinners that He favored. Individuals who have accepted Christ as their Savior must never forget the immensity of this gift. We are privileged to be called His children. We are honored to be granted His peace. May believers everywhere continually echo the angels’ song, “Glory to God in the highest!”