Arthur Hughes, \u201cThe Nativity\u201d (1858);\u00a0Wikimedia Commons public domain<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
I published an article in the Deseret News<\/em> on 5 December 2012 under the title \u201c\u2018Pleased as man with men to dwell'\u201d:<\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
The first verse of the popular late-19th-century Christmas carol \u201cAway in a Manger\u201d (often mistakenly attributed to Martin Luther) ends peacefully with \u201cthe little Lord Jesus, asleep on the hay.\u201d Unfortunately, though, \u201cThe cattle are lowing; the poor baby wakes, but little Lord Jesus no crying he makes.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\nRichard Mouw, the prominent Calvinist theologian who just completed two decades as president of California\u2019s Fuller Theological Seminary, spoke recently at the LDS Institute of Religion adjacent to Utah Valley University. He pronounced the carol\u2019s portrayal of an uncrying infant Jesus \u201cheresy.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cJesus was a real baby,\u201d he reminded his large Mormon audience. \u201cThat baby cried. \u2026 There was no Superman suit under those swaddling clothes.\u201d Furthermore, Mouw said, the baby had no divine checklist that he was working through. (\u201cLet\u2019s see. Wise men? Check. Shepherds? Check. Hmmm. Could have designed that camel a bit better.\u201d) So, said Mouw, when you come to this particular verse, \u201cYou should sing those words with your fingers crossed.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\nHe spoke humorously, but he was entirely serious.<\/span><\/p>\nAmong the perpetual temptations in the history of Christianity has been the false doctrine of \u201cdocetism,\u201d from the Greek verb \u201cdokeo,\u201d meaning \u201cto seem.\u201d It is, simply put, that Jesus Christ was fully God but not, really, fully man. He only seemed human. He merely appeared to be subject to human limitations, pains and weaknesses.<\/span><\/p>\nBut this would be worrisome, for, if he only pretended to take upon himself our nature, it\u2019s not obvious how he could fully take upon himself our sins. If he didn\u2019t really suffer, he didn\u2019t really atone. He had to assume our human nature completely, or he wouldn\u2019t be completely able to redeem it \u2014 and us.<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cGod became man,\u201d declares the ancient Christian formula, \u201cso that man might become God.\u201d St. Athanasius the Great, fourth-century bishop of Alexandria and a principal figure at the Nicene Council, put it this way: \u201cThe Word was made flesh in order that we might be enabled to be made gods. \u2026 Just as the Lord, putting on the body, became a man, so also we men are both deified through his flesh, and henceforth inherit everlasting life.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\nContinuing, Mouw cited the Book of Mormon. And, although frankly acknowledging he doesn\u2019t share the Latter-day Saint view of its origin and doesn\u2019t consider it scripture, he cited Alma 7:11-12 with approval:<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cAnd he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cAnd he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\nQuoting further, Mouw spoke of our common \u201cfaith on the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world, who is mighty to save and to cleanse from all unrighteousness\u201d (Alma 7:14). \u201cWhen it comes to the redemptive work of Christ,\u201d he concluded, \u201cwe say the same things.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\nBut all of this depends upon the truth of the shared conviction that \u201cIn the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. \u2026 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name\u201d (John 1:1-5, 10-12).<\/span><\/p>\nOn the basis of this common faith, Latter-day Saints join the great Christian chorus that extends across two millennia and around the globe, rejoicing in the advent of Christ, knowing that \u201cthe Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us\u201d (John 1:14), \u201cthat God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself\u201d (2 Corinthians 5:19).<\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
Incidentally, just for the record, \u201cAway in a Manger\u201d ranks among my favorite carols, especially in the setting by William Kirkpatrick that appears in the Latter-day Saint hymnal. \u00a0I\u2019m certainly not trying to dissuade people from singing it! \u00a0(I myself have joined in singing it with congregations twice this weekend, and I heard another congregation singing it this morning. \u00a0One of the great things about church attendance is the opportunity that it provides for us to sing; many Americans don\u2019t otherwise have that chance very often.)<\/p>\n
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\u00a0 \u00a0 I published an article in the Deseret News on 5 December 2012 under the title \u201c\u2018Pleased as man with men to dwell’\u201d: \u00a0 The first verse of the popular late-19th-century Christmas carol \u201cAway in a Manger\u201d (often mistakenly attributed to Martin Luther) ends peacefully with \u201cthe little Lord Jesus, asleep on the hay.\u201d […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1019,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-68160","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n
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![\"Hughes](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/186\/2016\/12\/Hughes-Nativity.jpg\")
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