That Faith which Enables Us

One of the most familiar phrases from the Bible that we hear and see quoted at this time of year is the Angelic proclamation from St. Luke’s Gospel made to the shepherds “watching their flocks by night” when “suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared… praising God and saying”:

“Glory to God in the highest,

And on earth peace,

Good will toward men.”  

                             (Luke 2, 14) 

At least that is how it reads in some English versions of the text (KJ AV), but not all, for other translations read: “And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased”  (NASB, 1995): or even “…peace on earth to all people of good will.” 

Needless to say, these renderings are in fact rather different in meaning. The alternatives all turn upon whether or not a single letter, namely “s” (sigma), was attached to the word εὐδοκίας (eudokias) in the original text. When added, the letter changes the case from nominative to genitive, in other words from simply “good will” to “of good will.” As it happens the oldest and most reliable manuscripts or codices – Sinaiticus (א), Alexandrinus (A), and Vaticanus (B) – all seem to suggest that εὐδοκίας was the original word used: meaning, literally, “of good pleasure.” This entails that the original proclamation of peace and good will was directed not to all, but far more specifically, to “those on whom God’s favor rests,” or “the people of God’s good pleasure.”

At this point, it is helpful to recall two major moments in the life of Christ: namely his baptism and transfiguration. At each of these, Jesus was uniquely declared to be God’s beloved Son with whom God was well pleased, or of his good pleasure (see in regard to the Baptism, Matt 3:17 Mark 1:11 Luke 3:22 and the Transfiguration, Matt 17:5, and Luke 12:32 where again the rare verb εὐδοκέω/eudokio is used).  

In each case, as with the birth of Christ in Luke’s narrative, there is a powerful presentation of Christ as divine. This is of central significance – since this fact alone allows for his ultimate sacrificial death upon the cross, thus serving as an adequate atonement for “the sins of the whole world.” And while this atonement was available to all, it was and is in fact accessed by those who manifest their good will by believing in him and the salvation he brought us. 

It is that faith which enables us to share, understand, and truly rejoice in the message of the angels: proclaiming “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among people with whom he is pleased!”

The Rev. Canon Alistair Macdonald-Radcliff
Rector