Concordia Theological Monthly
REC I iJO \ CONCORDIA THEOLOGICAL MONTHLY
Walther and the Scriptures ROBERT D. PREUS Luther's Alleged Anti-Semitism CARL S. MEYER The Hymn-of-the-Week Plan RALPH D. GEHRKE
Homiletics Theological Observer Book Review
VOL. XXXII November 1961 No.ll
RCHIVEfS L HOMILETICS Outlines on the Standard Gospel Series * FIRST SUNDAY IN ADVENT whom we need not fear. He, the omniscient MATT. 21:1-9 God, who knew the thoughts of the people of Bethphage, knows us, our thoughts, our "It is of the Lord's mercies that we are sins, our disappointments, our troubles, not consumed, because His compassions fail sighs, and tears. What a comfort to realize not; they are new every morning" (Lam. that Jesus knows and is coming to help and 3 : 22, 23 ). This comforting word is partic sustain, refresh and heal! This Jesus is also ularly meaningful to us today because it the almighty God, whose power to help, to assures us that Jesus is ready to bring the forgive sins, and to save cannot be restrained. mercy of God again throughout this new C. Therefore every Christian has every church year. Let me speak to you this morn reason to shout for joy, "Blessed is He that ing about cometh in the name of the Lord! Hosanna The Comforting Truth That Jesus Will in the highest!" Come in This New Church Year II A. This coming of Jesus is such a great I direct your attention comfort because it reaches out to the daugh 1. To Him who will come ter of Zion. The term "daughter of Zion" II. To those to whom He will come became the name for the church of the Old and the New Testament. Therefore it is the I believers in the true God to whom Jesus is A. During the past it seems that the com coming. ing of Jesus has been in vain. Very few peo B. Some of us may not yet be a part of ple received Him. Even we at times turned the daughter of Zion. Some of us may not against Him. Still Jesus does not grow weary be serious about the Word of grace and the of coming. sacraments and so are actually far away from B. Though our conscience accuses us of Jesus. But this Jesus who is coming is meek. many sins, the text pictures Jesus as One He wants you. He wants you who forget Him, you who love money and goods more * EDITORIAL NOTE: As previously an than Him, you who let your flesh deceive nounced, the texts of the Standard Gospel Series you. Let Him comfort you. will be presented during the coming church year. One of the texts for each month will be C. The portals of the new church year developed in an exegetical-homiletical form. are open before you. Jesus, your King, has For the remaining Sundays and festival days, come to you through His Word! Arise! Re outlines based on C. F. W. Walther's Evan ceive Him! gelien-Postille will be furnished. The ab~t:act ing and translation is done by Prof. Alex W. C. Guebert, Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Mo. The Hymn of the Week: "Savior of the Nations, The sermon studies are prepared by Pastor Rob Come," The Lutheran Hymnal, No. 95 ert H. Smith of the Lutheran Church of Our Martin Luther's translation, Nun komm, det' Redeemer, Chappaqua, N. Y. The notes on the Heiden Heiland (printed first in Byn Bnchhid hymn of the week are by Prof. Robert R. Bergt. ion, Erfurt, 1524), of· the ancient office hymn For the purpose and use of these hymns see the Veni, Redemptor gemium (one of 12 hymns article in this issue by Prof. Ralph D. Gehrke. attributed to St. Ambrose, ca. 340-397), is 705 706 HOMILETICS
aptly appointed for the first Sunday of the 1 Cor. 10:11; James 5:9; Rev. 1:3; Heb. church year. The full and faithful translation 10:37; 10:25; Phil. 4:5. of Luther captures the poetic freshness and vigor of the original. The English translation by Wil B. Signs of its coming have been seen in liam M. Reynolds, 1860, obviously based on the sun, moon, and stars; in pestilence, famine, German text, provides a vivacious support of and earthquakes; in false prophets, wide the theme of the day expressed most clearly in spread apostasy, and growth of the papacy; the Gospel (Matt. 21 : 1-9). The version of the in the rise of scoffers within the church. translation contained in The Ltltheran Hymnal is slightly altered. C. The world pays no attention to these Martin Luther adapted the melody from an signs. God will call it' to account soon. ancient plainsong melody in Mode i, which It would be folly for us to ignore these signs. creates a fitting and sttong support for the God is using them to call us to repentance Christological text. Choral settings by M. Vul and make it possible for us to be saved. pius and J. S. Bach attest to its greatness; d. Paul Thomas, ed., The Hymn the Week 0/ II (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1961). A. The present condition of the world also points up the folly of ignoring Judg SECOND SUNDAY IN ADVENT ment Day. The mad rush for pleasure, the senseless worship at the altar of drunken LUKE 21 :25-36 ness, gluttony, and money are messengers of The Bible clearly teaches that heaven and the coming of Judgment Day (Cf. Luke earth shall pass away. The Day of Judgment 17:26-30; 1 Tim.4:1; 1 Tim. 3:1-5; 2 Pe is coming. Though unbelievers ridicule this ter 3:3-5). Remember the days of Noah teaching loudly, reason is conscious not only and of Sodom and Gomorrah! of change but also of destruction and death B. Because the world is sliding downhill of all things. Even heathen authors have at precipitous speed we dare not stand by written about the end of time. It is wise, and feel that we are secure. Heaven and therefore, to believe the teaching of the Bible, earth are crying out, "The Judge is standing foolish to reject it. at the door!" And Satan is exerting all his On the basis of the Gospel for today let power to turn men against their Creator. me talk to you about Prepare to receive Jesus with joy when He comes to judge the quick and the dead. The Folly of Supposing That We Need Not Look Forward to a Judgment Day III This is foolish A. It is foolish, furthermore, to ignore Judgment Day, because it will come unan L Because of the signs that have already nounced. It will come more suddenly than come death. No one, not even the Christian, has an n. Because of the condition the world today inkling of the time when that day will break finds itself in upon the world. The scoffer will continue to III. Because of the suddenness with which sneer at the Christian: "Stop prattling to me the Day of Judgment will come. about Judgment Day, hell, and Judgment. That is nothing more than an idle tale I preachers have concocted to scare women A. God has not revealed the date of Judg and children!" ment Day. Yet He mentions the certainty of B. While they are yet scoffing, the angels its coming in 1 John 2:14; 1 Peter 4:7; God will sound the trumpets to summon the HOMILETICS 707 living and the dead before God's tribunal. Our Gospel for today shows us that Jesus Then woe to the scoffers and all unbelievers! Christ demanded that people believe in Him Their lot will be suffering in hell. But for because of the miracles He performed. the believer in Chri9t there will be peace I ask you to let your mind dwell on this and happiness. Flee in faith into the wounds point: of Jesus! Continue there! "Watch and pray always that you may stand before the Son The Miracles of Jesus Christ Prove of man!" Indisputably that He is the Son of God and the Savior of the World The Hymn of the Week: "The Bridegroom Soon Will Call Us," Lutheran Hymnal, No. 67 Let us The author of this hymn, Johann Walther, 1496--1570, friend and co-worker of Martin I. Investigate the power of the proof Luther, assisted with the adaptation of ancient II. Realize that no one has any excuse to melodies for the first Lutheran services of 1523 offer if he fails to believe in Christ. and 1526 and with the first Lutheran hymnal, Geystliche gesank Buch/ein, 1524. More dis tinguished as a musician than as hymnwriter, I Walther wrote two hymns which have passed A. If we see any man perform a real mir into English translation: Herzlieh lieb hab' ich dich and Herzlich tut mieh erfreuen, mein acle, we have reason to believe that he re Gatt, the latter containing 33 stanzas. Because ceived such power from God. What he does of the impractical length of the latter, stanzas and what he says is something we are bound 31, 8, 9, 16, 18, 17, and 13 were selected in to accept, because he ca...Jle direct from God. that order and appeared in Melchior Frank's God cannot and does not practice deceit. Rosetu/um musicum, 1628. Stanza 31 begins Der Braut' gam wird bald mien. The English B. When God sent prophets into the translation by Matthias Loy, 1880, treats these world with His message, He endowed them seven verses. This hymn sets forth the joy of with power to perform miracles. So it was expectation as the Christian awaits the return of the church's victorious Bridegroom. with Moses and other prophets. God ex Originally sung to a melody on "The Joys pected people to believe what these prophets of Summer" The Lutheran Hymnal presently proclaimed. weds this hymn to the tune Aeh Gatt vom Him melreiche, composed by Michael Praetor ius, ap C. Christ, very God of very God, per pearing first in his Musae Sioniae, VII, 1609. formed miracles in His own power. His miracles were not only numerous, they were glorious; His greatest miracle was His resur rection from the dead. (John 2 : 19; 10: 18 ) THIRD SUNDAY IN ADVENT D. Christ's power to perform miracles MATT. 11 :2-11 was unlimited. He drove out evil spirits. He The whole world is a magnificent miracle uncovered secret thoughts. He healed people of God. Through sun and stars, wind and afflicted with all manner of ailments, sick clouds, earth and seed, grass, flowers, and nesses, and diseases. The blind, the deaf, trees God is performing new miracles each the dumb, the lame, the leper profited from day. Yet in the strictest sense a miracle is His miraculous touch. Fish, wind, and sea something different from the results we see obeyed His command. that grow out of processes at work in nature. E. Though Christ could have used His A miracle is something God alone can do power to eliminate His enemies, He did not without using pre-existing material and estab do so. He came as Redeemer to save, to lished natural laws. heal, restore and refresh. His miracles can- 708 HOMILETICS vinced many a person, even a man like Nico from the Hannoversches Gesangbuch, 1657. demus, that He was the Savior of the world. The English translation by Arthur T. Russell, 1851, has been freely altered as it now appears II in The Lutheran Hymnal. The theme of the hymn underscores the thought of the day, espe A. Because of the miracles Christ per cially related to the Gospel. (Matt. 11 :2-10) formed no man will be able to find any The melody to which the hymn is sung, Aus meines Herzens Grunde, is of 16th-century sec excuse for not coming to faith in Him. No ular origin. The author is unknown. It was man can doubt the miracles. They· have been included in the Neu Catechismus-Gesangbuch reported and attested by the most reliable lein (Hamburg, 1598). witnesses who did not hesitate to reveal their own weaknesses and sins. Men who are con science bound to express truth regarding FOURTH SUNDAY IN ADVENT themselves will also express truth regarding JOHN 1: 19-28 others. B. Christ's miracles were not performed (A study by Robert H. Smith) only in the close circle of His friends. Thou All four of our canonical gospels preface sands of enemies saw them .too. Neither hos the story of Jesus with an account of John tile Jews nor unfriendly heathen shouted the the Baptist. And before we celebrate the joy apostles down as liars when in their preach of Christ!!}as, the church requires that we ing they pointed to the miracles of Christ. bend a serious ear to the hard message of e. Christ not only performed miracles, John, who calied himself a voice crying in but also added word to deed. Hence there the wilderness. is no excuse for anyone (John 15: 24). He I declared: "He who sees Me sees the Father; I. am the Door; I am the Good Shepherd; Of all the figures in the N. T. John the I am: the Bread of life; I am the Light of the Baptist is the oddest and the most eccentric, world; He who believes in Me, though He the sternest and most austere. Sunday school were dead, yet shall He live." He is the Son literature ordinarily pictures him as a kind of God, the Judge of the living and the dead, of wild-eyed Tarzan with unkempt hair. He the only Savior, the One Mediator between has been described as a man with "no humor, God and man, the only name under heaven no patience, and a one-track mind," "a great, given among men whereby they must be tall, bony man as wild as a hawk" (Dorothy saved. Say with Peter, "We believe and are 1. Sayers, The Man Born to Be King {Lon sure that Thou art that Christ, the Son of don: Victor Gollancz, 1943J, pp.68, 73). the living God." It is a mistake to suppose that he fit into the first century any more comfortably than The Hymn 0/ the Week: "Ye Sons of Men, he fits the 20th. We miss the point entirely Oh, Hearken," The Lutheran Hymnal, No. 75 if we imagine that in his day lots of people When this hymn, Mit Ernst, 0 Menschen dressed and talked the way he did. That kinder, first appeared in 1642 in Preussische simply is not true. He was out of place as Fest-Lieder, it was appointed for use on the fourth Sunday in Advent. Later Lutheran prac much as a knight in shining armor would tice shifted it to the third Sunday in Advent. be, clanking down the center aisle of a sub Valentin Thilo, 1579-1662, the author of the urban church today, shouting aloud at the first three stanzas of this hymn based on Luke top of his lungs. 3:4,5, was professor of rhetoric at Konigsberg for 28 years. The fourth stanza, obviously not And the suburban reaction to such an in in the style of this professor, was an addendum terruption would be comparable to the re- HOMILETICS 709 action of influential Jews to John. At first him the admiration of the lower classes and there might be a chuckle or two at the man the cordial lIatred of the learned and the in armor, and folks might wonder whether propertied strata of society (Mark 6: 19). he were insane or playing a practical joke He acquired the reputation of a dangerous or paying the consequences of some quiz agitator who had better be dealt with before program. But if he persisted, they might be he caused irreparable damage. come annoyed and lose their tempers with When Herod Antipas had John the Bap the rude, intruding nuisance. tist imprisoned in the fortress of Machaerus The official religious leaders among the on the Dead Sea and then executed (Mark Jews discovered in John no more than an 6:17-29), men of wealth and position and interesting figure, to say the best. It was religion breathed an audible sigh of relief. naturally quite a delightful novelty to have They said, "Good riddance," and chalked it among them a man who behaved and dressed up to the public good. in the manner and fashion of the great This briefly is the story of John the Bap Elijah (cp. Mark 1:6; 2 Kings 1:8; also tist. When we read the account from this Zech. 13: 4). At first it seemed great sport to distance, our first impression may be that he listen to his leather-lunged exhortations that cut a ludicrous figure; but we are quickly ~onjured up visions of ancient Amos or impressed by the fire, the flint, and the un Isaiah. The religious "big shots" of Jeru :flinc~' 6 passion ~ ~ _ _~o~_c~ousness k :.:_ salem were for a time amused at the sight personality. And then, although he is far of that scrawny, tanned figure dressed in ani from lovable, we are saddened by the tragedy mal skins who subsisted on wild honey and of his early, unjust end. some kind of grasshopper (Mark 1: 6 ). They were disposed to laugh at the crowds of ig II norant peasants who chased after John along The account of the Fourth Gospel presup the lonely banks of Jordan. Many educated, poses what the synoptic gospels tell us of sophisticated Jews paid John no serious at John the Baptist. That information has been tention, but dismissed him with a yawn and sketched and stretched above. Naturally the half a smile, thinking to themselves, "He's question arose, "Who is this man?" This just a harmless preacher, and something of particular story (John 1: 19-28) may have a crank." been included by the evangelist partly as a But then disturbing reports began filter polemic against those who knew only John ing back to the officialdom of Jerusalem. and his Baptism and valued them too highly, John the Baptist was not the flash-in-the-pan as the disciples of John in Ephesus (Acts they had anticipated. It was impossible to 18:25; 19:3,4). But the story of John ignore this voice crying in the wilderness as stands independent of any polemic; for John though he were a soapbox orator filled with the Baptist was designated precursor by Jesus hot air. The people were genuinely stirred Himself, when He submitted to John's Bap (Mark 1: 5 ). They recognized in John great tism. That act of Jesus makes John and his depths of moral and religious authority testimony significant for us. (Matt. 14: 5 ). His directness, bluntness, and simplicity moved them and made them see John 1: 19-28 the contrast with the character of their offi v. 19. An official delegation came to In cial teachers, the scribes and Pharisees. terrogate John publicly. As everywhere (70 John's fearless proclamation of God's will times) in the Fourth Gospel the antagonists and scathing denunciation of all evil earned of God's eschatological inbreaking are "the 710 HOMILETICS
Jews." "The Jews" (as "the Pharisees") are hold, I will send you Elijah the Prophet be for John not so much empiric groups as fore the great and terrible day of the Lord stylized types. They represent that Judaism comes" ( d. 3 : 1 ) . And the prophecy con which rejected Jesus on the basis of the Law. tinues in words picked up by the angelic "The Jews" kept the Law and so stand over announcement of the Baptist's birth, "And against "the crowd" (0 o:x).o~), the people he will turn the hearts of fathers to their of the land (the n~Y !:l:!J, 7:49, etc.). Ul children and the hearts of children to their timately the Jews and the world are identical fathers" (d. Luke 1: 17). Jesus recognized in the Fourth Gospel. The Jews steer men the fulfillment of this prophecy in the per away from Jesus. They make accusations son and work of John: "He is Elijah who is against Him and intimidate those who seem to come" (Matt. 11: 14; d. 17: 13). But to be gravitating toward Jesus' sphere of in John does not presume to seize for himself fluence (5: 10 ff.; 7: 13; 9: 18 ff.; 19:38). what Jesus and the angel give him. Finally they mount an all-out attack on Him 3. Not the prophet. Moses had promised leading to the decision to put Him to death the Israelites that "the Lord, your God, will as a blasphemer (5:16,18; 7:1; 10:31-39; raise up for you a prophet like me from see Leonhard Goppelt, Christentum und among you, from your brethren - him you Iudentum im ersten und zweiten Iahrhundert shall heed" (Deut. 18: 15 ). Hope in a great [Giitersloh: C. Bertelsmann, 1954}, pp. eschatological prophet was alive in Judaism 251ff.) (see 2 Esdras 2:18; 1 Maccabees 4:46; 14: V. 20. John gave his testimony (J.t«Q 41; 2 Macc.15:15). Jesus, too, was thought 'tlJQt«), for which he had been sent (1: 7, 8) . by some to be that prophet. (John 6:14; The sum and substance of the brief exchange 7:40 and perhaps 7:52; Mark 6:15; 8:28) with the deputation from the Jews is that V. 22. By his string of denials John ex John "disowns every kind of movement to asperates his interviewers. Who are you, wards himself" (E. Hoskyns, The Fourth then? Gospel, 2d ed. [London: Faber and Faber, V.23. He describes his person and work 1950}, p.169). John's witness or confes with a quotation from Isaiah. In essence sion (0J.t0Aoyt«) is a negative one. He tells John says, "In and of myself I am nothing who he is not. at all, but I have a divine mission to ac 1. Not the Messianic King. Elsewhere he complish." He is a voice crying in the declares, "I am not the Christ, but I have wilderness - his task is preparation by proc been sent before Him." He calls himself the lamation. He makes propaganda not for friend of the bridegroom, and says he must himself but for another. decrease as the other increases (3: 2 8 ff. ). In He lifts his voice to speak a word of judg his responses John studiously avoids making ment and a word of hope. To the self any claim for himself which could be inter righteous and nomistic Pharisees and Jews preted Messianically, and he adumbrates the John was a scourge. But to the little people, testimony of Paul, who declared that John confused and made desperate by a welter of said, Olm ELJ.tL EYW, "I am not He." (Acts demands unreasonably compounded by their 13:25) religious leaders, he was a preacher of hope. 2. Not Elijah. The story of the trans In the message and action of John is con figuration of Jesus shows that Moses and centrated all the weight of the prophets' Elijah were popularly associated with the words of repentance and salvation. John is coming of the Messiah. The locus classicus the last great exemplar of o. T. prophecy. for the coming of Elijah is Mal. 4: 5, 6: "Be- "He stands there, an erratic boulder in his HOMILETICS 711 times, over against all Israel, in the solitari istered the rite. Hence he earned for himself ness of the literary prophets." (Goppelt, the title "the Baptist," or "the Baptizer" p.37) (0 ~oot"tto""t'tl<;, 0 ~(m"t(~o)v). V. 24. These Pharisees are most likely Furthermore John's Baptism was distin members of the Sanhedrin and part of the guished by the fact that it was completely official delegation sent to question John con nonpolitical and nonritual in character. cerning his all too popular movement. It was strongly ethical in orientation and im V.25. If he refuses to make plain, un plication, and it had an indissoluble con varnished statements regarding himself, per nection with eschatology. (On proselyte Bap haps he will explain why he is baptizing tism and John's Baptism see A. Oepke, in people. In the LXX O. T. ~oot"t[~ELV (often Kittel's Theologisches Warterbuch zum for ,,~~) was used of ceremonial washings Neuen Testament, I, 532-535) which cleansed from ritual impurity (Lev. V. 26. As it was different from Jewish 11: 32). Naaman shed his leprosy when he baptisms, immersions, and lustrations, so "baptized" himself seven times in the water John's Baptism was also distinguished by of Jordan at the direction of Elisha John himself from the Baptism to be ad (E~Ill't"t(O"a"to 8'11 "t<\l 'IoQM'IIll El't"tUXt, 2 Kings ministered in the Messianic era. "I baptize 5:13 f.). with water" (8'11 U1l
historical sequence and deleting two antiphons This importance is apparent in entirely, this unknown author added the refrain not found in the original prose: I. The noteworthy ez'ents that happened in Gaude, gaude, Emmanuel heaven and on earth and are still hap Nascetur pro te, Israel. pening John Mason Neale translated this popular hymn II. The wonderfttl uniOI~ of God and man version into English in 1851. this birth accomplished The '"Great Antiphons" date from the 9th III. The result this birth achieved century and were sung before and after the Magnificat, beginning on Dec. 17. The se I quence of the antiphons for use at vespers is as A. As I speak to you about the im follows: portance of the birth of this Christ Child, 1. 0 Sapientia, quae ex are altissimi .. . I realize that I cannot find adequate words 2. 0 Adonay et Dux domus Israel . . . to express this mystery. Since my mind can 3. 0 Radix Jesse, qui stas in signum . . . not reach to its dizzy height or penetrate its 4. 0 Clavis David et Sceptrum domus .. . unfathomable depth, I can only make some 5. 0 Oriem, Splendor lucis aetemae .. . stammering remarks about it. 6. 0 Rex gentium et Desideratus .. . B. This birth, the birth of the Son of God 7. 0 Emmanuel, Rex et Legifer .. . and the Savior of the world, is radically dif The Sarum, York, and Hereford Brev1aries add ferent from any other birth. The Triune an eighth antiphon: God conceived it in eternity before the 8. 0 Virgo virginum quomodo . .. world was made. The Sarum Breviary alone adds a ninth anti C. When Adam and Eve fell into sin soon phon: after creation, the birth of the Christ Child 9. 0 Thoma Didyme, per Christum quem . .. was announced in the promise concerning the The melody Veni, Emmanuel is from the woman's Seed. From that time on every 13th century and would be better sung in the messenger of God, every patriarch and pure rhythmically free style of plainsong chant. prophet, as well as the worship in tabernacle Cf. the historical introduction by Arthur C. and temple and events in the nations of the Piepkorn to Healey Willan, The Great 0 Anti world, were used by God to pave the way phons 0/ Advent, with Musical Settings (Saint Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1958). for the coming of the Christ Child. D. As the time for the birth of this Child drew near, God caused Caesar Augustus to CHRISTMAS DAY issue a decree to bring Mary to Bethlehem in time for the birth. When the Child was LUKE 2:1-14 born, God opened the heavens and let a Millions of people all over the world are chorus of angels sing the news into the streaming into their houses of worship to world. day. Joy is indeed everywhere. Do you know E. This birth has changed the course of the reason for this joy? A little Babe born the world. Millions have accepted the Child. at Bethlehem. Although the world does not They have realized that His birth is incom understand our joy, may God enlighten our parably, unspeakably great. eyes and deepen our faith to grasp: II The Unspeakable Importance of the Lowly, A. So far we have stood before the open Poverty-stricken Birth of the Christ Child door of heaven and have made some inquiry 714 HOMILETICS
in the world about the birth of this Child. His child." With His eyes directed to Beth Let us now enter the stable for an under lehem, God is still calling down from standing of the Child. Through His birth heaven, "Come, you who are thirsty! Come God and man are united. God became man, and take the water of life freely." and man became God! The Hymn of the Week: "All Praise to Thee, B. "Without controversy great is the mys Eternal God," The Lutheran Hymnal, No. 80 tery of godliness: God was manifest in the Martin Luther gave birth to one of his flesh." Not even the angels understood this simplest and yet most profound poetic expres- mystery as they sang, "Glory to God in the sions in the hymn Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ, highest! " How do the other wonders of 1524. He based the first stanza upon the se quence God compare with this wonder, "The Word was made flesh"? Where is the language Grates nunc omnes reddamus Domino Deo, qui sua nativitate nos liberavit de diabolica that can express the importance of this birth potestate. adequately? Huic oportet ut canamus cum angelis III semper: A. A wise man who spends huge sums of Gloria in excelsis. money on extensive plans has a great goal The author of this sequence may have been in mind. No one is wiser than God. In either Richard the Monk or Robert of Win sending Hi:; Son into the world as a little chester. Both claim authorship in manuscripts from the 12th century. It has also been erron Child at such a tremendous cost, God eously ascribed to Notker Balbulus and Sr. Greg achieved incalculably great results: glory for ory the Great. To this stanza already popular Himself, peace on earth, and good will ized in German, ca. 1370, Luther added six among men. original stanzas, all of which conclude with Kyrieleis. Only five stanzas are found trans B. Through the birth of the Christ Child lated into English in the American Sabbath God uncovered His heart of love. Thereby Hymn Book, 1858. The translator is unknown. He gives us mansions in heaven, grants us This same translation of The Lutheran Hymnal eternal peace before His throne, clothes us catches but a few of the paradoxes which appear in every stanza of Luther's original. Someone in brilliant garments of righteousness, makes has described this hymn as "the blessings of the us His own special children, raises us into birth of Christ in paradoxes." It rehearses the the royal nobility of heaven. Epistle, Titus 2: 11-14, and announces the Gos pel for Christmas Day, Luke 2 :1-14. C. Since the Christ Child has come in the The melody Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ is flesh, every human being can say: "God's from the plainsong, ca. 1400. The composer is Son is my Brother. God is also my Friend. anonymous. It was adapted in Wittenberg, ca. 1524. Its flavor is both like that of a carol He is gracious to me. He must want me to and a chorale, which befits the similar character believe that He is my Father and that I am of the text.