Paul's Christmas Message

By Neil Earle

Tucked away in quiet dignity near the heart of the majestic Book of Romans lies what I like to call Paul's Christmas Message.

The Gospel writers Matthew and Luke have theirs – sometimes called the Birth or Infancy Narratives. The Queen will have hers. No doubt the Prime Minister will have his. So why shouldn't Paul? But let me explain some things first. It's not that keeping Christmas – by itself – makes you a better Christian or even a better person. The Evangelical Dictionary of Theology (EDT) says as much. It reads:

"In every period of Christian history the observance of Christmas has been opposed by a minority of Christians. Usually one or more of three factors have been involved in this opposition: (1) a rejection of ecclesiastical authority in its attempts to establish official feast days; (2) an objection to the drinking, partying, and immorality; (3) the long-standing and continuing association of Christmas with pagan religious ideas and practices.

"Some Protestants, especially those in the Calvinist tradition – including Calvin himself, Knox, the English and American Puritans, and many Presbyterians – refused to celebrate Christmas (pages 220-221)."

Calvin. Knox. The Puritans. Those are pretty "big hitters" as we would say in baseball terminology. Still, the article goes on to say that "most other Protestants defended the observance of Christmas and sought to emphasize its deeper truth expressed in the doctrine of the Incarnation."

That last statement sums up where a lot – but by no means all – of Worldwide Church of God folk find themselves today. That being said, there is a lot to contemplate on how that contagious Gospel communicator, the apostle Paul, might have approached the Advent/Christmas season if he were today. I get a feeling from studying some of his core purpose statements (1 Corinthians 9:22) that he might well have used this season as a platform or jumping off spot to explain more of the deeper purposes of God. With phrases such as "peace on earth" and "glory to God in the highest" ringing in our ears this time of year it does set people up to be a little more receptive to the Gospel.

So, with those qualifiers in mind, I propose that the apostle Paul's pronounced penchant for evangelism, his primary principle that it little mattered how Jesus was preached as long as he was preached, he might not mind too much if I introduce Romans 5:12-21 as his Christmas message.

The Blessings of Salvation

Romans 5:1 sets the context and gives me support for my theory.

Paul opens with: "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in hope of the glory of God."

"Peace with God" – marvelous phrase. Don't we hear a lot about peace at this time of year? "Gained access" – that was God's purpose in the tabernacle of old and can, without much trouble, be artfully aligned with the theme of some of the songs people sing this year. "O Come, All Ye Faithful," "God With Us" and my personal favorite, "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel." Then there are the arresting lines from "Angels We Have Heard on High" that read – "Come to Bethlehem and see/ Him whose birth the angels sing."

These stout old songs say nothing about reindeer or stockings hung by the chimney with care. They rather underscore a great Gospel truth. Israel in Jesus time felt it was still living in bondage; that the nation had really not atoned for the sins that led to the Babylonian Captivity. Hence the heavy jackboot of Roman oppression was still on them. (See N.T. Wright, The Climax of the Covenant, page 141). Now, at long last, comes news of this little baby born in Bethlehem, One foretold by inspiration as the real purpose for Israel's existence, One who personifies "the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine in those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace" (Luke 1:78).

Peace – irene in the Greek – was one of Paul's favorite words. As we know, it meant more than the absence of war – though that is a comforting enough thought for an age of terror. It means a positive anointing of our hearts and minds with the saving oil of God's Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Peace. It means good will towards all men, women and children we meet.

Paul's brief overture to magnificent Romans 5 ends with the hope we cherish deep inside us to participate in the glory of God. And that's some theme, eh? This same hope-filled, joyous enthusiasm animated the shepherds responding to the angels hovering majestically over Bethlehem. The angel's message spoke to captive Israel's need: "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people" (Luke 2:10). How extraordinary this all was. Rugged, sweaty shepherds were the first to have access to God's lighted display over Bethlehem that night – and they responded in kind. "Angels We Have Heard on High" catches the mood perfectly. Those very shepherds "returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen" (Luke 2:20).

The Dayspring from on High

Back to Paul and Romans 5.

In verse 10 he enunciates how important the life of Christ is to every believer. "For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!" Exclamation point indeed. If Paul were here today, Gospel opportunist that he was, he might point out that the One we worship as the Lord Jesus Christ began his life as "the dayspring from on high" (Luke 1:78, NAV), as a little baby in Bethlehem.

There's an echo of that in a Christmas hymn that goes "man shall live forever/because of Christmas day." That might be forcing the theology a little bit (the Cross was always first with Paul) but such kinder, gentler openings to the Gospel are rife this time of year. Late December in the Western world offers us a Gospel incentive to study, teach, and – if need be – preach the Good News of salvation. The fact of the incarnation, of the Light of the world "tabernacling" among us – a primary, if neglected, theme at this season – should make us exult just like the expressive apostle Paul. His reflection upon the great purpose God is working out here below is part of Romans 5: "We also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation."

Rejoice. Access. Peace with God. Reconciliation. These are all emotional incentives to spiritually luxuriate in at every season of the year, but how much more when people are surrounded with Gospel hints and cues at every turn. These are prime opportunities to reflect upon and be more bold about the basic truths of the Gospel, of Christ's first Advent, of his coming to be our atonement, to bear our sins and to make access possible to the Father. It's something to think about.

Paul's Worldview

These themes are, to me at least, stupendous enough. But, as scholar C.K. Barrett, remarked some time ago, Paul is also the patron saint of Thought, of the Intellect, in Christianity. A smug, sentimental, "I've got mine" anti-intellectual Gospel had no place in Paul's theology. The deep thinker who hammered out the human plight and God's remedy in striking parallel phrases through Romans 5:12-26 showed he was a conceptualizer, a "thinking man's Christian" who could both formulate and deeply feel an almost cosmic concern for the plight of our hurting war-obsessed world. The Paul who said he would gladly trade his salvation if it would convert a fellow Israelite (Romans 9:1-5) was no gushy sentimentalist. In Romans 5:12-21 Paul sketched out his deep awareness of what the coming of Jesus Christ, his advent, had meant for the world. It meant nothing less than removing the curse, the spiritual contagion caused by Adam's sin. The stakes at Bethlehem were thus high indeed.

Here's the way Paul put it, in condensed summary:

"Therefore just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin how much more did God's grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many" (Romans 5:12-15).

Death. Sin. Wars. Rumors of wars. Terrorists. Innocent suffering. "Death through sin" – why these are the stuff of our morning papers and nightly news reports. Paul knew this would be our lot. But he also painted the answer – the gift of God of his son, Jesus Christ, coming into this dark and dreary world to offer what exactly? Let's read the answer in this marvelous thumbnail commentary on the bad news of the world today:

"For, if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more [key words here in the argument] will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ."

So much was at stake at Jesus first advent. That child of Bethlehem would grow up to carry "the hopes and fears/of all the years." No wonder Matthew and Luke spend so much time on the Birth Narratives and explain why Jesus first advent met such resistance! What was at stake? Life. Eternal life. That we might reign in life with him! What a hope. What a blessing. What a gift!

Paul continues: "Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men."

Again – what a hope! What a delicious slice of good news!

Let's read the upbeat conclusion: "The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

Remember the words of the carol: "And man shall live forevermore/because of Christmas Day."

Romans 5 affords a good reason to celebrate this time of peace and rejoicing in a deeper, more intellectually satisfying way. Sure, it might take me a while to revert back to my previous Anglican days of decking my halls with boughs of holly. Frankly, that is not important. And I advise my congregation to not divide ourselves over these matters. What is important is realizing that this time of year can indeed remind us of many of the grand themes of the Gospel – peace with God, access to the father, eternal life through the coming of Jesus Christ. That might be the way Paul would preach his Christmas message if he were here today. Or as he said in another place:

"It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice! (Philippians 1:15-18).

My feelings, exactly.