Hark the Heresy!

[Naomi4Christ]

AS ORGANISTS, priests, and parish administrators compile Christmas service sheets up and down Britain, many will wince afresh at particular lines in some of the most well-known carols.

For some it will be the suggestion that Bethlehem was carpeted in snow (“In the bleak midwinter”), while others baulk at the idea that Christmas “defaces” all other times (“God rest ye merry, gentlemen”). The more theologically inclined despair at the hint of heresy in “veiled in flesh the Godhead see” (“Hark! the herald angels sing”).


Hark! the heresy — poll finds most contentious lines in popular Christmas carols

 

[Chris V++]

And isn't Let it Snow a little too risqué for Christmas? It seems the protagonist is a little too persistent.

When we finally kiss good-night
How I'll hate going out in the storm
But if you really hold me tight
All the way home I'll be warm
And the fire is slowly dying
And, my dear, we're still good-bye-ing
But as long as you love me so
Let it snow, let it snow, and snow

 

[Naomi4Christ]

And isn't Let it Snow a little too risqué for Christmas? It seems the protagonist is a little too persistent.

When we finally kiss good-night
How I'll hate going out in the storm
But if you really hold me tight
All the way home I'll be warm
And the fire is slowly dying
And, my dear, we're still good-bye-ing
But as long as you love me so
Let it snow, let it snow, and snow

I can’t recall singing that one in church, and snow at Christmas is a rare as hen’s teeth for us.

Welcome to STR. Glad to have you here.

 

[Doctor.Sphinx]

AS ORGANISTS, priests, and parish administrators compile Christmas service sheets up and down Britain, many will wince afresh at particular lines in some of the most well-known carols.

For some it will be the suggestion that Bethlehem was carpeted in snow (“In the bleak midwinter”), while others baulk at the idea that Christmas “defaces” all other times (“God rest ye merry, gentlemen”). The more theologically inclined despair at the hint of heresy in “veiled in flesh the Godhead see” (“Hark! the herald angels sing”).


Hark! the heresy — poll finds most contentious lines in popular Christmas carols

Huh? Why is “veiled in flesh the Godhead see” a hint of heresy?

I guess even bible passages may appear to have a hint of heresy in them, if interpreted without the rest of scripture. This is so much more difficult for songs, which try to condense a deeper meaning into fewer words. However, I think it's unfair to read into hymns or songs more than they are saying when they may be interpreted along correct theological lines, especially hymns or songs which are so closely aligned to scripture.

John 1:14
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

Hebrews 10:20
By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;

 

[Pethesedzao]

AS ORGANISTS, priests, and parish administrators compile Christmas service sheets up and down Britain, many will wince afresh at particular lines in some of the most well-known carols.

For some it will be the suggestion that Bethlehem was carpeted in snow (“In the bleak midwinter”), while others baulk at the idea that Christmas “defaces” all other times (“God rest ye merry, gentlemen”). The more theologically inclined despair at the hint of heresy in “veiled in flesh the Godhead see” (“Hark! the herald angels sing”).


Hark! the heresy — poll finds most contentious lines in popular Christmas carols

Praise God that I was working over Yuletide time and didn't have to sing erroneous doctrines

 

[Naomi4Christ]

Huh? Why is “veiled in flesh the Godhead see” a hint of heresy?

I guess even bible passages may appear to have a hint of heresy in them, if interpreted without the rest of scripture. This is so much more difficult for songs, which try to condense a deeper meaning into fewer words. However, I think it's unfair to read into hymns or songs more than they are saying when they may be interpreted along correct theological lines, especially hymns or songs which are so closely aligned to scripture.

John 1:14
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

Hebrews 10:20
By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;

Welcome to STR - good to see you here.

I think the heresy hunters look at “veiled in flesh” as not being Jesus’ real flesh - more like a cloak. Therefore it denied his human nature.

Clearly, there is poetic license, however.

 

[Naomi4Christ]

Praise God that I was working over Yuletide time and didn't have to sing erroneous doctrines

It’s all voluntary.

Welcome to STR.

 

[Doctor.Sphinx]

Welcome to STR - good to see you here.

Thanks. What's STR?

I think the heresy hunters look at “veiled in flesh” as not being Jesus’ real flesh - more like a cloak. Therefore it denied his human nature.

Clearly, there is poetic license, however.

And also, the same poetic licence as used in Hebrews. So to my view, the song goes no further than scripture when it refers to Jesus being God and Man (and I think the rest of the hymn also affirms the correct theology).

 

[FenderTL5]

AS ORGANISTS, priests, and parish administrators compile Christmas service sheets up and down Britain, many will wince afresh at particular lines in some of the most well-known carols.

For some it will be the suggestion that Bethlehem was carpeted in snow (“In the bleak midwinter”), while others baulk at the idea that Christmas “defaces” all other times (“God rest ye merry, gentlemen”). The more theologically inclined despair at the hint of heresy in “veiled in flesh the Godhead see” (“Hark! the herald angels sing”).


Hark! the heresy — poll finds most contentious lines in popular Christmas carols

The complaint on God Rest you merry is misplaced due to ignorance it would appear.
In short; the phrase is not "Merry Gentlemen"
it is "God rest you merry."

The phrase is God rest you merry, meaning; to keep, cause to continue to remain" is typical of 16th to 17th century language (the phrase rest you merry is recorded in the 1540s). Etymonline.com notes that the first line "often is mis-punctuated" as "God rest you, merry gentlemen" because in contemporary language, rest has lost its use "with a predicate adjective following and qualifying the object" (Century Dictionary). This is the case already in the 1775 variant, and is also reflected by Dickens' replacement of the verb rest by bless in his 1843 quote of the incipit as "God bless you, merry gentlemen". The adjective merry in Early Modern English had a wider sense of "pleasant; bountiful, prosperous"

The phrase "God rest you merry" would/could have been used at anytime of the year as a cordial/greeting.
In this use the words to the carol actually make sense.
paraphrased
You can rest/sleep/be at ease of mind because of the Incarnation of Christ..

God rest you merry, Gentlemen,
Let nothing you dismay,
For Jesus Christ our Saviour
Was born upon this Day.

 

[Pethesedzao]

Welcome to STR - good to see you here.
I personally believe Jesus was born in either April or late September time. Not crucial for salvation though but I am very wary of men's traditions...
I think the heresy hunters look at “veiled in flesh” as not being Jesus’ real flesh - more like a cloak. Therefore it denied his human nature.

Clearly, there is poetic license, however.

 

[Naomi4Christ]

Thanks. What's STR?
.

Scripture, Tradition, Reason - the Anglican Home on Christian forums.

 

[Naomi4Christ]

The complaint on God Rest you merry is misplaced due to ignorance it would appear.

The phrase is God rest you merry, meaning; to keep, cause to continue to remain" is typical of 16th to 17th century language (the phrase rest you merry is recorded in the 1540s). Etymonline.com notes that the first line "often is mis-punctuated" as "God rest you, merry gentlemen" because in contemporary language, rest has lost its use "with a predicate adjective following and qualifying the object" (Century Dictionary). This is the case already in the 1775 variant, and is also reflected by Dickens' replacement of the verb rest by bless in his 1843 quote of the incipit as "God bless you, merry gentlemen". The adjective merry in Early Modern English had a wider sense of "pleasant; bountiful, prosperous"

The phrase "God rest you merry" would/could have been used at anytime of the year as a cordial/greeting.
In this use the words to the carol actually make sense.
paraphrased
You can rest/sleep/be at ease of mind because of the Incarnation of Christ..

God rest you merry, Gentlemen,
Let nothing you dismay,
For Jesus Christ our Saviour
Was born upon this Day.

Thanks, and welcome to STR.

I don’t have a problem with this carol. I have always thought of the first line as the equivalent of “do not be afraid”, or “peace be with you”. I am, however, a simple soul so happy to be corrected.

 

[FenderTL5]

Thanks, and welcome to STR.

I don’t have a problem with this carol. I have always thought of the first line as the equivalent of “do not be afraid”, or “peace be with you”. I am, however, a simple soul so happy to be corrected.

Thank you for the welcome. I would say your previous understanding would be pretty well, spot on.

 

[dzheremi]

Punctuation does not often get the attention that it deserves...

 

[seeking.IAM]

Not using the Oxford comma, now THAT is heresy!

 

[Pethesedzao]

Thanks, and welcome to STR.

I don’t have a problem with this carol. I have always thought of the first line as the equivalent of “do not be afraid”, or “peace be with you”. I am, however, a simple soul so happy to be corrected.

I personally detest In the bleak midwinter and any carol that mentions 3 kings

 

[Naomi4Christ]

I personally detest In the bleak midwinter and any carol that mentions 3 kings

Reasons?

 

[Paidiske]

Well, they weren't kings, for a start. And we don't know how many Magi there were; tradition only says three because there were three gifts.

 

[Pethesedzao]

Reasons?

Jesus wasn't born in the bleak midwinter and the Bible does not say there were 3 kings.

 

[Naomi4Christ]

Jesus wasn't born in the bleak midwinter and the Bible does not say there were 3 kings.

We have bigger problems than this carol if we were to nitpick about when he was born.

And three is a subset of any bigger number.