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The second stanza of this hymn, rarely found in today's hymnals, proclaims essential, powerful truth about the deity of Jesus Christ.
O Come, All Ye Faithful is perhaps the most familiar of all hymns on the subject of the incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ. The origin and authorship of the hymn are unclear, but it is thought to have been written by John Wade, an English layman, in the mid-1700s. Originally written in Latin (Wade was a Catholic), it was translated into English in 1841 by Frederick Oakley, an Anglican vicar who in 1845 also became a Roman Catholic.
However, once translated into English, O Come, All Ye Faithful soon became a fixture in the Advent sections of Protestant hymnals. Until about 1960 it almost always appeared in its original English form of four stanzas. However, most later Protestant hymnals omit the vitally important second stanza:
God of God, Light of Light;
Lo, He abhors not the virgin's womb;
Very God, begotten not created;
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ, the Lord.
Why the Omission?
Why omit this? I submit that it is due to the ever-growing anti-supernatural influences of theological liberalism within postmodern Evangelicalism -- especially an over-emphasis on the humanity of Christ coupled with a de-emphasis, and even outright suppression, of the doctrine of the deity of Christ.
This is the same problem we see in postmodern Evangelicalism's changed attitude toward Scripture: an over-emphasis on the human writers, coupled with a de-emphasis and even outright suppression of the fact that all Scripture has a single Divine Author. All Scripture is the breathed-out words of God (2 Timothy 3:16) given through holy men of God who did not record their personal interpretations but were moved (literally, driven) by the Holy Spirit to write revealed truth (2 Peter 1:16-21). The central point of that revealed truth is the person and work of Jesus Christ, who is both fully God and fully man.
All the Fullness of the Godhead in a Body
Colossians 2:9 declares that "in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead in a body." Do you understand what that means?
All the fullness of the Godhead dwelled in the body of a newborn baby wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger in Bethlehem.
All the fullness of the Godhead dwelled in the body of the boy of 12 who asked questions of the teachers of the law at the temple in Jerusalem.
All the fullness of the Godhead dwelled in the body of the 33-year-old man who went to the Cross.
And, all the fullness of the Godhead in a body is now seated on the throne in Heaven, and will come again.
The words of the usually-omitted second stanza of this hymn powerfully communicate this essential truth in a few words. And so, not only at Christmas, but throughout the year, may Christ's true people uphold and proclaim His deity. Let us shout forth these words with great conviction and without apology:
God of God, Light of Light
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. (John 1:1-5)
And the Word became 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. (John 1:14)
No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him. (John 1:18)
I and My Father are one. (John 10:30)
Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life." (John 8:12)
I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness. (John 12:46)
And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God. (John 3:19-21)
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross. (Colossians 1:15-20)
Lo, He abhors not the virgin's womb
Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14)
Then Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I do not know a man?" And the angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. (Luke 1:34-35)
Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote -- Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." (John 1:45)
Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:5-11)
For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. (Romans 8:3-4)
But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. (Galatians 4:4-5)
Very God, begotten not created;
For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this. (Isaiah 9:6-7)
He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end. (Luke 1:32-33)
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)
He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. (John 3:18)
In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. (1 John 4:9)
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ, the Lord.
Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice: "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing!" And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying: "Blessing and honor and glory and power be to Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever!" Then the four living creatures said, "Amen!" And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped Him who lives forever and ever. (Revelation 5:11-14)
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