With whom is God pleased?

As I may have said before, we get anaesthetised with the trivial or certainly we delve where angels fear to tread.

As I reviewed the text in St. Luke, particularly 2:14, I see where it again can cause trouble to the those who simply pass things through their heads. Most of the problem is that, since Calvin and his Protestantism for the masses, the herd look at the text as supporting their already firmly held views. So, here is what I can find...

One Greek translation reads: δόξα ἐν ὑψίστοις θεῷ καὶ ἐπὶ γῆς εἰρήνη ἐν ἀνθρώποις εὐδοκίας. Now this is literally translated to read: glory among highest to god and on earth peace among men pleased. The word εὐδοκίας is a noun, genitive and feminine plural, however, in some Greek translations it is εὐδοκία which is singular. Either way it denotes the English words (times used in the Bible as such): desire (2), good pleasure (1), good will (1), kind intention (2), pleased (1), well-pleasing (2). Here in Luke, it appears to simply mean pleased, but as a noun, it is problematic for we readers and speakers of English. So, one is left with two options:

From Phillip Cary we see that Calvinisms options or what is known as the Protestant syllogism or practical syllogism is based upon a universal promise such as "Whoever believes in Christ shall be saved." On this basis the logic of faith leads to the certainty of salvation:

Major Premise: Whoever believes in Christ shall be saved.
Minor Premise: I believe in Christ.
Conclusion: I am saved.

However, please note the conflict. Yes, Cary continues, the major premise is taken from God's Word, but the minor premise requires a confession of faith (a works glorious). To know that I am saved I must not only believe in the promise of Christ but also know that I believe it. Here faith is reflective: faith based on God's Word, but the assurance of faith must include believers' awareness that they have faith.

This, as Tom Hodgkinson shows and we have seen and heard, leads to Puritanical self-importance and the acceptance of the knowledge of predestination. Predestination being the doctrine that there is an elect in the world and damn the rest of them. Calvin's twist is to inculcate the idea that worldly success and wealth are outward signs of God's approval of your conduct, which very easily starts to turn you into an insufferable prig and power-crazed zealot. This describes our neo-Crypto-Calvinist.

Luther's option is that of the existential, anarchic, medieval roustabout. He laughs a life because most of what passes for humanity deserves humorous contempt. He is an Augustinian Rabelaisian with a sacramental caveat. We, as he did, should remember that man (as man) is supremely unimportant. Hence, Cary states, for Luther, and you and I, justification does not require us to have a conversion experience or make a decision for Christ. These are acts of WILL that would detract from Luther's point about faith alone: that we are justified merely by believing what Christ says is true. So, Luther said, "believe it and you have it"; to believe in your baptism is to have the new life Christ signifies when he baptizes you. Here the logic of faith follows:

Major Premise: Christ told me, "I baptize you in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit."
Minor Premise: Christ never lies but only tells the truth.
Conclusion: I am baptized (i.e., I have new life in Christ).

Obviously, Cary helps us to hear that, the major premise is a sacramental word of grace, and the minor premise is based on the truthfulness of God - a favorite theme of Luther's, who frequently uses Paul's saying, "Let God be true and every man a liar," (Romans 3:4) as an admonition to put faith in no word but God's.

Cary continues with, the part about "every man a liar' includes me (and me). I put no faith in my own words, not even in my confession of faith. Luther makes Christian faith profoundly unreflective: faith does not include knowing on has faith. It does not require believing on has faith: for: "he who doesn't think he believes, but is in despair, has the greatest faith." Which lead to Bonhoeffer's Luther line introduction to Barth: "The curse of a godless man can sound more pleasant to God's ears than the Hallelujah of the pious."

So, with whom is God pleased? It is paradoxical and hidden, so "Sin boldly but believe and rejoice in Christ more boldly still." In the end this passage and others like it are too much for us and we should focus more on the pap that is meant for us. Oh, and by the way - I'll take the second option because I trust what God, Christ and the Holy Spirit have said.
 
SDG