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NASB | Luke 2:13 And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Luke 2:13 Then suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host (angelic army) praising God and saying, |
Subject: XMAS RELIGION OR MAN MADE |
Bible Note: Greetings to you, Tim. Both C. S. Lewis and I concur with your perspective on holidays, especially Christmas. I feel sure you will be comforted by the knowledge that two such eminent scholars agree with you :-) C.S. Lewis wrote a remarkable essay on the subject, the name of which escapes me at the moment, but which is doubtlessly buried in my library some place. In his essay, Lewis in a humorous and engaging manner ridiculed the silly practice among families and friends of exchanging ridiculous gifts that no one in his right mind would ever buy for himself, and lambasted what he called the "commercial claptrap" that the secular world calls Christmas. But he balanced his essay by concluding that Christians indeed should celebrate Christmas (Christ mass) as the singular and supremely glorious time when God became man on this earth. So, in the spirit of Lewis' essay, I would say that there are, in fact, two Christmases. One, about which there is much too much ado, is the "commercial claptrap" of the secular Christmas. The other, to which Christians ought to devote more time and attention, is the joyous celebration of the Advent of our Lord. --Hank |