• Tradition by men, no doubt.
• Cute, but silly - even the religious attempts
• (Small One)

• The word 'carol' is derived from the word 'carola,' which means a ring dance.
• Carols, then, have long been thought of as an early form of sacred folk music, dating in time from the early middle ages.
• During this period, they seem to have been an integral part of the early mystery and miracle plays which were widely used by the medieval church for teaching its religious dogmas.
• Authors - Episcopalian, Catholic, Unitarian, etc.
• All a mix of OT, Gospels, Paul and Tribulation as well as eternity!
• Traditional feelings - emotions, etc.
• Some of what is sung could have happened, of course, but because of rightly dividing, we know it didn't - yet!
• No rightly dividing - dispensational application is absent, so Paul wouldn't have sung these.
• There are things said that have no Scripture authority to them at all.
• Is that what makes it all seem 'fairy tailish' because it shows the folly of modern Christianity?

• It first appeared in Hymns and Sacred Poems in 1739.
• The version known today is the result of alterations George Whitefield, Wesley's co-worker, who changed the opening couplet to the familiar one we know today.

• One of the tunes originally used for the carol was also used as a tune for Amazing Grace.
• Wesley himself, however, had hoped his lyrics would have been sung to the same tune as his Easter hymn, Christ the Lord is Risen Today.
• The tune that is now almost always used for this carol - "Festival Song" also called "Mendelssohn" - is based on a chorus composed by Felix Mendelssohn in 1840, as part of his cantata Festgesang an die Künstler written to commemorate the printer Johann Gutenberg and the invention of his printing press.
• Mendelssohn said of the song that it could be used with many different choruses but that it should not be used for sacred music.
• Possible fear of early plagiarism?
• This may be because the melodic and harmonic structure of the tune are similar to the Gavotte of Bach's Orchestral Suite No. ?
• Mendelssohn (who has always been linked with the music of Bach) may simply have adapted Bach's music for his chorus with his arrangement of the Gavotte as Bach's Christmas Carol.
• Could also be sung with:
• the tune "gloria" - Angels We Have Heard on High
• the tune "Aletto" - Holy Bible
• the tune "Hendon" - Take My Life and Let It Be
• the tune "Tryggare kan ingen vara" - Children of the Heavenly Father

• Wrote more than 6500 hymns.
• This is considered  one of the four most popular hymns in the English language.
• Like so many of Wesley's hymns, this text is really a condensed course in biblical doctrine in poetic form.
• Following the re-telling of the angelic visit to the shepherds in the initial stanza, the succeeding verses teach such spiritual truths as the virgin birth, Christ's deity, the immortality of the soul, the second or new birth, and a concern for Christ-like living.
• Wesley hymns were composed in order that men and women might sing their way, not only into experience, but also into knowledge; that the cultured might have their culture baptized and the ignorant might be led into truth by the gentle hand of melody and rhyme.
• Note:  His use of melody is what makes the differences between today's 'musician's' using the same philosophy to say music can be used for the same purpose today.
• Today's music emphasizes some weakened and over used emotional harmonies and progressions - (which takes power over our emotions, etc.) compared to the simple I-IV-V progression.
• The most dominant element in today's 'Christian' music is rhythm - and rhythm leads and controls the flesh!
• This is the element of music that will lead folks to the fleshy modern Christianity that will peak with the coming of the antichrist!

Hark, how all the welkin rings,
welkin - a cloud; the visible regions of the air; the vault of heaven.
Luke 2:13-14
“Glory to the King of kings;
Revelation 17:14; 19:16
Peace on earth, and mercy mild,
Luke 2:14; I Timothy 1:2
God and sinners reconciled!”
II Corinthians 5:18-20; Ephesians 2:13-22

Joyful, all ye nations, rise,
Psalm 67:4; Romans 15:8-11
Join the triumph of the skies;
Luke 2:15
Universal nature say,
Revelation 5:13
“Christ the Lord is born to-day!”
Luke 2:11

Christ, by highest Heaven ador’d,
Daniel 7:13; Hebrews 1:6; Revelation 5:1-8
Christ, the everlasting Lord:
Isaiah 63:16
Late in time behold him come,
Galatians 4:4,5; Hebrews 1:2 (Trib); I Peter 1:20
Offspring of a Virgin’s womb!
Matthew 1:18; Luke 1:34

Veiled in flesh, the Godhead see,
Hebrews 10:20 (future) - I Timothy 3:16
Hail the incarnate deity!
(incarnate - The act of assuming flesh, or of taking a human body and the nature of man; as the incarnation of the Son of God.
John 1:14
Pleased as man with men to appear,
Pleased? John 3:16?
I Corinthians 15:47; II Timothy 1:10
Jesus! Our Immanuel here!
Isaiah 7:14

Hail, the heavenly Prince of Peace!
Isaiah 9:6
Hail, the Sun of Righteousness!
Isaiah 32:1; Malachi 4:2; Jeremiah 23:6
Light and life to all he brings,
John 1:4; 8:12
Risen with healing in his wings.
wings?  well, it does say that, though!
Malachi 4:2

Mild He lays his glory by,
John 10:17-18; John 17:5
Born that man no more may die;
Romans 6:8; I Corinthians 15:22; II Timothy 1:10
Born to raise the sons of earth;
I Corinthians 15:47; Hebrews 2:10 (Tribulation)
Born to give them second birth.
John 3:3; Romans 8:11; Ephesians 2:1,5; Colossians 2:13

Come, Desire of nations, come,
Hagai 2:7 (OT referring to Jesus coming)
Fix in us thy humble home;
Isaiah 57:15; Philippians 2:7,8
Rise, the woman’s conquering seed,
Revelation 19:15-16
Bruise in us the serpent’s head.
Genesis 3:15; Revelation 19:15,16
us - Jews

Now display thy saving power,
Romans 1:16
Ruined nature now restore;
Genesis 3:14-16; Romans 8:21-22 (because of vs 24,25)
Now in mystic union join
Thine to ours, and ours to thine.
Ephesians 5:24-32

Adam’s likeness, Lord, efface;
Stamp Thy image in its place.
Second Adam from above,
Reinstate us in thy love.
Philippians 2:7; I Corinthians 15:45-49; I Corinthians 15:22; II Corinthians 5:18-20
Reinstate?  Well, consider Romans 7:9 and reconciliation from Ephesians 2.
 

Let us Thee, though lost, regain,
I Corinthians 15:22; Philippians 3:7-8
Thee, the life, the inner Man:
John 14:6; Ephesians 3:16
O! to all thyself impart,
Formed in each believing heart.
Galatians 4:19; Ephesians 3:17