Advent Devotional: December 8

"Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silent" is another one of our most ancient Christmas hymns. Though most date the hymn to sometime in the 5th century, some date the hymn as far back as AD 275. There are a few good reasons to assume the earlier date, and if so, "Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silent" would be the oldest hymn still sung today. Furthermore, like many of our ancient Christmas hymns, the song would have been written as a defense against an increasingly popular heresy known as Manichaenism. It's true that there is nothing new under the sun, and even though this heresy does not formally exist today, most, if not all, of its tenants, do (certain components of Manichaenism are even depicted in "Star Wars" and "Lion King"). Its closest equivalents are found in New Age Theology and so-called "Christian Science" (which is neither Christian nor science).

Mani (AD 216-274) and his false doctrine (similar to Arius, he taught that Christ did not really come in the flesh, but was a phantom) became especially popular in the East for the next several centuries. Perhaps it was for that reason that "Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silent" was commonly sung in Eastern churches. After all, the main theme of the song is a defense of the hypostatic union. Because Eastern churches primarily spoke Aramaic, many of the ancient manuscripts we have today are translations from Greek. Every verse bears witness to the humanity and deity of Christ, but despite the song's popularity, Manichaenism would continue to thrive. Even the great apologist Augustine (AD 354-430) adhered to its teachings for several years before he was saved.