4. (a) What is the sense of the Greek word for “approved” in God’s declaration? (b) Why is the usage in this case of special interest?

⁴ The Gospel records of God’s words “I have approved [Jesus]” employ the Greek verb eu·do·keʹo. (Matthew 3:17; Mark 1:11; Luke 3:22) It means “be well pleased, regard favorably, take delight in,” and its noun form has the sense of “good will, good pleasure, favor, wish, desire.” Eu·do·keʹo is not limited to divine approval. For instance, Christians in Macedonia ‘were pleased’ to share financially with others. (Romans 10:1; 15:26; 2 Corinthians 5:8; 1 Thessalonians 2:8; 3:1) Still, the approval Jesus received was expressed by God, not by men. This term is used with reference to Jesus only after he was baptized. (Matthew 17:5; 2 Peter 1:17)

When Jesus was born, angels announced: “Glory in the heights above to God, and upon earth peace among men of goodwill [eu·do·kiʹas].” (Luke 2:14) In the literal Greek, the angels were singing of a coming blessing to “men of well thinking” or “men whom God approves.”a Professor Hans Bietenhard writes of this use of en an·throʹpois eu·do·kiʹas: “The phrase refers to the men of God’s good pleasure . . . We are not, therefore, dealing here with the good will of men . . . We are dealing with God’s sovereign and gracious will, which elects for itself a people for salvation.”

¹² Later, Paul wrote that all Christians need to ‘keep working out their own salvation with fear and trembling.’ Yet, it was possible to do that, “for God is the one that, for the sake of his good pleasure [eu·do·kiʹas], is acting within you in order for you both to will and to act.”​—Philippians 2:12, 13.

17. Luke 2:14 had what fulfillment in the first century?

¹⁷ Through the public preaching by baptized Christians in the first century, thousands heard the good news. They put faith in what they heard, repented of their past course, and were baptized, making “public declaration for salvation.” (Romans 10:10-15; Acts 2:41-44; 5:14; Colossians 1:23) There was no doubt that baptized ones back then had Jehovah’s approval, for he anointed them with holy spirit, adopting them as spiritual sons. The apostle Paul wrote: “He foreordained us to the adoption through Jesus Christ as sons to himself, according to the good pleasure [eu·do·kiʹan] of his will.” (Ephesians 1:5) Thus, within that century what was predicted by the angels at Jesus’ birth began to prove true: “Peace among men of goodwill [or, men having God’s approval].”​—Luke 2:14.