The Teaching Corner

This question is particularly fitting since September 29th was the optional celebration of Michael and All Angels.  Angels are often a very touchy subject for Christians.  Some Christians are made uncomfortable by the mention of angels.  Other Christians would be more offended by someone who doubted the existence of angels than by someone who doubted Jesus rose from the dead.  To further confusion the situation, beliefs and ideas that many people have about angels come from three different sources—the Bible, Hebrew and Christian tradition, and cultural folklore.

Angels in the Bible—The Bible assumes the existence of angels and mentions them quite frequently but tells us relatively little about them.  In the Bible, angels are seen primarily as messengers for God.  In fact the Hebrew word for “angel” means “messenger or envoy.”  These figures deliver God’s message to people such as Abraham, Jacob, Mary, and more.  They are also closely associated with the “heavenly host,” the attendants of God, and are common figures in apocalyptic and prophetic visions.  A couple angels, Michael and Gabriel, are given specific names and appear in several Biblical passages.

Angels in Hebrew and Christian Tradition—While closely related to some of references to angels we have in the Bible, traditions in both Judaism and Christianity have elaborated on the role and hierarchy of angels.  You may hear some people refer to archangels, cherubim and seraphim.  These are some of the different classifications of angels that have arisen in the Christian tradition.  Archangels are seen as the top class of angels and they all have names.  Depending upon the tradition, there might be between three or seven archangels (Gabriel and Michael are considered archangels.)  In some parts of Christian tradition, Satan is regarded as a fallen archangel (Lucifer).  Cherubim and seraphim are mentioned in the Bible but we know little about them, so various traditions as to what they look like and what their specific role is have arisen.

Angels in Cultural Folklore—Many people’s common conceptions abut angels are based not on the Bible nor on Hebrew/Christian tradition, but on cultural folklore that has arisen.  From this cultural folklore come such ideas as the existence of personal guardian angels, that people can become angels after they die, that angels need to “earn their wings,” and just about every other idea expressed about angels in television and movies.  Some of these cultural ideas about angels may still be compatible with Christianity, but many of them are problematic.  For example, though many television shows and movies depict angels who lived a human life and died before becoming an angel, this is not Christian teaching.  People do not become angels.  Angels have always been understood within Christian tradition as a completely different class of beings.

While Christians can maintain a wide range of views and understandings about angels and still remain completely orthodox Christians, one important thing to keep in mind is that angels are always representatives of God, not themselves.  They cannot be separately worshiped or adored from God.  Notice that in the Bible that angels don’t do their own thing.  They are not independent creatures; they are always carrying out the word and commands of God.  Biblical characters recognize this; that when an angel speaks or acts, it is not just the angel speaking or acting, it is the same as the voice and action of God.