Giuseppe wrote: ↑Wed Dec 20, 2017 11:36 am
... We know from the Hymn to Philippians that at least the same Christians were giving to a divine being the name 'Jesus' ('Jesus being clearly the ''name above1 all names'' given to a suffering hero, per Couchoud).
... for Ehrman (see my post above), an angel is preciselyWhen Gieschen uses the term angel, he defines it as “a spirit or heavenly being who mediates between the human and divine realms” (p. 27). He shows that a large number of early Christians understood Jesus to be that kind of being; and he argues that the reluctance of NT scholars to see this kind of angel-Christology in our early sources is because they have been influenced by the views that later triumphed in the fourth century that insisted that Christ is much more than an angel. That is, they are reading later views into earlier texts.
1 "God highly exalted2 him and gave him the name above every name", Philippians 2:9
2 ὑπερυψόω = “super-eminently exalted” or “to raise someone to the loftiest height.” This verbal form of the stem is only found in this place in the New Testament; it is found in Psalm 97:9 (LXX) [the adverb form of this word is used in Ephesians 1:21, 4:10; and in Hebrews 9:5 is used to speak of things which were “above”.]
The bible.org page webpage, Angelology: The Doctrine of Angels is interesting
We are not to think that man is the highest form of created being. As the distance between man and the lower forms of life is filled with beings of various grades, so it is possible that between man and God there exist creatures of higher than human intelligence and power. Indeed, the existence of lesser deities in all heathen mythologies presumes the existence of a higher order of beings between God and man, superior to man and inferior to God. This possibility is turned into certainty by the express and explicit teaching of the Scriptures.
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One might take the following from the same site with a grain of salt -
- yet I think the whole sentence, especially the underlined, "an important element of revelation," has some application to the study of evolving concepts within the NT, especially concepts in the Pauline epistles, and within antiquity, as do other concepts described therein -
A Simple Definition
Angels are spiritual beings created by God to serve Him, though created higher than man. Some, the good angels, have remained obedient to Him and carry out His will, while others, fallen angels, disobeyed, fell from their holy position, and now stand in active opposition to the work and plan of God.
The Terms Used of Angels
GENERAL TERMS
ANGEL
Though other words are used for these spiritual beings, the primary word used in the Bible is angel. Three other terms undoubtedly referring to angels are seraphim (Isa. 6:2), cherubim (Ezek. 10:1-3), and ministering spirits, which is perhaps more of a description than a name (Heb. 1:13). More will be said on this later when dealing with the classification of angels.
The Hebrew word for angel is mal`ach, and the Greek word is angelos. Both words mean “messenger” and describe one who executes the purpose and will of the one whom they serve. The context must determine if a human messenger is in view, or one of the celestial beings called “angels,” or if it is being used of the second Person of the Trinity as will be discussed below. The holy angels are messengers of God, serving Him and doing His bidding. The fallen angels serve Satan, the god of this world (aiwn, “age”) (2 Cor. 4:4).
HOLY ONES
The unfallen angels are also spoken of as “holy ones” (Ps. 89:5, 7). The reason is twofold. First, being the creation of a holy God, they were created perfect without any flaw or sin. Second, they are called holy because of their purpose. They were “set apart” by God and for God as His servants and as attendants to His holiness (cf. Isa. 6).
HOST
“Host” is the Hebrew tsaba, “army, armies, hosts.” It is a military term and carries the idea of warfare. Angels are referred to as the “host,” which calls our attention to two ideas. First, it is used to describe God’s angels as the “armies of heaven” who serve in the army of God engaged in spiritual warfare (Ps. 89:6, 8; 1 Sam. 1:11; 17:45). Second, it calls our attention to angels as a multitude of heavenly beings who surround and serve God as seen in the phrase “Lord of hosts” (Isa. 31:4). In addition, tsaba sometimes includes the host of heavenly bodies, the stars of the universe.
DIFFICULT TERMS
SONS OF GOD
In their holy state, unfallen angels are called “sons of God” in the sense that they were brought into existence by the creation of God (Job 1:6; 38:7). Though they are never spoken of as created in the image of God, they may also be called “sons of God” because they possess personality like God. This will be demonstrated later in this study. This term is also used in Genesis 6:2 which tells us the “sons of God” took wives from among the “daughters of men.” Some scholars understand “the sons of God” of Genesis 6:2 to refer to the sons of the godly line of Seth and the “daughters of men” to refer to the ungodly line of the Cainites. Others, in keeping with the use of “sons of God” in Job, believe the term refers to fallen angels who mated with the daughters of men to produce an extremely wicked and powerful progeny that led to the extreme wickedness of Noah’s day. Most who hold to this latter view find further support in 2 Peter 2:4-6 and Jude 6-7.7 Still others believe they refer to despots, powerful rulers. Ross writes:
The incident is one of hubris, the proud overstepping of bounds. Here it applies to “the sons of God,” a lusty, powerful lot striving for fame and fertility. They were probably powerful rulers who were controlled (indwelt) by fallen angels. It may be that fallen angels left their habitation and inhabited bodies of human despots and warriors, the mighty ones of the earth.
THE ANGEL OF THE LORD
The second difficulty concerns the identity of “the angel of the Lord” as it is used in the Old Testament. A careful study of the many passages using this term suggests that this is no ordinary angel, but a Theophany, or better, a Christophany, a preincarnate appearance of Christ. The angel is identified as God, speaks as God, and claims to exercise the prerogatives of God.
Still, in some passages He distinguishes Himself from Yahweh (Gen. 16:7-14; 21:17-18; 22:11-18; 31:11-13, Ex. 3:2; Judg. 2:1-4; 5:23; 6:11-22; 13:3-22; 2 Sam. 24:16; Zech. 1:12; 3:1; 12:8). That the Angel of the Lord is a Christophany is suggested by the fact a clear reference to “the Angel of the Lord” ceases after the incarnation. References to an angel of the Lord in Luke 1:11; and 2:8 and Acts 5:19 lack the Greek article which would suggest an ordinary angel.
The Origin, Nature, and Number of Angels
ANGELS ARE CREATED BEINGS
THE FACT OF THEIR CREATION
That angels are created beings and not the spirits of departed or glorified human beings is brought out in Psalm 148 ... “For He commanded and they were created” (Ps. 148:1-5) ...
Since God is Spirit (John 4:24) it is natural to assume that there are created beings who more closely resemble God than do the mundane creatures who combine both the material and immaterial ... Angelology rests not upon reason or supposition, but upon revelation.
THE TIME OF THEIR CREATION
... they were created before the creation of the world. From the book of Job we are told that they were present when the earth was created (Job 38:4-7)
THE AGENT OF THEIR CREATION
.... Paul was writing to refute an incipient form of Gnosticism that promoted the worship of angels in place of the worship of Christ (cf. Col. 2:18). In this, Paul demonstrates superiority and rightful place of worship as supreme (cf. Eph. 1:21; 3:10; 6:12; Phil. 2:9-10; Col. 2:10, 15:10
ANGELS ARE SPIRIT BEINGS
THEIR ABODE
... due to the ministry and abilities given to them in the service of God, they have access to the entire universe. They are described as serving in heaven and on earth (cf. Isa. 6:1f; Dan. 9:21; Rev. 7:2; 10:1).
...expounded in the pseudepigraphical Book of Enoch (7, 9.8, 10.11; 12.4), from which Jude quotes in v. 14, and...in the intertestamental literature and the early church fathers (e.g., Justin Apology 2.5) [is the view that angels had a domain and a dwelling place]. The angels “did not keep their positions of authority” (ten heauton archen). The use of the word arche for “rule,” “dominion,” or “sphere” is uncommon but appears to be so intended here (cf. BAG, p. 112). The implication is that God assigned angels stipulated responsibilities (arche, “dominion”) and a set place (oiketerion).
Mankind, including our incarnate Lord, is “lower than the angels” (Heb. 2:7).
Angels are not subject to the limitations of man, especially since they are incapable of death (Luke 20:36). Angels have greater wisdom than man (2 Sam. 14:20), yet it is limited (Matt. 24:36). Angels have greater power than man (Matt. 28:2; Acts 5:19; 2 Pet. 2:11), yet they are limited in power (Dan. 10:13).
https://bible.org/article/angelology-doctrine-angels