3. Types of Angels

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What are the various types of angels in Scripture? Scripture mentions three types: cherubim, seraphim, and living creatures. We will consider each.

Cherubim

Cherubim are mentioned ninety-two times in thirteen different Bible books (Gen, Ex, Num, 1 and 2 Sam, 1 and 2 Kgs, 1 and 2 Chr, Ps, Is, Ez, and Heb).¹ God originally put a cherub outside of the Garden of Eden to keep humans from eating from the tree of life (Gen 3:24). In the ark of the covenant, golden cherubim were placed above the mercy seat—probably symbolic of real cherubim guarding the presence of God. Exodus 25:22 describes this:

I will meet with you there, and from above the atonement lid, from between the two cherubim that are over the ark of the testimony, I will speak with you about all that I will command you for the Israelites.

In addition, cherubim were part of the curtain decorations in the tabernacle and temple. Exodus 26:1 says, “The tabernacle itself you are to make with ten curtains of fine twisted linen and blue and purple and scarlet; you are to make them with cherubim that are the work of an artistic designer.”

In Ezekiel 1, cherubim were present attending to the glory of God but were called “living beings” (v. 19); in Ezekiel 10:15, these same angels were called “cherubim.” However, they differ in appearance from the “living beings” or “living creatures” mentioned in Revelation 4. The cherubim have four faces—that of a man, a lion, an ox, and an eagle—four feet like a calf, and four wings. In contrast, living creatures have one face and six wings (Rev 4:7-8). Ezekiel 1:10-11 describes the cherubim:

Their faces had this appearance: Each of the four had the face of a man, with the face of a lion on the right, the face of an ox on the left and also the face of an eagle. Their wings were spread out above them; each had two wings touching the wings of one of the other beings on either side and two wings covering their bodies.

In Ezekiel 10:14, one of the four faces is said to be that of a “cherub” instead of an ox. Most likely, a cherub’s face must look like that of an ox (Ez 1:10, 10:14). Many scholars believe Satan originally was a cherub who guarded the glory of God until he became prideful and rebelled against God. Ezekiel 28:14 (ESV) says, “You were an anointed guardian cherub. I placed you; you were on the holy mountain of God; in the midst of the stones of fire you walked.”

The cherubim remind us to be zealous for God’s glory, especially in worship. When the Jews were dishonoring God and cheating people, Jesus went into the temple, scattered the coins of money changers, flipped tables, and yelled, “Take these things away from here! Do not make my Father’s house a marketplace!” (John 2:16). Likewise, we must be zealous about guarding God’s glory in worship—making sure it aligns with God’s Word, as God can only be worshiped in spirit and truth (John 4:23). In addition, since Satan originally was a guardian cherub who became prideful and desired to be like God (Is 14:14, 1 Tim 3:6), we must also be warned against ministering for God and yet seeking glory for ourselves. That was the sin of the Pharisees who did their fasting, praying, and giving, all to be seen by people instead of God (Matt 6:1-18). In Matthew 6:1, Christ warned, “Be careful not to display your righteousness merely to be seen by people. Otherwise you have no reward with your Father in heaven.” James 4:6 says, “God opposes the proud, but he gives grace to the humble.” It is possible to rebel like Satan and thus be judged by God (1 Tim 3:6). Hebrews 10:29-31 says,

How much greater punishment do you think that person deserves who has contempt for the Son of God, and profanes the blood of the covenant that made him holy, and insults the Spirit of grace? For we know the one who said, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay,” and again, “The Lord will judge his people.” It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Seraphim

Another group of angels only mentioned in Isaiah 6 is the seraphim. The name means “burning ones.”² The seraphim have six wings: two to fly with, two to cover their feet, and two to cover their faces (Is 6:2). The four wings that cover their face and feet probably demonstrate their great honor and reverence for God’s holiness and glory (Ex 3:5). The two wings to fly with are used to serve God.

As demonstrated by Isaiah 6, the seraphim serve two roles: (1) They are consumed with praising the person of God as they continually cry out to one another, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord who commands armies! His majestic splendor fills the entire earth!” (v. 3). (2) Also, the seraphim cleanse God’s people from sin. In Isaiah 6:6-7, they touch Isaiah’s mouth with burning coals to cleanse him from sin, so he can be prepared to serve and speak for God (v. 6-9). Obviously, only Christ can cleanse people of sin. First John 1:7 says, “But if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.” However, apparently, God allows these angels to at times participate in the process of cleansing his people.

The seraphim remind us to always be zealous in worshiping and serving God. As they cry out to one another in praise, Scripture says we should do the same. In Ephesians 5:18-19, Paul said: “… be filled by the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music in your hearts to the Lord.” As these burning ones lack no zeal in praising and serving God, neither should we. Romans 12:11 says, “Do not lag in zeal, be enthusiastic in spirit, serve the Lord.” In addition, the seraphim remind us to be zealous in getting rid of sin in our lives, so God can use us, even as he did with Isaiah. Second Corinthians 7:1 says, “Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that could defile the body and the spirit, and thus accomplish holiness out of reverence for God.” First John 1:9 says, “But if we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous, forgiving us our sins and cleansing us from all unrighteousness.”

The Living Creatures

In Revelation 4:6-9, 5:8, and 15:7, four living creatures are mentioned. Unlike the cherubim who have four faces, the living creatures each have one—the face of a lion, an ox, a man, and an eagle. The living creatures also have six wings, while the cherubim have four. Because they surround the throne of God with the twenty-four elders (Rev 4:4 and 6), who apparently represent redeemed people, some have speculated that the living creatures represent creation before God. The four faces of the lion, ox, man, and eagle represent some of the mightiest representatives of God’s creation. Though they look more like cherubim, they act more like seraphim as their chief activity seems to be praising and worshiping God. In Revelation 4:8, they cry out day and night: “Holy Holy Holy is the Lord God, the All-Powerful, Who was and who is, and who is still to come!” Also, in Revelation 5:12, they, along with the twenty-four elders and other angels, declare: “Worthy is the lamb who was killed to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and praise!”

In fact, the living creatures seem to function like priestly worship leaders, initiating heavenly worship. Revelation 4:9-10 says,

And whenever the living creatures give glory, honor, and thanks to the one who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders throw themselves to the ground before the one who sits on the throne and worship the one who lives forever and ever, and they offer their crowns before his throne …

In Revelation 5:8, the living creatures even offer God “golden bowls full of incense (which are the prayers of the saints).” They challenge us to live lives of constant worship—offering our bodies as living sacrifices to God (Rom 12:1) and offering everything we do to the Lord as worship—and they also challenge us to inspire others to worship and glorify God. First Corinthians 10:31 says, “So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.” Matthew 5:16 says, “In the same way, let your light shine before people, so that they can see your good deeds and give honor to your Father in heaven.”

Conclusion

In Scripture, there are three types of angels. Cherubim, who are mentioned the most in Scripture, are commonly seen guarding the presence of God and the things of God. One was placed in the Garden of Eden to guard the tree of life; two were placed in the holy of holies to guard the presence of God. They remind us to be zealous about guarding God’s glory and his worship as well. Worship must be in spirit and truth to be accepted by God (John 4:23), and therefore must be guarded against anything in pretense and that doesn’t align with Scripture. Seraphim are only seen in Isaiah 6. They worship God’s person and cleanse God’s people. They are the “burning ones” who remind us to be zealous in our worship and service and also in cleansing ourselves from sin (Rom 12:11, 2 Cor 7:1). Finally, the living creatures are seen several times in Revelation. They, like the seraphim, continually worship God. They are like God’s priestly worship leaders who stay around the throne offering God worship and leading others in the same. They remind us that we are a holy, priestly people who should be consumed with honoring and worshiping God in everything we do (1 Pet 2:9), and leading others to do the same.

Reflection

What stood out most in the reading and why?
How many types of angels are there and what are they?
Describe the types of angels and their functions and share any applications that can be drawn from them.
What other questions or applications did you take from the reading?

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NASB) are taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, and 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked (KJV) are from the King James Version of the Bible.

All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added.

¹ Wilmington’s Guide to the Bible

² MacArthur, J., & Mayhue, R. (Eds.). (2017). Biblical Doctrine: A Systematic Summary of Bible Truth (pp. 669–670). Wheaton, IL: Crossway.

Related Topics: Angelology

4. Specific Angels

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Who are the specific angels mentioned in Scripture? There are at least five of them.

Michael

Michael is called “one of the leading princes” in Daniel 10:13 and the “archangel” in Jude 1:9, which demonstrates his rule and authority over other angels.¹ His name means “Who is like God?”² He apparently has a specific role in defending Israel. In Daniel 10:21, he is called “your prince” in referring to Daniel and thus Israel. And in Daniel 12:1, it is prophesied that he will protect Israel in a time of persecution during the end-times, which is instigated by the Antichrist. Daniel 12:1 says,

At that time Michael, the great prince who watches over your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress unlike any other from the nation’s beginning up to that time. But at that time your own people, all those whose names are found written in the book, will escape.

Revelation 12:13-14 may also refer to Michael’s protection over Israel during the end-times. When Israel, who is referred to as the woman who gave birth to the child (the messiah), is being attacked by the dragon (the devil), she is given wings to fly to a safe place in the wilderness. These wings may refer to Michael helping them (which he may do through some other nation or entity). Revelation 12:13-14 says,

Now when the dragon realized that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. But the woman was given the two wings of a giant eagle so that she could fly out into the wilderness, to the place God prepared for her, where she is taken care of—away from the presence of the serpent—for a time, times, and half a time.

In the same chapter, Michael is displayed as the leader of the angelic army who fights against Satan and his demons—defeating them and removing them from heaven. Revelation 12:7-8 says,

Then war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But the dragon was not strong enough to prevail, so there was no longer any place left in heaven for him and his angels.

This is not the only time Michael contends with Satan. After Moses’ death, Michael argues with Satan about Moses’ body. Jude 1:9 says, “But even when Michael the archangel was arguing with the devil and debating with him concerning Moses’ body, he did not dare to bring a slanderous judgment, but said, ‘May the Lord rebuke you!’” Why was there a dispute over Moses’ body? We can only speculate since Scripture is silent on the issue. However, William MacDonald gives a prudent explanation in the Believer’s Bible Commentary:

We have no definite knowledge why the dispute arose between Michael and Satan about the body of Moses. We do know that Moses was buried by God in a valley of Moab. It is not unlikely that Satan wanted to know the spot so that he could have a shrine built there. Then Israel would turn to the idolatrous worship of Moses’ bones. As the angelic representative of the people of Israel (Dan. 10:21), Michael would strive to preserve the people from this form of idolatry by keeping the burial site secret.³

In addition, it must be noted that the second coming of Christ will come with a shout from the “archangel.” First Thessalonians 4:16 says, “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a shout of command, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.” Since no one else is called the archangel in Scripture, this may refer to Michael’s role in Christ’s coming and the resurrection of the saints.

In Scripture, Michael is a warrior who fights for God’s people against the devil and his demons. He reminds us that we are likewise in a spiritual battle. Ephesians 6:10-12 says:

Finally, be strengthened in the Lord and in the strength of his power. Clothe yourselves with the full armor of God so that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens.

Even Michael, who is much greater than us, did not rely on his own strength when contending with the devil over Moses’ body. Instead, he prayed for the Lord to rebuke him (Jude 1:9). Likewise, Paul said that we can’t fight this spiritual war in our own power, we must be “strengthened in the Lord,” in “his power,” and with “the full armor of God.” Certainly, we can only depend on these spiritual resources by constant prayer, time in God’s Word, worship, being unified with the saints, and practicing righteousness (cf. Eph 6:13-20).

Gabriel

Gabriel is another angel mentioned in Scripture. His name means “mighty one of God”⁴ or “God is strong.”⁵ He is only mentioned in the books of Daniel and Luke. In both, he is sent by God to give and explain messages to God’s people. In Daniel 8:16, he explains the vision of the ram and goat battle to Daniel. In Daniel 9:27, he explains a prophetic vision about Israel’s future—including the rebuilding of Jerusalem, the coming of the messiah, the destruction of the temple, the Antichrist, and other end-time events. In Luke 1:19, he predicts the birth of John the Baptist to Zacharias, and in Luke 1:26, he predicts the birth of Christ to Mary.

Gabriel reminds us to always be ready to speak for God and explain his messages to people. First Peter 3:15-16 says, “But set Christ apart as Lord in your hearts and always be ready to give an answer to anyone who asks about the hope you possess. Yet do it with courtesy and respect…” We must always be ready to share the gospel with the lost and help explain away their difficulties with it. We must study God’s Word, so we can explain the mysteries of Scripture to believers to aid in their sanctification and to help them trust God more. Second Timothy 2:15 says, “Make every effort to present yourself before God as a proven worker who does not need to be ashamed, teaching the message of truth accurately.”

The Angel of the Lord

In the Old Testament, there are many appearances of a specific angel named “the angel of the Lord” who is clearly distinct from other angels (Gen 16:7-12, 21:17-18, 22:11-18, Ex 3:2, Jdg 2:1-4, 5:23, 6:11-24, 13:3-22, etc.). What makes this angel unique is that he identifies himself as God, speaks as God, and exercises the responsibilities of God. Consider two specific examples: In Judges 6:11-16 (ESV), it describes Gideon’s call by the Angel of the Lord to lead Israel against the Midianites. It says,

Now the angel of the Lord came and sat under the terebinth at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, while his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the winepress to hide it from the Midianites. And the angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, “The Lord is with you, O mighty man of valor.” And Gideon said to him, “Please, my lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all his wonderful deeds that our fathers recounted to us, saying, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has forsaken us and given us into the hand of Midian.” And the Lord turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours and save Israel from the hand of Midian; do not I send you?” And he said to him, “Please, Lord, how can I save Israel? Behold, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.” And the Lord said to him, “But I will be with you, and you shall strike the Midianites as one man.”

Gideon did not initially recognize that this man was an angel, but at some point in the conversation, Gideon recognized that he was in fact the Angel of the Lord and began to cry out with fear to God (v. 22-23). However, what’s interesting about this discourse is the fact that the narrator begins to address the Angel of the Lord as God. In verse 14, the narrator says, “the LORD turned to him and said” with capital letters, which means it was God’s covenant name YAHWEH. The Angel of the Lord was God.

Likewise, in Exodus 3:1-4 (ESV), the Angel of the Lord appeared to Moses in a fiery bush. It says,

Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed. And Moses said, “I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.” When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.”

In the story, Moses saw the Angel of the Lord in the bush, and after that, the narrator adds in verse 4, “God called to him out of the bush.” The Angel of the Lord and God were the same person.

Many would suggest that when God showed up in the form of the Angel of the Lord, who seemed to always appear as a man, those appearances were actually early sightings of the Son of God. Why do they believe that? It is simply biblical reasoning. After Christ came to the earth, we still have appearances of angels but no appearances of the Angel of the Lord. Also, it would seem logical that since Christ has always eternally existed, he was active and would have manifested himself in the world at various times (cf. John 8:58). Many believe Christ commonly did this as the Angel of the Lord.

Lucifer

Lucifer, also called Satan and the devil (Matt 4:1, 16:23), is a prominent angel mentioned in Scripture. He is the chief evil angel whom we will consider in more depth in Satanology. Isaiah 14:12 (KJV) says, “How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations!” Lucifer means “shining one” or “star of the morning.”⁶ Before his fall, he was a cherub who guarded the glory of God and possibly led the angels in worship (Ez 28:13-14 NKJV). In his ministry to God, he became prideful and led one-third of the angels in rebellion, who are now called demons (Rev 12:4). Lucifer’s fall is a sobering reminder that it is possible to do ministry with wrong motives and ultimately rebel against God, becoming antagonistic to God, his Word, and his people (cf. Heb 10:29-31). Unfortunately, this has happened to many who previously served in ministry. In 1 Timothy 3:6, Paul warned against placing young believers in church leadership for this reason. He said, “He must not be a recent convert or he may become arrogant and fall into the punishment that the devil will exact.”

Abaddon / Apollyon

The final angel mentioned in Scripture is another evil one. His name is Abaddon in Hebrew or Apollyon in Greek—both names mean destroyer. In Revelation 9, it says demonic angels who have been bound in the abyss will be let loose for a short season to judge the earth during the end-times. Abaddon is the leader of these demons. Revelation 9:11 says, “They have as king over them the angel of the abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek, Apollyon.” Some think this angel is Satan; however, he apparently is bound to the abyss until the Great Tribulation. Since Satan is called “the ruler of the kingdom of the air” (Eph 2:2; cf. Eph 6:12) and is not bound to the abyss until the millennial kingdom in Revelation 20:1-3 (cf. Job 1:6-12, 2:1-6), many believe Abaddon is a high-ranking demon bound in the abyss who will lead a demonic invasion to judge unbelievers during the Great Tribulation (Rev 9:4-6).

Conclusion

In Scripture, five angels are mentioned by name—Michael the archangel, Gabriel who is God’s messenger, the Angel of the Lord which is probably a pre-incarnate appearance of Christ, Lucifer who is the leader of all demons, and Abaddon who is the leader of the demons bound in the abyss.

Reflection

What stood out most in the reading and why?
How many specific angels are mentioned in Scripture and who are they?
Describe the specific angels and their roles and any applications that can be taken from them.
What other questions or applications did you take from the reading?

Scripture quotations marked (KJV) are from the King James Version of the Bible.

All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added.

¹ Grudem, W. A. (2004). Systematic theology: an introduction to biblical doctrine (p. 398). Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; Zondervan Pub. House.

² MacArthur, J., & Mayhue, R. (Eds.). (2017). Biblical Doctrine: A Systematic Summary of Bible Truth (p. 669). Wheaton, IL: Crossway.

³ MacDonald, W. (1995). Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments. (A. Farstad, Ed.) (p. 2342). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

⁴ MacArthur, J., & Mayhue, R. (Eds.). (2017). Biblical Doctrine: A Systematic Summary of Bible Truth (p. 669). Wheaton, IL: Crossway.

⁵ Enns, Paul. The Moody Handbook of Theology (p. 303). Moody Publishers. Kindle Edition.

⁶ Enns, Paul. The Moody Handbook of Theology (p. 303). Moody Publishers. Kindle Edition.

Related Topics: Angelology

5. Closing Principles

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What are some closing principles that we should take from our study of angels?

1. We should always stand in awe of the amazing grace we have received in salvation.

Though there was an angelic fall first, God did not send his Son to die for the sins of fallen angels. He simply gave them justice and thereby displayed his holiness. But with humans, God chose to display his grace—his unmerited favor on those who did not deserve it. With that said, God has not only displayed his grace in saving humans but also in the fact that the church has become the body of Christ (Eph 1:21-22, 1 Cor 12:13), is in union with him (Eph 1:3), and therefore is a co-heir with him (Rom 8:17). Because of their relation to Christ, believers will one day have a higher status than angels (Eph 1:20-22, 2:6). In fact, in 1 Corinthians 6:3, Paul said that believers will one day judge angels. Again, this should make believers stand in awe of God’s great and gracious plan for sinful humans like us who have repented of our sins and followed Christ as our Lord and Savior.

2. We should be aware, encouraged, and thankful for the daily, unseen activities of angels on our behalf.

In Scripture, angels are mentioned as an encouragement for our daily lives. Again, Hebrews 1:14 says, “Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out to serve those who will inherit salvation?” When we experience God’s supernatural protection in a specific situation or sustained good mental and physical health, we should realize that God probably used angels in the process. Psalm 91:10-12 says, “No harm will overtake you; no illness will come near your home. For he will order his angels to protect you in all you do. They will lift you up in their hands, so you will not slip and fall on a stone.” In addition, when God gives us special revelation into his Word or guidance for an important decision, it’s possible God used one of his messengers to reveal it to us, even as he did throughout biblical history.

Furthermore, every time we enter into worship, Scripture says we enter the heavenly Jerusalem where we worship with angels. Hebrews 12:22-24 says,

But you have come to Mount Zion, the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, to the assembly and congregation of the firstborn, who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous, who have been made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks of something better than Abel’s does.

When others miss worship or are not passionate in worship, we should be encouraged by the fact that in the spiritual realm, unseen angels sing and worship God with all their hearts along with us.

Also, it is possible that God may send angels to visit us to confirm our obedience or disobedience to his commands. With Abraham, angels visited his house, no doubt, to confirm his obedience to God and bless him (Gen 18). After, they visited Sodom to confirm their immorality and save Lot and his family (Gen 19). No doubt, God may at times do the same with us. The author of Hebrews warns believers about this:

Brotherly love must continue. Do not neglect hospitality, because through it some have entertained angels without knowing it. Remember those in prison as though you were in prison with them, and those ill-treated as though you too felt their torment.

Hebrews 13:1-3

Finally, the presence of angels should also be an encouragement to not sin or be unfaithful in our duties to God. It should always be remembered that angels watch not only our obedience to God but also our disobedience to him. With this in mind, Paul challenged Timothy to faithfully practice church discipline in the church, even when it included disciplining erring elders. In 1 Timothy 5:21, he said: “Before God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels, I solemnly charge you to carry out these commands without prejudice or favoritism of any kind.” Wayne Grudem’s insights on this are helpful:

Moreover, we should be aware that angels are watching our obedience or disobedience to God through the day. Even if we think our sins are done in secret and bring grief to no one else, we should be sobered by the thought that perhaps even hundreds of angels witness our disobedience and are grieved. On the other hand, when we are discouraged and think that our faithful obedience to God is witnessed by no one and is an encouragement to no one, we can be comforted by the realization that perhaps hundreds of angels witness our lonely struggle, daily “longing to look” at the way Christ’s great salvation finds expression in our lives.¹

3. We should consider angels as part of our spiritual family—as co-servants and worshipers of God.

Though angels are not part of the church—the body of Christ—they are part of the family of God, since they are called “sons of God” throughout the Old Testament (Job 1:6, 2:1). In Ephesians 3:14-15, when Paul says, “For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on the earth is named,” he may be talking about God as Father of all created beings—both human and angelic.² Angels are part of God’s family and, therefore, our family. Throughout eternity we will serve and worship God together.

4. We should seek to model them in faithful obedience and worship to God.

As mentioned throughout the study, Christ taught that we should pray, “may your kingdom come, may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matt 6:10). When considering how God’s will is done in heaven, certainly this applies to the activity of angels. No matter how mundane or great the task, angels obey swiftly, joyfully, and in a worshipful manner. We must model them in how we serve God and pray that others would do the same.

5. We should never worship, pray to, or seek angels.

Because angels are so awesome, powerful, and glorious, there can be a temptation to worship them. In Revelation 19, John was tempted to worship an angel because of how glorious he was. Revelation 19:10 says:

So I threw myself down at his feet to worship him, but he said, “Do not do this! I am only a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold to the testimony about Jesus. Worship God, for the testimony about Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”

Likewise, some Christian groups have errantly prayed to or worshiped angels. Apparently, there were false teachers in Colosse teaching others to pray to and worship angels. In Colossians 2:19, Paul said:

Let no one who delights in humility and the worship of angels pass judgment on you. That person goes on at great lengths about what he has supposedly seen, but he is puffed up with empty notions by his fleshly mind.

Christ is the only mediator between God and man (1 Tim 2:5). There is no need to pray to or seek prayers from angels. In fact, because Jews tended to overly exalts angels, the writer of Hebrews focused on how superior God’s Son is. In Hebrews 1:5-14, he said:

For to which of the angels did God ever say, “You are my son! Today I have fathered you”? And in another place he says, “I will be his father and he will be my son.” But when he again brings his firstborn into the world, he says, “Let all the angels of God worship him!” And he says of the angels, “He makes his angels spirits and his ministers a flame of fire,” but of the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, and a righteous scepter is the scepter of your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness. So God, your God, has anointed you over your companions with the oil of rejoicing.” And, “You founded the earth in the beginning, Lord, and the heavens are the works of your hands. They will perish, but you continue. And they will all grow old like a garment, and like a robe you will fold them up and like a garment they will be changed, but you are the same and your years will never run out.” But to which of the angels has he ever said, “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet”? Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out to serve those who will inherit salvation?

Christ is far superior to any angel because, as God, he created angels. Christ made angels to not only worship and serve him but to serve believers—those who will inherit salvation. We should never worship, pray to, or even seek angels. We should worship, pray to, and seek God (Rev 19:10).

6. We should be cautious about receiving false doctrine from angels.

In Galatians 1:8, Paul warns of this when he said, “But even if we (or an angel from heaven) should preach a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be condemned to hell!” He warns of this because it is a very real possibility—not that a holy angel would ever teach false doctrine, but a demonic angel would. In 2 Corinthians 11:4, Paul said, “And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.”

This has happened throughout history in various ways. Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism, claimed to have received the insights in the book of Mormon from an angel. Many of the teachings in the book of Mormon contradict Scripture and, therefore, could not have come from a holy angel. Likewise, Muhammad, the founding prophet of Islam, claimed to have received the teachings in the Koran from an angel. We can be sure any insight or revelation from God will never contradict Scripture.

Conclusion

Praise God for his creation of angels! The writer of Hebrews says, “Let all the angels of God worship him!” and “He makes his angels spirits and his ministers a flame of fire” (Heb 1:6-7). Thank you, Lord, for our fellow servants who worship and serve you perfectly. Give us the grace to do the same! Amen!

Reflection

What stood out most in the reading and why?
In what ways should we be aware, encouraged, and thankful for angels and their activities on our behalf?
In what ways should we be cautious of angels or our view of them?
What other questions or applications did you take from the reading?

Scripture quotations marked (KJV) are from the King James Version of the Bible.

All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added.

¹ Grudem, W. A. (2004). Systematic theology: an introduction to biblical doctrine (pp. 405–406). Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; Zondervan Pub. House.

² MacDonald, W. (1995). Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments. (A. Farstad, Ed.) (p. 1929). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

Related Topics: Angelology

Appendix 1: Study Group Tips

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Leading a small group using the Bible Teacher’s Guide can be done in various ways. One format for leading a small group is the “study group” model, where each member prepares and shares in the teaching. This appendix will cover tips for facilitating a weekly study group.

Each week the members of the study group will read through a select chapter of the guide, answer the reflection questions (see Appendix 2), and come prepared to share in the group.
Prior to each meeting, a different member can be selected to lead the group and share Question 1 of the reflection questions, which is to give a short summary of the chapter read. This section of the gathering could last from five to fifteen minutes. This way, each member can develop their gift of teaching. It also will make them study harder during the week. Or, each week the same person could share the summary.
After the summary has been given, the leader for that week will facilitate discussions through the rest of the reflection questions and also ask select review questions from the chapter.
After discussion, the group will share prayer requests and pray for one another.

The strength of the study group is the fact that the members will be required to prepare their responses before the meeting, which will allow for easier discussion. In addition, each member will be given the opportunity to teach, which will further equip their ministry skills. The study group model has distinct advantages.

Related Topics: Angelology

Appendix 2: Reflection Questions

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Writing is one of the best ways to learn. In class, we take notes and write papers, and these methods are used to help us learn and retain the material. The same is true with the Word of God. Obviously, all the authors of Scripture were writers. This helped them better learn the Scriptures and also enabled them to more effectively teach it. As you reflect on God’s Word, using the Bible Teacher’s Guide, take time to write so you can similarly grow both in your learning and teaching.

How would you summarize the main points of the text/chapter? Write a brief summary.
What stood out to you most in the reading? Did any of the contents trigger any memories or experiences? If so, please share them.
What follow–up questions did you have about the reading? What parts did you not fully agree with?
What applications did you take from the reading, and how do you plan to implement them into your life?
Write several commitment statements: As a result of my time studying God’s Word, I will . . .
What are some practical ways to pray as a result of studying the text? Spend some time ministering to the Lord through prayer.

Related Topics: Angelology

Appendix 3: Walking The Romans Road

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How can a person be saved? From what is he saved? How can someone have eternal life? Scripture teaches that after death each person will spend eternity either in heaven or hell. How can a person go to heaven?

Paul said this to Timothy:

You, however, must continue in the things you have learned and are confident about. You know who taught you and how from infancy you have known the holy writings, which are able to give you wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

2 Timothy 3:14-15

One of the reasons God gave us Scripture is to make us wise for salvation. This means that without it, nobody can know how to be saved.

Well then, how can a people be saved and what are they being saved from? A common method of sharing the good news of salvation is through the Romans Road. One of the great themes, not only of the Bible, but specifically of the book of Romans is salvation. In Romans, the author, Paul, clearly details the steps we must take in order to be saved.

How can we be saved? What steps must we take?

Step One: We Must Accept That We Are Sinners

Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” What does it mean to sin? The word sin means “to miss the mark.” The mark we missed is reflecting God’s image. When God created mankind in the Genesis narrative, he created man in the “image of God” (1:27). The “image of God” means many things, but probably, most importantly it means we were made to be holy just as he is holy. Man was made moral. We were meant to reflect God’s holiness in every way: the way we think, the way we talk, and the way we act. And any time we miss the mark in these areas, we commit sin.

Furthermore, we do not only sin when we commit a sinful act such as lying, stealing, or cheating. Again, we sin anytime we have a wrong heart motive. The greatest commandments in Scripture are to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and to love your neighbor as yourself” (Matt 22:36-40, paraphrase). Whenever we don’t love God supremely and love others as ourselves, we sin and fall short of the glory of God. For this reason, man is always in a state of sinning. Sadly, even if our actions are good, our heart is bad. I have never loved God with my whole heart, mind, and soul, and neither has anybody else. Therefore, we have all sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23). We have all missed the mark of God’s holiness and we must accept this.

What’s the next step?

Step Two: We Must Understand We Are Under The Judgment Of God

Why are we under the judgment of God? It is because of our sins. Scripture teaches that God is not only a loving God, but he is also a just God. And his justice requires judgment for each of our sins. Romans 6:23 says, “For the payoff of sin is death.”

A payoff or wage is something we earn. Every time we sin, we earn the wage of death. What is death? Death really means separation. In physical death, the body is separated from the spirit, but in spiritual death, man is separated from God. Man currently lives in a state of spiritual death (cf. Eph 2:1-3). We do not love God, obey him, or know him as we should. Therefore, man is in a state of death.

Moreover, one day at our physical death, if we have not been saved, we will spend eternity separated from God in a very real hell. In hell, we will pay the wage for each of our sins. Therefore, in hell people will experience various degrees of punishment (cf. Lk 12:47-48). This places man in a very dangerous predicament—unholy and therefore under the judgment of God.

How should we respond to this? This leads us to our third step.

Step Three: We Must Recognize God Has Invited All To Accept His Free Gift Of Salvation

Romans 6:23 does not stop at the wages of sin being death. It says, “For the payoff of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Because God loved everybody on the earth, he offered the free gift of eternal life, which anyone can receive through Jesus Christ.

Because it is a gift, it cannot be earned. We cannot work for it. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God; it is not from works, so that no one can boast.”

Going to church, being baptized, giving to the poor, or doing any other righteous work does not save. Salvation is a gift that must be received from God. It is a gift that has been prepared by his effort alone.

How do we receive this free gift?

Step Four: We Must Believe Jesus Christ Died For Our Sins And Rose From The Dead

If we are going to receive this free gift, we must believe in God’s Son, Jesus Christ. Because God loved us, cared for us, and didn’t want us to be separated from him eternally, he sent his Son to die for our sins. Romans 5:8 says, “But God demonstrates his own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Similarly, John 3:16 says, “For this is the way God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” God so loved us that he gave his only Son for our sins.

Jesus Christ was a real, historical person who lived 2,000 years ago. He was born of a virgin. He lived a perfect life. He was put to death by the Romans and the Jews. And after he was buried, he rose again on the third day. In his death, he took our sins and God’s wrath for them and gave us his perfect righteousness so we could be accepted by God. Second Corinthians 5:21 says, “God made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we would become the righteousness of God.” God did all this so we could be saved from his wrath.

Christ’s death satisfied the just anger of God over our sins. When God looked at Jesus on the cross, he saw us and our sins and therefore judged Jesus. And now, when God sees those who are saved, he sees his righteous Son and accepts us. In salvation, we have become the righteousness of God.

If we are going to be saved, if we are going to receive this free gift of salvation, we must believe in Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection for our sins (cf. 1 Cor 15:3-5, Rom 10:9-10). Do you believe?

Step Five: We Must Confess Christ As Lord Of Our Lives

Romans 10:9-10 says,

Because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and thus has righteousness and with the mouth one confesses and thus has salvation.

Not only must we believe, but we must confess Christ as Lord of our lives. It is one thing to believe in Christ but another to follow Christ. Simple belief does not save. Christ must be our Lord. James said this: “…Even the demons believe that – and tremble with fear” (James 2:19), but the demons are not saved—Christ is not their Lord.

Another aspect of making Christ Lord is repentance. Repentance really means a change of mind that leads to a change of direction. Before we met Christ, we were living our own life and following our own sinful desires. But when we get saved, our mind and direction change. We start to follow Christ as Lord.

How do we make this commitment to the lordship of Christ so we can be saved? Paul said we must confess with our mouth “Jesus is Lord” as we believe in him. Romans 10:13 says, “For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

If you admit that you are a sinner and understand you are under God’s wrath because of it; if you believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God, that he died on the cross for your sins, and rose from the dead for your salvation; if you are ready to turn from your sin and cling to Christ as Lord, you can be saved.

If this is your heart, then you can pray this prayer and commit to following Christ as your Lord.

Dear heavenly Father, I confess I am a sinner and have fallen short of your glory, what you made me for. I believe Jesus Christ died on the cross to pay the penalty for my sins and rose from the dead so I can have eternal life. I am turning away from my sin and accepting you as my Lord and Savior. Come into my life and change me. Thank you for your gift of salvation.

Scripture teaches that if you truly accepted Christ as your Lord, then you are a new creation. Second Corinthians 5:17 says, “So then, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; what is old has passed away – look, what is new has come!” God has forgiven your sins (1 John 1:9), he has given you his Holy Spirit (Rom 8:15), and he is going to disciple you and make you into the image of his Son (cf. Rom 8:29). He will never leave you nor forsake you (Heb 13:5), and he will complete the work he has begun in your life (Phil 1:6). In heaven, angels and saints are rejoicing because of your commitment to Christ (Lk 15:7).

Praise God for his great salvation! May God keep you in his hand, empower you through the Holy Spirit, train you through mature believers, and use you to build his kingdom! “He who calls you is trustworthy, and he will in fact do this” (1 Thess 5:24). God bless you!

Scripture quotations marked (KJV) are from the King James Version of the Bible.

All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added.

Related Topics: Angelology

1. What Is the Church

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What is the church? The English word “church” comes from the Greek word “ekklesia,” which means “a gathering” or “an assembly” or literally “called-out-ones.” It was a word used of any gathering or congregation—not only a religious one. In Matthew 16:18, Christ used it when describing a future congregation of people he would gather. He said, “And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.” This church would be full of people who God “called out” from the world to be Christ’s disciples. In John 6:37-39, Christ said this:

Everyone whom the Father gives me will come to me, and the one who comes to me I will never send away. For I have come down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of the one who sent me. Now this is the will of the one who sent me—that I should not lose one person of every one he has given me, but raise them all up at the last day.

Also, in John 17:1-2 and 15-18, Christ said this in his high priestly prayer before going to the cross:

… Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, so that your Son may glorify you—just as you have given him authority over all humanity, so that he may give eternal life to everyone you have given him … I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but that you keep them safe from the evil one. They do not belong to the world just as I do not belong to the world. Set them apart in the truth; your word is truth. Just as you sent me into the world, so I sent them into the world

Christ described those God gave him (his disciples) as in the world but not “of” the world. The “in” but not “of” demonstrates that the church, though in the world, would be vastly different from the world—in their speech, actions, values, and motivations. It consists of those who have repented of their sins and believed in Christ as their Lord and Savior (John 3:16, Acts 2:38, Rom 10:9-10). In repenting, they have turned away from living for the world (and themselves) to live for Christ. They have been called out of the world to be a blessing to the world. In Matthew 5:13-16, Christ said this to his disciples:

You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its flavor, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled on by people. You are the light of the world. A city located on a hill cannot be hidden. People do not light a lamp and put it under a basket but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before people, so that they can see your good deeds and give honor to your Father in heaven.

Inhabitants

Who are the inhabitants of the church? Though it has a simple answer, like “those who repent of their sins and believe in Christ as their Lord and Savior,” it is more complicated than that. Historically, there has been great debate over this question.

Some would say the church includes believers in God from all time periods, including Old Testament believers and specifically those in the nation of Israel. (1) They would say this because some texts use the Greek word “ekklesia” to describe Israel in the Old Testament. For example, in Acts 7:38, Luke wrote about Moses and Israel in the wilderness: “This is the man who was in the congregation in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him at Mount Sinai, and with our ancestors, and he received living oracles to give to you.” “Congregation” is the same word “ekklesia” which is used for “church.” Also, Hebrews 2:12, which is a quote by Christ from Psalm 22:22 says, “I will declare your name to my countrymen! In the middle of the assembly I will praise you!” The word “assembly,” which in the context of the Psalms probably referred to Israel, is the Greek word “ekklesia.”¹

(2) In addition, throughout the New Testament, the same terminology that was used to describe ethnic Israel is commonly used of the church, often prompting people to call the church the “new Israel” or “spiritual Israel.” For example, in Galatians 3:29, Paul says: ^“And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to the promise.” Also, in Romans 4:11, Abraham is called “the father of all those who believe.” Therefore, though not physical descendants of Abraham, like Israel, the church is a spiritual descendant because they have Abraham’s faith in God and because they belong to Christ—the ultimate seed of Abraham (Gal 3:16). Therefore, it is commonly believed that spiritual Israel, the church, inherits all the promises of physical Israel. This view is often called “replacement” theology (or supersessionism). Likewise, in 1 Peter 2:9, Peter says this about the church: “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own, so that you may proclaim the virtues.” These are all things originally said about Israel, which gives further evidence to the church being the new Israel (cf. Ex 19:5-6, Dt 7:6, 14:2, etc.). With that said, many only see these texts as showing similarities between the church and Israel as they are both God’s people. Israel was God’s instrument in the Old Testament to draw people to the Lord, and the church (which includes believing Jews) is God’s instrument in the New.

(3) Furthermore, there are several texts, it is argued, which refer to the church as a continuation of Israel or replacing Israel in God’s plan. For example, Romans 2:28-29 says:

For a person is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision something that is outward in the flesh, but someone is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is of the heart by the Spirit and not by the written code. This person’s praise is not from people but from God.

Here, it is said that Paul is broadening the understanding of a Jew. True Jews are not ethnic, but those who have been transformed spiritually, including Jew and Gentile. William Barclay said this about Paul’s words:

Jewishness, he insists, is not a matter of race at all; it has nothing to do with circumcision. It is a matter of conduct. If that is so, many a so-called Jew, who is a pure descendant of Abraham and who bears the mark of circumcision on his body, is no Jew at all; and equally, many Gentiles, who never heard of Abraham and who would never dream of being circumcised, are Jews in the real sense of the term. To Jews, this would sound like the wildest heresy and leave them angry and aghast.²

However, many disagree with this interpretation. They would say that Paul is not broadening who a true Jew is, but narrowing it to saved Jews within the nation of Israel. Christ at times did the same thing in the Gospels. With the Jews who wanted to kill him, he claimed they were not true children of Abraham. John 8:38-39 details this:

They answered him, “Abraham is our father!” Jesus replied, “If you are Abraham’s children, you would be doing the deeds of Abraham. But now you are trying to kill me, a man who has told you the truth I heard from God. Abraham did not do this!

Only Jews who practice Abraham’s faith are true Jews. Likewise, Christ spoke of other Jews as being true children of Abraham—meaning that they were saved. After Zacchaeus repented of his sins by declaring he would give half of his wealth to the poor and repay those he had cheated, Christ said to him: “Today salvation has come to this household, because he too is a son of Abraham!” (Lk 19:9). He was a true Jew. Likewise, Christ said the same thing to the woman who had been bent over for eighteen years because of a demonic spirit. She was a “daughter of Abraham” (Lk 13:16)—referring to her being truly saved. It is unlikely that Christ was broadening the definition of a child of Abraham at that time since he originally was “sent only to the lost sheep of Israel” (Matt 15:24; cf. Rom 1:16).

Like Christ referring to a true remnant of believers in Israel (Lk 19:9, 13:16, Rev 2:9, 3:9), in Romans 2:28-29, Paul seems to be doing the same. A true Jew is one inwardly and not outwardly—referring to Jewish believers within the nation of Israel. Further evidence for this is the fact that Paul continually refers to the nation of Israel as a separate entity from the church throughout Romans (Chapters 9-11).

Likewise, the same argument is made about Romans 9:6. In it, Paul says, “...For not all those who are descended from Israel are truly Israel.” It is argued that when Paul speaks of some being “truly Israel,” he is referring to the church, not ethnic, believing Israelites. However, in the context, Paul is arguing that God is not done with ethnic Israel. In Romans 9:3-6, he says:

For I could wish that I myself were accursed—cut off from Christ—for the sake of my people, my fellow countrymen, who are Israelites. To them belong the adoption as sons, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the temple worship, and the promises. To them belong the patriarchs, and from them, by human descent, came the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever! Amen. It is not as though the word of God had failed. For not all those who are descended from Israel are truly Israel.

Paul will later definitively argue that God is not done with ethnic Israel as they are God’s elect and God’s gift and call are irrevocable. In fact, all of Israel will be saved at Christ’s return. Romans 11:26-29 says:

And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: “The Deliverer will come out of Zion; he will remove ungodliness from Jacob. And this is my covenant with them, when I take away their sins.” In regard to the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but in regard to election they are dearly loved for the sake of the fathers. For the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable.

Again, it seems that in Romans 2:28-29 and 9:6, Paul is referring to Jewish Christians within Israel as being “true Israel” or “true Jews.” He was not saying that the church is the new Israel, nor that God has removed his promises to ethnic Israel. Paul actually argues the opposite of that.

Another verse commonly cited by those who see the church as a continuation of Old Testament Israel is Galatians 6:16, which says, “And all who will behave in accordance with this rule, peace and mercy be on them, and on the Israel of God.” Depending on how one translates this verse, it could either be distinguishing between Gentile believers and Jewish believers or only speaking of one group—the church as the Israel of God. The NET translation, “and on the Israel of God,” distinguishes between Gentile and Jewish Christians, as they are separated by the conjunction “and.” The NIV translation, “Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule—to the Israel of God” seems to support the church as being “the Israel of God.” There is obviously merit for both translations; however, when studying how the term Israel is used throughout the Old and New Testament to refer to national Israel, it seems best to interpret “Israel of God” as referring to Jewish believers. John MacArthur in his book Bible Doctrine said this:

Of the more than two thousand uses of the term Israel in Scripture, more than seventy are found in the New Testament. Biblical commentators agree that most of these occurrences refer to ethnic Israel (either the nation as a whole or a group of Jewish people). However, some contend that on certain occasions the New Testament authors apply the name Israel to the church. Yet when the passages in question are studied carefully, it becomes evident that only ethnic Israelites are in view. Consequently, a compelling case can be made to demonstrate that, whenever the New Testament writers use the term Israel, they reserve it exclusively for national Israel.³

The view that sees the church including all believers of all times, including Old Testament believers, has been a common view throughout history in both Protestant and Catholic theology.⁴ It sees the church and Israel as the same, the church as an expansion or fulfillment of Israel, or even replacing Israel altogether. God has one people group who he is expanding his kingdom through—not two. Therefore, all of God’s promises to national Israel are ultimately fulfilled in the church, which now consists of believing Jews and Gentiles. Promises such as Israel eternally having a land, a Davidic king that rules from Jerusalem, a millennial temple, nations coming to worship in Jerusalem, and ethnic Israel being a blessing to all nations, in this view, all symbolize the church in some way.

The view that sees the church including only New Testament believers (Jews and Gentiles together as one entity) is called the dispensational view, which is probably the most popular view in American evangelicalism today.⁵ They would see Israel and the church as separate entities with many similarities, such as being children of Abraham (Rom 4:11-12), but with different blessings and callings from God. Israel’s promises are commonly earthly, such as having a land, them blessing the nations, and Christ ruling over them and the world from Jerusalem. According to dispensationalism, God will ultimately restore Israel to himself (Rom 11:25-27) and fulfill his promises to her in the millennial kingdom (Is 65, Rev 20). The church’s promises are more commonly heavenly, such as being seated with Christ in heaven (Eph 2:6), having every spiritual blessing in heavenly places (Eph 1:3), being the body of Christ (1 Cor 12:13), and eventually ruling with Christ, as his bride, in heaven and on earth (Rev 19:6-7, Lk 19:16-19).

(1) Support for the belief that the church includes only New Testament believers is the fact that Scripture speaks of it as something new—not existing in the past. For example, in Matthew 16:18, Christ said that he would “build” his church. The future tense suggests that the church was something new and not a continuation of something old. Also, in Ephesians 3:2-6, Paul calls the formation of the church as Jewish and Gentile fellow heirs a “divine secret” or “mystery” which was revealed to him and not to “former generations.” Certainly, it was always God’s plan for Israel to be a light to the Gentiles and a blessing to them, but Israel becoming one with Gentiles in the church and fellow heirs was never clearly revealed. In Ephesians 2:15, Paul describes how Christ “created in himself one new man out of two”—referring to believing Jews and Gentiles being the church. Since the church is a “new man” and not a continuation of something previously existing, this again suggests the church did not exist in the Old Testament.

(2) Additional evidence that the church is a separate entity from Israel and other Old Testament believers is the description of present heavenly worshipers in Hebrews 12:22-23. It says:

In this heavenly description of worship, it separates angels, the church, and the spirits of the righteous men made perfect. The righteous made perfect seems to clearly refer to Old Testament saints, including Israel, while the church refers to New Testament believers who came to faith after Christ’s death and resurrection.

(3) Another evidence that the church began in the New Testament and does not include Old Testament saints is the fact that the body of Christ, which is equivalent to the church (Rom 12:5, 1 Cor 12:27), was not formed until the Holy Spirit was given at Pentecost after Christ’s ascension (Acts 2). In 1 Corinthians 12:12-13, Paul says:

For just as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body—though many—are one body, so too is Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body. Whether Jews or Greeks or slaves or free, we were all made to drink of the one Spirit.

Likewise, it was after Christ’s resurrection and ascension that he became the head of the church. After describing how God resurrected Christ and seated him in the heavenlies (Eph 1:20-21), Paul said this: “And God put all things under Christ’s feet, and he gave him to the church as head over all things. Now the church is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all” (Eph 1:22-23). In the Old Testament, believers in God associated with Israel; however, in the New Testament, believers become part of Christ’s body, which was formed when the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost (Acts 2). Charles Ryrie summarizes this concept:

Though there is a continuity between the redeemed of all ages (simply because they are redeemed and their common destiny is heaven), there is a discontinuity because redeemed today are placed in the body of Christ and not in some sort of Israel. Similarly the redeemed before Abraham’s day (like Enoch and Noah) did not belong to Israel, yet they belonged to the family of God. So there are pre-Israel redeemed (pre-Abrahamic saints) and post-Israel saints (Christians in the body of Christ).⁶

(4) Finally, as mentioned previously, of the seventy plus times the term Israel is used in the New Testament, most clearly refer to national Israel, and of the few times that some believe it refers to the church as “spiritual Israel” or the “Israel of God,” there are compelling arguments that those also refer to ethnic Israelites, albeit believing ones.⁷ Consequently, it appears that the church does not include Old Testament believers; it is a formation of believing Jews and Gentiles who have been included in the body of Christ since the coming of the Spirit at Pentecost (cf. Acts 2, 1 Cor 12:13).

With all that said, though Israel and the church may be different, they are both part of God’s plan to establish his eternal kingdom and are both part of God’s people.⁸ The heavenly Jerusalem, which will descend to earth in the eternal stage, will have twelve gates with the names of the twelve tribes of Israel and twelve foundations with the names of the apostles (Rev 21:12-13)—representing both Israel and the church. Ultimately, God’s people from all ages will glorify the Lord in his kingdom throughout eternity.

Origin

If the church didn’t exist in the Old Testament, when was it formed? In 1 Corinthians 12:13-14, Paul said this:

For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body. Whether Jews or Greeks or slaves or free, we were all made to drink of the one Spirit. For in fact the body is not a single member, but many.

Paul’s description in 1 Corinthians 12:13 of believers being baptized with one Spirit into the body of Christ indicates that the church began and was formed at Pentecost in Acts 2. Before ascending to heaven, Christ told his disciples to wait in Jerusalem until they were empowered and baptized with God’s Spirit. In Acts 1:4-5, Christ said this:

Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait there for what my Father promised, which you heard about from me. For John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.

Then, in Acts 2:4, God’s Spirit baptized the disciples, and they spoke in new tongues, symbolizing the new work that God began with his church (cf. Acts 11:15-16). Through Spirit baptism, God formed the body of Christ, which would be Christ’s visible witness on the earth. After being baptized with power from above, Peter preached to a great multitude gathered for Pentecost, saying, “Repent, and each one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). Three thousand responded—forming the first local church, which resided in Jerusalem. As people repented and followed Christ, they immediately became part of the body of Christ, the church.

As often considered, the church did not begin with saints in the Old Testament but with believers at Pentecost, as Jews who repented and believed in Christ were baptized with the Spirit into the newly formed body of Christ (1 Cor 12:13). Later, Gentiles began to follow Christ and became part of his church (Acts 8 and 10). The church is Jew and Gentile believers unified, empowered, and sanctified by God’s Spirit in order to glorify God, serve one another, and reach the world for Christ, as his visible representation.

Invisible and Visible

Scripture teaches that the church is both invisible and visible. In what ways is the church invisible? Ephesians 2:6 says, “And he raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus.” When a person is born again by faith in Christ, they are spiritually raised and seated in heavenly places with Christ. God reckons believers as his Son and the privileges and positions he has, they have, since they are his body (1 Cor 12:13). This is demonstrated in the commonly repeated phrase throughout the New Testament epistles, “in Christ.” Ephesians 1:3 says, “Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms in Christ.” Second Corinthians 5:17 says, “So then, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; what is old has passed away—look, what is new has come!” Hebrews 12:22-23 describes this spiritual reality of believers being seated in heaven with Christ. It says,

This describes the spiritual reality of the invisible church, seated in heavenly places with Christ. The invisible church includes all born again believers, including those alive on earth and those deceased, awaiting their resurrected bodies in heaven.

With that said, Scripture also talks about a visible church, which would not only include born again believers but also professing believers who are not born again. In Matthew 7:21-23, Christ described this unfortunate reality. He said:

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven—only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. On that day, many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, and in your name cast out demons and do many powerful deeds?’ Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you. Go away from me, you lawbreakers!’

Christ describes how there are many in the church, sometimes even serving and leading in congregations, who are deceived about their salvation. They call him, “Lord” but are not truly saved—their life of iniquity proves this reality.

Likewise, in the Parable of the Wheat and the Weeds, Christ describes this. In Matthew 13:36-43, he said:

Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples came to him saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.” He answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world and the good seed are the people of the kingdom. The weeds are the people of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. As the weeds are collected and burned with fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather from his kingdom everything that causes sin as well as all lawbreakers. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. The one who has ears had better listen!

In the kingdom of God—the place of God’s rule—Christ has planted good seed, representing true believers, and the enemy, the devil, has planted weeds, who are not truly saved. Planting weeds amongst wheat was not an uncommon practice in ancient societies when an enemy was trying to sabotage another person’s harvest. The weeds would choke the wheat, hinder growth, and possibly destroy the harvest. That’s what Satan has tried to do with Christ’s church.

Other parables demonstrate this current state of God’s kingdom as well. In the Parable of the Net (Matt 13:47-50), Christ describes the kingdom as a great net that fishermen threw into the sea, catching both good fish and bad fish. The good fish are kept, and the bad fish are burned. Christ said that’s how it will be at the end of the age, as the angels throw false believers into the furnace. Likewise, in the Parable of the Virgins (Matt 25:1-13), there were five virgins with oil and five virgins without. When the bridegroom returned, the virgins with oil entered the wedding banquet, but the others, who called the bridegroom, “Lord, Lord,” were left out. The bridegroom told them, “I do not know you” (Matt 25:11). In addition, in the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats (Matt 25:31-46), Christ described his return to earth. Those who cared for the least of these, including the hungry, the imprisoned, and those without clothes, were the sheep who entered the kingdom. As they served the least, they served Christ. However, those who neglected the needy were goats. They were rejected from the kingdom and sent into eternal fire (v. 41), though they called Christ, “Lord” (v. 37).

This is the visible church—full of true believers and false believers. Because of this reality, in 2 Corinthians 13:5, Paul said to the Corinthians, “Put yourselves to the test to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize regarding yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you—unless, indeed, you fail the test!” Likewise, in 2 Peter 1:10, Peter said this to believers: “Therefore, my brothers, make every effort to be sure of your calling and election. For by doing this you will never stumble into sin.”

Believers must test the reality of their faith by discerning their fruits (cf. 1 John 5:13, Matt 7:16). Has their profession provoked them to a life of obedience to God’s Word? Or, are they calling Christ, “Lord,” but not living for him? In Matthew 7:21, Christ said only those who did his Father’s will would enter the kingdom. Also, in verse 23, Christ told the professing believers who were serving in leadership within the church, “Depart from me, you workers of iniquity, I never knew you!” (paraphrase). Though they had religion, they had no relationship with Christ, and their profession had never changed their relationship with sin.

The church is both invisible and visible. The invisible church is seated in heavenly places with Christ and includes only true believers; but the visible church includes both true and false believers.

Local, Regional, and Universal

The church is also local, regional, and universal. At times, the word “church” is used in the New Testament to describe a local church, churches in a city or region, or the universal church consisting of all believers. Consider how Paul addressed the Corinthian church in 1 Corinthians 1:1-2:

From Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Sosthenes, our brother, to the church of God that is in Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, and called to be saints, with all those in every place who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours.

Clearly, there were many churches in the city of Corinth, but he addressed them all as “the church of God that is in Corinth.” In 1 Corinthians 16:19, Paul spoke about the churches in a region of Asia and a local church which met in Aquila’s and Priscilla’s house. He said, “The churches in the province of Asia send greetings to you. Aquila and Prisca greet you warmly in the Lord, with the church that meets in their house.” In Ephesians 5:25, Paul spoke about the universal church, including all true believers. He said, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her.”

As we consider the fact that the church is local, regional, and universal, it should reinforce our commitment to all three. As believers, we should not be content to be a part of the universal church, we should be committed to a local body of believers. Hebrews 10:25 says, “Not abandoning our own meetings, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and even more so because you see the day drawing near.” By being together and serving together, we mutually encourage one another, as we await the Lord’s coming. In addition, since a local church is part of the church in a city or region, they should not be isolated or competitive, but seek to pray together, serve together, and reach that city or region for Christ.

Finally, since all true believers are part of the universal church, we must remember and seek to serve the universal church. In Ephesians 6:18, Paul said, “With every prayer and petition, pray at all times in the Spirit, and to this end be alert, with all perseverance and requests for all the saints.” If the church in a certain nation is experiencing revival, we should give thanks and pray for it to continue. If the church in another area is being persecuted, we must mourn and pray for protection and justice. If the church in a specific city has needs, we should pray and seek to help in practical ways, if at all possible.

As believers, we must be committed to the church, which is local, regional, and universal. Christ is the head of the church for whom he gave his life. As he continually loves, serves, and prays for her (cf. Eph 5:25-26, Heb 7:25), so must we. He said they will know we are his disciples by the way we love one another (John 13:35).

Reflection

What stood out most in the reading and why?
Is the church and Israel the same? Why or why not?
In what ways is the church invisible and visible?
What applications can we take from the fact that the church is mentioned in Scripture as local, regional, and universal?
What other questions or applications did you take from the reading?

Scripture quotations marked (KJV) are from the King James Version of the Bible.

All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added.

¹ Grudem, Wayne A. Bible Doctrine: Essential Teachings of the Christian Faith (p. 364). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.

² Barclay, W. (2002). The Letter to the Romans (3rd ed. fully rev. & updated, p. 55). Louisville, KY; London: Westminster John Knox Press.

³ MacArthur, J., & Mayhue, R. (Eds.). (2017). Biblical Doctrine: A Systematic Summary of Bible Truth (p. 748). Wheaton, IL: Crossway.

⁴ Grudem, Wayne A. Bible Doctrine: Essential Teachings of the Christian Faith (p. 368). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.

⁵ Accessed 9/1/20 from https://www.gotquestions.org/covenant-theology.html

⁶ Ryrie, C. C. (1999). Basic Theology: A Popular Systematic Guide to Understanding Biblical Truth (p. 464). Chicago, IL: Moody Press.

⁷ MacArthur, J., & Mayhue, R. (Eds.). (2017). Biblical Doctrine: A Systematic Summary of Bible Truth (p. 748). Wheaton, IL: Crossway.

⁸ Grudem, Wayne A. Bible Doctrine: Essential Teachings of the Christian Faith (p. 367). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.

Related Topics: Ecclesiology (The Church)

2. Metaphors of the Church

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In the New Testament, there are at least eight metaphors used of believers and the church in general, which tell us something about God’s purposes for the church. We will consider each one and its applications:

1. The church is pictured as salt.

In Matthew 5:13, Christ said this to his disciples: “You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its flavor, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled on by people.” Salt was very valuable in ancient times. It was even used as payment for work. This is where the saying, “He is not worth his salt!” comes from. Christ was saying his church and the disciples within it would be very valuable to the world. Part of the reason salt was so valuable was because it was used as a seasoning, but more importantly, it was used as a preservative. Since they did not have refrigerators in ancient times, they would often use a saline solution to preserve food and keep it from decay.

In what ways does the church function as a preservative for the world? (1) As believers live righteous lives, pray, and share the gospel, they keep society from decaying morally and spiritually. This happens because righteous living influences others towards righteousness and staves off ungodliness. First Peter 2:11-12 says,

Dear friends, I urge you as foreigners and exiles to keep away from fleshly desires that do battle against the soul, and maintain good conduct among the non-Christians, so that though they now malign you as wrongdoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God when he appears.

The implication from Peter’s exhortation is that as believers live holy lives, nonbelievers may at times mock them and even persecute them; however, some will eventually accept Christ and glorify God when Christ returns because of his people’s righteous example and witness. Though believers are often mocked, rejected, and mistreated, they are needed. Their saltiness positively influences society and holds back moral decay.

(2) Also, in being righteous, believers hold back Gods’ wrath from the world. We get a great picture of this when God promised Abraham, he would not destroy Sodom if only ten righteous people were found in it (Gen 18:32). In addition, in Ezekiel 22:30, God promised that if he could find one person to pray for the land, he wouldn’t destroy it. It says, “I looked for a man from among them who would repair the wall and stand in the gap before me on behalf of the land, so that I would not destroy it, but I found no one.”

2. The church is pictured as light.

In Matthew 5:14, Christ said to his disciples, “You are the light of the world.” John MacArthur’s comments on the figurative use of light are helpful. He said:

In Scripture the figurative use of light has two aspects, the intellectual and the moral. Intellectually it represents truth, whereas morally it represents holiness … The figure of darkness has the same two aspects. Intellectually it represents ignorance and falsehood, whereas morally it connotes evil.¹

We see this in many places. Psalms 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp to walk by, and a light to illumine my path.” Here light refers to intellectual truth as seen in God’s Word. In Romans 13:12-14, it refers to moral deeds, and darkness refers to immoral deeds. It says,

The night has advanced toward dawn; the day is near. So then we must lay aside the works of darkness, and put on the weapons of light. Let us live decently as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in discord and jealousy. Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh to arouse its desires.

Light exposes darkness and gives off light, brightening a room or space. Therefore, in an intellectual sense, the church exposes lies, gets rid of them, and promotes truth. As the world continually loses a grip on truth, as relativism rules in our day, the church holds to it, as taught in Scripture. In 1 Timothy 3:15 (NIV), Paul called the church “the pillar and foundation of the truth.” Also, in a moral sense, as right becomes wrong and wrong becomes right in the world, the church exposes and condemns evil and promotes and practices righteousness. The church is the light of the world!

3. The church is pictured as a body.

In 1 Corinthians 12:13-18, Paul says:

For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body. Whether Jews or Greeks or slaves or free, we were all made to drink of the one Spirit. For in fact the body is not a single member, but many. If the foot says, “Since I am not a hand, I am not part of the body,” it does not lose its membership in the body because of that. And if the ear says, “Since I am not an eye, I am not part of the body,” it does not lose its membership in the body because of that. If the whole body were an eye, what part would do the hearing? If the whole were an ear, what part would exercise the sense of smell? But as a matter of fact, God has placed each of the members in the body just as he decided.

The metaphor of the church being a body tells us several things: (1) It teaches that believers are interdependent upon one another. Again, Paul said, the eye can’t replace the role of the ear, and the ear can’t replace the role of the nose. We need to see, hear, and smell. All three are necessary. Likewise, God has gifted believers differently—one may be a teacher, another a leader, another a counselor, and another an administrator or helper, and we need each to do God’s work. Therefore, believers are interdependent. To neglect the church by not using our gifts or relying on the gifts of others is to disable the church and to, also, spiritually impoverish ourselves. We need the eyes—the insight of others—and we need the ears—someone who will listen to us and care—and they need us as well. (2) The body metaphor also teaches us how Christ gets his work done on the earth. The church is Christ’s hands, feet, mouth, eyes, and ears. We may be the only Christ others will see, hear, or touch. Through us, his message is told, the weak are encouraged, the sick are healed, the lost are saved, and his justice is manifested.

Are we participating in Christ’s body and therefore his work of building up believers and saving an unbelieving world?

4. The church is pictured as a family.

In Matthew 12:49-50, Christ said this as he pointed to his disciples: “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” By saying this in the context of his mother and brothers asking for him (v. 47), Christ elevated spiritual family, even over natural family at times.

This reality shows us at least two things about the church. (1) It teaches that we should treat members of the church as family. In 1 Timothy 5:1-2, Paul said: “Do not address an older man harshly but appeal to him as a father. Speak to younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters—with complete purity.” In fact, in Paul’s letters, he commonly used family terminology to address the church and its members—calling them brothers (or brothers and sisters, depending on the Bible translation used). (2) In addition, the family metaphor reminds believers that they should prioritize the church over other people and things. In Galatians 6:10, Paul said, “So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who belong to the family of faith.” Believers should do good to all, but especially to other believers. This, no doubt, includes prioritizing gathering together to worship, fellowship, and serve. Hebrews 10:24-25 says:

And let us take thought of how to spur one another on to love and good works, not abandoning our own meetings, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and even more so because you see the day drawing near.

With spiritual family, we should continually think about them, love them, and meet together for mutual edification.

5. The church is pictured as a soldier.

In Ephesians 6:10-12, Paul said:

Then in verses 13-18, he describes the spiritual armor believers must wear such as the breastplate of righteousness, the belt of truth, the shield of faith, the sword of God’s Word, etc. These primarily refer to godly character traits and disciplines, which enable us to stand in our spiritual war against the devil and his demons. This means one of God’s purposes for the church is to be combative—defeating the devil and his work in individuals, society, and the world.

Christ mentioned this in Matthew 16:18, when describing his plan to build the church. He said, “… on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.” This is not a defensive picture but an offensive picture. It’s a picture of the church moving forward against the kingdom of Satan and the gates eventually falling. This happens as believers share the gospel and unbelievers come to Christ. It happens as unrighteous practices in communities and government are exposed and destroyed, as races are reconciled, unborn babies are delivered from abortion, trafficking is abolished, and justice happens in courts. Since the church represents Christ, it should expose evil and seek to bring righteousness in all areas. Ultimately, Christ will bring perfect righteousness when he comes to judge sin and rule the earth with his saints.

6. The church is pictured as a temple.

In 1 Corinthians 3:16-17, Paul says: “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you? If someone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, which is what you are.” When Paul says, “Do you not know that you are God’s temple,” the “you” is plural. Paul was referring to the church as God’s temple. Likewise, in 1 Peter 2:5, Peter said, “you yourselves, as living stones, are built up as a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood and to offer spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”

What does this mean practically about the church’s purpose? (1) It means the church is a place where God meets with believers. In Matthew 18:20, Christ said, “For where two or three are assembled in my name, I am there among them.” Though given in the context of church discipline, Christ is present any time people gather in his name to worship and serve him (cf. Ps 34:7, 1 Cor 3:16). (2) In addition, the church’s ultimate focus, before serving one another or others, is to worship God. Hebrews 13:15-16 says:

Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, acknowledging his name. And do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for God is pleased with such sacrifices.

The writer of Hebrews, in using the metaphor of sacrifices offered at the temple in worship, said that the believers’ praise, acts of goodness, and generosity are spiritual sacrifices that please God. Being a temple reminds us that the church’s focus is meeting with the living God and worshiping him. In fact, Romans 12:1 says that we should offer our bodies—referring to every part of our lives—as living sacrifices to God.

7. The church is pictured as a workmanship or masterpiece.

In Ephesians 2:10, Paul says, “For we are his workmanship, having been created in Christ Jesus for good works that God prepared beforehand so we may do them.” (1). Being called “God’s workmanship” demonstrates how the church was created for good works. This is true both individually and corporately, as the letter was written to local churches in Asia Minor and the individuals in those churches. As individuals, God has given us various gifts, talents, and experiences to use in building his kingdom. But, this is also true of local churches. Not all churches are the same. Some are especially gifted in missions, others deep teaching, others caring for the poor (possibly because of the community they are in), and others charismatic gifts. This reminds us that we not only need other believers as Christ’s body but also other churches. The body of Christ is not the local church, as though each could function independent of others; the body is the church universal, consisting of many congregations, which need each other to do the works God has called us to. (2) Also, “workmanship” can be translated “masterpiece” (NLT). This seems to demonstrate the beauty of God’s church and how perfectly he made her. This reminds us that the church is meant to bring glory to God, as it builds up believers and serves its communities. Matthew 5:16 says, “In the same way, let your light shine before people, so that they can see your good deeds and give honor to your Father in heaven.”

8. The church is pictured as a bride.

Ephesians 5:25-26 and 31-32 says:

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her to sanctify her by cleansing her with the washing of the water by the word … For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and will be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. This mystery is great—but I am actually speaking with reference to Christ and the church.

Paul taught that the marriage between a husband and wife is really meant to picture how Christ loves the church, his bride. The church being a bride teaches us several things about the church: (1) It demonstrates God’s everlasting commitment to her. Marriages today may end because of the fault of one or both mates. However, God’s love for his bride, as flawed as she may be, will never end. Romans 8:35-39 says,

Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will trouble, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we encounter death all day long; we were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we have complete victory through him who loved us! For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor heavenly rulers, nor things that are present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

God’s unfailing love and commitment remind us of the eternal security of every true believer (cf. John 10:27-30). God is committed to his church eternally and the individuals who are part of her—not one of them will ever be lost (cf. John 6:37-39). (2) Also, the church as a bride pictures how the church should submit to Christ, even as the Christian wife should her husband as the leader of their home (cf. Eph 5:22-23). One of the identifying characteristics of true believers is doing the will of God. In Matthew 7:21, Christ said this: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” (3) Finally, the bride as a wife reminds us that the church is a co-heir and ruler with Christ. Romans 8:17 says, “And if children, then heirs (namely, heirs of God and also fellow heirs with Christ)—if indeed we suffer with him so we may also be glorified with him.” When Christ returns, the church will rule the heavens and earth with Christ, as his bride (cf. Rev 19:7-8).

Reflection

What metaphor stood out most and why?
Why does God give us metaphors of the church?
What other metaphors does Scripture use for the church or believers specifically (cf. John 15:1-11, etc.)?
What other questions or applications did you take from the reading?

Scripture quotations marked (KJV) are from the King James Version of the Bible.

All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added.

¹ MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1986). Ephesians (pp. 205–206). Chicago: Moody Press.

Related Topics: Ecclesiology (The Church)

3. Church Government

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What type of government should the church have? Who are its leaders? It is clear in Scripture that Christ is the head of the church. According to Ephesians 1:22, after Christ was raised from the dead and seated at the right hand of the Father, “God put all things under Christ’s feet, and he gave him to the church as head over all things.” Christ is the head of the church; however, he leads his church through delegated leaders called elders and deacons. The elders provide oversight, teaching, and care, and deacons support the elders by caring for the manual needs of the congregation. In the early church, it seems that every church had a plurality of elders, as the term is almost always mentioned in the plural (Acts 14:23, 15:2, 20:17; Titus 1:5; Jam 5:14). Typically, the only exceptions are when an elder is being singled out or the qualifications of an elder are being given (1 Tim 5:19, Titus 1:6, etc.). With deacons, as mentioned, they were the servants of the church—focusing on manual tasks, such as finances and administration and caring for the congregation. They support the elders so they can focus on their primary ministry of prayer and the Word (cf. Acts 6:2-4). Some believe that though every church must have elders, each one does not necessarily have to have deacons. In Titus, Paul calls him to set up elders in Crete and gives qualifications of elders, but never calls him to set up deacons (Titus 1). Because of this, it seems like deacons are selected on an as-needed basis to support the needs of the church (cf. Acts 6:1-6).

Though the elders are the leaders of the church and the congregation is called to follow their lead (Heb 13:7, 17), the congregation should participate in many of the major decisions. For example, this is clearly seen when the apostles commissioned the church to select seven men (often considered the first deacons or the precursor to deacons) who would care for the widows in Acts 6:1-6. Then, the apostles confirmed the congregation’s choices by laying hands on these men. Also, it is seen in how the Jerusalem church participated in the decision of the apostles and the elders to send leaders to the church of Antioch with letters. Acts 15:22 says:

Then the apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided to send men chosen from among them, Judas called Barsabbas and Silas, leaders among the brothers, to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas.

Further support for the congregation participating in some major decisions with the elders is seen in Christ’s teaching on church discipline. In Matthew 18:17, the final step before excommunication is that the unrepentant member’s situation is brought before the church, and not specifically the elders. It says: “If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. If he refuses to listen to the church, treat him like a Gentile or a tax collector.”

Therefore, church government is supposed to be a combination of elder-rule and congregational participation in some of the major decisions. Certainly, everything shouldn’t be brought before the church, as it would take forever for anything to get done. However, certain major decisions, as discerned by the elders, such as buying property, confirming the annual budget, selecting deacons or other leadership positions, and removing an unrepentant member from membership should include the congregation in the process. And as a wisdom principle for following this form of church government, Wayne Grudem said, “Government works best when it has the consent of those governed.”¹ Sometimes this form of church government is called elder-led congregationalism.

In the following sections, we will take a more intimate look at elders and deacons, including their qualifications.

Reflection

What stood out most in the reading and why?
What are biblical supports for elder-led congregationalism?
What are other forms of church government?
What form of government is used in your church or church background?
What other questions or applications did you take from the reading?

Scripture quotations marked (KJV) are from the King James Version of the Bible.

All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added.

¹ Grudem, W. A. (2004). Systematic theology: an introduction to biblical doctrine (p. 922). Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; Zondervan Pub. House.

Related Topics: Ecclesiology (The Church)

4. Elders

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There are several names used for the primary leaders of the church. In 1 Timothy 3:1-2, they are called “overseers,” some versions translate this as “bishops.” We see in other places including 1 Timothy 5:17, they are called elders. In 1 Peter 5:2, they are called shepherds or pastors.

In some denominations, these are three separate positions: pastors are over the elders, and bishops are over the pastors. However, in Scripture, these are different names for the same position. (1) Evidence for this is the fact that Paul only lists two leadership positions (overseers and deacons) when teaching Timothy about how the church should be run in 1 Timothy 3:1-15. (2) Also, Acts 20:17, 28-30 and 1 Peter 5:1-2 use the titles elders, bishops, and pastors (shepherds), interchangeably. For example, 1 Peter 5:1-2 says:

So as your fellow elder and a witness of Christ’s sufferings and as one who shares in the glory that will be revealed, I urge the elders among you: Give a shepherd’s care to God’s flock among you, exercising oversight not merely as a duty but willingly under God’s direction, not for shameful profit but eagerly

Likewise, in Titus 1:5-7, the term elder and bishop are used interchangeably.

Why does Scripture give three different titles for the same position? The different titles focus on the different qualities of the office:

Elder refers to the spiritual maturity and wisdom of these leaders.
Pastor is a shepherding term referring to their care for others.
Bishop refers to their oversight or rulership of the church.

Qualities of Elders

What are qualities of elders? In 1 Timothy 3:1-7, Paul wrote this:

This saying is trustworthy: “If someone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a good work.” The overseer then must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, an able teacher, not a drunkard, not violent, but gentle, not contentious, free from the love of money. He must manage his own household well and keep his children in control without losing his dignity. But if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for the church of God? He must not be a recent convert or he may become arrogant and fall into the punishment that the devil will exact. And he must be well thought of by those outside the faith, so that he may not fall into disgrace and be caught by the devil’s trap.

They must desire to be overseers or pastors (v. 1). He says, “if someone aspires to the office of overseer.” God is looking for willing leaders. Again, in 1 Peter 5:2, Peter said this to elders about their attitude in serving, “not merely as a duty but willingly.”
Their inward call must be affirmed by the outward call of the church. The fact that the qualities of elders are given to Timothy implies that the church’s leaders (and possibly the entire congregation) need to affirm these qualities in potential elders. In fact, in Titus 1:5, Paul told Titus to “appoint elders in every town” (Titus 1:6-9).
The qualifications are primarily character traits. They must not be “violent,” which literally means “not a giver of blows”¹ (v. 3). They must manage their own household well (v. 4). They must be given to “hospitality,” which means “to love strangers”² (v. 3). Elders are to be examples of godly character within a church. In fact, in 1 Peter 5:3, Peter directly called for the elders to “be examples to the flock.”
The only skill needed is that they must be “an able teacher” (v. 2). Since they must be able to teach, it means they must know the Word of God and be competent in explaining it to others. This skill in teaching may include preaching from the pulpit, but not necessarily. The most effective teaching is one-on-one or in small groups.
They must be men.

The requirement of male leadership is clear from Paul’s use of male pronouns throughout the passage.

Again 1 Timothy 3:2-7 says,

The overseer then must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, an able teacher, not a drunkard, not violent, but gentle, not contentious, free from the love of money. He must manage his own household well and keep his children in control without losing his dignity. But if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for the church of God? He must not be a recent convert or he may become arrogant and fall into the punishment that the devil will exact. And he must be well thought of by those outside the faith, so that he may not fall into disgrace and be caught by the devil’s trap.

The requirement of male leadership is also taught in other Pauline passages.

Titus 1:6 says, “An elder must be blameless, the husband of one wife, with faithful children who cannot be charged with dissipation or rebellion.” First Timothy 2:12-13 says, “I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man. She must remain quiet. For Adam was formed first and then Eve.” Similarly, 1 Corinthians 14:34 says, “women should be silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak. Rather, let them be in submission, as in fact the law says.”

The traditional view that only males can serve in pastoral leadership is called the complementarian view. This view recognizes that males and females are equally made in the image of God and given gifts by God. However, in the home and in the church, God has given the two sexes different roles. Males are called to lead in both the home and the church (cf. Eph 5:25-27, Titus 1:6). This view comes primarily from taking the previously mentioned texts at face value.

Egalitarian View

The view that women can serve in church leadership (and for some also lead the home) is called the egalitarian view. This view would say that God has made both males and females in God’s image and there are no differing roles.

What supports are used for the egalitarian position, specifically for women serving as pastors in churches?

1. Egalitarians support their position by teaching that the verses calling for women to not teach males or pastor in the church were referring to specific situations in those churches or that culture and therefore should not be universally applied to churches today.

Complementarians would point out that the context of those verses and the repetition of Paul’s teaching in different contexts argue for his teaching being universal. For example, in 1 Timothy 2:12-13, when Paul says, “I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man. She must remain quiet. For Adam was formed first and then Eve,” he does not make an argument unique to the Ephesian church or to that culture. He makes a creation argument—“For Adam was formed first and then Eve.” Paul argues that God’s creation of Eve after Adam demonstrates his leadership over her. Adam’s leadership is also demonstrated in the fact that he named his wife (Gen 2:23, 3:20), just like he previously named the animals at God’s prompting (Gen 2:19-20). Furthermore, in 1 Corinthians 14:33-34 (NET), when Paul gave instructions for women to practice restraint in their speaking in churches, he said: “… As in all the churches of the saints, the women should be silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak. Rather, let them be in submission, as in fact the law says.” Paul’s teaching in 1 Corinthians was not only for Corinth but for “all the churches of the saints” (v. 33). In addition, he pointed to the law as evidence. He probably referred either to the same creation argument used in 1 Timothy 2:13 or to the fact that only men were allowed to be priests in the Old Testament. Essentially, Paul said, God made it this way from the beginning—both in marriage and in the tabernacle/temple.

2. Egalitarians support their position by stating that gender roles have been abolished in Christ.

They would use verses like Galatians 3:28-29, which says, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is slave nor free, there is neither male nor female —for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to the promise.” Complementarians would argue against this since the context of the verse is Paul arguing about our equal standing in Christ, not our various roles. If male and female roles in the home and church were abolished, this would also be true of slaves and free (which in those times was often equivalent to an employee and employer), yet Paul teaches slaves to submit to their masters and women to submit to their husbands in other writings (Eph 5:23, 6:5, Col 3:18, 22). People can be equal in Christ and have differing roles, even as people in the work force are equal in worth and yet commonly have different roles.

3. Egalitarians support their position by emphasizing examples in Scripture of potential women in leadership.

For example, Romans 16:7 says, “Greet Andronicus and Junia, my compatriots and my fellow prisoners. They are well known to the apostles, and they were in Christ before me.” Junia was a common female name during that time. Therefore, taking this text into consideration alone, it is possible that she was an apostle. Some might point to the women at the tomb when Christ resurrected. They were sent out to declare to the apostles that Christ had resurrected (Matt 28:7). It’s often said, “Those women were preachers!” In addition, Deborah, who was a prophet and judge of Israel (Jdg 4-5), is used as an argument for women serving in pastoral leadership.

How do complementarians handle those arguments? (1) They would typically first state that none of those women, necessarily, served in positions forbidden in the New Testament. They were not pastors in the church. In fact, Paul even spoke about women prophesying in 1 Corinthians 11:5 and so did Luke in Acts 21:9. Also, it’s possible that Paul spoke about Phoebe as a deaconess in Romans 16:1, though not a pastor. The ministries that those women served in don’t necessarily conflict with Paul’s teaching that women could not serve as pastor/elders. Women are called to serve, make disciples, preach the gospel, and lead in some circumstances, as all believers are. The question is, “What is the proper context of their serving?” (2) With Junia being “well known to the apostles,” the text is ambiguous—meaning it’s not clear whether she was an apostle or “well-known” by the apostles. As far as being an apostle like the Twelve, it seems clear that she wasn’t one of those. In Acts 1:21, when selecting a replacement for Judas, Peter declared that the next apostle had to be a male. He said, “Thus one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time the Lord Jesus associated with us, beginning from his baptism by John until the day he was taken up from us—one of these must become a witness of his resurrection together with us.” With that said, the word “apostle” simply means “sent one,” and therefore could be used in a general sense to refer to those commissioned and sent by churches to serve, like missionaries today (cf. 2 Cor 8:23; Phil 2:25, “messenger”). If Junia was an apostle, the text could be referring to her as a missionary—not somebody who numbered with the Twelve. (3) With Deborah specifically, not only was she not equivalent to a pastor of a church, but also the book of Judges is not meant to be prescriptive of how things should be. The book shows how disobedient Israel was, including their leaders. Each judge in the book seems to get worse, finishing with the worst judge, Samson. He was the leader of Israel, but he married a woman from Israel’s enemy, the Philistines. He was a drunk who continually entertained prostitutes, which eventually led to his death. With Deborah’s narrative, the focus seems to be on how there was no male leadership in Israel. In Judges 4:9, she said to Barak, “I will indeed go with you. But you will not gain fame on the expedition you are undertaking, for the Lord will turn Sisera over to a woman.” Deborah’s narrative, like most narratives in Judges, shows how bad Israel had gotten. It doesn’t show what should be normative for the people of God in that era or the current one. In fact, in Isaiah 3:12, Isaiah describes God’s judgment over Israel in this way: “Youths oppress my people, women rule over them” (cf. 3:1-7).

4. Some egalitarians support their position because of a liberal view of Scripture.

For them, instead of seeing Scripture as without error in all that it teaches and to be the believers’ rule of life in all areas, they often question Scripture’s teachings and reject it on certain points. Commonly, they would reject a literal interpretation of Scripture and take a more spiritual or figurative interpretation. For example, they might accept what the Bible teaches about salvation by faith alone, but reject what it says about sexuality, homosexuality, male leadership, creation, miracles, and/or the resurrection, and take a more figurative view of those doctrines. Some might even reject the idea of Christ being the only way to salvation. They might be considered very similar to the Sadducees in Christ’s day. The Sadducees, though believing in the Jewish God and studying Scripture, often rejected a literal interpretation of Scripture. This led to not believing in angels, demons, miracles, or even the resurrection. Likewise, some accept women as pastors because of a liberal understanding of Scripture, which commonly rejects literal interpretations of certain verses and doctrines.

Complementarian View

What are the typical supports for the complementarian view—that only men can serve as pastors?

1. As mentioned, complementarians base their view on taking the New Testament verses which teach women should not serve as pastors at face value.

First Timothy 3:1 says, “… If someone aspires to the office of overseer, ‘he’ desires a good work.” Titus 1:6 says, “An elder must be blameless, the ‘husband’ of but one wife, with faithful children who cannot be charged with dissipation or rebellion.” First Timothy 2:12-13 says, “I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man. She must remain quiet. For Adam was formed first and then Eve.” Similarly, 1 Corinthians 14:34 says, “women should be silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak. Rather, let them be in submission, as in fact the law says.”

2. Complementarians base their view on the continuity of male leadership from the Old Testament.

As mentioned, in 1 Timothy 2:12-13, Paul taught that women should not teach males in the church based on the fact that “Adam was formed first, then Eve.” He refers to the order of creation, arguing that God made Adam as Eve’s leader. Also, in 1 Corinthians 14:34, when Paul taught that women should practice restraint in their speaking while in the church, he argued that this submission was taught in the Law—the Old Testament. He says, “the women should be silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak. Rather, let them be in submission, as in fact the law says.” Again, this could possibly refer to the order of creation argument, as in 1 Timothy 2:12-13. But he also might be referring to the leaders—priests and Levites—in the tabernacle and temple who were required to be male (cf. Ex 29:29-30).

3. Complementarians base their view on males and females being made in God’s image and symbolizing the equality, submission, and perfect love in the Trinity.

In 1 Corinthians 11:3, Paul says, “But I want you to know that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ.” Since males and females are made in the image of God, they demonstrate aspects of God’s triune nature. In the Trinity, God the Father and God the Son are co-equal, but in their relationship, there is headship—the Son submits to the Father. In a marriage, Paul compares the woman to Christ and the husband to God the Father—the husband is the head of the wife just as God is the head of Christ (1 Cor 11:3). The husband and wife are co-equal, but there is headship in their relationship, as they are made in the image of God. This headship is also seen in the male leadership of the church. In the church, males and females are equal; however, all the members are called to submit to the designated male leadership in the church (cf. Heb 13:17). This equality and submission reflect the dynamics in the Trinity.

It should also be added that there is perfect love in the Trinity (1 John 4:8), and because of that, perfect love should be demonstrated in the home and church dynamics, along with submission and authority. These are true throughout society since people are made in God’s image. When love, submission, and authority break down, relationships and society in general break down.

The Elders’ Duties

What are the elders’ duties? There are many:

They should rule or oversee the affairs of the church (1 Tim 5:17).
They should focus on prayer and the ministry of God’s Word (cf. Acts 6:4).
They should be servants (1 Pt 5:2).
They should be godly examples for the flock (1 Pt 5:3).
They should train members to do the work of ministry (Eph 4:11-12).
They should help members mature from spiritual infancy to spiritual maturity by teaching them Scripture (Eph 4:14).
They should pray for the sick (Jam 5:14-15).
They should set church policy (Acts 15:22).
They should ordain other men (Acts 14:23, Titus 1:5, 1 Tim 4:14).
They should protect the church from false teaching (Acts 20:28-31).

Reflection

What stood out most in the reading and why?
Who are elders and what do they do?
What are the qualities of elders?
How should elders be selected?
Can women serve in the pastoral role? Why or why not? Support your position with Scripture.
What other questions or applications did you take from the reading?

Scripture quotations marked (KJV) are from the King James Version of the Bible.

All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added.

¹ MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1995). 1 Timothy (p. 111). Chicago: Moody Press.

² MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1995). 1 Timothy (p. 107). Chicago: Moody Press.

Related Topics: Ecclesiology (The Church)

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3. Types of Angels

Cherubim

Seraphim

The Living Creatures

Conclusion

Reflection

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4. Specific Angels

Michael

Gabriel

The Angel of the Lord

Lucifer

Abaddon / Apollyon

Conclusion

Reflection

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5. Closing Principles

1. We should always stand in awe of the amazing grace we have received in salvation.

2. We should be aware, encouraged, and thankful for the daily, unseen activities of angels on our behalf.

3. We should consider angels as part of our spiritual family—as co-servants and worshipers of God.

4. We should seek to model them in faithful obedience and worship to God.

5. We should never worship, pray to, or seek angels.

6. We should be cautious about receiving false doctrine from angels.

Conclusion

Reflection

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Appendix 1: Study Group Tips

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Appendix 2: Reflection Questions

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Appendix 3: Walking The Romans Road

Step One: We Must Accept That We Are Sinners

Step Two: We Must Understand We Are Under The Judgment Of God

Step Three: We Must Recognize God Has Invited All To Accept His Free Gift Of Salvation

Step Four: We Must Believe Jesus Christ Died For Our Sins And Rose From The Dead

Step Five: We Must Confess Christ As Lord Of Our Lives

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1. What Is the Church

Inhabitants

Origin

Invisible and Visible

Local, Regional, and Universal

Reflection

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2. Metaphors of the Church

1. The church is pictured as salt.

2. The church is pictured as light.

3. The church is pictured as a body.

4. The church is pictured as a family.

5. The church is pictured as a soldier.

6. The church is pictured as a temple.

7. The church is pictured as a workmanship or masterpiece.

8. The church is pictured as a bride.

Reflection

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3. Church Government

Reflection

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4. Elders

Qualities of Elders

Egalitarian View

1. Egalitarians support their position by teaching that the verses calling for women to not teach males or pastor in the church were referring to specific situations in those churches or that culture and therefore should not be universally applied to churches today.

2. Egalitarians support their position by stating that gender roles have been abolished in Christ.

3. Egalitarians support their position by emphasizing examples in Scripture of potential women in leadership.

4. Some egalitarians support their position because of a liberal view of Scripture.

Complementarian View

1. As mentioned, complementarians base their view on taking the New Testament verses which teach women should not serve as pastors at face value.

2. Complementarians base their view on the continuity of male leadership from the Old Testament.

3. Complementarians base their view on males and females being made in God’s image and symbolizing the equality, submission, and perfect love in the Trinity.