Monday, October 27, 2014
415 - Jesus Christ is the Message
Spirituality Column #415
October 28, 2014
Current in Carmel-Westfield-Noblesville-Fishers-Zionsville
“Are there angels in church?”
You never know where our Wednesday night Bible study teacher George is going with this type of question. I mean, of course there are angels in church, but ….
Dr. George Bebawi, theologian, church history expert, Bible translator and retired lecturer from Cambridge University’s school of divinity, was discussing the Gospel of Luke and noted that angels appear throughout the Bible, especially in the early parts of the four Gospels. Think of Gabriel delivering messages to Mary and Joseph, parents of Jesus, and to Zechariah and Elizabeth, parents of John the Baptist. Angels comfort the shepherds, minister to Jesus, are constantly “going up and down” from heaven and are regularly God’s messengers in the Gospel narrative.
George chuckled at the notion of wispy, delicate angels with wings, an image he pointed out is not the least bit biblical despite being very much a part of medieval church artistic lore. When you think about it, most of the Bible’s angels are actually warrior, counselor types. The TV mini-series “The Bible” presented angels that looked and acted more like communicative Navy Seals on a mission than dainty cherubs of myth.
Anyway, if you know the Bible, you understand angels are real.
But are they in church?
We twisted in our seats, wondering how to answer this intuitively easy question with intelligently discerned biblical assurance. In a room of mature, thoughtful Christians, nobody blurted out an answer.
George finally broke the tension. In the Bible, he pointed out, angels are constantly around Jesus, so if Jesus is in church with us – which we believe He is – then angels are most certainly there, too. Easy enough.
George then offered a couple of stunning observations about worship, angels and the destiny of mankind.
In church, we worship God, yes. But how much more properly are our hearts in tune for worship if we realize that we join in praising God with the entire heavenly host – the angels and saints – who are praising God loudly and always (Isaiah 6, Luke 2, Ephesians 1:6-10, etc.)? In church, we sing with the heavenly choir. I love it.
George further noted that after His death on the cross, Jesus didn’t become an angel; he became a resurrected human. As the image of God, our goal isn’t to become heavenly angels, but to perfect our humanity in Christ. It was the human person of Jesus who was crucified, buried, resurrected, and then ascended to the right hand of the father.
Angels are messengers, but they are neither the message nor the goal.
Jesus Christ is the message, and humanity is our goal.
Walters (rlwcom@aol.com) can’t sing especially well but often blurts out answers.
October 28, 2014
Current in Carmel-Westfield-Noblesville-Fishers-Zionsville
Jesus Christ is the Message
By Bob Walters“Are there angels in church?”
You never know where our Wednesday night Bible study teacher George is going with this type of question. I mean, of course there are angels in church, but ….
Dr. George Bebawi, theologian, church history expert, Bible translator and retired lecturer from Cambridge University’s school of divinity, was discussing the Gospel of Luke and noted that angels appear throughout the Bible, especially in the early parts of the four Gospels. Think of Gabriel delivering messages to Mary and Joseph, parents of Jesus, and to Zechariah and Elizabeth, parents of John the Baptist. Angels comfort the shepherds, minister to Jesus, are constantly “going up and down” from heaven and are regularly God’s messengers in the Gospel narrative.
George chuckled at the notion of wispy, delicate angels with wings, an image he pointed out is not the least bit biblical despite being very much a part of medieval church artistic lore. When you think about it, most of the Bible’s angels are actually warrior, counselor types. The TV mini-series “The Bible” presented angels that looked and acted more like communicative Navy Seals on a mission than dainty cherubs of myth.
Anyway, if you know the Bible, you understand angels are real.
But are they in church?
We twisted in our seats, wondering how to answer this intuitively easy question with intelligently discerned biblical assurance. In a room of mature, thoughtful Christians, nobody blurted out an answer.
George finally broke the tension. In the Bible, he pointed out, angels are constantly around Jesus, so if Jesus is in church with us – which we believe He is – then angels are most certainly there, too. Easy enough.
George then offered a couple of stunning observations about worship, angels and the destiny of mankind.
In church, we worship God, yes. But how much more properly are our hearts in tune for worship if we realize that we join in praising God with the entire heavenly host – the angels and saints – who are praising God loudly and always (Isaiah 6, Luke 2, Ephesians 1:6-10, etc.)? In church, we sing with the heavenly choir. I love it.
George further noted that after His death on the cross, Jesus didn’t become an angel; he became a resurrected human. As the image of God, our goal isn’t to become heavenly angels, but to perfect our humanity in Christ. It was the human person of Jesus who was crucified, buried, resurrected, and then ascended to the right hand of the father.
Angels are messengers, but they are neither the message nor the goal.
Jesus Christ is the message, and humanity is our goal.
Walters (rlwcom@aol.com) can’t sing especially well but often blurts out answers.
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