Problem 20 - That Angels have a ministry to the Body of Christ today

PROBLEM No. 20 --THAT ANGELS HAVE A MINISTRY TO THE BODY OF CHRIST DURING THE DISPENSATION OF GRACE

The passage that is appealed to is Hebrews 1:13-14, "But to which of the angels has He ever said: 'Sit at My right hand till I make Your enemies Your footstool?' [14] Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who
will inherit salvation?"

The note in the New Scofield Bible, NKJV teaches on pages 1478-1479 that angels have a ministry of caring for the physical safety and well-being of the children of God.

They also point to the examples of angelic ministry to the Jewish Messianic Assembly in Acts as being indicative of angels ministering to the Body of Christ (of course they believe that the Body began in Acts 2). [Covenant Theology also
believes in angelic ministry today].

THE TRUTH

The angels of God that are involved here are God's HOLY ANGELS. The fallen angels are not in view.

How should we understand Hebrews 1:13-14? This all depends on how you understand the book of Hebrews as a whole. Hebrews was written to the Hebrews, and Gentiles are not Hebrews. Paul had a tremendous love for his own people after the flesh (Ran. 9:1-3; 10:1), and Hebrews was written to THEM in order to show THEM what was going on, and to present the Lord Jesus Christ to them.

Hebrews 1:14 and Psalm 104:4, "Who makes His angels spirits, His ministers a flame of fire" proves that 'angels' are 'spirits.'

The teaching of Heb. 1:13-14 blends in very well with what Matt. 18:10 and Psalm 91:11 teach:

Matthew 18:10, "Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven."
Psalm 91:10-12, "No evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague care near your dwelling; [11] For He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways. [12] In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot
against a stone."

Jesus said that the angels always see the face of God. Why? Because that is a sign of worship and obedience; they are looking for instructions from their creator God in relation to the little children. The angels are instructed by God in their ways among men.

All Acts 2 brethren and Covenant Theology brethren apply these verses to the Body of Christ in this Age of grace, as if the Body of Christ can be found in the Old Testament. They don't seem to care that it is the children of Israel who are in view in these passages. Besides, there is SOMEONE GREATER than angels who takes care of the Body of Christ.

It is interesting that Jesus said that our Father God has a face. Our God is a spirit (John 4:24) and He has a face. Can this be true of us also, when we receive our spiritual bodies of glory at the Rapture?

Angels had a tremendous and vital ministry to the Nation of Israel in the old and New Testaments. The first time the word 'angel' is used in the Old Testament is in Genesis 16:7 - the Angel of the Lord. This was in the time of Abraham. The Bible is silent about any manifestations of holy angels before this. However, fallen angels are mentioned in Gen. 6:1-4, the sons of God; and Lucifer is seen in Isaiah 14:12 and in Ezekiel 28:12-19.

Angelic ministry continued during our Lord's earthly ministry and on into the book of Acts. The use of the Greek word for 'angel' in the New Testament is mainly in the Kingdom writings. Paul says absolutely nothing about angels ministering to members of the Body of Christ. Why?

BECAUSE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, THE THIRD PERSON OF THE GODHEAD! That the Holy Spirit has a 'ministry' today in this Age of grace is taught in 2 Cor. 3:5-11:

"Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, [6] who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant [arrangement], not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, butthe Spirit gives life. [7] But if the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance, which glory was passing away, [8] how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious? [9] For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in glory. [10] For even what was made glorious had no glory in this respect, because of the glory that excels. [11] For if what is passing away was glorious, what remains is much more glorious."

How one interprets this passage of Scripture determines what he believes about the ministry of angels and the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Is this passage dealing with the Old and New Covenants, or is it dealing with the Old Covenant and the New revelations given to Paul? You see, angels are definitely associated with the Covenants of Israel, but Paul said nothing about angels ministering to the Body of Christ. Consistency in doctrine demands that since the contrast here is between the old program of God for Israel and the NEW PROGRAM of God for the Gentiles, then angels are not in view but rather the ministry of the Holy Spirit instead.

Now the ministry of the Holy Spirit under the New Arrangement revealed to Paul (instead of the New Covenant in 2 Cor. 3:6) is much more glorious than what took place under the Old Covenant. There is a contrast in this passage that is set forth in 3 sets of statements with the words 'glory' and 'glorious:'

1. a. The Law written on stones - glorious (verse 7)

b. Ministry of the Spirit more glorious (verse 8)

2. a. The Law of condemnation glory (verse 9)

b. The ministry of righteousness - more glory (verse 9)

3. a. The Law passing away - glorious (verse 11)

b. What remains (the New Arrangement) - more glorious (verse 11)

The use of the word 'more' three times with the New Arrangement indicates that what was given to Paul by the risen Christ is MUCH MORE important than what the Nation of Israel had, which included the functions of angels. The Holy Spirit is to be preferred over the angels.

When the ministry of angels is brought over into this Age of grace, the ministry of the Holy Spirit is naturally de-emphasized in importance. This is not good because there are 25 different functions of the Holy Spirit in this Age of grace, and not one of them can be fulfilled by angels. Angels worked in the realm of the physical - our third dimension - while the Holy Spirit works in the realm of the spiritual.

Today, the spiritual sphere is more important than the physical sphere. God has shed spiritual blessings on His living saints, members of the Body of Christ (Eph. 1:3), and we need to emphasize the ministry of the Holy Spirit in relation to these blessings more than ever in these wicked days.

By Robert C. Brock