Guardian angels part 2

1) In our last study on angels we looked at three proof texts for “guardian angels.”

2) Two passages were from the psalms and one was from the New Testament (Mt. 18).

3) We noted how none of these passages prove that saved people have personal, guardian angels.

4) Tonight we want to look at the two remaining texts commonly used to prove the existence of guardian angels.

5) Our first passage is from Acts—Acts 12.

a) Acts 12 opens with information about how the early church was persecuted.

b) King Herod had “put forth his hands to afflict certain of the church.”

c) He killed James, the brother of John, with a sword.

d) This ruler was the grandson of the king who had tried to murder Jesus when He was a baby.

e) Herod and his grandfather both worked for Rome; their job was to rule Judea.

6) Since Herod liked to please the Jews, he opposed gospel preachers and New Testament Christianity.

7) After seeing how pleased the Jews were with his killing James, he had Peter seized.

8) Peter was put into prison (Acts 12:4), and 16 guards were used to keep him in jail.

9) This does not mean Peter was surrounded by 16 men all the time; there were four shifts.

10) Four men were used per shift, and the time per shift was likely 6 hours.

11) Peter was under heavy guard.

12) During this very difficult time Christians began to pray for Peter – verse 5 – READ.

a) If we are familiar with this story we know that Peter was delivered.

b) He was delivered by an angel – verse 7 – READ.

c) Initially Peter thought he was receiving a vision (9b), but it was a real event.

d) Having been released from the prison Peter went to where Christians were gathered and praying.

e) This information is found in verse 12.

13) Christians were gathered in a place where there was a “maid” (verse 13). Her name was Rhoda.

14) Peter must have spoken because the maid recognized his voice (verse 14).

15) Rather than open the door, Rhoda went to tell people that Peter was at the gate.

16) Here is where the story takes a rather strange twist.

17) Christians had been praying for Peter, but they seemed to have lacked some faith.

18) They said the maid was “mad” (15a); Peter had to be in prison, even though they were praying.

19) Rhoda continued to insist that Peter was there.

20) The brethren then made this statement – 15b – READ.

21) Here is one of the texts that people use to appeal to guardian angels.

22) Does this passage prove the existence of a personal guardian angel?

23) The answer to that question is “no.”

a) Verse 15 tells us what these Christians believed.

b) They did believe Peter had an angel.

c) Just because these Christians believed this does not mean their belief was right.

24) Job’s friends came and claimed he was a terrible sinner. We know what they believed.

25) Their beliefs about Job were wrong.

26) We know there were people who thought Jesus was a liar and a deceiver.

27) Their beliefs were wrong. We have nothing in this passage to conclude that these people were right.

28) Many Jews believed in things that were not Biblical. One common belief was a guardian angel.

29) If proof for a guardian angel rests on this passage, it is very unreliable proof.

30) If this passage does not prove the existence of guardian angels, only one text is left.

31) That remaining passage is Heb. 1:14 – angels are “ministering spirits sent for to help God’s people.”

a) This text is not unlike the references we recently studied from the book of Psalms.

b) God does help His people; we want to be very clear on this point.

c) If God does not help His people why do we ask for His help in prayer?

d) If we ask God for help, how is He going to answer the requests?

e) How There are a number of tools at His disposal.

f) Angels are on the list of possibilities.

32) Angels can be used to work within the natural order of things, but that does not mean a guardian angel.

33) It simply means the rendering of aid when such is required.

34) We cannot prove the existence of a personal guardian by any of the passages commonly used.

35) Neither can we prove their existence with logic.

36) For the balance of this lesson I want to present some logical arguments against personal, guardian angels.

37) We can ask some questions that are very difficult (if not impossible) to answer.

a) Who delivered Daniel’s three friends (Dan. 3:24-25)?

b) The king said 3 men went into the fire but he saw “four men.”

c) If saved people have guardian angels, why did the king not see 6 beings (3 guardian angels).

d) This is what we would expect if the guardian angel doctrine is true.

e) This is not what we find. Dan. 3:25 says the king saw “4 men.”

f) From this we deduce that there was only one heavenly helper.

38) In 2 Kgs. 6 there is an exciting story about Elisha.

a) A Syrian army commander thought he had a spy his military.

b) Somehow his battle plans were being leaked to the nation of Israel.

c) He was finally told that Elisha the prophet was getting the information from God.

d) The Syrian king made a demand – “get that man” (2 Kgs. 6:13).

39) A large military force was sent to get Elisha the prophet – 2 Kgs. 6:14 – READ.

a) Most of us would be a little concerned about 6 policemen on our doorstep.

b) What if 500 or 5,000 armed soldiers had surrounded our house?

c) A vast military force was assembled to find and capture God’s prophet.

d) Elisha needed divine help; did he have a guardian angel or something else?

e) 2 Kgs. 6:16-17 – READ.

f) This passage is consistent with the things we have already studied.

g) There was no personal, guardian angel for Elisha of the prophet.

40) Instead of a personal angel, God sent a whole heavenly host to God’s prophet.

41) How large this force was (hundreds or thousands) we are not told.

42) Listen again to verse 16 – READ – the heavenly host was greater than the king’s force.

43) Again and again we do not find the guardian angel description that is so popular in the world.

44) When we see angelic help, it is not a personal, individual, one-on-one thing.

45) Let’s look at another example.

a) We know the story from Gen. 19:1-29 – people were wicked and heaven destroyed them.

b) Two angels delivered Lot and his family.

c) Why did the angels need to come to Sodom and get with Lot?

d) Did he not already have a guardian angel?

e) Were the angels that came to Lot’s house guardian angels?

f) If so, why were there just two of them?

g) More than two people escaped from Lot’s house.

46) We pose a similar question for Acts 5:17-20.

a) Here we find the apostles locked up in jail.

b) Nothing is said about their being delivered by guardian angels.

c) Luke simply records that “an angel of the Lord” delivered these men.

d) Why do we find only one angel if people have personal, guardian angels?

e) Surely if anyone needed a guardian angel it was the apostles.

f) If guardian angels were only used during supernatural times, the first century was the right time.

g) All of the information we have considered helps us form a conclusion about guardian angels.

h) We do not have individual, personal guardian angels.

i) When we need help, God delivers that help in a way that is just right.

47) In this study we also need to ask this question: what would guardian angels guard from?

a) Do they guard people from death? We know that is not the case.

b) Would they protect us from sickness, disease and injury? We know these thing are not true.

c) God’s people in the Bible got sick and good people today still suffer in terrible ways.

d) Would a guardian angel protect us from sin?

e) If it does, then heaven interferes with our free-will.

f) Too, if guardian angel help with sin, who is charged with transgression?

g) Might we not say, “I did sin, but it is the angel’s fault because it did not provide enough protection”?

h) “If only the angel had done a better job, I would not have sinned.”

48) We are told the Bible is “all sufficient” for our needs (2 Tim. 3:16-17).

49) If there is a need for a guardian angel, Paul’s instructions are hard to understand.

50) We need the scriptures plus guardian angels.

51) We would also need to ask what relationship we have with the guardian angel.

a) Would we do nothing to receive its help or do something?

b) Would we pray to it or thank it for aid? Would we need to look for our guardian angel?

c) How much dependence would we put on the angel and how much dependence on God?

52) Rather than a guardian angel, would we not want a “guardian God?”

53) However that God chooses to operate is up to Him; He may use angels or something else.

54) Angels are not all wise, all powerful, all knowing, or omni-present.

55) Our real interest should be in a God who loves, guards and protects His people.

56) This is the message of the Bible, and it is a message we hope you have responded to in obedience.