I. Nature and position of angels
II. Angels of God
III. Fallen angels

I. Nature and position of angels (Top)

Who maketh his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire? Psalm 104:4

And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire. Hebrews 1:7

Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection. Luke 20:36

Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord. 2 Peter 2:11

Papias thus speaks, word for word: To some of them [angels] He gave dominion over the arrangement of the world, and He commissioned them to exercise their dominion well. And he says, immediately after this: but it happened that their arrangement came to nothing. Papias (A.D. 60-130) fragment VII

But let us now pass to another sort of knowledge and doctrine. There are two ways of doctrine and authority, the one of light, and the other of darkness. But there is a great difference between these two ways. For over one are stationed the light-bringing angels of God, but over the other the angels' of Satan. And He indeed (i.e., God) is Lord forever and ever, but he (i.e., Satan) is prince of the time of iniquity. Barnabas (A.D. 70-130) ch.18

For I myself also, albeit I am in bonds and can comprehend heavenly things and the arrays of the angels and the principalities, things visible and things invisible -- I myself am not yet by reason of this a disciple. Ignatius: to the Trallians (A.D. 35-105) ch.5

"Hear now," said he, "concerning faith. There are two angels with a man, one of righteousness and one of wickedness. …The angel of righteousness is delicate and bashful and gentle and tranquil. When then this one enters into your heart, forthwith he speaks with you of righteousness, of purity, of holiness, and of contentment, of every righteous deed and of every glorious virtue. When all these things enter into your heart, know that the angel of righteousness is with you… Now see the works of the angel of wickedness also. First of all, he is quick tempered and bitter and senseless, and his works are evil, overthrowing the servants of God. Whenever then he enters into your heart, know him by his works." Hermas (A.D. 150) Ante-Nicene Fathers vol.2 pg.24

For regiments of angels are distributed over the nations and cities. And, perchance, some are assigned to individuals. The Shepherd, then, cares for each of his sheep; and his closest inspection is given to those who are excellent in their natures, and are capable of being most useful. Clement of Alexandria (A.D. 195) Ante-Nicene Fathers vol.2 pg.517

The apostle says that "God put it into the heart of Titus." That certain thoughts are suggested to men's hearts either by good or evil angels, is shown both by the angel that accompanied Tobias, and by the language of the prophet, where he says, "And the angel who spoke in me answered." Origen (A.D. 248) Ante-Nicene Fathers vol.4 pg. 332

II. Angels of God (Top)

He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble, by sending angels of calamity among them. Psalm 78:49

For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. Psalm 91:11

Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven. Matthew 18:10

The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; and shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Matthew 13:41-42

These are the holy angels of God, that were created first of all, unto whom the Lord delivered all His creation to increase and to build it (the church), and to be masters of all creation. By their hands therefore the building of the tower (church) will be accomplished. Hermas (A.D. 150) Ante-Nicene Fathers vol.2 pg.14

They are young in the faith, and faithful; but they are warned by the angels to do good, because wickedness was found in them. Hermas (A.D. 150) Ante-Nicene Fathers vol.2 pg.14

And the fences are the [holy] angels of the Lord who keep together His people. Hermas (A.D. 150) Ante-Nicene Fathers vol.2 pg. 58

God planted the vineyard, that is, He created the people, and delivered them over to His Son. And the Son placed the angels in charge of them, to watch over them. Hermas (A.D. 150) Ante-Nicene Fathers vol.2 pg. 35

"This," said he, "is the angel of punishment, and he is one of the just angels, and presides over punishment. So he receives those who wander away from God, and walk after the lusts and deceits of this life, and punishes them, as they deserve, with fearful and various punishments." "I would fain learn, Sir," said I, "of what sort are these various punishments." "Listen," said he; "the various tortures and punishments are…" Hermas (A.D. 150) Ante-Nicene Fathers vol.2 pg.37

But the great and glorious angel is Michael, who has the power over this people and is their captain. For this is he that puts the law into the hearts of the believers; therefore he himself inspects them to whom he gave it, to see whether they have observed it. Hermas (A.D. 150) Ante-Nicene Fathers vol.2 pg.40

“The glorious man," said he, "is the Son of God, and those six are the glorious angels who guard Him on the right hand and on the left. Of these glorious angels not one," said he, "shall enter in unto God without Him; whosoever shall not receive His name, shall not enter into the kingdom of God." Hermas (A.D. 150) Ante-Nicene Fathers vol.2 pg.47

For all these things I gave thanks unto the Lord, because He had compassion on all that called upon His name, and sent forth the angel of repentance to us that had sinned against Him, and refreshed our spirit, and, when we were already ruined and had no hope of life, restored our life. Hermas (A.D. 150) Ante-Nicene Fathers vol.2 pg.48

III. Fallen angels (Top)

And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, that the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. Genesis 6:1-2

For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment. 2 Peter 2:4

And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. Jude 1:6

"This," said he, "is the angel of self-indulgence and of deceit. He crushes the souls of the servants of God, and perverts them from the truth, leading them astray with evil desires, wherein they perish. For they forget the commandments of the living God, and walk in vain deceits and acts of self-indulgence, and are destroyed by this angel, some of them unto death, and others unto corruption." Hermas (A.D. 150) Ante-Nicene Fathers vol.2 pg.36

God committed the care of men and of all things under heaven to angels whom He appointed over them. But the angels transgressed this appointment, and were captivated by love of women, and begat children who are those that are called demons; and besides, they afterwards subdued the human race to themselves, partly by magical writings, and partly by fears and the punishments they occasioned, and partly by teaching them to offer sacrifices, and incense, and libations, of which things they stood in need after they were enslaved by lustful passions; and among men they sowed murders, wars, adulteries, intemperate deeds, and all wickedness. Whence also the poets and mythologists, not knowing that it was the angels and those demons who had been begotten by them that did these things to men, and women, and cities, and nations, which they related, ascribed them to god himself, and to those who were accounted to be his very offspring, and to the offspring of those who were called his brothers, Neptune and Pluto, and to the children again of these their offspring. For whatever name each of the angels had given to himself and his children, by that name they called them. Justin Martyr (A.D. 160) Ante-Nicene Fathers vol.1 pg.190

We know that the wicked angels appointed laws conformable to their own wickedness, in which the men who are like them delight; and the right Reason, when He came, proved that not all opinions nor all doctrines are good, but that some are evil, while others are good. Justin Martyr (A.D. 160) Ante-Nicene Fathers vol.1 pg.191

So that, when we arrive at the end of life, we may ask the same petition from God, who is able to turn away every shameless evil angel from taking our souls. Justin Martyr (A.D. 160) Ante-Nicene Fathers vol.1 pg.252

Enoch, too, pleasing God, without circumcision, discharged the office of God's legate to the angels although he was a man, and was translated, and is preserved until now as a witness of the just judgment of God, because the angels when they had transgressed fell to the earth for judgment, but the man who pleased [God] was translated for salvation. Irenaeus (A.D. 180) Ante-Nicene Fathers vol.1 pg. 481

And in the days of Noah He justly brought on the deluge for the purpose of extinguishing that most infamous race of men then existent, who could not bring forth fruit to God, since the angels that sinned had commingled with them, and [acted as He did] in order that He might put a check upon the sins of these men, but [that at the same time] He might preserve the archetype, the formation of Adam. And it was He who rained fire and brimstone from heaven, in the days of Lot, upon Sodom and Gomorrah, "an example of the righteous judgment of God," that all may know, "that every tree that brings not forth good fruit shall be cut down, and cast into the fire." Irenaeus (A.D. 180) Ante-Nicene Fathers vol.1 pg.516

For this is the office of the angels,--to exercise providence for God over the things created and ordered by Him… Just as with men, who have freedom of choice as to both virtue and vice, so is it among the angels….but some outraged both the constitution of their nature and the government entrusted to them: …these fell into impure love of virgins, and were subjugated by the flesh, and he became negligent and wicked in the management of the things entrusted to him. Of these lovers of virgins, therefore, were begotten those who are called giants. Athenagoras (A.D. 137) Ante-Nicene Fathers vol.2 pg.142

These angels, then, who have fallen from heaven, and haunt the air and the earth, and are no longer able to rise to heavenly things, and the souls of the giants, which are the demons who wander about the world, perform actions similar, the one (that is, the demons) to the natures they have received, the other (that is, the angels) to the appetites they have indulged. Athenagoras (A.D. 137) Ante-Nicene Fathers vol.2 pg.142

For they, withal, who instituted them are assigned, under condemnation, to the penalty of death, --those angels, to wit, who rushed from heaven on the daughters of men; so that this ignominy also attaches to woman. For when to an age much more ignorant (than ours) they had disclosed certain well-concealed material substances, and several not well-revealed scientific arts--if it is true that they had laid bare the operations of metallurgy, and had divulged the natural properties of herbs, and had promulgated the powers of enchantments, and had traced out every curious art, even to the interpretation of the stars--they conferred properly and as it were peculiarly upon women that instrumental mean of womanly ostentation, the radiances of jewels wherewith necklaces are variegated, and the circlets of gold wherewith the arms are compressed, and the medicaments of orchil with which wools are colored, and that black powder itself wherewith the eyelids and eyelashes are made prominent. Tertullian (A.D. 198) Ante-Nicene Fathers vol.4 pg. 14-15

SEE ALSO: SATAN, NOAH

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