Sons of God
Category:
Definition & Meanings
Who are the "sons of God" in the
bible?
The phrase “sons of God” is found eleven times in the King James Version: twice in Genesis, three times in Job, and six times in the New Testament. Other than its usage in Job, the term refers to those who follow after God and keep His Word.
Almost every reference in the Bible to “sons of God” refers to men who live in harmony with the will of God. However, three instances of the sons of God found in Job (Job 1:6; Job 2;1; Job 38:7) refer to angels. This I believe so, because in the Job 1:6 description, there was a "kind of meeting" usually held between God and "sons of God" which most often, Satan who actually was a part of God's kingdom before he was thrown off, also attends.
I therefore believe that sons of God referred to in Job, has to be spirit beings like angels for them to be in attendance at such meetings with God! If you also look at the description of Job in Job Chapter One, you will know that, by all means, if humans were the ones being referred to in this Chapter, then Job obviously should have qualified to in such meetings.
So I had like to believe, based on Job 1:6, that "sons of God" in that verse of the bible were spirit beings(angels).
However "sons of God" in Genesis 6:1-4 will not likely be referring to angels... “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 [beautiful, NKJV]; and they took them wives of all which they chose. And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years. There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.”
“Sons of God” here may likely not be referring to angels, as some modern translations have led people to believe. According to Jesus, those in the resurrection “neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven” (Matthew 22:30).
In Paul's letter to the Romans, he said; “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God” (Romans 8:14). Paul also encouraged the Philippian brethren to “be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world” (Philippians 2:15). John wrote, “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God” and, “Beloved, now are we the sons of God” (1 John 3:1, 2).
It is important to note that;
Scholars and authors in early Christianity were not unanimous in their opinion. Christian writers such as Justin Martyr, Eusebius, Clement of Alexandria, Origen, and Commodianus believed that the "sons of God" in Genesis 6:1–4 were fallen angels who engaged in unnatural union with human women, resulting in the begetting of the Nephilim. Some scholars view Jesus' comment in Matthew 22:30 that angels do not marry, as a refutation to this view.
Most parts of the bible were "sons of God" were referred to, aside in Job look in favor of "Righteous men", rather than angels or spirit beings.
The phrase “sons of God” is found eleven times in the King James Version: twice in Genesis, three times in Job, and six times in the New Testament. Other than its usage in Job, the term refers to those who follow after God and keep His Word.
Almost every reference in the Bible to “sons of God” refers to men who live in harmony with the will of God. However, three instances of the sons of God found in Job (Job 1:6; Job 2;1; Job 38:7) refer to angels. This I believe so, because in the Job 1:6 description, there was a "kind of meeting" usually held between God and "sons of God" which most often, Satan who actually was a part of God's kingdom before he was thrown off, also attends.
I therefore believe that sons of God referred to in Job, has to be spirit beings like angels for them to be in attendance at such meetings with God! If you also look at the description of Job in Job Chapter One, you will know that, by all means, if humans were the ones being referred to in this Chapter, then Job obviously should have qualified to in such meetings.
So I had like to believe, based on Job 1:6, that "sons of God" in that verse of the bible were spirit beings(angels).
However "sons of God" in Genesis 6:1-4 will not likely be referring to angels... “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 [beautiful, NKJV]; and they took them wives of all which they chose. And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years. There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.”
“Sons of God” here may likely not be referring to angels, as some modern translations have led people to believe. According to Jesus, those in the resurrection “neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven” (Matthew 22:30).
In Paul's letter to the Romans, he said; “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God” (Romans 8:14). Paul also encouraged the Philippian brethren to “be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world” (Philippians 2:15). John wrote, “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God” and, “Beloved, now are we the sons of God” (1 John 3:1, 2).
It is important to note that;
Scholars and authors in early Christianity were not unanimous in their opinion. Christian writers such as Justin Martyr, Eusebius, Clement of Alexandria, Origen, and Commodianus believed that the "sons of God" in Genesis 6:1–4 were fallen angels who engaged in unnatural union with human women, resulting in the begetting of the Nephilim. Some scholars view Jesus' comment in Matthew 22:30 that angels do not marry, as a refutation to this view.
Most parts of the bible were "sons of God" were referred to, aside in Job look in favor of "Righteous men", rather than angels or spirit beings.
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