The Old Testament Canon

According to the Church Fathers, there are 22 canonical books of the Old Testament, one for each letter of the Hebrew alphabet. The Seventy translators of the Septuagint translated these books from Hebrew into Greek during the reign of Ptolemy Philadelphus (309-246 B.C.).
The twenty-two books are:

1. Genesis
2. Exodus
3. Leviticus
4. Numbers
5. Deuteronomy
6. Joshua
7. Judges and Ruth
8. I & II Kings (or I & II Samuel)
9. III & IV Kings (or I & II Kings)
10. I & II Chronicles (also includes the Prayer of Manasseh)
11. I & II Esdras (that is, I Esdras, Ezra, and Nehemiah)
12. Esther
13. Job
14. Psalms (including Psalm 151)
15. Proverbs
16. Ecclesiastes
17. Song of Solomon
18. The Twelve Minor Prophets (Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi)
19. Isaiah
20. Jeremiah (that is, Jeremiah, Baruch, Lamentations, and the Epistle of Jeremiah)
21. Ezekiel
22. Daniel

(See The Catechetical Lectures, Lecture IV, par. 35, by St. Cyril of Jerusalem, 318-386 A.D., vol. 7, p. 27, Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series; A Commentary on the Apostles' Creed, par. 37, by Tyrannius Rufinus, 344-410 A.D., vol. 3, pp. 557-558, Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series; An Exact Exposition of the Orthodox Faith, Book IV, chapter 17, by St. John of Damascus, 645-750 A.D., vol. 9, part 2, pp. 89-90, Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series.)

St. Athanasius the Great listed the twenty-two canonical books of the Old Testament as follows:

1. Genesis
2. Exodus
3. Leviticus
4. Numbers
5. Deuteronomy
6. Joshua
7. Judges
8. Ruth
9. I & II Kings (or I & II Samuel)
10. III & IV Kings (or I & II Kings)
11. I & II Chronicles (which most likely included The Prayer of Manasseh)
12. I & II Ezra (that is, I Esdras, Ezra, and Nehemiah)
13. Psalms (including Psalm 151)
14. Proverbs
15. Ecclesiastes
16. Song of Solomon
17. Job
18. The Twelve Minor Prophets (Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi)
19. Isaiah
20. Jeremiah (that is, Jeremiah, Baruch, Lamentations, and the Epistle of Jeremiah)
21. Ezekiel
22. Daniel

(See Letter XXXIX, par. 4, by St. Athanasius the Great, 296-373 A.D., vol. 4, p. 552, Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series.)

St. Athanasius omitted Esther from the twenty-two canonical books of the Old Testament. He separated Ruth from Judges.

These books were called canonical because the Jews prior to the Council of Jamnia held these books to be their Sacred Writings. The Council of Jamnia in 100 A.D. excluded portions of Daniel, portions of Esther, the First Book of Esdras, the Prayer of Manasseh, Baruch, and the Epistle of Jeremiah from the Jewish Canon of Scripture.

There are some other books that ancient Christians included in the Old Testament Canon, but were rejected by the Jews. These books are called the Ecclesiastical Books of the Old Testament. They are:

Tobit
Judith
The Wisdom of Solomon
The Wisdom of Jesus the Son of Sirach
I Maccabees
II Maccabees
III Maccabees

(See A Commentary on the Apostles' Creed, par. 38, by Tyrannius Rufinus, 344-410 A.D., vol. 3, p. 558, Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series.)

St. Athanasius the Great included Esther in the Ecclesiastical Books of the Old Testament. He did not mention the Books of the Maccabees, however. (See Letter XXXIX, par. 7, by St. Athanasius the Great, 296-373 A.D., vol. 7, p. 552, Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series.)

In its Second Canon, the Quinisext Council (692 A.D.), speaking for the Church as a whole, accepted the Canons of the Holy Apostles, the Canons of the Council of Carthage (419 A.D.), and the decretal letters of St. Gregory the Theologian, St. Amphilochius of Iconium, and St. Athanasius the Great. The 85th Canon of the Canons of the Holy Apostles, the 24th Canon of the Council of Carthage (419 A.D.), The Metre Poems of St. Gregory the Theologian, The Iambics of St. Amphilochius of Iconium, and Letter XXXIX of St. Athanasius the Great contain lists of books that make up the Canon of Holy Scripture. [See vol. 14, pp. 361 (Canon II, Quinisext Council), 453-454 (Canon XXIV, Council of Carthage), 612, Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series; Canon 85 of the Canons of the Holy Apostles, vol. 7, p. 505, Ante-Nicene Fathers; and Letter XXXIX of St. Athanasius the Great, vol.4, pp. 551-552, Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series.]

There are some books that Christians in modern times call the "disputed books." Protestants classify these books in the Apocrypha. Roman Catholics classify three of these books and the 151st Psalm in the Apocrypha and the others are called by them "deuterocanonical." None of the Church Fathers ever called any of these books "deuterocanonical." That term was invented in the Sixteenth Century. Actually, many of the Church Fathers considered Baruch, the Epistle of Jeremiah, I Esdras, the History of Susanna (Daniel chapter 1 in the Septuagint), the Song of the Three Holy Children (part of Daniel chapter 4 in the Septuagint), Bel and the Dragon (Daniel chapter 14 in the Septuagint), and the so-called "Additions to Esther" to be canonical Scripture. Psalm 151 and the Prayer of Manasseh are found in the various codices of the Septuagint. Psalm 151 is not used that much, but I have found some evidence that first and second century Christians did use it. The Prayer of Manasseh is not quoted from that much, but I have found evidence that St. Basil the Great (329-379 A.D.) used it. His grandparents and parents were Christians. So, he was at least a third generation Christian. If he used it, then it is reasonable to think that third century Christians had used it, too.

The other books that Protestants unfortunately classify with the Apocrypha are Tobit, Judith, the Wisdom of Solomon, the Wisdom of Jesus the Son of Sirach (Ecclesiasticus), and the Three Books of Maccabees. These books are called Ecclesiastical because the Orthodox Church accepts them as part of the Old Testament, but the Jews do not. Although they are called Ecclesiastical, they are part of the Canon of the Old Testament Scriptures. Roman Catholics have placed the Third Book of Maccabees in the Apocrypha. The 85th Canon of the Canons of the Holy Apostles classified this book with all of the other books that are to "be esteemed venerable and holy." It is never mentioned by any of the Church Fathers as being one of the twenty-two canonical books, though. So then, it is Ecclesiastical. Many of the Church Fathers quoted from or alluded to Tobit, Judith, the Wisdom of Solomon, and Ecclesiasticus in their writings. There are also quotes from and allusions to First and Second Maccabees in their writings. According to St. Jerome (345-420 A.D.), the First Council of Nicaea (325 A.D.) included Judith into the Canon of Holy Scripture. Origen (185-254 A.D.) said that the Church uses Tobit and Judith, but the Jews do not.

It is important that one know what is the right basis for faith. If there is a record of God's revelation to man, then one needs to know which are the books that contain that record. For this reason, I intend to write more on the subject of the Canon of Holy Scripture in some later blogs.

Steve

Bibliography

Ante-Nicene Fathers, edited by Alexander Roberts, D.D. & James Donaldson, LL.D., volumes 1-10, Hendrickson Publishers, Peabody, Massachusetts

Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series, edited by Philip Schaff, D.D., LL.D., volumes 1-14, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., Peabody, Massachusetts

Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, edited by Philip Schaff, D.D., LL.D. & Henry Wace, D.D., volumes 1-14, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., Peabody, Massachusetts

Divine Revelation and Oral Tradition

According to St. Paul, God created everything for Himself. (Col. 1:16) He did not create everything just for the mere purpose of watching what all happens to it and never intervening when something goes wrong. Instead, He took and continues to take an active interest in His creation. Because He takes an active interest in all that He has made, He has revealed Himself to various men and women at various different times.

Many of His initial revelations of Himself were not recorded with ink and paper, nor were they preserved in stone or mud. They were passed on by word of mouth.

Evidence that ancient man passed on divine revelation by word of mouth can be seen in many of the various myths of the various cultures of man. In many of these myths the original version of the stories became distorted. In the Pelasgian Creation Myth, for example, the goddess, Eurynome, arose out of Chaos naked. She created a snake by rubbing the North Wind in her hands. Then, she mated with the snake who is called Ophion. Later, she changed herself into a dove and layed the Universal Egg out of which all things that exist came. The snake, Ophion, and she started living together on Mount Olympus. Ophion vexed Eurynome by saying that he was the Author of the Universe. She bruised his head with her heel. (The Greek Myths, vol. 1, p. 27)

This is just a distorted version of Genesis chapters 1-3. Eurynome is the name for the Creator and also the name for Eve. Chaos is "the world without form and void." (Gen. 1:2) Ophion is Satan. (Compare Gen. 3:1-7, II Cor. 11:1-3, and Rev. 12:9.) Mount Olympus is Mount Zion, a figurative name for Heaven. (Rev. 14:1) In the Pelasgian account, the snake mates with the woman. In the Hebrew account the snake deceives the woman and gets her to sin. In the Hebrew account God creates the universe (Gen. 1:1-25) and creates man and woman. (Gen. 1:26-28) In the Pelasgian account the goddess, Eurynome, lays an egg out of which everything came. In the Hebrew account God puts enmity between the snake and the seed of the woman and says that her seed shall bruise the snake's head. (Gen. 3:15) In the Pelasgian account Eurynome bruises Ophion's head with her heel.

The original stories containing divine revelation were preserved orally by the Hebrew people for many years until they were eventually written down in either Proto-Semitic or Hebrew characters. God preserved these stories from error so that they could eventually be recorded for others to read.

In time, people wrote other books as they received revelations from God. Eventually, the Jews collected these books together in the form of scrolls. These scrolls were kept together and read during the Jewish worship services. Later, an Egyptian king, Ptolemy Philadelphus (309-246 B.C.), had seventy Palestinian Jews come to Alexandria Egypt and translate the Hebrew Scriptures into Greek. According to one account of this work of translation, each of the translators worked independently on translating the same text. All of them, according to this account, came up with the exact word for word translation into Greek. This miracle was attributed to God. The Septuagint, then, became the authoritative Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures.

Later, some other books were added to this collection of books in the Septuagint. These later books were written after the translation had been completed by the Seventy translators. Christians continued to use these books in the first and second centuries A.D., but the Jews, after the Council of Jamnia (100 A.D.), stopped using them.

I will speak more about these books in a later blog.

Steve

Bibliography

The Greek Myths, volumes 1 and 2, by Robert Graves, Viking Penguin, Inc., 40 West 23rd Street, New York, New York, 10010, copyright 1960 by Robert Graves

God and Creation

There are various opinions about God and the universe. Some believe that the universe is God. This view is called pantheism. Others say that God created everything, set everything in motion, and distanced Himself from all of His creation by not interacting with it. That view is called deism. Others say that God created everything and is involved in His creation. That is the view of the monotheists.

If the view of the pantheists is correct, then everything is God and all of nature should be worshiped as God. Treating anything with contempt, then, would be a sacrilegious act, deserving divine judgment. Each individual, according to this view, would deserve to be worshiped as part of the Divine Entity. Any evil deeds done by anyone would, then, be part of the divine will.

The monotheists, on the other hand, regard all of nature as something separate from God. The view held by most monotheists is that God created everything out of nothing. This doctrine can be found expressly stated in the Second Book of Maccabees.

I beseech thee, my son, look upon the heaven and the Earth, and all that is therein, and consider that God made them of things that were not; and so was mankind made likewise. (II Macc. 7:28)

The Second Book of Maccabees is included in the Christian Canon of Holy Scripture by the Council of Carthage (419 A.D.) in its 24th Canon and by the 85th Canon of the Canons of the Holy Apostles. The Quinisext Council (692 A.D.), an extension of the Fifth and Sixth Ecumenical Councils of the Church, adopted these canons in its Second Canon.*

God, according to most monotheists, brought everything from non-existence into existence.

If the view of the deists is correct, then there is no divine intervention in the affairs of men. God just simply watches what happens and does not attempt to influence our actions in any way.

Monotheists disagree with this view of the deists respecting God and His creation. God, according to them, takes enough interest in His creation to interact with it and try to influence it for good.**

Most monotheists believe that God reveals Himself to people in various ways. They believe there is a collection of Sacred Writings that contain God's revelation to man. For the Jews, this is the Old Testament as approved by the Council of Jamnia in 100 A.D. For Muslims, this is the Koran. For Christians, it is the Old and New Testaments. There is a difference of opinion among Christians as to which books make up the Old Testament canon. Protestants adopt the same books that were approved by the Jewish Council of Jamnia in 100 A.D. Roman Catholics go by the decision of the Council of Trent (1545-1564). For Orthodox Christians, the Canon of the Old Testament consists of all of the books found in the Septuagint and approved by the Quinisext Council (692 A.D.) in its Second Canon. It accepted the various canons of certain bishops, the Canons of the Holy Apostles, the canons of the Council of Carthage (419 A.D.), and the canons of some other regional councils of the Church. Among Christians, the Orthodox have the largest collection of books in their Old Testament.

The evidence for God's interaction with men is found in various recorded miracles in the Sacred Writings of Christians. There are also various events in history that have been attributed to divine intervention. Many of these events are recorded in the lives of the Saints.

As for the Orthodox Christian view regarding God and His creation, Orthodox say that God transcends time and space, but He is immanent. God can be known, but not fully known. Nature provides us with proof of His existence. In the Wisdom of Solomon, it says:

Surely vain are all men by nature, who are ignorant of God, and could not out of the good things that are seen know Him that is: neither by considering the works did they acknowledge the Workmaster; but deemed either fire, or wind, or the swift air, or the circle of the stars, or the violent water, or the lights of heaven, to be the gods which govern the world. With whose beauty if they being delighted took them to be gods; let them know how much better the Lord of them is: for the First Author of beauty hath created them. But if they were astonished at their power and virtue, let them understand by them, how much mightier He is that made them. For by the greatness and beauty of the creatures proportionably the Maker of them is seen. (Wisd. 13:1-5)

The Wisdom of Solomon is one of the Five Books of Solomon approved as canonical Scripture by the Council of Carthage (419 A.D.) in its 24th Canon. The canons of this regional council were adopted by the Quinisext Council (692 A.D.) in its Second Canon.***

God can be seen in the greatness and beauty of His creation. This same doctrine is taught in the 18th Psalm:

The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims the work of His hands. Day to day utters speech, and night to night proclaims knowledge. There are no speeches or words, in which their voices are not heard. Their voice is gone out into all the Earth, and their words to the ends of the world. (Psalm 18:1-4, LXX; Psalm 19:1-4, Hebrew)

It is also found in St. Paul's writings:

Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse. (Rom. 1:19-20)

God reveals His power, glory, and beauty to us through the things that He has created. There is evidence of His intelligence and wisdom in the multitude of creatures and things that make up the created order. In the 103rd Psalm it says:

How great are Thy works, O Lord! In wisdom hast Thou wrought them all. (Psalm 103:24, LXX; Psalm 104:24, Hebrew)

So then, to sum up what has been said, God created everything out of nothing. The created universe is not God, but it reveals to us the glory, power, wisdom, and beauty of God. God transcends His creation, but He still interacts with it. There are records of His interactions with the created universe in the Sacred Writings of Christians and in the lives of the Saints.

Steve

* See Canons of the Holy Apostles, Canon 85, vol. 7, p. 505, Ante-Nicene Fathers, Canon XXIV of the Council of Carthage, 419 A.D., vol. 14, pp. 453-454, Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, and Canon II of the Quinisext Council, 692 A.D., vol. 14, p. 361, Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series.

** God loves His creation.

For Thou lovest all the things that are, and abhorrest nothing which Thou hast made: for never wouldest Thou have made any thing, if Thou hadst hated it. (Wisd. 11:24)

If God loves all that He made, then He is not just an indifferent onlooker. He takes an active interest in what happens in the lives of His creatures. So, it is reasonable to say that He interacts with His creation that He created and loves. God can and does perform miracles.

*** See Canon XXIV of the Council of Carthage, 419 A.D., vol. 14, pp. 453-454, Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, and Canon II of the Quinisext Council, 692 A.D., vol. 14, p. 361, Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series. Blessed Augustine, a bishop within the North African jurisdiction of which Carthage was a part, said that the Five Books of Solomon are: Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, the Song of Solomon, the Wisdom of Jesus the Son of Sirach (also called Ecclesiasticus), and the Wisdom of Solomon. Ecclesiasticus and the Wisdom of Solomon are classified with the other three books that, according to tradition, were actually written by King Solomon, not because they were written by Solomon, but because they have "a certain resemblance of style." See On Christian Doctrine, Book II, chapter 8, by Blessed Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D., vol. 2, pp. 538-539, Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series.

Bibliography

Ante-Nicene Fathers, edited by Alexander Roberts, D.D. & James Donaldson, LL.D., volumes 1-10, Hendrickson Publishers, Peabody, Massachusetts

Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series, edited by Philip Schaff, D.D., LL.D., volumes 1-14, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., Peabody, Massachusetts

Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, edited by Philip Schaff, D.D., LL.D. & Henry Wace, D.D., volumes 1-14, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., Peabody, Massachusetts

How Many Gods are There?

I remember watching the Science Fiction television series, Battlestar Galactica. It was about an advanced human civilization that was in a prolonged war with a race of robots called Cylons. The humans had a polytheistic religion. They worshiped the Lords of Kobol. In their conversations with each other, they often spoke of "the gods" and not God. Unlike the humans in this Science Fiction show, most advanced Earth cultures are monotheistic and not polytheistic. Monotheists say that there is only one God.

There are three major monotheistic religions in the world today: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Christians and Jews often cite the Old Testament passage in Deuteronomy to prove that there is only one God.

Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: and thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. (Deut. 6:4,5)

There are passages in the New Testament that also teach that there is only one God.

But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by Him. (I Cor. 8:6)

Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one. (Gal. 3:20)

Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. (James 2:19)

These passages are considered to be authoritative to Christians, since they come from their Sacred Scriptures. In the Koran, it says:

This is a clear message for mankind in order that they may be warned thereby, and that they may know that He is only One God, and that men of understanding may take heed. (Koran 14:52, The Meaning of the Glorious Koran, p. 190)

Muslims believe that this is authoritative because they believe the Koran is a divine revelation of God.

Although Jews, Christians, and Muslims may disagree on the subject of what constitutes the Sacred Scriptures for man to read, learn, and understand, they all agree in saying that there is only one true God.

In the Third Book of Maccabees, God is called the Supreme God.

But the Jews, at their last gasp, since the time had run out, stretched their hands toward heaven and with most tearful supplication and mournful dirges implored the supreme God to help them again at once. (III Macc. 5:25, RSV)

The Canons of the Holy Apostles called the Third Book of Maccabees "holy and venerable." (Canons of the Holy Apostles, Canon 85, vol. 7, p. 505, Ante-Nicene Fathers) The Quinisext Council (692 A.D.), an extension of the Fifth and Sixth Ecumenical Councils of the Church, accepted the Canons of the Holy Apostles in its Second Canon. (See vol. 14, p. 361, Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series.) So, this holy and venerable book of the ancient Christians calls God "the supreme God."

Lactantius wrote:

Who can doubt that he would be a most powerful king who should have the government of the whole world? And not without reason, since all things which everywhere exist would belong to him, since all resources from all quarters would be centred in him alone. But if more than one divide the government of the world, undoubtedly each will have less power and strength, since every one must confine himself within his prescribed portion. In the same manner also, if there are more gods than one, they will be of less weight, others having in themselves the same power. But the nature of excellence admits of greater perfection in him in whom the whole is, than in him in whom there is only a small part of the whole. But God, if He is perfect, as He ought to be, cannot but be one, because He is perfect, so that all things may be in Him. Therefore the excellences and powers of the gods must necessarily be weaker, because so much will be wanting to each as shall be in the others; and so the more there are, so much the less powerful will they be. Why should I mention that this highest power and divine energy is altogether incapable of division? For whatever is capable of division must of necessity be liable to destruction also. But if destruction is far removed from God, because He is incorruptible and eternal, it follows that the divine power is incapable of division. Therefore God is one, if that which admits of so great power can be nothing else. (The Divine Institutes, Book I, chapter 3, by Lactantius, 260-330 A.D., vol. 7, pp. 11-12, Ante-Nicene Fathers)

So then, if there are more gods than one, then each god would have less power than what would be the case if there is only one God. Each god would have to divide the power and authority among themselves.

Ancient Christians had a saying: "God is not, if He is not one."* To say that there is not one God is to say that there is no Supreme God. The nature of God Himself is to be supreme. If He has to share his power and authority with other gods, then He cannot be supreme. Therefore, He cannot be God, but only one of the gods.

Since there is only one God who is supreme, we should pray only to that one God -- and not to any other so-called "deity.".

Steve

* But the Christian verity has distinctly declared this principle, “God is not, if He is not one;” because we more properly believe that that has no existence which is not as it ought to be. In order, however, that you may know that God is one, ask what God is, and you will find Him to be not otherwise than one. (Five Books Against Marcion, Book I, chapter 3, by Tertullian, 145-220 A.D., vol. 3, p. 273, Ante-Nicene Fathers)

Bibliography

Ante-Nicene Fathers, edited by Alexander Roberts, D.D. & James Donaldson, LL.D., volumes 1-10, Hendrickson Publishers, Peabody, Massachusetts

Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series, edited by Philip Schaff, D.D., LL.D., volumes 1-14, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., Peabody, Massachusetts

Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, edited by Philip Schaff, D.D., LL.D. & Henry Wace, D.D., volumes 1-14, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., Peabody, Massachusetts

The Meaning of the Glorious Koran, translated by Mohammed Marmaduke Pickthall, New American Library, 1633 Broadway, New York, New York 10019, copyright under the Berne Convention

Is There a God?

I remember back in my college days I had a professor that apparently did not believe in the existence of God. Whenever a student in the class would make a comment in class and use the word, "God," he would ask, "Whose god?" I think that he believed that God was a part of a person's imagination and not a real entity.

I had another professor in college that taught a course on the New Testament. On the very first day of class, he told everyone in the class, "God is just as real to me as you are."

I think that I share the same convictions about the existence of God that my New Testament professor did. For me, God is real. There really is a God that I can talk to and who hears my prayers.

There are various philosophical arguments for the existence of God. One such argument is called the cosmological argument. This argument states that since every event is caused by something else, there must have been Someone who caused the first event. The One who caused the first event is God. Then, there is Immanuel Kant's moral argument. He said that since there is a universal moral code inherent in all people, there must be an External Lawgiver. That Lawgiver is God. Another argument is the teleological argument. It says that since there is order and arrangement in the universe, there must be some Intelligent Being who is responsible for that order and arrangement. That Intelligent Being who is the fountainhead of order in the universe and is responsible for it is God. The ontological argument is another argument for the existence of God. Anselm of Canterbury used it to prove His existence. He said that since there are different degrees of perfection in nature, there must be Absolute Perfection. That which has absolute perfection is God.

Another argument that I learned while I was involved in an Evangelical Christian group during my college days is the incomplete knowledge argument. What a member of this group of Christians would do whenever he or she encountered someone who denied the existence of God was to ask that person if he or she knew all the knowledge that was in the universe. Of course, no one does. So, the atheist would have to answer no. Then the Evangelical Christian would ask, "Is it possible that somewhere within all of that knowledge that you do not know there is a God?" To any thinking person the answer would have to be yes. So now, the atheist is no longer an atheist, but an agnostic.

There are probably other philosophical arguments for the existence of God, but no one can discover God through philosophical reasoning. The only way to really know God is through personal encounter with Him.

Let us use an example here to illustrate a truth. There is a person named Nick who lives on such and such a street in such and such a place in Georgia. (I do not want to use actual examples. I just want to illustrate an idea.) I know this person, Nick, and have talked to him. He is very real to me. There are people who live in Minnesota who have never met Nick and they do not know that he actually does exist. They may even doubt that he actually does exist or say that he does not exist at all. Does their failure to know Nick negate his existence? No! Of course, not!

The same holds true for God. Someone might doubt the existence of God. They might even think that He does not exist at all, but that does not mean that He does not exist. It just simply means that they do not know Him.

The first step in getting to know God is to pray to Him. One must start treating Him as a Reality that can be known and not just merely the proof of some philosophical reasoning. St. James said:

Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you. (St. James 4:8)

The second step is to try to find out how He wants you to live your life and start trying to live the way He wants you to. St. John said:

And hereby we do know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He that saith, I know Him, and keepeth not His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in Him. (I John 2:3,4)

So, for someone who does not know for certain that there is a God, but would like to meet Him, I would say, "Try talking to Him on a daily basis and try finding out what kind of a life it is that pleases Him. Then, try as much as possible to live the kind of life He wants you to live." These are the very first steps in building a relationship with God.

I will write more on this subject of knowing God in some later blogs.

Steve

Do Angels Have Children?

I have noticed statues of female angels. I saw one recently in a department store. I have also noticed pictures of female angels. I browsed the internet on this subject and found out that several people have blogged about this subject. Some believe that angels exist in both genders, male and female. Others say that angels are sexless beings. I have decided to enter into the controversy and give my opinion on the subject. When I was in college, I remember seeing a picture by an artist in an art book. It had baby angels in it. The subject of this painting was a Christian theme. I asked an art professor about it and he told me that some people believe that angels procreate. Well, I, out of curiosity, have done my own research on the subject and I think that angels exist in both genders, male and female, and they do procreate. I know about the passage in the Gospels where it says:

For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in Heaven. (St. Matt. 22:30)

Some quote this verse in defense of their theory that angels are sexless beings. Others interpret this to mean that Christ was talking about Levirate marriages since the Sadducees had posed a question to Him involving brothers marrying their brother's widow "to raise up seed" for him. According to them, they say that Christ was not saying that there will not be any marriages in the resurrection, but that there will not be any more Levirate marriages. When I first had this view explained to me, I agreed with it and adopted it as my interpretation of this passage. Now, however, I disagree with that for the following reasons. One, Levirate marriages have already ceased in this present age. The only people that I have heard that still practice this are some Jews and some Mormons. Secondly, angels have never had any need for Levirate marriages. They are immortal. They do not die. No angel has ever needed to marry his deceased brother's widow to "raise up seed" for his deceased angel brother. Thirdly, the Church Fathers unanimously interpret this passage to mean that marriage will cease to exist after the resurrection of the dead. So, it is clear in my opinion that angels do not marry. However, they might not marry, but that does not mean that they do not procreate. I agree with what I read another gentleman said in his blog on this subject. He said that they probably have some other system besides marriage. He pointed out that animals procreate without marriage. Although they may have some other system besides marriage, I think that it is an intelligent system that is suitable for intelligent beings. I do not think that they procreate like animals do. Animals procreate with just about any other animal, including siblings, offspring, and parents. I do not think angels do such things. They probably have some system for regulating who they procreate with. They probably have some rite for legitimizing heterosexual relationships although it is still not a marital relationship. Now, here are my reasons for believing that there are female angels. For one thing, all of the higher life forms exist in both genders, male and female. Only amoebas, other one-celled organisms, and some lizards procreate without sexual intercourse. Angels are higher life forms. Actually, they are higher than us. God created man "a little lower than the angels." (Psalm 8:5, LXX; Heb. 2:7) It is only after the general resurrection of the dead that resurrected righteous men will become "equal unto the angels." (St. Luke 20:36) In the Hebrew text of Isaiah 34:14, it says:

There shall the lilith repose, and find for herself a place to rest. (Isaiah 34:14, NAB)

The annotation in the New American Bible says:

Lilith: a female demon thought to roam about the desert. (Annotation for Isaiah 34:14, New American Bible)

In the "Biblical Cyclopedic Index" of the Open Bible, it says:

night creature: Lit. “Lilith,” taken to be a female night demon in later Jewish mythology.

Nelson's Topical Bible Index says:

Lilith -- an evil female demon in Babylonian mythology. (p. 384, Nelson's Topical Bible Index)

Enhanced Strong's Lexicon says:

“Lilith”, name of a female goddess known as a night demon who haunts the desolate places of Edom. (Strong's Hebrew #3917, Enhanced Strong's Lexicon)

The New Revised Standard Version even capitalized the word Lilith in this verse to indicate that Isaiah was speaking about a person named Lilith.

There too Lilith shall repose, and find a place to rest. (Isaiah 34:14, NRSV)

So, if there are female demons, then there are female angels. Demons are fallen angels. They followed Satan and left God.

And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. (Rev. 12:9)

They are destined for eternal damnation in Gehenna.

Then shall He say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. (St. Matt. 25:41)

In the Shepherd, a book that St. Athanasius the Great classified with the Ecclesiastical Books of the Bible,* St. Hermas of the Seventy Apostles speaks with two ladies. I believe that these ladies he was talking to were female angels. St. Athanasius said that this book is a good book to be used with catechumens. His list of Canonical and Ecclesiastical Books was accepted by the Quinisext Council (692 A.D.) in its Second Canon.

In Zechariah 5:9, there is mention made of women with wings. I think they were female angels.

As for angels procreating, there is the passage in Genesis 6.

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. 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. (Gen. 6:1-4)

In the Hebrew text of Job, angels are called "sons of God." (Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7) According to The Catholic Encyclopedia's article on angels, most codices of the Septuagint say "angels of God" in this Genesis passage instead of "sons of God." The most ancient interpretation of this passage is that angels fell into the sin of lusting after human women and married them and had children with them. Their offspring were giants. I do not think that they were giants like in the Greek myths. I think that they were just tall people like a lot of basketball players are. Goliath, according to the Septuagint text of First Samuel was four cubits and a span in height. (I Sam. 17:4, LXX) That is about 6 foot 8 inches. I know that the Hebrew text says 6 cubits and a span, but 4 cubits and a span seems to be more probable. The Hebrew text may have been corrupted. But then, Og King of Bashan's bed was 9 cubits by 4 cubits. (Deut. 3:11) That is 13 foot 6 inches by 6 foot. He was the last of the remnant of the giants. (Deut. 3:11; Josh. 12:4) (The Septuagint agrees with the Hebrew here.) He would, of course, have been shorter than his bed. Maybe his dimensions were 12 foot by 4 foot. I would think that he would have had a bed big enough for both him and his wife. Og was also a King of the Amorites. (Josh. 9:10) The Amorites were descendants of Noah's son, Ham. (Gen. 10:6-16) I sort of wonder if Noah, his wife, or Ham's wife had some angel DNA! Another reason I believe that angels procreate is found in Tobit.** Actually, there are two reasons I find in this book for believing that angels procreate. The first reason is Asmodeus. He was a demon who lusted after Sara. He killed her first seven husbands before they could consummate their marriage with her. (Tobit 3:7,8; 6:13,14) I think that Asmodeus was capable of having sex although he was a demon -- a fallen angel. The other reason I believe that angels procreate is that the Archangel Raphael told Tobit that he is Azarias the son of Ananias. I do not believe that he lied to Tobit.

Therefore when he went to seek a man, he found Raphael that was an angel. But he knew not; and he said unto him, Canst thou go with me to Rages? And knowest thou those places well? To whom the angel said, I will go with thee, and I know the way well: for I have lodged with our brother Gabael. Then Tobias said unto him, Tarry for me, till I tell my father. Then he said unto him, Go and tarry not. So he went in and said to his father, Behold, I have found one which will go with me. Then he said, Call him unto me, that I may know of what tribe he is, and whether he be a trusty man to go with thee. So he called him, and he came in, and they saluted one another. Then Tobit said unto him, Brother, shew me of what tribe and family thou art. To whom he said, Dost thou seek for a tribe or family, or an hired man to go with thy son? Then Tobit said unto him, I would know, brother, thy kindred and name. Then he said, I am Azarias, the son of Ananias the Great, and of thy brethren. (Tobit 5:4-12)

The names, Raphael, Azarias, and Ananias are derived from Hebrew -- a human language. St. Paul spoke of "the tongues of angels" in his First Epistle to the Corinthians. (I Cor. 13:1) His actual names are probably not Raphael or Azarias. His father's name is probably not Ananias. They are probably just Hebrew forms of their actual names, just as Juan is a Spanish form of John. Some say that Ananias is another name for God and that Raphael was telling Tobit that he was a son of God. I do not believe that Ananias is another name for God because Ananias is the name of one of the Seventy Apostles who is the first bishop of Damascus. He baptized St. Paul. (Acts 22:12-16) I do not think that any pious Jew or Christian would name his child after God. There are some who have named their children Jesus, but Jesus is a human name. It is derived from the Greek form of a Hebrew name found in several places in the Old Testament. Joshua is called Jesus the son of Nave in the Septuagint. The author of Ecclesiasticus is Jesus the son of Sirach. The High Priest during Zerubbabel's days is Joshua. He is called Jesus in the Septuagint. Ananias is another human name. It is the name that the Archangel Raphael called his father when he was talking to Tobit. If Raphael has a father, then angels do procreate. Another reason I believe that angels procreate is found in St. Mark's Gospel. One of the angels at the tomb was a "young man." (St. Mark 16:5) The Greek word translated "young man" is neaniskos. A neaniskos is younger than a neanias. I think that the word, neaniskos, means "teenage boy." If there are angels with different ages, then it is reasonable to say that some angels came about after others. Angels probably do procreate. In the Epistle to the Hebrews, it says that there is an innumerable number of angels. (Heb. 12:22) God created man as two individuals first, male and female (Gen. 1:26-28). It is reasonable to believe that God also created angels as two individuals, male and female, too. However, I think that He probably did that for each of the orders of angels. There are nine choirs or orders of angels mentioned in the Bible: seraphim, cherubim, thrones, dominions, principalities, authorities, rulers, archangels, and angels. (Isaiah 6:2; Gen. 3:24; Eph. 6:12; Col. 1:16, I Thess. 4:16; Heb. 1:13) Anyway, I agree with the famous Seventeenth Century Baroque artist, Peter Rubens. There are baby angels.

This is "The Assumption of the Virgin Mary."
Notice the baby angels in this painting by
Seventeenth Century Baroque artist, Peter Rubens.

Steve

* But for greater exactness I add this also, writing of necessity; that there are other books besides these not indeed included in the Canon, but appointed by the Fathers to be read by those who newly join us, and who wish for instruction in the word of godliness. The Wisdom of Solomon, and the Wisdom of Sirach, and Esther, and Judith, and Tobit, and that which is called the Teaching of the Apostles, and the Shepherd. But the former, my brethren, are included in the Canon, the latter being [merely] read; nor is there in any place a mention of apocryphal writings. But they are an invention of heretics, who write them when they choose, bestowing upon them their approbation, and assigning to them a date, that so, using them as ancient writings, they may find occasion to lead astray the simple. (Letter XXXIX, par. 7, by St. Athanasius the Great, 296-373 A.D., vol. 4, p. 552, Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series)

** Tobit is one of the Ecclesiastical Books of the Old Testament. The 24th Canon of the Council of Carthage (419 A.D.) accepted it into the Canon of Holy Scripture. The Second Canon of the Quinisext Council accepted the Canons of this Council of Carthage. The Quinisext Council is ecumenical. St. Polycarp, a disciple of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian, quoted from Tobit in his Epistle to the Philippians. (See chapter 10, Polycarp's Epistle to the Philippians, vol. 1, p. 35, Ante-Nicene Fathers. The quote is from Tobit 4:10 or 12:9.) St. Polycarp was also Bishop of Smyrna. I do not think that any of the apostles or their successors would have allowed a man who was ignorant of the Holy Scriptures to become a bishop.

Bibliography

Nelson's Topical Bible Index, published by Thomas Nelson, Inc., Nashville, TN, copyright 1995

Enhanced Strong's Lexicon, copyright 1995, Woodside Bible Fellowship

New American Bible, copyright 1976, Catholic Publishers, Inc, A Division of Thomas Nelson, Inc., Nashville, TN

The Open Bible, copyright 1983, Thomas Nelson, Inc., Nashville, TN

Ante-Nicene Fathers, edited by Alexander Roberts, D.D. & James Donaldson, LL.D., volumes 1-10, Hendrickson Publishers, Peabody, Massachusetts

Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series, edited by Philip Schaff, D.D., LL.D., volumes 1-14, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., Peabody, Massachusetts

Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, edited by Philip Schaff, D.D., LL.D. & Henry Wace, D.D., volumes 1-14, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., Peabody, Massachusetts