Who are the Sons of God from Gen. 6:1-4?

Many a thesis and dissertation, not to mention books, have been written on Gen. 6:1-4 and the meaning of the Sons of God.  Therefore, this post will keep the issue somewhat brief and hopefully serve to peak people’s interest to do their own studying on this difficult passage.  After spending about fifteen hours restudying all the issues my view has been adjusted or adapted but not outright changed.

Genesis 6:1-4 (NASB)

         1      Now it came about, when men began to multiply on the face of the land, and daughters were born to them,

         2      that the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves, whomever they chose.

         3      Then the LORD said, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, because he also is flesh; nevertheless his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.”

         4      The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men, and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown.

Here are the three main views:

     1)      Sons of God as Human Rulers - This view was created in the late 2^nd Century AD by Rabbis and is only held by a few Christians and therefore will not be covered.  Most agree that this position is too weak to be seriously considered.

2)  Sons of God as Godly Descendants of Seth - This view was created by Augustine (who is known for promoting the Allegorical approach to biblical interpretation) in the 4^th Century AD and is the primary alternative to the popular view.

Significant Weaknesses- First, nowhere in the ot are Sethites identified as the sons of God.  Second, this view forces two divergent meanings on the Hebrew word ʾadam in Gen 6:1–2: the term would have to mean “mankind” in Gen 6:1, but a specific group of humans—the Cainites—in Gen 6:2.  Additionally, this view implies that all the women of Cain’s line were ungodly, whereas all the men of Seth’s line were godly.  While this might be averted by noting that no law existed prohibiting intermarriage of any kind prior to the great flood, this would in turn undermine the entire premise of the view.  Also, since only Noah and his family were considered godly in the days of the flood, we can presume that the vast majority of Seth’s descendants were far from godly; Seth had more than one descendant (Gen 5:7).  Lastly, the daughters born in the previous chapter of Genesis were born to Seth’s line, not Cain’s—the precise opposite of what this explanation requires.

3) Sons of God as Divine Beings (Fallen Angels, aka Demons) - The popular/ dominant view today was held by both Jews and Christians until the above mentioned dates and has resurged in popularity in the last hundred or so years. This view will be discussed in more detail below. (Even though a view is popular and dominant that does not mean it is accurate and therefore needs to be challenged and held up to what the Bible says)

Extra biblical Issues:

The position of the Sons of God as Divine Beings appears in early Jewish works that comment on the stories of Genesis (1 Enoch 6; Jubilees 5), the Septuagint, Philo (De Gigant 2:358), Josephus (Ant. 1.31), and the Dead Sea Scrolls (1QapGen 2:1; CD 2:17–19); as well as the works of early Christian scholars such as Justin, Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, and Origen.  The extra biblical arguments are not enough to prove or disprove but are fascinating in that the Early Church held to the Divine position and that is noteworthy.  The Septuagint (Greek translation of Hebrew Old Testament) and Apocrypha (Non-canonical Intertestamental Writings) need to be mentioned because in some instances they are held as authoritative or true in their representations (I am not saying that they are 100% accurate in everything or anything, but in holding to the inerrancy and authority of Scripture then the stories mentioned must be held to as true, such as Jude talking about Satan and Michael fighting over Moses’ body in Jude 9 which is a story from the Apocrypha).  Also, approximately 2/3 of the New Testament quotes of the Old Testament are from the Septuagint.

Biblical Issues: (How does Scripture Interpret Scripture?)

Old Testament:

     ·         The Hebrew phrase Sons of God appears three other times, all in Job (1:6, 2:1, and 38:7) and they represent Angels in the heavenly court. 

     ·         In Daniel 3:25 the phrase Son of God is found but it is in Aramaic (actually the whole passage is) but it refers to either God as a Theonomy or more likely the Pre-incarnate Christ ministering to those in the fiery furnace, either way the emphasis is on a “Divine Being.”

     ·         Therefore, the standard usage of Sons of God means Divine Being(s) in the Old Testament instances and is only really disputed in the Genesis passage.

New Testament: In following the hermeneutical principle of the New Testament shedding light or further explaining the Old Testament, the two passages which refer to Genesis 6:1-4 are extremely important.

2^nd Peter 2:4-11 (NASB)

       4   For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell (Greek Tartarus) and committed them to pits of darkness, reserved for judgment;

       5   and did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a preacher of righteousness, with seven others, when He brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly;

       6   and if He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction by reducing them to ashes, having made them an example to those who would live ungodly lives thereafter;

       7   and if He rescued righteous Lot, oppressed by the sensual conduct of unprincipled men

       8   (for by what he saw and heard that righteous man, while living among them, felt his righteous soul tormented day after day by their lawless deeds),

       9   then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment,

     10   and especially those who indulge the flesh in its corrupt desires and despise authority.

Daring, self-willed, they do not tremble when they revile angelic majesties,

    11   whereas angels who are greater in might and power do not bring a reviling judgment against them before the Lord.

Jude 6-7 (NASB)

       6   And angels who did not keep their own domain, but abandoned their proper abode, He has kept in eternal bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day,

       7   just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, since they in the same way as these indulged in gross immorality and went after strange (or different or other) flesh, are exhibited as an example in undergoing the punishment of eternal fire.

Why are these two texts important?  Both are promoting the incident of Genesis 6 and not the initial fall of Satan and his angels (which became demons), there are many reasons why but are way to in-depth for any worthwhile discussion in this blog.  Two quick examples are both contain references to other Genesis accounts and in the era of the NT Demons were being cast out of people and thus all were not locked up in the initial casting out of Heaven.

Coinciding Question:

What do we know about Angels and Demons?

Angels are to worship the Lord, minister, protect, judge, etc.

Demons posses, oppress, promote false religion, do Satan’s will, etc.

Concluding Argument:

Therefore, I believe that some fallen angels (demons) left their proper abode and furthermore possessed men who married women and had offspring.  This interpretation fits very well into both of the two main views introduced above.  The defining argument of the Godly line of men is that the context of the passage focuses on mankind and how wicked it has become, which is a valid point.  But strictly holding to the Godly line has serious flaws as shown above.  The next view of Divine Beings makes better sense of the Hebrew language, cross references found in both OT and NT, and (less significantly) fits within the historical view.  But if it were strictly fallen angels, in spirit form, that came down and took wives there are serious problems of procreation and the context/ meaning of the passage.

Finally, I believe that the overall point of Genesis 6 is as follows and I will quote MacArthur who says it best: “Now what causes God to step in and destroy all of humanity?  Well the first four verses tell us that the wickedness of man had reached such proportion that they had engaged themselves in demonic relationships.  Not only did they not seek God, not only did they not endeavor to know God, but they pursued demons.  And that's what we find in these opening four verses.”

I have attached a link to a sermon, with text transcript, by John MacArthur.  Additionally, I only discovered this message after doing hours of research but do feel that his points are the most biblically valid and solve many more problems than they create.

http://www.gty.org/resources/sermons/90-254/Demonic-Invasion

May the Lord Bless and Keep You!

Devotion to God's Glory

Part 4 of 11: The Fruits/ Proofs of Authentic/ True Christianity

Of all the Fruits/Proofs, the devotion to God’s glory is probably the hardest to be consistent about.  Why?  Because it is so easy to get caught up in ourselves, our ways, and making our own plans for life. 

1 Corinthians 10:30-33

30 If I partake with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of that for which I give thanks?

31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 32 Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God, 33 just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved.

The background of this passage is about a believer being invited over to a home for dinner.  If the food has been offered to an idol and no one brings up that point mature believers will have no problem eating it because they know that the idol is nonsense.  But the moment a weaker or new believer brings up that point and it is apparent that this will cause a stumbling block the stronger or more mature Christian is to refrain from eating the meat out of consideration for their weaker brother or sister.

This important passage shows us that we are exhorted in ALL of our activities to bring glory to God.  I have noticed a scary philosophy of living among Christians in the current generations.  That is a promotion of Antinomianism or lawless living.  In the past, say prior to the 1960s, in America, Legalism was rampant but now the pendulum has swung to the other extreme of lawlessness.  We need a return to the biblical middle!  Yes, we very much have freedom in Christ but we see that “Paul sets a limit to Christian freedom.  Christian freedom isn’t permission to do whatever we like.  Christian freedom is the freedom to do what God wants, and to put the needs and feelings of others before our own.  This is what Paul tries to do — and in so doing, he follows the way of Jesus.”^[1]  When we do what God wants us to do and put others above ourselves, we our devoting ourselves to God’s glory!  Furthermore, when we cause a weaker brother to stumble or act like the fallen world around us, we in essence are dishonoring the Lord and disgracing the Church.  If we as Christians are not at some level “set apart” (See Rom. 12:1-2; 1 Co. 5:9-12; Heb 12:1-2, 14; and 1 John 3:1-10) from the world, than why would the fallen world care to listen to us?  Are we not hypocrites, if we preach something that we do not live? 

In closing here are three excellent questions to ask before we do anything and everything, like posting on Facebook, tweeting, planning our weekends, at work or school, and so forth: ^[2]  This is something that I am right there with you all working on in my own life!

•     Can I thank the Lord in it? (Verse 30)

•     Will God be glorified through it? (Verse 31)

•     Will someone be tripped up by it? (Verse 32)

Psalm 115:1

Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory,

for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness!

For additional passages see Ps. 105:3; Is. 43:7; 48:10ff; and Jer. 9:23-24

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^[1] Andrew Knowles, The Bible Guide, 1st Augsburg books ed. (Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg, 2001), 584.

^[2] Jon Courson, Jon Courson’s Application Commentary (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2003), 1058.

A Brief Introduction to Slave by John MacArthur

Slave by John MacArthur (2010) is one of those books that every Christian should own and read.  Personally, I find it a game changer, like Radical from David Platt.  Yes, Radical in my opinion is more important but Slave is right up there.  Outside of the Bible, I would say that all of Francis Chan’s books are extremely valuable followed closely by Radical and Slave. 

What is Slave about?

John MacArthur shows that the Greek word Doulos means slave and that almost all of our English translations have mistranslated the word into servant (HCSB gets it right), because there are at least a half dozen Greek words that mean servant and could have been used by the authors of the New Testament.[1]  Therefore, Slave contains thirteen chapters and one appendix that covers what is means to be a slave to Christ.  He does so by showing the differences of first century Greco-Roman slavery to the evil Western society’s slavery of the colonial era.[2]  MacArthur also includes the Old Testament views of slavery.  Furthermore, Slave does not read like some scholarly theology text book, instead it is reads at a personable level that all can enjoy and appreciate.

Why is Slave so good?

MacArthur does not just go through his own biblical exegesis on the issue by demonstrating what other Church Fathers and famous leaders believed about it.[3]  But more importantly the book goes through a large portion of the passages where Doulos is found and displays how the term slave gives much more theological importance to the meaning and context of the passage over servant.  Additionally, MacArthur gives a fair and solid analysis of the Free Grace Movement and demonstrates his biblical views on the Lordship of Jesus Christ.[4]

An Area for Improvement

The only area for improvement that I would have liked to see in Slave is a scripture index.  Almost every page has a footnote and a large majority of those footnotes are of passages in the Bible.  As someone who likes to reference and look up passages a scripture index would have been beneficial.

Concluding Thoughts

Instead of going on and on about how great this book is, I will close by exhorting all to go and read it for themselves.  I guarantee all that if we take the Bible passages that talk about being a slave to Christ serious and understand the original context of the Greco-Roman slavery our walk with the Lord will improve and we will all have fuller deeper lives!

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[1] MacArthur, Slave, 16.

[2] See pages 17-38.

[3] See the appendix for snippets of famous Church Fathers and Leaders like Spurgeon and Jim Elliot.

[4] 73-75 and 134-136.

Part 3 of The Fruits

Part 3 of 11: The Fruits/ Proofs of Authentic/ True Christianity

Genuine Humility:

Easton’s Bible Dictionary defines Humility as “a prominent Christian grace (Rom. 12:3; 15:17, 18; 1 Cor. 3:5–7; 2 Cor. 3:5; Phil. 4:11–13).  It is a state of mind well pleasing to God (1 Pet. 3:4); it preserves the soul in tranquility (Ps. 69:32, 33), and makes us patient under trials (Job 1:22).  Christ has set us an example of humility (Phil. 2:6–8). We should be led thereto by a remembrance of our sins (Lam. 3:39), and by the thought that it is the way to honor (Prov. 16:18), and that the greatest promises are made to the humble (Ps. 147:6; Isa. 57:15; 66:2; 1 Pet. 5:5).  It is a great paradox in Christianity that it makes humility the avenue to glory.”^[1]

Additionally, the term is closely connected in derivation with affliction, which is sometimes brought upon men by their fellows, and sometimes attributed directly to the purpose of God, but is always calculated to produce humility of spirit.^[2]

Psalm 51:16-17 ESV

            For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it;

                        you will not be pleased with a burnt offering.

            The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;

                        a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

David was a man after God’s own heart (1 Sam. 13:14, Acts 13:21), yet he committed horrible sins, such as adultery with Bathsheba and murdering her husband (2 Sam. 11-12).  Psalm 51 is David’s prayer for forgiveness for this sin against God and man. 

Now, these two verses are not a denial of sacrificial system, which by the way the Law did not have a sacrifice for adultery or murder only of sins committed out of ignorance, but a demonstration that a proper sacrifice is humility and brokenness.  And as we know, the Lord did accept David’s plea for forgiveness and used him for many mighty works and more importantly the lineage of Jesus. 

For us today, the issue of humility is important in both everyday living and when we mess things up.  For everyday living, see Romans 12:1-2 which talks about a living sacrifice which has to deal with humility (broken spirit and heart- look back in Ps. 51:16-17).  One of the worst things people can say when a trial or tribulation comes up for somebody else is that they caused it themselves, unless they did- such as an affair leading to a divorce, etc.  When I was going through Leukemia not one person said he must have some serious sin… and I thank the Lord for that because I have noticed that a lot of issues (miscarriages, loss of a job, serious illness, etc.) that Christians go through are not because of sin but because we must be broken to fully realize that the power by which live is from the Lord and not of ourselves. 

Therefore, if we want to be used powerfully by the Lord we must learn to live a lifestyle of humility.  There will be times in our lives where we have a choice to accept brokenness or become bitter.  When we accept brokenness and look to Him for our power in all aspects of life, we give him more Glory and have a fuller life here on Earth.

May the Lord Bless and Keep You!

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^[1] M.G. Easton, Easton's Bible Dictionary (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1996).

^[2] D. R. W. Wood and I. Howard Marshall, New Bible Dictionary, 3rd ed. (Leicester, England; Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 491.

Part 2 of The Fruits

Part 2 of 11: The Fruits/ Proofs of Authentic/ True Christianity

Repentance from Sin:

1 John 1:8-10 ESV: 8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.  9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

I have lived in four of the cultural regions of America: Southwest, Northwest, South, and Midwest.  By far the worst drivers that I have encountered are here in the Midwest, with maybe the exception of all the New Jersey students that went to LU and drove the same way in Lynchburg as they do in Jersey!  That is all to say that one of my daily battles with sin or a sinful attitude involves the road.  I do not get road rage or anything crazy, but sure do get angry at how red lights mean nothing here and tailgating in the slow lane is a common practice.  You can see where this is going … I think that my horn is about to die from all the honking at red light runners that almost and sometimes do cause accidents which I have seen firsthand.  Lord, help me be more gracious to those who do not know you and are only living for themselves, by giving me a heart to proclaim your name and to show them your grace and love. Amen. 

            I acknowledged my sin to you,

                        and I did not cover my iniquity;

            I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,”

                        and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Psalm 32:5 ESV

What is the point of all this? 

Two words: Progressive Sanctification.  At the moment of salvation, we are justified, sanctified, and are guaranteed an eternal relationship with the Lord.  But, there are also exhortations found throughout the entire Bible to live holy lives here on Earth.  Take this verse by Paul which in context directly relates to progressive sanctification: Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Philippians 3:12 ESV  Therefore, we all have daily struggles with sin, such as my sort of silly yet seriously true example above, but are called to do better and make forward progress in our attitudes and thoughts. 

How exactly do we make forward progress?  Grow in the Lord.  What are the top three ways to grow in the Lord?  Word, Prayer, and Fellowship!  Over time, we will see a difference in our lives as we partake in all three of those areas.  Yes, there are more areas that are drastically important such as tithing/ giving, helping those who are less fortunate, etc. and they will flow out of us as we grow in each of the top areas.  The transformations of progressive sanctification are sometimes clearly visible in people’s lives such as a ceasing of cursing/ swearing, drug use, or premarital sexual relations.  Other times, it is not so evident on the outside but that does not mean that the Lord is not doing a mighty work on the inside of people such as freeing them from deep insecurities or bitterness.  Therefore, we cannot always judge or analyze Christian’s walk by outside appearances and need to be careful.  On the other hand, if somebody claims to be a Christian for a long time, say years and years, but still lives with a girlfriend/ boyfriend, does illicit narcotics, and so forth we (both the Church and we as Christian brothers and sisters) are to call them out.  (See 1 Cor. 5:1-13; Matt. 18:17-18; Titus 3:10; 2 Thess. 3:6-15; 1 Tim. 5:20; Gal. 6:1)  In closing, after we come to salvation and as we walk with the Lord; our lives will be more fulfilled, which will bring Him more glory.

May the Lord Bless and Keep You!

The Fruits/ Proofs of Authentic/ True Christianity Part 1

Part 1 of 11: Love for God

For my first blog, I decided to start an extended series on a crucial aspect of Christian living, the fruits/ proofs of authentic Christianity.  Lord willing, this series will last through the course of the summer.  Furthermore, I came across these eleven points in the MacArthur Study Bible and am using them as a springboard, as in a launching point for a sermon series that I am currently working on. 

Love for God:

Imagine that you are about to finish up another school year and are excited for the future opportunities that await you.  All of a sudden you start feeling under the weather.  Of course, the first thought is it is a cold or flu bug and you expect to get over it.  But days turn to weeks and then a month.  Instead of getting better, it is getting worse and to the point that you can barely breathe and have to be rushed to the hospital!  What do you do when the emergency room doctor calls in the Oncology doctor, whose day off it is, to tell you that you have Leukemia and that you have to be immediately transferred to a hospital that is an hour away because you are knocking at death’s door and need to start treatments now? 

This is a true story, it happened to me and similar stories happen every day to both Christians and non-Christians alike.  I wish that I could tell you that I was a super saint and started diving into deep prayers … But what I can honestly say is that I had a peace about and through the whole ordeal.  Why is that?  Because over the course of my life, I have realized through many trials and tribulations, even before the cancer issue, that one of the most critical issues to develop is a love for God.  This does not happen overnight and usually takes many trials that only the Lord can see us through.  These trials are ones that no money, power, or prestige can fix.

Romans 8:5-11 ESV

⁵ For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. ⁶ For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. ⁷ For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. ⁸ Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

⁹ You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. ¹⁰ But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. ¹¹ If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

Wow, this passage is both powerfully convicting and at the same time reassuring.  Death vs. life and peace. The question for each of us is- which is going to win?  Do we cower in fear like those who have no faith (1 Th. 4:13-14)?  No, because we trust in the Lord.  My exhortation to all is that we focus our energies and thoughts towards the Lord to develop a richer love for and of Him.  The American Dream (Materialism), which is one of the primary evidences of a fleshly life, cannot and will not fill the void in our lives.  Yes, in living on this Earth we must work, but the accumulation of stuff is not the goal in life as promoted in the Bible (there will be more on that in a future blog).  Therefore, our love for God is critical and the development of that love through the good times and the bad, with the Holy Spirit’s empowerment, is what gives us peace through all the events in life.  In closing, here are a couple other verses that are similar in nature and well worth reading: Ps. 42:1ff; 73:25; and Lk. 10:27. 

May the Lord Bless and Keep You!