Are not the angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?
Parallel translations
- WEB Aren’t they all serving spirits, sent out to do service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?
- KJV Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?
- NKJV Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?
- NASB Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out to provide service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?
- NLT Therefore, angels are only servants—spirits sent to care for people who will inherit salvation.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Angels are ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation. Their dignity is real but subordinate, in the service of God's redeemed people.
Overview
The chapter closes by defining the angels' role: they are servants commissioned for the benefit of believers. Far from being objects of worship or rivals to the Son, they minister to those Christ saves. This both honors angels properly and magnifies the greatness of the salvation that the Son has secured.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 40
- Ps 34:7The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, and he delivers them.
- Ps 103:20–21Bless the LORD, all His angels mighty in strength who carry out His word, who hearken to the voice of His command.
- Ps 91:11–12For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.
- Matt 18:10See that you do not look down on any of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of My Father in heaven.
- Dan 6:22My God sent His angel and shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, for I was found innocent in His sight, and I have done no wrong against you, O king.”
- Acts 5:19But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out, saying,
- Acts 27:23For just last night an angel of God, whose I am and whom I serve, stood beside me
- Acts 10:3–4One day at about the ninth hour, he had a clear vision of an angel of God who came to him and said, “Cornelius!”
- Luke 1:19“I am Gabriel,” replied the angel. “I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news.
- Acts 12:7Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He tapped Peter on the side and woke him up, saying, “Get up quickly.” And the chains fell off his wrists.
- Matt 1:20But after he had pondered these things, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to embrace Mary as your wife, for the One conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.
- Dan 3:28Nebuchadnezzar declared, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent His angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him. They violated the king’s command and risked their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.
- Luke 16:22One day the beggar died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. And the rich man also died and was buried.
- Acts 12:23Immediately, because Herod did not give glory to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died.
- Gen 32:1–2Jacob also went on his way, and the angels of God met him.
- Luke 2:13And suddenly there appeared with the angel a great multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying:
- Luke 2:9Just then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.
- Ps 104:4He makes the winds His messengers, flames of fire His servants.
- Dan 10:11–12He said to me, “Daniel, you are a man who is highly precious. Consider carefully the words that I am about to say to you. Stand up, for I have now been sent to you.” And when he had said this to me, I stood up trembling.
- Matt 13:49–50So will it be at the end of the age: The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous,
- Dan 9:21–23while I was still praying, Gabriel, the man I had seen in the earlier vision, came to me in swift flight about the time of the evening sacrifice.
- Matt 2:13When the Magi had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up!” he said. “Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the Child to kill Him.”
- Gen 19:15–16At daybreak the angels hurried Lot along, saying, “Get up! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away in the punishment of the city.”
- 1 Pet 1:12It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, when they foretold the things now announced by those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.
- Matt 24:31And He will send out His angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.
- Matt 13:41The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will weed out of His kingdom every cause of sin and all who practice lawlessness.
- Titus 3:7so that, having been justified by His grace, we would become heirs with the hope of eternal life.
- Isa 6:2–3Above Him stood seraphim, each having six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying.
- Jude 1:14Enoch, the seventh from Adam, also prophesied about them: “Behold, the Lord is coming with myriads of His holy ones
- Matt 25:34Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
- Dan 7:10A river of fire was flowing, coming out from His presence. Thousands upon thousands attended Him, and myriads upon myriads stood before Him. The court was convened, and the books were opened.
- Job 1:6One day the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them.
- 2 Th 1:7and to grant relief to you who are oppressed and to us as well. This will take place when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels
- Gen 32:24So Jacob was left all alone, and there a man wrestled with him until daybreak.
- 1 Kgs 22:19Micaiah continued, “Therefore hear the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing by Him on His right and on His left.
- Rev 5:6Then I saw a Lamb who appeared to have been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which represent the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth.
- 2 Cor 9:12For this ministry of service is not only supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanksgiving to God.
- Phil 2:25But I thought it necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker, and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger and minister to my needs.
- Acts 13:2While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”
- Rom 13:6This is also why you pay taxes. For the authorities are God’s servants, who devote themselves to their work.
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Christ at the center
Hebrews is sustained worship of Christ: better than angels, Moses, and the priests; the great High Priest after Melchizedek who by one sacrifice perfects forever those he saves.
How Hebrews 1:14 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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