A is for Angel

You ever get stuck on a chapter during your quiet times and just can't seem to move on. I'm in Acts, and, boy howdy, I'm stuck on chapter six. I thought maybe you could help understand this chapter better, so I could move on. We'll see.

In chapter 6, verse 15 says

And all who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at him and

saw that his face was like the face of an angel.(HCSB)

So, I've been meditating on 'the face of an angel' forever. (Well, not really forever but a few days.) It couldn't mean like the faces of the baby cherubims in sweet Valentine's Day cards or the faces of the Dreamsicles on my shelves or surely not the beautiful female angels at the annual Christmas play. But, what could it mean?

Finally, I had time to read about angels in a Systematic Theology book. I learned angels are created beings that worship God, take messages and fight demonic forces for us. I saw nothing about sweet baby-faced angels. So, what did the members of the Sanhedrin see?

Chuck Swindoll in The Living Insights Study Bible says, "Stephen's face shone with God's quiet, empowering presence, giving him uncommon confidence"(page 1163). So, maybe they saw the confident power the presence of God can give a person.

I am sure Mr. Swindoll is right, he certainly knows more than me. However I like to think the Sanhedrin saw the face of a warrior angel. Stephen was arguing the validity of the gospel and he had no reason to fear being wrong. He had seen first hand what believing in Jesus could do. He would do battle for Jesus, no matter the consequences.

The next time I read about angels anywhere, I will not be thinking about baby-faced cherubim. What about you? What do you think of when you read the word angel? Let me know.

Coming soon-B is for Behind.