Section I: The Name “Angels,” § 36
SECTION I: ON THE NAME “ANGELS”
“Angel” is the name of an office.
§ 36. We must know (says Ambrose on Hebrews 1) that the name “angel” is the name of an office and not of a nature: “Do you ask the name of this nature? It is ‘spirit.’ Do you ask the name of this office? It is ‘angel.’ From what it is, it is ‘spirit’; from what it does, it is ‘angel,’ for ‘angel’ in Greek means ‘messenger’ [nuntius] in Latin. Just as ‘man’ is the name of a nature, but ‘soldier’ is the name of an office, so God took those who already were spirits, created by their Creator, and made them angels by sending them to announce what He had commanded.”
The homonyms of the word “angel.”
§ 37. The word “angel” is a homonym or equivocal word according to Epiphanius (Haeres. 69, p. 340). (1) For it is attributed to the uncreated Angel, the Son of God, who is called “Angel” because He is the person through whom the heavenly Father spoke to the patriarchs in the Old Testament and whom in the fullness of time He sent into the flesh (Gen. 16:7; 22:11; 32:24; Hosea 12:3; etc.). Here the rule must be observed: Whenever the name “Jehovah” or a divine work and divine worship is attributed in Scripture to an angel, then that must be understood to mean the Son of God, the Prince of the heavenly host, the Lord of all the angels (Basil, Contra Eunom., bk. 2, p. 128). (2) It is attributed to created spirits, good ones as well as wicked. Examples of this meaning are obvious everywhere in Scripture. (3) It is attributed to John the Baptist (Mal. 3:1; Matt. 11:10; Mark 1:2). (4) It is attributed to the ministers of the church (Isa. 33:7; Mal. 2:7; Revelation 1–3; etc.). These are called angels because they serve as ambassadors for Christ (2 Cor. 5:20).