天使是什么？他们有什么作用？
What are angels? What role do they play?
简答 Short Answer
天使是上帝创造的灵体存在，是祂的使者和仆役。他们赞美上帝、传达信息、保护信徒、执行审判，但不应被崇拜——他们和我们一样是受造物。
Angels are spiritual beings created by God, serving as His messengers and servants. They praise God, deliver messages, protect believers, and execute judgment, but shouldn't be worshiped — they are fellow creatures.
详细解答 Detailed Answer
天使在圣经中出现了近300次，是上帝创造秩序中重要的一部分。
1.【天使的本质】天使是灵体（来1:14），由上帝创造（西1:16），数目极多（来12:22说「千万的天使」）。他们有智慧和能力，但不是无所不知或无所不能——只有上帝才是。他们没有物质身体，但可以以人的形象显现（创18-19章）。
2.【天使的工作】 - 赞美和敬拜上帝：以赛亚看到撒拉弗不停地喊「圣哉！圣哉！圣哉！」（赛6:3） - 传达上帝的信息：天使加百列向马利亚报告耶稣降生的消息（路1:26-38） - 保护和服侍信徒：「天使岂不都是服役的灵、奉差遣为那将要承受救恩的人效力吗？」（来1:14）诗篇91:11说上帝「要为你吩咐祂的使者……保护你。」 - 执行上帝的审判：启示录中天使执行许多审判。在旧约中，一位天使一夜击杀了亚述军队185,000人（王下19:35）。
3.【不可拜天使】歌罗西书2:18警告不可「敬拜天使」。启示录中约翰俯伏在天使脚前，天使立刻制止说「不可！我与你……同是作仆人的，你要敬拜神！」（启22:8-9）
4.【守护天使？】耶稣提到天使关注小孩子（太18:10），有些人据此认为每人有专属的守护天使。圣经没有明确证实这一点，但确实教导天使整体上保护和服侍信徒。
5.【天使与我们的区别】天使不是死去的人变的。人和天使是不同种类的受造物。将来信徒甚至要审判天使（林前6:3），因为救赎之恩是赐给人的，不是赐给天使的——这是何等的荣耀！
Angels appear nearly 300 times in Scripture, forming an important part of God's created order.
1. **Nature of angels**: Angels are spirits (Heb 1:14), created by God (Col 1:16), vast in number (Heb 12:22 mentions 'innumerable angels'). They possess wisdom and power but aren't omniscient or omnipotent — only God is. They lack physical bodies but can appear in human form (Gen 18-19).
2. **Angels' work**: - Praising and worshiping God: Isaiah saw seraphim crying 'Holy, holy, holy!' (Isa 6:3) - Delivering God's messages: Gabriel announced Jesus' birth to Mary (Luke 1:26-38) - Protecting and serving believers: 'Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?' (Heb 1:14). Psalm 91:11 says God 'will command his angels... to guard you.' - Executing God's judgment: Angels carry out many judgments in Revelation. In the OT, one angel struck down 185,000 Assyrian soldiers in one night (2 Kings 19:35).
3. **Don't worship angels**: Colossians 2:18 warns against 'worship of angels.' In Revelation, when John fell at an angel's feet, the angel stopped him: 'You must not do that! I am a fellow servant... Worship God!' (Rev 22:8-9)
4. **Guardian angels?** Jesus mentioned angels watching over children (Matt 18:10), leading some to believe each person has a dedicated guardian angel. Scripture doesn't explicitly confirm this, but does teach that angels collectively protect and serve believers.
5. **Angels vs. humans**: Angels aren't deceased humans transformed. Humans and angels are different kinds of creatures. Believers will even judge angels (1 Cor 6:3), because redemptive grace is given to humans, not angels — what glory!
📖 经文引用 Bible Verses
📚 推荐阅读 Related Readings
- •Angels (R.C. Sproul)
- •Systematic Theology Ch.19-20 (Wayne Grudem)
- •Angels: What the Bible Really Says (Michael Brown)