A Historical Approach
First, consider Irenaeus and his work Against Heresies. In the second century, Irenaeus proposed that the angel of the Lord passages referred directly to Jesus. By making connections between the Old Testament and the New Testament, Irenaeus believed that Jesus Himself was the one speaking with the Patriarchs and other Old Testament figures. He even claims that when Jesus states in John 5:39-40 that Moses spoke of Him in his writings, that this claim proves that these encounters link Jesus to the angel of the Lord. However, that does not appear to be the connection that Jesus is trying to make in John 5. Jesus does say that Moses wrote of Him in the Pentateuch, but Jesus does not explicitly connect the angel of the Lord passages with Himself. Although this does not discount the fact that the passages could be speaking of Jesus, Jesus does not come right out and make that claim. So Irenaeus appears to be stretching the words of Jesus in these two verses to fit his beliefs about the angel of the Lord.
Although it appears as if Irenaeus may be trying too hard to match his beliefs with what is presented in Scripture, both the New and the Old Testaments, he does make an argument that several other men have made throughout the centuries. For example, Irenaeus specifically targets the passages that picture the angel or the Lord in physical form. He speaks of the encounter between the three men and Abraham in Genesis 18, Jacob’s encounter with God in Genesis 31, and Moses’ time at the burning bush, claiming that these instances prove that the Son of God was present in Old Testament stories. But yet again, his argument may have a few holes. It does appear to be quite evident that the Lord directly spoke to these men, whether in some type of physical form or through a bush. And although this statement could be argued, many people would agree that his viewpoint is a very good option. However, do these three instances give ample evidence to support the passages where it plainly states that an angel of the Lord appeared? The dilemma lies within his take on other such passages, and Irenaeus does not go into any further explanation.
Irenaeus makes a valid claim when he states that it appears as if the Son of God is present within the Old Testament. Many would agree, even thinking of the encounter that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego had in the fiery furnace when a fourth man that looked as if he might be the Son of God appeared. However, it does not seem as if Irenaeus provides enough evidence to support his claims. Instead, he quotes Jesus from only two verses and tries to apply Jesus’ broad statement to his belief system. When he develops a fairly solid argument from a few passages, he attempts to apply that argument to other similar passages, not considering the staggering differences. Irenaeus made a good start in the second century on attempting to bridge the connection between the angel of the Lord passages and the New Testament, but he was unable to fully develop his argument.
Therefore, other writers must be considered. Around the same time that Irenaeus was investigating and recording his thoughts, Tertullian published his own thoughts in his work Against Marcion. The beginning of his argument deals with the discussion as to whether the angels that appeared on earth were truly in physical flesh, like a human. Apparently, Marcion, to whom this work was directed, denied the fact that an angel could appear in physical form. Tertullian disagreed with this possibility, asking why this manifestation could not be possible. So why would this discussion be important for Tertullian in reference to the angel of the Lord passages? Like Irenaeus, Tertullian believed that at least one of the three men who appeared to Abraham was Christ. Yet it also seems as if Tertullian is suggesting that these men are also angels. So if Tertullian wants to connect Christ to the angels, then it is important for him to suggest that these men are also physical beings. Christ, the Son, came in human form, and with the connection that Tertullian is making between Christ and the angels, it is important for him to believe that the angels can appear in human form as well.
It appears as if Tertullian attempts to further the argument for Christ’s connection to the angel of the Lord, but much like Irenaeus, he might fall short as well. Is it adequate to only offer one example from Scripture as proof for this claim? Although Tertullian seems to justify his argument on the angels actually appearing in physical, human form, he does not offer enough support to suggest that Christ can actually be considered to be the angel of the Lord. Basically, Tertullian only states his opinion. He does not search the Scriptures for more examples and neglects to look at the other instances that occur even in the book of Genesis. As other scholars later suggest, some passages are more controversial than the one found in Genesis 18, and these passages cause many to believe that one cannot connect Christ to this angel of the Lord. However, to the defense of Tertullian, it does not appear as if this was the point of his argument against Marcion. His main objective was to prove that Marcion was wrong in believing that angels could not appear in physical form on earth, and Tertullian appears to succeed in this argument. So if it was not even Tertullian’s goal to prove the connection between Christ and the angel, then it would be appropriate to accept his belief as his opinion and not hold him to further explanation.
Next we will look at Eusebius's ideas as he begins to take the conversation in a different direction...
Also note that I still cannot get the sources into blogger, but all quotes came directly from their personal works, and that is the way it will be for all the men that I look at in this paper.
Matt
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