Herein we continue, from part 1, considering info on Angels in Athanasius of Alexandria (296-373 AD). The fuller complete result consists of quotations of those sections within the text that refer to Angels, Cherubim, Seraphim, Devil, Satan, demons, serpent and dragon. The point is not to elucidate these references but to provide relevant partial quotations and citations. See my section on Angels here, Cherubim and Seraphim here, Satan here and Demons here.
Angels in Athanasius of Alexandria’s De Sententia Dionysii, Vita S. Antoni / Life of St. Anthony, Ad Episcopus Aegypti et Libyae / The Bishops of Egypt and Libya, Apologia ad Constantium and Apologia de Fuga.
De Sententia Dionysii
8 But in his Epistle he calls Him Bishop of souls and Lord both of himself and of Angels and Powers.
10 For to the latter class belong the sayings, ‘I am the Vine and My Father the Husbandman’, and ‘faithful to Him that made Him’, and ‘He created me’, and ‘made so much better than the Angels’.
11 This then being the sense of the expression, it follows that it is of the vine, so understood, that it is written: ‘Who was faithful to Him that had created Him’ , and ‘made so much better than the Angels’ , and ‘He created me’…Moreover not after (His taking) the body has He been made better than the Angels, lest He should appear to have been previously less than or equal to them. But writing to Jews, and comparing the human ministry of the Lord to Moses, he said, ‘having been made so much better than the Angels,’ for by means of Angels the law was spoken, because ‘the law was given by Moses, but grace came by Jesus Christ’.
Vita S. Antoni / Life of St. Anthony
28 At least the true Angel of the Lord sent against the Assyrian had no need for tumults nor displays from without, nor noises nor rattlings, but in quiet he used his power and immediately destroyed a hundred and eighty-five thousand.
35 ‘When, therefore, they come by night to you and wish to tell the future, or say, “we are the Angels,” give no heed, for they lie…But if, being men, some fear the vision of the good, those who appear immediately take fear away; as Gabriel did in the case of Zacharias, and as the Angel did who appeared to the women at the holy sepulchre, and as He did who said to the shepherds in the Gospel, “Fear not.”
Ad Episcopus Aegypti et Libyae / The Bishops of Egypt and Libya
2 For even if, now that he is a creeping serpent, he shall transform himself into an Angel of light, yet his deception will not profit him; for we have been taught that ‘though an Angel from heaven preach unto us any other gospel than that we have received, he is anathema.’
5 For inasmuch as they frame this document only for the purpose of inflicting banishment or other punishments, what does such conduct prove them to be, but enemies of the Christians, and friends of the devil and his Angels?
14 The faithful are able to conclude this truth both from the voice of the Father Himself, and from the Angels that worshipped Him, and from the Saints that have written concerning Him.
Apologia ad Constantium
33 The Son of God, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, having become man for our sakes, and having destroyed death, and delivered our race from the bondage of corruption , in addition to all His other benefits bestowed this also upon us, that we should possess upon Earth, in the state of virginity , a picture of the holiness of Angels.
Apologia de Fuga
12 Thus at the very first, as soon as He became man, when He was a little child, He Himself by His Angel commanded Joseph, ‘Arise, and take the young Child and His Mother, and flee into Egypt; for Herod will seek the young Child’s life.’
25 He who censures me in this matter must presume also to blame the great Apostle Peter, because though he was shut up and guarded by soldiers, he followed the Angel that summoned him, and when he had gone forth from the prison and escaped in safety, he did not return and surrender himself, although he heard what Herod had done.
In the next segment, we will consider more on Angels in Athanasius.
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