# Angels Excelling in Knowledge



## jw (Sep 21, 2016)

Read below a fascinating point (at least, to _*me*_) made by Charnock, concerning unfallen angels and their employment (under the WLC reference) within God's providence. It is an interesting matter to consider that angels grow in knowledge.

WLC (emphasis my own)
Q. 16. How did God create angels?
A. God created all the angels spirits, immortal, holy, _*excelling in knowledge*_, mighty in power, to execute his commandments, and to praise his name, yet subject to change.​
Stephen Charnock (_Works_, Vol. 1, p. 71):
[Angels] engage in this work for the church with delight; they act as God's ministers in his providence with a unanimous consent: Ezek, 1.9, "Their wings were joined one to another;" so that they perform their office with the same swiftness, and with the same affection, without emulation to go one before another, which makes many actions succeed ill among men; but they go hand in hand. They do it with affection, both in respect of the kind disposition of their natures, and as they are fellow-members of the same body, for they are parts of the church and of the heavenly Jerusalem: Heb.12.22, "Ye are come to the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, and to the general assembly and church of the firstbom," and therefore act out of affection to that which is a part of their body, as well as out of obedience to their head. They do it in respect of their own improvement too, and increase of their knowledge (which is the desire of all intellectual creatures); for they complete their understandings by the sight of the methods of infinite wisdom in the perfecting his gracious designs. And it is God's intent that they should grow in the knowledge of his great mystery by their employment: Eph. 3.10, "To the intent that now, unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places, might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God." By the gracious works of God towards the church, and in the behalf of it, for the security and growth of the church, and in the executions of those decrees which as instruments they are employed in; for I do not understand how it can be meant of the knowledge of Christ, for that they know more than the church below can acquaint them with: for without question they have a clear insight into the offices of Christ, who is the head, and whom they are ordered to worship. They understand the aim of his death and resurrection, and can better explain the dark predictions of Scripture, than purblind man can. But by observing the methods which God uses in the accomplishment of them, they become more intelligent, and commence masters of knowledge in a higher degree, which it is probable is one reason of their joy, when they see God's infinite wisdom and grace in the conversion of a sinner; without affection to them, and their employment about them, they could not rejoice so much. And their rejoicing in their first bringing in to God, argues their joy in all their employments which concerns their welfare.​


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## Jerusalem Blade (Sep 21, 2016)

Thanks for this, Josh.


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