Bible Question: "Are sons of God referred to as angels in the Old Testament? Is it true that they came down and had sex with women of this world? If they had done this sinful act, did they return to heaven?"

Bible Answer: The short answer is a loud and emphatic "No!"

The confused theology that has come up with this theory comes from a misunderstanding of Genesis 6:1-2, "Now it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born to them, that the sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves of all whom they chose."

Genesis 6:4 adds, "There were giants on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown."

I checked these verses in 10 different versions of the Bible and in none of these is there any reference to angels being the "sons of God" who married the "daughters of men" and had offspring. Where this idea comes from, I have no earthly idea.

Yet it persists and I have heard this theory preached before.

If you read the chapters before Genesis chapter 6 it becomes very clear that the "sons of God" being referred to are the offspring from the godly line of Seth, who was born to Adam and Eve to replace Abel, their godly son who was killed by Cain.

And the "daughters of men" are obviously from the offspring of Cain, the ungodly line that came from the first murderer.

The story of the murder of Abel by Cain is in Genesis 4.

The birth of Seth is told in Genesis 4:25-26, "And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and named him Seth, 'For God has appointed another seed for me instead of Abel, whom Cain killed.' And as for Seth, to him also a son was born; and he named him Enosh. Then men began to call on the name of the LORD."

But after those hopeful words, "Then men began to call on the name of the Lord," the narrative pauses for a genealogy of Adam, giving the offspring through Seth down through Noah.

And Genesis 6 records the cross-breeding between the godly line of Seth and the ungodly line of Cain. And guess what happens? Does the godly influence the ungodly for good?

Afraid not. As the Bible records over and over again, when the good is mingled with the bad, bad always corrupts the good.

The results are told directly after the report of the mingling.

Genesis 6:5-7, "Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. So the LORD said, 'I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them.' But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD."

In the story of Noah, we find ourselves, the offspring of Adam, all sinners as Adam and Eve were, but instead of justice, we are offered the grace of the Lord through the Lord Jesus Christ, Who is literally our ark of refuge in the midst of the judgment of God.

Grace is not a New Testament doctrine, but a doctrine that began in the very first book of the Bible and continues today.

Submit Bible questions by email to writeme@johnwmyers.com

(John Myers has been a Christian lay speaker, Sunday School adult teacher and newspaper Bible study columnist for more than 20 years.)