It Was for the Angels

Welcome to another Thursday UNFILTERED blog post, the only blog that has chosen “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” to be its grocery store anthem.

Many years ago, when God would move in a powerful way among a small group of believers – unnoticed and unknown by the masses in the Christian world – a friend of mine would say:

“That was for the angels.”

What did he mean?

I never asked, and at the time (which was decades ago), I didn’t fully understand.

But after doing a deep dive into the celestial realm while I was writing my book Insurgence: Reclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom, I both understood and resonated with that remark.

“It was for the angels” is a phrase that hints at a celestial realm beyond our physical perception that constantly observes our material world.

The Bible mentions different kinds of celestial beings. Angels, demons, and principalities and powers.

(Michael Heiser and I explored each type of being in three episodes of The Insurgence Podcast.)

Writing to Christians in Roman Asia, Paul gives us a glimpse into the phrase, “it was for the angels.”

I am less than the least of all God’s people; yet God gave me this privilege of taking to the Gentiles the Good News about the infinite riches of Christ, and of making all people see how God’s secret plan is to be put into effect. God, who is the Creator of all things, kept his secret hidden through all the past ages, in order that at the present time, by means of the church, THE ANGELIC RULERS AND POWERS IN THE HEAVENLY WORLD might learn of his wisdom in all its different forms.

~ Ephesians 3:8-10, GNT

Though only a small number of the human population witnessed it, the celestial realm witnessed God’s multi-splendored wisdom among and within a small band of believers in Roman Asia.

As I demonstrated in my new book, The Untold Story of the New Testament Church: Revised and Expanded (March 2025), most of the first-century assemblies were made up of forty or fifty adults crammed into a living room. Yet their witness registered in heavenly places.

The testimony of the church is for the lost, yes. It’s also for the believers themselves, to their edification.

But it’s also for the unseen realm.

(Elsewhere, I’ve discussed how church meetings under the headship of Christ shame fallen celestial principalities and powers. But they also bless the angels who are loyal to God.)

The New Testament echoes the fact that the angelical realm observes God’s people, even though we cannot see it.

1 Timothy 5:21 – In THE PRESENCE OF God and of Christ Jesus AND OF THE ELECT ANGELS I charge you to keep these rules without prejudging, doing nothing from partiality.

1 Peter 1:12 – It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, THINGS INTO WHICH ANGELS LONG TO LOOK.

(The words “to look” literally means to bend over, to gaze or observe.)

1 Corinthians 4:9 – For I think that God has exhibited us apostles as last of all, like men sentenced to death, because we have become A SPECTACLE to the world, TO ANGELS, and to men.

1 Corinthians 11:10 – That is why a wife ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, BECAUSE OF THE ANGELS.

(The context of this text has in view the open-participatory meetings of the Corinthian church. Angelic beings are curious observers of God’s people and God’s plans. The Jewish people believed that the angelic realm observed and participated in temple worship. Paul carries this idea over to the ekklesia, suggesting that the angels observe the gatherings of the church. Consequently, there is a cosmic dimension to our worship. See the endnote for details on this text; but read the rest of this article first.)[i]

Knowing that the angelical realm watches us with curiosity as they peer into our visible realm, I raise two questions.

(1) Today, does your life — as an individual believer and as a member of a faith community — proclaim a testimony that brings delight to God’s loyal angels and provokes them to worship our Lord?

(2) When God moves in a small setting or situation, beyond the gaze and awareness of mortal men and women, can you be content knowing that it was for God’s glory as well as for the angels?

Or are you playing too small, solely chasing an audience of humans instead of heavenly beings?

The angels are watching. What are they seeing?

NOTES

[i] The phrase “because of the angels” in 1 Corinthians 11:10 has puzzled interpreters for centuries. Here’s how three prominent New Testament scholars approach it, along with an insightful Christian worker, Watchman Nee.

Craig Keener draws heavily on his expertise in ancient backgrounds, particularly Jewish literature and Greco-Roman culture. He notes that ancient Jewish texts often speak of angels as guardians of proper order and witnesses to human behavior. Keener suggests that Paul may be drawing on traditions where angels are offended by impropriety or where they serve as protectors of women. He’s particularly attentive to how ancient readers would have understood angelic involvement in human affairs and sees this as Paul’s way of emphasizing the seriousness of worship order.

F.F. Bruce takes a relatively cautious approach, acknowledging the interpretive difficulty while leaning toward the view that angels are present as observers of worship. He suggests that the “authority” (exousia) on the woman’s head serves as a sign of proper order that angels, who are concerned with maintaining divine order, would expect to see. Bruce connects this to Jewish traditions about angels being present during worship and the importance of maintaining proper decorum in their presence.

N.T. Wright offers a more contextual reading, emphasizing that Paul is addressing issues of honor and shame in Corinthian society. Wright suggests that the reference to angels relates to the cosmic dimension of worship – that earthly worship participates in heavenly worship where angels are present. The head covering becomes a symbol of participation in this ordered cosmic reality. Wright is particularly interested in how this passage reflects Paul’s understanding of the church as part of God’s new creation, where proper relationships matter both socially and cosmically.

Watchman Nee interpreted this verse within the broader context of God’s governmental order and divine authority. Nee viewed the head covering as “a sign of authority, a testimony to the angels” that acknowledges God’s government. He taught that “the matter of head covering belongs to God’s government” and represents submission to God’s appointed order. The angels who fell in the past had “uncovered their heads,” meaning, they were in rebellion. To “cover one’s head” means to submit to God’s authority. This was a testimony to loyal angels, not to repeat the sin of the angels who fell. It was also a shame to fallen angels.

SUMMARY INTERPRETATIONS OF 1 CORINTHIANS 11:10 BY THREE SCHOLARS — “BECAUSE OF THE ANGELS”

Craig Keener

• Cultural and Modesty Context: Craig Keener notes that in Roman (but not Greek) culture, head coverings were associated with sexual modesty. He connects Paul’s instruction to the importance of maintaining sexual propriety and decorum in worship settings.
• Angels as Observers: Keener interprets the reference to angels as a reminder that worship is conducted before both human and heavenly witnesses. The presence of angels calls for reverence and order, reinforcing the need for appropriate conduct during worship.

F.F. Bruce

• Authority and Equality: F.F. Bruce interprets the “symbol of authority” as a sign of a woman’s own authority in Christ, rather than a sign of her submission to a man’s authority. He emphasizes that, in Christ, women have equal standing and may participate in worship, with the head covering serving as a sign of this new authority, transcending its ordinary social significance.
• Role of Angels: Bruce suggests that angels are present at church gatherings and observe the demeanor of worshipers. Through this, they gain insight into the character of the new order God has instituted in Christ. The presence of angels underscores the seriousness and cosmic significance of proper conduct in worship.

N.T. Wright

• Symbol of Authority: N.T. Wright argues that the phrase refers to women having the right to prophesy and participate fully in worship. He highlights the grammatical nuance that the “authority” is something the woman possesses, not something imposed on her.
• Angelic Audience: Wright maintains that angels are considered participants in worship alongside humans. Their presence means that what happens in worship is observed in the heavenly realm, making the conduct of worshipers, including women, significant beyond the immediate community.