Are aliens mentioned in the Bible? Scott Creps explores the question here.
Talking Points:
- Responsible Bible scholars across the ages conclude that Ezekiel is describing visions of God as stated directly in the text (Ezekiel 1:1). The strange imagery in this passage is describing angels who are beyond human comprehension. Similar imagery is used in the books of Daniel and Revelation when those books describe angelic beings.
- “Sons of God” refers to men and “daughters of men” refers to women. They are regular people who aren’t interested in honoring God. Genesis 6
- The Bible teaches that there are demonic powers in the world and that there is evil in the world. Aliens as we tend to think of them today are simply not addressed in the Bible, and any attempt to read aliens into the Bible goes against either the plain reading of biblical texts or against the consensus of trained, responsible Bible scholars across the ages.
Discussion:
- Initial reactions to this topic? What jumped out at you?
- Do you think aliens exist? Why or why not?
- If you believe they exist, what implications does this have for faith in God? If you don’t believe they exist, what implications does it have for faith in God?
- Why do you think the Bible uses strange imagery when it describes God or angelic beings?
- What are the differences between “responsible scholarship” and “pseudo-scholarship?” (“Pseudo” comes from the Greek word meaning “a lie.”) How would you decide if someone was a credible source of information on this topic?
- Why is it important to read the Bible on its own terms rather than to read our opinions into it? What are some implications of reading our presuppositions into other people’s written and spoken words today?
- Is there a step you need to take based on today’s topic?
