Hebrews 1:14

Ministering spirits (leitourgika pneumata). Thayer says that leitourgiko was not found in profane authors, but it occurs in the papyri for "work tax" (money in place of service) and for religious service also. The word is made from leitourgia ( Luke 1:23 ; Hebrews 8:6 ; Hebrews 9:21 ). Sent forth (apostellomena). Present passive participle of apostellw, sent forth repeatedly, from time to time as occasion requires. For the sake of (dia). With the accusative, the usual causal meaning of dia. That shall inherit (tou mellonta klhronomein). "That are going to inherit," common idiom of mellw (present active participle) with the infinitive (present active here), "destined to inherit" ( Matthew 11:14 ). Salvation (swthrian). Here used of the final salvation in its consummation. Only here in the N.T. do we have "inherent salvation," but see Matthew 6:12 ; Matthew 12:17 . We do not have here the doctrine of special guardian angels for each of us, but simply the fact that angels are used for our good. "And if so, may we not be aided, inspired, guided by a cloud of witnesses--not witnesses only, but helpers, agents like ourselves of the immanent God?" (Sir Oliver Lodge, The Hibbert Journal, Jan., 1903, p. 223).