What do you think Matthew 18:10 means? Do you believe in guardian angels? Do we all get our own angels assigned to us? -- Ian Mohlie (Richmond)
The verse in question reads, "Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven" (NKJV). It is indeed the basis for the belief everybody has a guardian angel. Or at least that children do!
The "little ones" may be children, but they may also be those who are young in faith, or persons likely to stumble if the "strong" and "mature" do not exercise sensitivity. "Little ones" in Matthew 18:6 seems to refer to children (see 18:5). See also Matthew 18:14, Mark 9:42, and Luke 17:2. Perhaps the term does double duty, referring to children and children in the faith.
Further, Hebrews 1:14 says angels are ministering spirits sent to help us. But I don't know how to prove the one-to-one correspondence the usual interpretation requires. Whether each of us gets his own angel, or whether we all have to "share," who knows? We should take care not to speculate.
Taken at face value, Matthew 18:10 seems quite similar to Romans 14:4: "Who are you to judge another's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand."
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