The Sean McDowell Show

Are Angels Real? Theology Professor Says Yes!!

Aug 15, 2025
In this engaging discussion, theologian Douglas Potter, an expert from Southern Evangelical Seminary, explores the reality of angels. He shares his journey into this fascinating study, emphasizing evidence from Scripture and personal accounts. Potter differentiates between angelic and demonic experiences, probing near-death studies and the criteria for evaluating angel encounters. He debunks common myths, like the notion that we become angels after death, and highlights how understanding angels can deepen one's faith and awareness of spiritual battles.
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ANECDOTE

Early Influences That Sparked Study

  • Douglas E. Potter recounts early curiosity sparked by Charles Ryrie's Basic Theology and Norm Geisler's influence.
  • Those works led him into systematic study and teaching about angels over decades.
INSIGHT

Authority Of Scripture And Jesus

  • Douglas E. Potter rests belief in angels primarily on the authority of Scripture and Jesus' teaching.
  • If you accept Jesus as a reliable teacher, his references to angels and demons strongly support their reality.
INSIGHT

Angels As Metaphysical Gap-Fillers

  • Potter offers a metaphysical inference: angels fill a natural gap between humans and God as spiritual rational beings.
  • This inference treats angels as plausible non-physical rational creatures that complete the ontology of created kinds.
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