Faith/Spirituality Forum: nephiliam
nephiliam QUESTION from Teresa on November 4, 2001 How does the church understand Genesis 6 1-4?
ANSWER by John-Paul Ignatius, OLSM on February 8, 2002 Dear Mrs. Teresa:
Although some ancient Jewish myths and even some early Christian writers though this was a race of men produced by human women and a higher order being, even angels, this is not the correct interpretation.
The sons of God means good men, descendants of Seth. It cannot mean angels as the very nature of angels precludes them from mating with humans and producing children.
The daughters of men were decendants of the evil line of Cain.
This decendants of Seth inappropriately took to themselves the decendants of Cain..
This is the explanation given by St. Augustine, St. John Chrysostom, St. Cyril of Alexandria, and other Fathers.
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