Post by Brother Jerm on Sept 23, 2005 3:04:31 GMT -5
Idolatry
A Biblical Look At Pictures Portraying Jesus
“Take ye therefore good heed unto yourselves; for ye saw no manner of similitude on the day that the LORD spake unto you in Horev out of the midst of the fire:
Lest ye corrupt yourselves, and make you a graven image, the similitude of any figure, the likeness of male or female...” Deuteronomy 4:15,16
We see pictures of “Christ” everywhere, and they have become associated with Christianity, but are they truly something that a Christian should have anything to do with? In this biblical study we will learn whether or not these pictures are Christian or if they are an abomination to God, having the same classification as an idol.
By biblical and dictionary definitions pictures of “Christ” are idols. Just look up the meaning of idol and you will see that it is basically an image or representation of anything used in worship or used to portray God.
These pictures of “Christ” deceive the viewer into thinking that is actually Christ himself. The viewer begins to feel as if they know Him through this picture. And the act of accepting Christ into ones heart
becomes so easy because they feel as if they know Him already.
These pictures are a creation, meaning they have a creator. That creator is not God, it is the artist who painted them. God wants us to glory in Him through his Word, which is scripture. God does not want us to try and put a face on Him, if He did He would have given us a picture instead of words.
Romans 1:20-25 “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
This is what God has to say about us trying to make an image to represent Him:
Isaiah 40:18 “To whom then will ye liken God? Or what likeness will ye compare unto him?”
God is God, we cannot try to compare him to anything else, and Jesus is not flesh as we are anymore, he is now in heaven, why do we want to portray him as something that he is not.
Isaiah 40:25 “To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One.”
Look at that, “shall I be equal? saith the Holy One.” By portraying God as an image we are taking away his diety and making Him equal to us in our own eyes. God most definitely is NOT equal to us, He is our Creator and should be respected as such, we should not try to take away his glory by making him equal to man.
Many people say, that they do not worship the picture it only helps them to remember Christ. My response to that is, cant you remember Him without the pictures, isn’t the bible enough, isn’t the love you have found in Him enough. I delight in the Lord always, not just when there is a picture that is in front of me that isn’t even Him.
Why do people say that they have a picture of Jesus? That picture isn’t Jesus, it is the
creation of the artist who drew it, that’s not our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Did you know that the first paintings of Jesus were done a few 100 years after all the disciples and everyone who would have seen Him were dead? Therefore making it impossible for anyone to have been able to accurately paint a picture of Jesus. So why do most Christians take a picture of an unknown man and put the name of Jesus on it? Isn’t that considered idolatry, to take an image and consider it to be God? Well, sorry to break it to you, but yes, that is idolatry. Do you honestly think that Jesus doesn’t mind if these pictures are floating around the world with His name on them? How happy would you be if someone painted a picture and then went and told the world that that is what you look like?
I have also been told that a picture is not the same as a graven image, well, take a look at these two verses:
“Turn ye not unto idols, nor make to yourselves molten gods: I am the LORD you God.” Leviticus 19:4
“Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear you up a standing image, neither shall ye set up any image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it: for I am the LORD you God.” Leviticus 26:1
If an idol is the same as a graven image then why did the Lord mention them both, why not just say one or the other? The answer is that an idol is anything that is worshipped or seen as God, and a graven image is something that is 3 dimensional.
Lets not forget what God had to say about making other gods in the 10 commandments:
“Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:
Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;
And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.”
Exodus 20:3-6
Like it says, God is a jealous God, he does not like it when one of his children goes and starts to look at some other object as a god, and to look at something as a god is to deny the true God. God is so much more than a painting, He doesn’t want us to restrict our thinking of him to a simple picture that isn’t even him. Remember, we cannot compare him to anything so why do we try.
God wants us to flee from idolatry that is very clear all throughout the bible.
“And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.
And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.
Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.” 1 John 5:19-21
I will leave you with this verse:
“Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.” St Luke 20:29
How can you receive this blessing when you rely on a picture that isn’t even true?
Christs soldier;
Brother Jerm
A Biblical Look At Pictures Portraying Jesus
“Take ye therefore good heed unto yourselves; for ye saw no manner of similitude on the day that the LORD spake unto you in Horev out of the midst of the fire:
Lest ye corrupt yourselves, and make you a graven image, the similitude of any figure, the likeness of male or female...” Deuteronomy 4:15,16
We see pictures of “Christ” everywhere, and they have become associated with Christianity, but are they truly something that a Christian should have anything to do with? In this biblical study we will learn whether or not these pictures are Christian or if they are an abomination to God, having the same classification as an idol.
By biblical and dictionary definitions pictures of “Christ” are idols. Just look up the meaning of idol and you will see that it is basically an image or representation of anything used in worship or used to portray God.
These pictures of “Christ” deceive the viewer into thinking that is actually Christ himself. The viewer begins to feel as if they know Him through this picture. And the act of accepting Christ into ones heart
becomes so easy because they feel as if they know Him already.
These pictures are a creation, meaning they have a creator. That creator is not God, it is the artist who painted them. God wants us to glory in Him through his Word, which is scripture. God does not want us to try and put a face on Him, if He did He would have given us a picture instead of words.
Romans 1:20-25 “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
This is what God has to say about us trying to make an image to represent Him:
Isaiah 40:18 “To whom then will ye liken God? Or what likeness will ye compare unto him?”
God is God, we cannot try to compare him to anything else, and Jesus is not flesh as we are anymore, he is now in heaven, why do we want to portray him as something that he is not.
Isaiah 40:25 “To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One.”
Look at that, “shall I be equal? saith the Holy One.” By portraying God as an image we are taking away his diety and making Him equal to us in our own eyes. God most definitely is NOT equal to us, He is our Creator and should be respected as such, we should not try to take away his glory by making him equal to man.
Many people say, that they do not worship the picture it only helps them to remember Christ. My response to that is, cant you remember Him without the pictures, isn’t the bible enough, isn’t the love you have found in Him enough. I delight in the Lord always, not just when there is a picture that is in front of me that isn’t even Him.
Why do people say that they have a picture of Jesus? That picture isn’t Jesus, it is the
creation of the artist who drew it, that’s not our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Did you know that the first paintings of Jesus were done a few 100 years after all the disciples and everyone who would have seen Him were dead? Therefore making it impossible for anyone to have been able to accurately paint a picture of Jesus. So why do most Christians take a picture of an unknown man and put the name of Jesus on it? Isn’t that considered idolatry, to take an image and consider it to be God? Well, sorry to break it to you, but yes, that is idolatry. Do you honestly think that Jesus doesn’t mind if these pictures are floating around the world with His name on them? How happy would you be if someone painted a picture and then went and told the world that that is what you look like?
I have also been told that a picture is not the same as a graven image, well, take a look at these two verses:
“Turn ye not unto idols, nor make to yourselves molten gods: I am the LORD you God.” Leviticus 19:4
“Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear you up a standing image, neither shall ye set up any image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it: for I am the LORD you God.” Leviticus 26:1
If an idol is the same as a graven image then why did the Lord mention them both, why not just say one or the other? The answer is that an idol is anything that is worshipped or seen as God, and a graven image is something that is 3 dimensional.
Lets not forget what God had to say about making other gods in the 10 commandments:
“Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:
Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;
And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.”
Exodus 20:3-6
Like it says, God is a jealous God, he does not like it when one of his children goes and starts to look at some other object as a god, and to look at something as a god is to deny the true God. God is so much more than a painting, He doesn’t want us to restrict our thinking of him to a simple picture that isn’t even him. Remember, we cannot compare him to anything so why do we try.
God wants us to flee from idolatry that is very clear all throughout the bible.
“And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.
And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.
Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.” 1 John 5:19-21
I will leave you with this verse:
“Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.” St Luke 20:29
How can you receive this blessing when you rely on a picture that isn’t even true?
Christs soldier;
Brother Jerm