Thursday, March 24, 2011

Pictures of Jesus?

Below is an set of answers from some Catechisms:

Question 96. What does God require in the second commandment?

Answer: That we in no wise represent God by images, nor worship him in any other way than he has commanded in his word.

Question 97. Are images then not at all to be made?

Answer: God neither can, nor may be represented by any means: but as to creatures; though they may be represented, yet God forbids to make, or have any resemblance of them, either in order to worship them or to serve God by them.

Question 98. But may not images be tolerated in the churches, as books to the laity?

Answer: No: for we must not pretend to be wiser than God, who will have his people taught, not by dump images, but by the lively preaching of his word.
Westminster:
The Westminster Larger Catechism Q&A 109
Q109: What are the sins forbidden in the second commandment?
A109: The sins forbidden in the second commandment are, all devising, counseling, commanding, using, and anywise approving, any religious worship not instituted by God himself; tolerating a false religion; the making any representation of God, of all or of any of the three persons, either inwardly in our mind, or outwardly in any kind of image or likeness of any creature whatsoever; all worshiping of it, or God in it or by it; the making of any representation of feigned deities, and all worship of them, or service belonging to them; all superstitious devices, corrupting the worship of God, adding to it, or taking from it, whether invented and taken up of ourselves, or received by tradition from others, though under the title of antiquity, custom, devotion, good intent, or any other pretense whatsoever; simony; sacrilege; all neglect, contempt, hindering, and opposing the worship and ordinances which God hath appointed.

The Second Helvetic Confession - Chapter IV
Images of God. Since God as Spirit is in essence invisible and immense, he cannot really be expressed by any art or image. For this reason we have no fear pronouncing with Scripture that images of God are mere lies. Therefore we reject not only the idols of the Gentiles, but also the images of Christians. Although Christ assumed human nature, yet he did not on that account assume it in order to provide a model for carvers and painters. He denied that he had come to abolish the law and the prophets. But images are forbidden by the law and the prophets. He denied that his bodily presence would be profitable for the Church, and promised that he would be near us by his Spirit forever. Who, therefore, would believe that a shadow or likeness of his body would contribute any benefit to the pious? Since he abides in us by his Spirit, we are therefore the temple of God . But what agreement has the temple of God with idols?.
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So do I believe having a picture of Jesus to be breaking the second commandment, absolutely. It is forbidden to have a picture of God (or a god) that is not authorized by him for use. Since Christ gave no such image of himself for us to use, then having a picture of "Jesus" does indeed break this rule. There are also other images in our lives that we often must remove as well such as our favorite character on American Idol, Basketball players, or many many more. So it is our job as Christians to flee from such images of God or gods(idols) especially in worship of them.

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