We're the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. "Second Commandment: Thou Shalt Not Make Graven Images." Children will understand what God's instructions are for the removal of images of other gods. All of this was done before the Lord and at Gods instigation; many soldiers had already died in battle because God was angry with the Israelites on account of one of them sinning. The ramifications of breaking the spirit of this law are almost endless, as it could involve any other commandment that is habitually broken because of a lack of self-control. Cline, Austin. Exodus 20:4-5, "You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the. I haven't did any research on them, no. Should we not do the same for a government that suggests this is the right course of action? When asked what the first and great commandment of the law is, Jesus replied, quoting Deuteronomy 6:5, "You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind" (Matthew 22:37). Deuteronomy talks about having scripture on the doorposts of your house. Images convey their meaning through physical and concrete objects with which we interact. One of the earliest debates among Christians over the way this commandment should be interpreted resulted in the Iconoclastic Controversy between the mid-8th century and the mid-9th century in the Byzantine Christian Church over the question of whether Christians should revere icons. Some Protestant denominations criticize the stained glass windows used by Catholics and other Protestants. This may cause many to stumble in their consciences. Should you use the cross as the symbol of your faith? Second Commandment. What is the true meaning of the second commandment? He becomes only what we have seen, felt, smelled, heard, or tasted. Christianity was first introduced to this symbol through Constantine the Great in 313 A. D. The famous reference work "The Two Babylons" states that Catholics believed the symbol was some great charm and that they adored it like it was God! So then you are saying there is no prohibition against making images? Though the word cross is used in most English translations of the New Testament, it is important to remember that the New Testament was originally written in the Greek language. The Second Commandment differs from the First in that it explains that, in our worship, we must not reduce God to the likeness of a physical object. Originally published in Tabletalk, our daily Bible study magazine. Under Constantine it became the acknowledged symbol of Christianity (11th edition, Vol. The second commandment covers a specific area of idolatry, God's spirituality. Even when he is worshipping the works of his hands, he is worshipping himself because he created his idol. The Lord would certainly never contradict Himself; therefore, many scholars have concluded that the only thing prohibited in the second commandment is a picture or other image of that which has not been visibly revealed of the Godhead the divine essence. Images convey their meaning through physical and concrete objects with which we interact. So why dont we use the image of the crosstypically symbolizing the crucifixion of Jesus Christas a symbol of our faith? Second Commandment: Thou Shalt Not Make Graven Images. The crucifix (an image of Jesus on the cross) certainly fits into this category. Aside from the many statues of various saints as well as of Mary, Catholics also commonly use crucifixes that depict the body of Jesus whereas Protestants typically use an empty cross. He shows that when we follow the path described, we not only lose godliness but also true humanity. Bible Based.We believe in solo-scriptura. Nothing could even come close to a resemblance. I just usually go on pintrest or google image search and look through them and save the ones I like. an idol or idols.a graven image, be an idol. Therefore the second commandment finds no application for the believer for it is God who has removed the mandate regarding Himself. Staff More common than the nativity scene in mainstream Christian worship is the depiction of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Cross and 2nd commandment | The Puritan Board "The cross is looked upon as the grand charm, as the great refuge in every season of danger, in every hour of temptation as the infallible preservative from all the powers of darkness" (Two Babylons by Alexander Hislop, Chapter V, Section VI). On the walls of the sanctuary were carved figures of angels, trees, and flowers, none of which Israel worshipped. Cline, Austin. Some believe that these may be images of Yahweh and Asherah, but this interpretation is disputed and uncertain. It was also common in Near East cultures that an entire family group would be punished for the crimes of an individual member. Do these differences not matter to Him? A study of ancient history reveals that the cross was used as a religious symbol long before the first century A.D.when Jesus Christ walked the earth, was crucified and resurrected. 7, p. 506). A person breaks the second commandment when he exalts himself against God by trusting in his own or another's reasoning and lives that way rather than the way God ordained and commanded. The show aired its second season all the way back in June 2016. Children learn by example, and if their parents set the example that physical objects have excessive importance, then their children will pass down the same values. I want to be completely sure that my logic is sound before I tell people that they are sinning when wearing a cross Archived post. I wear a necklace with the cross on it but I am beginning to believe that wearing a cross or owning a statue etc of the cross, crucifix or even of Jesus alone is committing idolatry. Scan this QR code to download the app now. Do Christian Church's break the Second Commandment? It would be rare to find a Christian church thatdoesntviolate this commandment and most either ignore the problem or interpret it in a metaphorical manner that is contrary to the text. Real Questions. To them the golden calf was an attempt to redefine God's nature and control Him according to their desires. See what over 150,000 subscribers are already receiving each day. Even in the Holy of Holies there was no representation of God, and the altar was of simple turf or unhewn stones (Exodus 20:22-26). The Second Commandment plainly states: You shall not make for yourself any carved image (Exodus 20:4). People have created gods in their own image. The first stresses the uniqueness of the Creator God, who is the Source of truth, right values, and standards that will produce right relationships. God forbade the worship of idols because they are made by humans and therefore are inferior to them (Hosea 8:6), therefore, how can they represent God? Graven Images: Altering the Commandments? - Catholic News Agency This daily newsletter provides a starting point for personal study, and gives valuable insight into the verses that make up the Word of God. The trauma it produces is usually obscured by the penalties brought on by other sins that spring from the original idolatry. However, the second commandment does not condemn the use of religious artwork in the form of sculpture and painting in religion. How would you distinguish this "galvanization of worship" as you put it with being brought into a worshipful attitude, i.e. None of this contributes to the preaching of the word or sacraments. "The cross is looked upon as the grand charm, as the great refuge in every season of danger, in every hour of temptation as the infallible preservative from all the powers of darkness" (Two Babylons by Alexander Hislop, Chapter V, Section VI). Some interesting comments in this thread. The second of the Ten Commandments, refers to: "Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Of particular importance here is the fact that while the Protestant version the Ten Commandments includes this, the Catholic does not. The word commonly translated cross in English is the Greek word stauros. God clearly bans the use of any image in the worship of Him. The second commandment has to do with the way we worship, in spirit and truth. The only physical medium in which God has chosen to reveal Himself to us is language, specifically His Word. The representation leaves out what the text considers more important: that Jesus Christ is the divine Son of God; that He was not fathered by Joseph but by God the Father through Mary, a virgin; that He was the Messiah prophesied about by the prophets, etc. John W. Ritenbaugh Man will worship something, and as we have seen, what he worships is almost invariably himself! No one else has seen God in His glory either, so absolutely no one can even begin to catch even the essence of a true representation of Him. God's love, mercy, power, and His many other attributes cannot be depicted through images. About UsContact UsPrayer RequestsPrivacy Policy, Latest AnswersBible LessonsBibleAsk LIVEOnline Bible. Jesus says we must worship God in spirit and truth (John 4:24). One concerns the nature of a thing; the other the use of a thing. The cross as a physical symbol is also absent from the writings of the New Testament. This sounds like today's Christmas observance. We believe in the divinity of Jesus Christ and recognize Him as our Lord, Savior and the Head of our Church (Colossians 1:18). How Do We Break the Second Commandment? Since God calls their sacrifices "futile" and their incense "an abomination," the spiritual basis of their worship must be profane. Durham says the below which I think is the consistent puritan position and likely find similar in other expositions of the catechism or commandments. However, since we live in a climate of diverse groups who lay claim to "Christian orthodoxy" and venerate crosses and religious symbols, we need to revise the arguments in face of opposition. Protestants won't, in general, wear a crucifix, and some Protestants are against pictures of Jesus. And from such people turn away!" Have you done any research on the pictures that supposed to depict Jesus? The danger inherent in images is that they reduce any abstract idea or non-physical thing to what we understand through our senses. We worship many things unintentionally - just saying. The only physical medium in which God has chosen to reveal Himself to us is language, specifically His Word. All this is done with precious little careful study into, meditation upon, and especially wholeheartedly believing of His inspired revelation of Himself in the Bible. It originated in the Babylonian mystery religions, where it was a symbol of the god, Tammuz. They must matter to those men; otherwise, they would not advocate their brand of faith. The details of this scene are remarkably inaccurate, starting with the fact that Christ's birth did not occur in the winter! Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen. Beliefs and Choices: Do You Choose Your Religion? The crowds of people were in a festive mood, yet God rejects their worship.