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Are images (icons and statues) forbidden by the gospel?
- Thread starter Xeno.of.athens
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- Oct 17, 2013
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If you believe that an icon or a statue is your god and you worship it, you are using it for an evil purpose, and so this is forbidden by God.
If you believe that a statue or an icon of a person simply reminds you to think of and remember the person fondly, you are using it for a good purpose, and so this is pleasing to God.
A statue or an icon can be used for either a good purpose or an evil purpose. We need to choose wisely how we use all created things.
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Something to consider since New Christians coming from idolatry might be dispositioned to worship the object.
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dzheremi
Coptic Orthodox non-Egyptian
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No, of course not. Icons are a testament to the indwelling of God in His creation. Other people's misgivings about them do not change the solid theology that is expressed through our use of them. As far as I've been able to find, the Coptic Orthodox tradition did not develop the use of statues in worship (except in the specific case of very small, palm-sized statues that were used by the blind as a kind of 'tactile icon' in some of the monasteries in Egypt, c. 9th century or so), though, so I cannot comment on that.
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RandyPNW
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Great question! It's been a problem in Christian history in earlier centuries. But I think it will always be a problem, this side of Heaven.
And that's because images can be worshiped in place of the thing they represent. We may have an image of Jesus, who is worthy of being worshiped. But we may worship the image, rather than Jesus himself.
Some would argue that images *remind* a person of who we should admire or worship. And that may be true. In that case, images would not be wrong. I would just say that it depends on how the image is being treated, as an object of worship or not.
The confusion normally happens when a Christian lacks a spiritual experience or holds to religious tradition too strongly. Lacking spiritual experience a person would likely turn to something visible, like an image, to worship.
And if someone pridefully holds to the veneration of images, even though he may be "born again," he is simply compromising his experience with something idolatrous out of pride. Yes--Christian can suffer pride and sin!
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Do Coptic Christians have carved crucifixes or relief carvings on walls, coffins, or other objects that Christians use?
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ViaCrucis
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Right, Iconoclasm is heresy. Which is why I reject the doing away with sacred images. I have an icon of the Blessed Virgin and Child in my home.
-CryptoLutheran
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dzheremi
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Relief carvings, yes, carved crucifixes, no, not that I've ever seen. The iconostasis in my old parish in NM, for instance, had a depiction of the crucifixion set above it, but it was painted on to wood in two dimensions, rather than carved. This seems to be somewhat standard, from what I can find online (though you'll find regular crosses there, too).
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No, God chose to dwell among us ( John 1:1-18). While no one has ever seen God ( John 1:18); God grants glimpses to those He chooses to ( Exodus 33:9-11, Daniel 7:13-14, Amos 9:1 for ex.). The Lord Jesus Christ said those who have seen Him have seen the Father ( John 14:8-11).
The Lord has given us permission, understanding, & commandments as how to worship Him ( Deuteronomy 6:4-9, Matthew 22:36-40, John 4:21-26). Keeping the Lord’s commandments confirms that we worship God in truth as to how He has chosen to reveal Himself to us ( Deuteronomy 6:4, 1 John 5:7, John 14:15-18).
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ViaCrucis
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In one of my former Lutheran parishes, we had a crucifix on the wall behind the altar. In my current church we have a plain cross. I am not bothered by only having a plain cross, but I am partial to a crucifix because it's an unabashed declaration of Gospel: Christ died for us.
-CryptoLutheran
-CryptoLutheran
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- Oct 17, 2013
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Some people today are superstitious regarding statues. When I worked in a Christian bookstore, people would come in to buy St. Joseph statues to bury in their yards, believing that St. Joseph would help them to sell their houses. They believed that St. Joseph would sell their houses for them because he doesn't like statues of him to be buried. After their houses sold, they would unbury the statues. Such foolishness is not pleasing to God. Even a realtor (Jew) would buy several at a time which really surprised me. Statues have no power to do anything. They are inanimate objects.Great question! It's been a problem in Christian history in earlier centuries. But I think it will always be a problem, this side of Heaven.
And that's because images can be worshiped in place of the thing they represent. We may have an image of Jesus, who is worthy of being worshiped. But we may worship the image, rather than Jesus himself.
Some would argue that images *remind* a person of who we should admire or worship. And that may be true. In that case, images would not be wrong. I would just say that it depends on how the image is being treated, as an object of worship or not.
The confusion normally happens when a Christian lacks a spiritual experience or holds to religious tradition too strongly. Lacking spiritual experience a person would likely turn to something visible, like an image, to worship.
And if someone pridefully holds to the veneration of images, even though he may be "born again," he is simply compromising his experience with something idolatrous out of pride. Yes--Christian can suffer pride and sin!
However, God can use an inanimate object as a conduit of His power to heal.
Acts 19:11-12 And God did extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, 12 so that handkerchiefs or aprons were carried away from his body to the sick, and diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them.
Numbers 21:8 And the Lord said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and every one who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.”
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I agree it is foolishness, I am not sure how God thinks of his foolish children acting like children.
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- Nov 14, 2017
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Some people do worship them ... it's much wiser just not to have them and then one don't have to be concerned about it.
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