Is portraying Christ in movies sinful?

[Nilloc]

So I came across this website a few weeks ago and I was looking through it again tonight. A Pastor named Brian Schwertley runs the site and has written long articles on many subjects. On the index I saw that he had a review for Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ. I skimmed over his critique and was surprised to find him condemning the idea of having someone portraying Jesus in a movie (or play). He says that it breaks the second commandment and is blasphemous.

Before this, it never even crossed my mind that actors portraying Jesus were breaking the second commandment, or was sinful at all.

So what do you think? Is having an actor portray Jesus sinful? Were classic Christian movies like Ben-Hur or Jesus of Nazareth blaspheming the person they believed they were exalting?

 

[mlqurgw]

So I came across this website a few weeks ago and I was looking through it again tonight. A Pastor named Brian Schwertley runs the site and has written long articles on many subjects. On the index I saw that he had a review for Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ. I skimmed over his critique and was surprised to find him condemning the idea of having someone portraying Jesus in a movie (or play). He says that it breaks the second commandment and is blasphemous.

Before this, it never even crossed my mind that actors portraying Jesus were breaking the second commandment, or was sinful at all.

So what do you think? Is having an actor portray Jesus sinful? Were classic Christian movies like Ben-Hur or Jesus of Nazareth blaspheming the person they believed they were exalting?

Not only is it breaking the second commandment but is blasphemous because it, by its very nature, denies the Divinity of Christ. Who can pretend to be God?

 

[Scottish Knight]

The thought occurred to me a while ago, as protestants we don’t tend to like statues or paintings of Jesus and the saints in our churches and yet we can quite happily watch a film depicting Jesus - what’s the difference? The second commandment is about making idols since Christians allow artistic depictions of God’s creation unlike Muslims who keep to the abstract. And it is difficult to worship a film as God whereas paintings and statues of God, while maybe intended to act as reminders or symbols can lead to the confusion of the symbolic and the actual and become idolatry. However I generally dislike films about Jesus. Often the actors play Jesus always speaking loftily in monotone syllables trying to get across the majesty of Christ but missing out the humanness. Other films I have seen depict Jesus as human but without any trace of the divinity or majesty. I don’t blame the actors - I can’t imagine the difficulty of trying to portray human and divine perfection in an engaging way. Probably Jesus, portrayed in Ben Hur (a fantastic film), is one of my favourites as it overcomes this difficulty by seeing the back of the actor but never his face or hearing his voice. On a side-note, the Ben Hur author General Lew Wallace only gave permission for his book to be turned into a play when he was assured that Jesus would be portrayed only as a beam of light rather than by an actor. I can't see a problem as long as we recognise it as a fallible and imperfect representation that may get across an aspect of Christ to the audience but can never get across the fullness of Christ

 

[Jpark]

Never mind.

 

[JM]

Idols for Destruction

Reformed Audio

 

[Nilloc]

On a side-note, the Ben Hur author General Lew Wallace only gave permission for his book to be turned into a play when he was assured that Jesus would be portrayed only as a beam of light rather than by an actor.

I saw that on the Ben-Hur DVD and had wondered why Wallace would not want an actor to portray Christ. Guess I got my answer.

But couldn't one argue that even portraying Christ as a beam of light is a violation of the second commandment, as it is still a physical representation of a member of the Trinity?

 

[Kristin E]

I don't personally see how it could be blasphemous or wrong...

If anything it's getting the world out, and letting other people gain more knowledge on the life and times of Jesus and how much he loved us, and how much he had to suffer for us.

 

[JM]

“The human heart is a factory of idols...Everyone of us is, from his mother's womb, expert in inventing idols.” ~ Calvin

http://www.metronorthpca.org/documents/idol_factory.pdf

 

[McWilliams]

I don't personally see how it could be blasphemous or wrong...

If anything it's getting the world out, and letting other people gain more knowledge on the life and times of Jesus and how much he loved us, and how much he had to suffer for us.

Actually any of our own personal opinions are quite worthless and we so often hear people say 'well I believe this' or 'my opinion is this' about matters of eternal worth and value.
A more appropriate and valid response to questions of concern would be, 'Scripture tells us such and such in this book, chapter and verse'!
We must always remember when considering the opinions of millions of believers that our own personal opinion warrants nothing but it is what a holy sovereign God says about a matter that counts and should be our sole reference for all faith and practice and that Christ in all things has the preeminence!
Now the first and second commandments are quite clear about the topic of the OP, are they not? Finding our answers of reference in the bible will never bring confusion but clarity to our thoughts, doctrine and soul!
Search the Word! Find His truth! As far as 'getting the Word out' we are instructed by God as to how this is to happen! We are to go into the world and share the gospel with every creature! Using images harks back to other images used by Israelites in the OT for which they were most strongly chastised! His Word is always our answer and we do not have the freedom to choose any other way but His!

 

[edie19]

Actually any of our own personal opinions are quite worthless and we so often hear people say 'well I believe this' or 'my opinion is this' about matters of eternal worth and value.
A more appropriate and valid response to questions of concern would be, 'Scripture tells us such and such in this book, chapter and verse'!
We must always remember when considering the opinions of millions of believers that our own personal opinion warrants nothing but it is what a holy sovereign God says about a matter that counts and should be our sole reference for all faith and practice and that Christ in all things has the preeminence!
Now the first and second commandments are quite clear about the topic of the OP, are they not? Finding our answers of reference in the bible will never bring confusion but clarity to our thoughts, doctrine and soul!
Search the Word! Find His truth! As far as 'getting the Word out' we are instructed by God as to how this is to happen! We are to go into the world and share the gospel with every creature! Using images harks back to other images used by Israelites in the OT for which they were most strongly chastised! His Word is always our answer and we do not have the freedom to choose any other way but His!

Thank you for a brilliant post. "What does Scripture say" is the only question we should be asking ourselves.

 

[A New Dawn]

TBH, I'd say it depends on what the net outcome is (and I'm not talking about dollars and cents).

I loved the movie The Passion of the Christ. It brought home to me some sense of what Christ suffered (I know it was not even portrayed as bad as it really was, though). Today's world has white-washed Christ's death so much that they have Christ looking at peace when they paint pictures of him praying in the Garden of Gethsamane. I believe that there are times when Christ being portrayed is necessary. The movie made me realize just how much of a sinner I am and how much I need Christ. The reports of people needing to worship James Cavaziel because of his portrayal of Christ is just wrong, and I agree, should not be condoned, but I see nothing wrong with the portrayal of Christ.

 

[JCFantasy23]

The only thing I know is that I could never figure out, and in fact felt guilty about, always hating to see most paintings and movies with Jesus. Whenever this happens I get uncomfortable and feel awkward. I think it bothers me to see him portrayed by an actor or people painting him. I don't get bothered at all by paintings and portrayals of other characters in the bible, or even by what we may imagine angels to look like, though. Its something that's always happened to me and has never gone away. I'm just surprised I seem to be the only one this happens to.

 

[JustAsIam77]

TBH, I'd say it depends on what the net outcome is (and I'm not talking about dollars and cents).

I loved the movie The Passion of the Christ. It brought home to me some sense of what Christ suffered (I know it was not even portrayed as bad as it really was, though). Today's world has white-washed Christ's death so much that they have Christ looking at peace when they paint pictures of him praying in the Garden of Gethsamane. I believe that there are times when Christ being portrayed is necessary. The movie made me realize just how much of a sinner I am and how much I need Christ. The reports of people needing to worship James Cavaziel because of his portrayal of Christ is just wrong, and I agree, should not be condoned, but I see nothing wrong with the portrayal of Christ.

I tend to agree with your view on this. The actor in The Passion of the Christ brought home to me the immense suffering Christ endured for all of us. It's in scripture but a picture is worth a thousand words.

My 2 cents or less.

 

[McWilliams]

See how we desire to continue on in what appeals to us, whether it be scriptural or not? Do you not see the serious way sin comes in an appealing fashion to entice our heart away from Christ and the truth of the Word?
The same happened to the Israelites when they failed to obliterate all the Cannanites as God had instructed them to do and then they intermarried with them, worshipped their idols and such until God brought even more wicked nations against them. That is a picture of how sin comes into our life, is entertained and then becomes part of us and our life and as the scripture says in Judges: 'In those days there was no king in Israel and men did what was right in their own eyes'.
Do you really want to decide what is right for yourself or do you desire to be obedient to scripture, no matter what the cost? Serious business to be a real christian, is it not?

 

[JustAsIam77]

See how we desire to continue on in what appeals to us, whether it be scriptural or not? Do you not see the serious way sin comes in an appealing fashion to entice our heart away from Christ and the truth of the Word?
The same happened to the Israelites when they failed to obliterate all the Cannanites as God had instructed them to do and then they intermarried with them, worshipped their idols and such until God brought even more wicked nations against them. That is a picture of how sin comes into our life, is entertained and then becomes part of us and our life and as the scripture says in Judges: 'In those days there was no king in Israel and men did what was right in their own eyes'.
Do you really want to decide what is right for yourself or do you desire to be obedient to scripture, no matter what the cost? Serious business to be a real christian, is it not?

Thank you for your thoughts. I'm glad I saw The Passion of the Christ. I remember at the time I wouldn't want to see it twice, it was very intense and graphic, but glad I saw it. I didn't think of the actor portraying Christ as an idol, only as an actor.

I realize we can put no true face on God, but I enjoyed the movie. I don't see a problem there, I also enjoyed Ben Hur and King of Kings with Jeffrey Hunter.

 

[A New Dawn]

See how we desire to continue on in what appeals to us, whether it be scriptural or not? Do you not see the serious way sin comes in an appealing fashion to entice our heart away from Christ and the truth of the Word?
The same happened to the Israelites when they failed to obliterate all the Cannanites as God had instructed them to do and then they intermarried with them, worshipped their idols and such until God brought even more wicked nations against them. That is a picture of how sin comes into our life, is entertained and then becomes part of us and our life and as the scripture says in Judges: 'In those days there was no king in Israel and men did what was right in their own eyes'.
Do you really want to decide what is right for yourself or do you desire to be obedient to scripture, no matter what the cost? Serious business to be a real christian, is it not?

I am just not getting how people link someone portraying Christ in a movie to someone creating an idol out of it. I don't doubt it could happen, and if it did, that would be wrong, but just because it could happen doesn't mean it does happen. I don't sit and worship the movie, and I know James Cavaziel is not Christ. Each person creates idols in their own hearts out of what they place between them and Christ. The place I placed the church I previously attended made it an idol. There is no such place in my heart for any movie that portrays Christ.

 

[LiturgyInDMinor]

It's not breaking the commandment concerning graven images and idols.
What does scripture say? I know what scripture states and this is not pertinent to it.


I thought legalism and Reformed never mixed, but when someone states that we don't follow scripture because of this type of stuff that is pure legalism. It's not even close to what GOD meant in the commandments....I don't get it.

I left legalism in the SBC last year....no more.

 

[McWilliams]

I'm certainly not advocating legalism but the goal is to follow Christ and scripture according to God's design! Note how many in scripture thought they were doing something acceptable but were either strongly chastised or killed for it, like Uzzah, who by steadying the Ark of the Covenant in the intent of preventing it from falling. Note Nadab and Abihu who chose to use strange fire and died immediately. Note all the way through the book of Judges where God leaves His people to fend for themselves after they failed to worship exactly as He had commanded. All through scripture we are shown that we do not have the option to either do or to worship as we choose to do but must follow God's ordained methods of bringing all glory to Himself.
When an ordinary person chooses to act as a holy God and to assume His identity in movies it is totally dishonoring to God who has forbidden such and given to us commands to come humbly to Him, bowed in our unworthiness and seek to follow Him on His terms alone. Not legalism but humility and with a deep desire to do only what is pleasing to Him in His sight.

 

[LiturgyInDMinor]

I'm certainly not advocating legalism but the goal is to follow Christ and scripture according to God's design! Note how many in scripture thought they were doing something acceptable but were either strongly chastised or killed for it, like Uzzah, who by steadying the Ark of the Covenant in the intent of preventing it from falling. Note Nadab and Abihu who chose to use strange fire and died immediately. Note all the way through the book of Judges where God leaves His people to fend for themselves after they failed to worship exactly as He had commanded. All through scripture we are shown that we do not have the option to either do or to worship as we choose to do but must follow God's ordained methods of bringing all glory to Himself.
When an ordinary person chooses to act as a holy God and to assume His identity in movies it is totally dishonoring to God who has forbidden such and given to us commands to come humbly to Him, bowed in our unworthiness and seek to follow Him on His terms alone. Not legalism but humility and with a deep desire to do only what is pleasing to Him in His sight.

I disagree wholeheartedly, but you are my sister in Christ...so I respect what you are saying.

 

[JustAsIam77]

I'm certainly not advocating legalism but the goal is to follow Christ and scripture according to God's design! Note how many in scripture thought they were doing something acceptable but were either strongly chastised or killed for it, like Uzzah, who by steadying the Ark of the Covenant in the intent of preventing it from falling. Note Nadab and Abihu who chose to use strange fire and died immediately. Note all the way through the book of Judges where God leaves His people to fend for themselves after they failed to worship exactly as He had commanded. All through scripture we are shown that we do not have the option to either do or to worship as we choose to do but must follow God's ordained methods of bringing all glory to Himself.
When an ordinary person chooses to act as a holy God and to assume His identity in movies it is totally dishonoring to God who has forbidden such and given to us commands to come humbly to Him, bowed in our unworthiness and seek to follow Him on His terms alone. Not legalism but humility and with a deep desire to do only what is pleasing to Him in His sight.

I follow your postings with great respect, but humbly disagree. I don't see how an actor portraying Christ in a movie takes away from all Glory going to God but only enhances it. The movie audience obviously knows the actor is not God, but benefits from the message that has been conveyed in the movie, VS the garbage that is usually produced by Hollywood.