What is idolotry?

Sabertooth

Repartee Animal: Quipping the Saints!
Supporter
Jul 25, 2005
10,491
7,061
62
Wisconsin
Visit site
✟952,659.00
Country
United States
Faith
Charismatic
Marital Status
Married
Politics
US-Others
What is idolatry?
  1. It is when you make something in your life to be more important than God.
  2. It is when you make something in your life to be more important than what God has told you it ought to be.
If the stuff that you like does not cross those lines, then it is not an idol.
 
Upvote 0

adderbolt

Active Member
Mar 13, 2021
330
265
Cuyahoga County
✟56,921.00
Country
United States
Faith
Reformed
Marital Status
Divorced
am I allowed to like things or should a change in me exist that I shouldn't like thing's?

Most of idolatry is based on the good things in life. There is nothing bad or inherently wrong with money, sex, your job or marriage partner, etc. But if we love anything more than we love God then we have made that thing into an idol. To paraphrase John Calvin: 'The human mind is an idol factory'.

A Christian ought to be careful -- anything can become an idol -- think of Imelda Marcos' shoes.

"Little children, keep yourselves from idols." 1 John 5.
 
Upvote 0

Sabertooth

Repartee Animal: Quipping the Saints!
Supporter
Jul 25, 2005
10,491
7,061
62
Wisconsin
Visit site
✟952,659.00
Country
United States
Faith
Charismatic
Marital Status
Married
Politics
US-Others
2. It is when you make something in your life to be more important than what God has told you it ought to be.
Using Things and Loving People, BJ Thomas (1979)
 
Upvote 0

2BeholdHisGlory

Still on vacation!
Mar 20, 2021
823
414
Outer Space
✟11,791.00
Country
United States
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Married
A more modern form of idolatry that people can relate to a bit more easily was brought up already, which involves coveteousness, which isnt all that modern because the love of money ha always been around, "the love of it" is the root of all evil an is covetousness which is something we are to mortify.

For example,

Col 3:5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry

In fact Paul write them not to keep company with the same (but in respects to such a one who is called a brother)

1 Cr 5:11 But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.

Covetousness (as an idol set up in the heart) being idolatry (Col 3:5)
And is show as an inward abomination (Luke 16:15)

Ezek 8:12 Then said he unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen
what the ancients of the house of Israel
do in the dark,
every man in the chambers of his imagery? for they say
,
The LORD seeth us not; the LORD hath forsaken the earth.

As in Luke 16:14 which shows "covetousness" (in the light of Col 3:5)

Luke 16:15 And he said unto them,
Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts:
for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.

Heb 4:13... all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do

Outward abominations
(that which can be seen as expressed here)

Deut 29:16 (For ye know how we have dwelt in the land of Egypt;
and how we came through the nations which ye passed by;


Deut 29:17 And ye have seen their abominations,
and
their idols, wood and stone, silver and gold, which were among them)

Same shown here

Acts 17:16 Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him
when he saw
the city wholly given to idolatry.

(See Acts 17:29-30 & Rev 9:20 in respects to the same)

Paul being among the philosophers of the Epicureans (Acts 17:18) he adressed as
men of Athens(Acts 17:22) and warns in Col 2:8 saying

Col 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit,
after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world,
and not after Christ
.

Liekwise he writes of Christ this way,

Col 2:9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.

And what we ought not think concerning the Godhead
when it comes to that graven by art and man's device

Acts 17:29 Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God,
we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold,
or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device
.

Shows God overlooking the time of this ignorance
(of things that ought not be done) Lev 4:2 &47

Acts 17:30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at;
but now commandeth all men every where to repent
(it also shows some men do not repent of this in Rev 9:20)

In 1 Cr, Paul touches on idolatry in a certain place in Exodus

As 1 Cr 19:7 is referring to Exodus 32:6
When Paul writes,
Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them;
as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.

This is where the LORD said to Moses

Exodus 32:7 And the LORD said unto Moses, Go, get thee down; for thy people,
which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves
:

The term "Corrupting yourselves" is actually shown in accord with the same, for example

Duet 4:16-18 Lest ye corrupt yourselves, and make you a graven image,
the similitude of any figure, the likeness of male or female
The likeness of any beast that is on the earth,
the likeness of any winged fowl that flieth in the air,
The likeness of any thing that creepeth on the ground,
the likeness of any fish that is in the waters beneath the earth

Go also to Duet 4:25 as well regarding corrupting one self in the same thing (see below)
(and the provoking him unto anger) with Duet 32:2 and Psalm 78:58 (
which confirm)

And then Paul goes into how these things (he lists) happened unto them for ensamples
1 Cr 10:11 and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

And he closes it by saying,

1 Cr 10:14 Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry

There are more but this might help some
 
Upvote 0

2BeholdHisGlory

Still on vacation!
Mar 20, 2021
823
414
Outer Space
✟11,791.00
Country
United States
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Married
Heres another form in the sense of hero/gods/people worship stuff

These aren't necessarily grown up believers but there are those seemingly prone to replacing old godless traditions which are rooted in pagan god thing and just shift them onto holy men, for example,

Acts 14:12 And they called Barnabas, Jupiter; and Paul, Mercurius, because he was the chief speaker.

The same could also be understood in regards to Mary and calling her the queen of heaven (Jeremiah 44:17)

But back then those prone to idolatries could be shown as seeking a comfortable replacement to what might be a more pagan god type thing (all the while trying to maintain some ressemblance of holiness). Taking their offerings to their false gods by turning such ritualistic offerings unto holy men. The practice. Just as these brought oxen and garland and were about to offer the same in sacrifice unto Barnabas (who they called Jupiter) and Paul (who they called Mercurious)

Again,

Acts 14:12 And they called Barnabas, Jupiter; and Paul, Mercurius, because he was the chief speaker.

They didnt know this, they were ignorant

Acts 14:13 Then the priest of Jupiter, which was before their city,
brought oxen and garlands unto the gates, and would have done sacrifice with the people.

Acts 14:14 Which when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of,
they rent their clothes, and ran in among the people, crying out,

Acts 14:15 And saying, Sirs, why do ye these things?

We also are men of like passions with you,
and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein:

Acts 14:16 Who in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways.

Acts 14:17 Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.

Acts 14:18 And with these sayings scarce restrained they the people,
that they had not done sacrifice unto them.

Its a tradition passed down, it comes out of their own mouth to do so. for example

Jeremiah 44:17 But we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our own mouth, to burn incense unto the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her, as we have done, we, and our fathers, our kings, and our princes, in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem (reason?) for then had we plenty of victuals, and were well, and saw no evil.

There are tons of cool things to discover in these things as I was finding when studying it.
 
  • Useful
Reactions: Sabertooth
Upvote 0