Are having/seeing physical representations of Christ a part of breaking of the 2nd Comm.?

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Rev. Andrew J. Barnes
Husband of Dena
Pastor of Tchula Presbyterian Church

Question 96. What doth God require in the second commandment?
Answer. That we in no wise [a] represent God by images, nor worship [b] 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 [c] 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 [d] 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 [e] taught, not by dumb images, [f] but by the lively preaching of his word.
[a]: Deut. 4:15; Isa. 40:18; Rom. 1:23ff; Acts 17:29
[b]: 1Sam. 15:23; Deut. 12:30
[c]: Deut. 4:15,16; Isa. 46:5; Rom. 1:23
[d]: Ex. 23:24; Ex. 34:13,14; Numb. 33:52; Deut. 7:5
[e]: 2Tim. 3:16; 2Pet. 1:19
[f]: Jer. 10:1ff; Hab. 2:18,19

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Bert Mulder
Elder of the First Protestant Reformed Church of Edmonton
Edmonton Alberta Canada

WLC Q109. What are the sins forbidden in the second commandment?
A. 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 has appointed.

Are having such images sin? Yes.
Is seeing such an image a sin. I think it depends. As Christians who live in this world full of idols of sorts it is unlikely that we can avoid seeing them. I do not think that merely seeing an idol is a sin. However, we cannot look on them with approbation let alone make use of them for religious purposes.

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Rev. Adam King
Minister in the RPCNA
Stated Supply: Sterling, KS

Andrew,

According to the Reformed confession, making a representation of the second person of the Trinity (as the list discussed at length in re the Mel movie) is a violation of the second commandment. God the Son did not become incarnate, as Heinrich Bullinger wrote, to make work for artisans.

As to seeing one, well, what are we seeing? Is it wrong to see a statue of an idol, a god, that by definition, doesn't actually exist? No.

Someone can paint/craft and representation of God the Son incarnate but calling his representation "Jesus," and making it so are two different things. He can call me Shirley Temple, that his calling me that doesn't make it so, not without a lot of surgery!

In the nature of the case what one is seeing is the artists imagination put to wood or paint. Fine. If it's intended for religious purposes we call that idolatry.

Whatever it is, it isn't Jesus who sits in royal glory at the right hand of the Father.

rsc

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R. Scott Clark, D.Phil
Professor of Church History and Historical Theology

"For Christ, His Gospel, and His Church"
Associate Pastor
Oceanside URC
The Heidelblog

Thank you for your post, Dr. Clark. It has helped me in deciding what to do in a situation I'm currently in.

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Scott Roper
Member, Redeemer Presbyterian Church (PCA): "A bunch of hippie Calvinists"
Winston-Salem, NC