As a child I was presented with a Bible at vacation Bible school that had the most marvelous pictures. I cannot overstate the impact those images had on my life. I was especially drawn to a painting of Jesus hanging on the cross and also Daniel in the lion's den. Even as a child, I never equated the Jesus in the picture with the actual Jesus. I have sought, unsuccessfully" for many years to find a Bible like the one given me as a child. (We have 15 grandchildren) How impactful that Bible was! I even recall the inscription, hand written, by one who is likely now with the Lord, Psalm 119 "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path."

I find it incredibly difficult not to imagine representations of Jesus

@muffinlordghoti1

2 жыл бұрын

Might be wrong but I don't think that's the sin, I think it's imagining that your head-representation is what you're going to see when you get to heaven and praying to that, instead of imagining it, having some internal acknowledgement that's not Jesus and then praying and worshipping what inspired the image rather than the image itself. The basic problem, I think, is that having your own personal image of Jesus that you believe in is the first step in conforming Jesus to you rather than vice versa, and when you start on that path it finds its way into other parts of your thinking about the character of Jesus. That's how so many people turn Jesus into a cuddly pacifist who will save them regardless of whether they're repentant about their sins, because they prefer their image of Jesus to the one from the Bible who went flippin' and whippin' in the temple.

The Dura-Europos House Church is the oldest surviving Christian church in the world. There are paintings on the wall that depict Jesus as the "Good Shepherd", "Healing of the paralytic", and "Christ and Peter walking on the water"

He is the image of the invisible God. Im with the 7th ecumenical council on that issue. Representation of Christ has been with us since the beginning.

Too many folks missed the point. He himself couldn’t make those films. He didn’t condemn them. He is warning of false worship. I have crosses and images in my home. I don’t call them to mind in prayer. They are markers to remind me, but I don’t worship them or through them. I think that is the point here, and I have to agree with him.

I get what he is saying here. Whenever I read Exodus, I can't help but see Charlton Heston... ;-)

I recently saw an old interview with Robert Powell where he discussed Zeferreli’s proposal for Powell to play Jesus of Nazareth in his ‘77 t.v. production. To Powell’s credit, he asked how anyone could possibly depict the Word made Flesh, implying that it was an impossible task.

So what about cartoons portrayed in Children's books? Bible story book etc..

I'm sorry, but I can't help imagining my own mental image of Christ when I pray.

Mel Gibson disliked this video...

Of Jesus is both whole man and whole God, then having an image of Jesus’ humanity cannot be a sin. If it were, we would all be sinning when we took pictures of any man.

Jim Caveziel

I wonder what Doug thinks about The Chosen

@brendos444 excellent post

3 words, Doug-e Doug: John the Damascene. Get with it.

Couldn't disagree more. It's not often I can say that when it comes to brother Doug Wilson - a venerable man indeed. The command to not create or bow down to idols was given in the context of a culture where prayer and worship through the physical object of a statue or depiction was commonplace. This was how man thought he had to relate to God (or the gods). But God says elsewhere (for example, the prophets are prolific with this type of language) that the idols of the nations have eyes, but do not see, ears but do not hear, mouths but do not speak. That they have no real or true existence of their own. And so, this really comes down to the heart of the issue. Does a depiction of Christ help draw our hearts to Him, or does it turn them away? The answer may differ depending on each individual's heart posture towards Him.

@vejoshiraptor

2 жыл бұрын

You’re saying the Ten Commandments are culturally contextual and so they may not always apply anymore? How can we know which ones apply, and when? Seems an awful dangerous assertion. I’ll just keep it simple and stick to God’s straightforward command “thou shalt not make an image.”

@jasongcrow5313

Жыл бұрын

Then commanded His people to make images of the cherubim. We are not to make images to worship them.

This conclusion doesn't make sense to me. It wouldn't be a sin to take a snapshot of Jesus with a camera. Therefore images representing Jesus aren't wrong. Therefore having a mental picture of Jesus when you read the gospels is not wrong. Our mental picture may be less accurate than a photo, but accuracy of the physical features really doesn't matter. Just acknowledge that the representation isn't really Him, and don't worship an image.

Yes, God was made flesh. Jesus had a face, a body and so on just like any other human. Denying that we can represent Christ visually, is implicitly denying his incarnation.

@philagon

4 жыл бұрын

Images are not incarnation.

Augustine the Blessed (of Hippo) said "love (agape), and do as thou wilt". This is the Christian life: acquiring union with the Holy Trinity (becoming partakers of the Divine nature): becoming deified. The deified person radiates the love of God and is so filled with the Holy Spirit that the law has been written on his/her heart: the law of pure love of God and one's neighbour.

he does have one thing correct the Catholic of the west and the Orthodox church that has not changed since the teaching of the Apostles are very very different

Regarding your vaudevillian aslan, is not that vastly to be preferred. (In that same manner as byzantine icons) in that it is a poorly executed (from a western stndpoint), in that it serves very much as a laughable place hold for that which should only be worshipped in spirit and truth.

I don't believe the Pastor has bad intentions. he is however teaching Christians to despise Catholic teaching. My channel has a video on Catholic relics by Saints with the actual cross (wood) Christ was crucified on. It's in my video on relics. The Catholic Church possesses the actual crucifix, in pieces only because the original was broken down for reliquary purposes. See me channel. Unfortunately, the Pastor is preaching heresy because God had man build statues for the ark of the covenant. Even the Indiana Jones movie showed the statues that the Hebrews knelt down and prayed before it if you notice what's atop the arc. Yes, idolatry is idolatry. Michelangelo was no idolater but Protestants sometimes come across as complete fools.

By making the statement concerning the use of statues, the Pastor is saying unequivocally to his audience that he, and he alone knows how to think through the problem concerning statues and the Ten Commandments. That's a psychological defect. And nowhere does he mention that there are other schools of thought. case in fact: I questioned a faithful Baptist who worked for the Catholic Church about statues. she could care less intimating that they were beautiful and enjoyed visiting different Parishes. It is recommended to ask fellow Christians what they think about statues and if they disagree; why then did God have statues built by the Hebrews -- the serpentine staff with the image of the snake raised up by moses is just one example.

@elijahsmith6508

6 жыл бұрын

I see your point friend, however the show is called "Ask Doug"..... of course it is his view on things.....

@clayman2216

Жыл бұрын

I believe that was eventually destroyed because of the very reason of idol worship. 2Kings 18:4. However the symbol is used by the medical and first responder community. And Jesus refers to it in John 3:14,15

isnt it strange that there is no recorded history of what Jesus looked like...If he did exist, you would think there would be at least some description... why is this such a secret in the catholic church...Is it because he would have had Arab features which would have been the look of the middle east... Always wondered about that...Maybe the apostles had to sign a secrecy clause... That is assuming they could read and write..

@MagnificentFiend

7 жыл бұрын

Les Nagy How many 1st Century people do we have physical descriptions of? Not many.

@lesnagy3539

7 жыл бұрын

I don't know Fiend but I have never seen a portrayal of Jesus as anything other than a white Caucasian.

The 7th Ecumenical Council settled this issue once and for all over 1,200 years ago. However, Calvinists revived the error (dare I say "heresy") of iconoclasm in the 16th century. Belief in the Incarnation necessitates images of Christ. Iconoclasm is the "gospel" of Islam. James chapter 2 says that we are not under the OT law, but under Grace. The law no longer applies for Christians like it does for Jews. Unless one attempts to keep the whole law - keeping only some of the laws is meaningless

Well Doug i guess by that statement we need to burn Michael Angelos Last supper painting,and while we are at it tear down the sistene chapel and all the other famous artworks depicting Jesus... Smash all sculptures of Jesus on the cross etc..What is the big deal with the actual depiction of Jesus as a man?? Are we not intelligent enough to see that as a abstarct.. Max von sydow made a good Jesus in the movie "The greatest story ever told" Thats what i want Jesus to look like...Better him than Edward G Robinson....

@greatsea

4 жыл бұрын

you clearly did not listen to the video

after watching 3 videos I think this guy is a nut

@ecstaticone3993

7 жыл бұрын

Calvinism will make a man nuts

@JosephsCoat

3 жыл бұрын

From a biblical worldview, Doug Wilson is an absolute genius. Nothing he said here is new through-2nd chapter of Institutes I believe. Keep watching Doug Wilson videos and if you’re a Christian, your view of him should shift.

@gch8810

2 жыл бұрын

@@ecstaticone3993 And Arminianism makes man sovereign.

Unfortunately, the hypocritical point in this video is too obvious here. If graven images of God are prohibited per the 10 Commandments than that would exclude ALL films and TV shows that portray Jesus or God. But the Pastor seems to say, well, I liked the Passion of the Christ and quickly, with a quip, implies that others (films) are bad. He put his foot in his own mouth. You can't have one without the other. Pastor? What school did you goto? So I can be sure not to send my kids there.

Doug's response is somewhere in betwee the Jewish/Muslim position and Christianity. It's probably closer gnosticism than true Christianity. Of course neo Platonism plagues the followers of Calvin who recoil and the created world. Yes the four walls and sermon of Calvinism. How uninspiring! Little does he know that words do create images in our minds. Is he advocating a kind of nothingness that Buddhist advocate in the state of Nirvana? I can't think of anything more anti christian

More seriously, this sort of extreme iconoclasm is the source of a lot of liberal theology rejecting resurrection and so on. People need something concrete with which to place their faith. They need rituals and ceremony. That is why in the OT the temple was adorned with images. That is why liturgical worship was a dogma in the OT. That is why festivals like the passover were celebrated. This other-worldly God that Doug is advocating is simply not the God of the Bible.

@philagon

4 жыл бұрын

What images of God were in the temple?