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Pictures of Jesus

Discussion in 'General Baptist Discussions' started by ktn4eg, May 7, 2009.

  1. ktn4eg

    ktn4eg New Member

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    What are your thoughts about having pictures/paintings of Jesus Christ either in a church building or at home?

    Personally, I don't care for them since none of us know what Jesus really looked like while He was here on earth anyway.

    How do you folks feel about this?
     
  2. Jon-Marc

    Jon-Marc New Member

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    Personally I have no problem with it as long as the pictures and images aren't worshiped.
     
  3. corndogggy

    corndogggy Active Member
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    One thought I have is that considering 1 Corinthians 11:14, it's ironic that pretty much every picture shows Jesus as having long hair. We have no idea what he looked like, but we do know that Paul, who saw Jesus, says that it's shameful for men to have long hair... and what do we do? Always portray Jesus as having long hair.
     
  4. matt wade

    matt wade Well-Known Member

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    Chuck Smith addresses 1 Cor 11:14 in an interesting way:

     
  5. historyb

    historyb New Member

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    I myself think there is nothing wrong with them as long as we don't worship them
     
  6. Revmitchell

    Revmitchell Well-Known Member
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    Exo 20:4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:
     
  7. historyb

    historyb New Member

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    Which would man worships, pictures aren't wrong however
     
  8. Revmitchell

    Revmitchell Well-Known Member
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    or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:
     
  9. matt wade

    matt wade Well-Known Member

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    Yes...and after the colon is "you shall not bow down to them nor serve them.".

    The making of an image with the intent of worshiping it is forbidden and is a sin. The making of an image by itself it not sinful. Did not God Himself command images of cherubims to be made?
     
  10. annsni

    annsni Well-Known Member
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    We have two of them in our church that I can think of.

    The first is in the lobby. It's a large painting done by a woman who used to be in our congregation who has since passed away. I THINK she was one of the original members. It's a painting of Jesus on the local beach playing with two children in the sand. It's beautiful.

    The second is a huge mural in the youth area and part of it has a painting of the cross and Jesus in glory next to it. It's really an amazing thing.

    I do think we need to be careful with what we do with images. As has been said, we don't know what Jesus looked like. But it's not a sin, IMO.
     
  11. rbell

    rbell Active Member

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    So, all pictures are wrong?

    All crosses?

    Context, my dear RM...
     
  12. sag38

    sag38 Active Member

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    I'm not exactly fond of them being that we have no real idea of what Jesus looked like.
     
  13. HankD

    HankD Well-Known Member
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    I believe it is because of the notion that Jesus had taken a Nazarite vow in which case it was not a shame for a man to have long hair like samson.

    Numbers 6:1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
    2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When either man or woman shall separate themselves to vow a vow of a Nazarite, to separate themselves unto the LORD:
    3 He shall separate himself from wine and strong drink, and shall drink no vinegar of wine, or vinegar of strong drink, neither shall he drink any liquor of grapes, nor eat moist grapes, or dried.
    4 All the days of his separation shall he eat nothing that is made of the vine tree, from the kernels even to the husk.
    5 All the days of the vow of his separation there shall no razor come upon his head: until the days be fulfilled, in the which he separateth himself unto the LORD, he shall be holy, and shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow.
    6 All the days that he separateth himself unto the LORD he shall come at no dead body.
    7 He shall not make himself unclean for his father, or for his mother, for his brother, or for his sister, when they die: because the consecration of his God is upon his head.
    8 All the days of his separation he is holy unto the LORD.

    However, Jesus drank wine which was forbidden to a Nazarite. It doesn't matter whether it was fermented or not. Even the eating of grapes was forbidden to the Nazarite.

    HankD
     
  14. ~JM~

    ~JM~ Member

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    Hercules Collins, The Orthodox Catechism:

    Q. 108. What is Idolatry?
    A. It is in Place of that one God, or besides that one true God who hath manifested himself in his Word and Works, to make or imagin, and account any other thing wherein thou reposest thy (a) Hope and Confidence.
    (a) Phil. 3.19. Eph. 5.5. Gal. 4.8. Eph. 2.12. 1 John 2.23. John 5.23.

    Q. 109. What is the Second Commandment?
    A. Thou shalt make to thee no graven Image, nor the Likeness of any thing which is in Heaven above, or in he Earth beneath, nor in the Waters under the Earth: thou shalt not bow down to them, nor worsip them, for I the Lord thy God and a jealous God, and visit the sins of the Fathers upon the Children, unto the third and fourth Generation of them that hate me, and shew Mercy to thousands of them which love me, and keep my Commandments.

    Q. 110. What doth this Second Commandment require?
    A. That we should not (b) express or represent God by any Image or Shape and figure, or worship him any other wise then he hath commanded himself in (c) his Word to be worshipped.
    (b) Deut. 4.15, &c. Isa. 40.18, &c. Rom. 1.23, 24. Acts 17.29.
    (c) 1 Sam. 15.23. Deut. 12.30, &c. Mat. 15.9.

    Q. 111. May there then at all any Images or Resemblances of things be made?
    A. God neither ought, nor can be represented by any means. and for the Creatures, although it be lawful to express them, yet God forbiddeth not withstanding their Images to be made or had, as thereby to worship or honour either them, or God by them.
    Exod. 23.24. & 34.13, 14, 17. Num. 33.52. Deut. 7.5. & 12.13. &. 16.22. 2 King. 18.4.

    Q. 112. But may not Images be tolerated in Churches, which may serve for Books unto the common People?
    A. No, for 'tis not seemly that we should be wiser than God, who will have his Church to (e) be taught by the lively preaching of his Word, and not with (f) dumb Images.
    (e) 2 Tim. 3.16, 17. 2 Pet.1.19.
    (f) Jer. 10.8. &c. Hab. 2.18, 19. ​
     
  15. HankD

    HankD Well-Known Member
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    However in 1 Kings 7:29;36, 1 Kings 10:20 there were graven lions, oxen, cherubim and palm trees in the building of the Solomonic Temple.

    God also sanctioned the use of man made pomegranates and gold cherubim in the sanctuary.

    Don't forget the serpent of brass which Moses made (in response to God's command) and held up on a pole in the wilderness.

    HankD
     
  16. ~JM~

    ~JM~ Member

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    Sorry brother, I don't follow the logic. How does anything you mention equate to making an image of God the Son from our own imagination?
     
  17. annsni

    annsni Well-Known Member
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    Where in Scripture are we told that Jesus took the Nazarite vow?
     
  18. HankD

    HankD Well-Known Member
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    Hi Ann, please read carefully what I said

    It is a notion not found in Scripture while he was here in the flesh.

    The following statement that I made was proof that it could not be true while He was here in the flesh

    However there is a passage which could be interpreted as being a Nazarite vow by Jesus until His return.

    Mark 14:25 Verily I say unto you, I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine, until that day that I drink it new in the kingdom of God.​

    HankD​
     
    #19 HankD, May 8, 2009
    Last edited: May 8, 2009
  19. HankD

    HankD Well-Known Member
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    The Orthodox Catechism which you cited does not limit images to God only but to images of His creatures as well.

    The logic is I answered to that citation which presumably, since you posted it without comment, you therefore support.

    HankD
     
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