That’s not an image, is it? (Part 5)

The Only Presentation of the Gospel

Finally we must consider the preaching of the word in relation to the prohibition of any images of the Godhead.Images are powerful. Modern media is almost entirely based in the sense of sight and sound put together. There is nothing evil with this in concept, because God gave us eyes and ears to understand this world. But there is the problem of sin. Visual media feeds that sin, it is clever, complicated, nuanced, and exhilarating. Compared to the spoken word it seems to be more powerful because an image instantly presents a story and an interpretation of the world around us. Though we as Christians have warrant to use this medium, it must be used carefully, but even more, it must never supplant the preaching of the Gospel.

Our Lord came with words. Yes, he came with power and healing and with other miracles, but his was a ministry of the word. He brought judgement and peace with his words. He brought forth the dead with his words. John 1 and Colossians 1 make it undeniably clear that it was by words that this world was made. It was by the words of the Trinity that the decree of salvation was made. The Gospel is presented by words, it was the method of Christ and his command to the disciples (Matt.28:18). It defies logic, but that is the plan of God.

The apostle Paul says that God’s way and God’s means are foolishness to the world (1 Cor. 1:17-18, 27). The preaching of the Gospel goes against all wisdom and marketing. The proclamation of the Word by simple speech, without the accompaniment of slides and music and clever rhetoric defies convention, but that is how God has “made foolish the wisdom of the world (1 Cor. 1:20).” Though the world despises preaching, God uses it to confound us and our ways, in order to bring salvation and correction (1 Cor. 1:27). Paul goes on to say that if we employ methodologies beyond God’s ordained means of preaching we are following our own ways, we are seeking the glory of man, and that all of our efforts will come to nothing (1 Cor. 2:5,6). While we can legitimately use other aspects of the general revelation and wisdom to promote the Gospel, we can never use them to preach the truth in such a way that it defies God’s prescribed method.

The preaching of the word is God’s method of bringing salvation for sinners as well as building up the body of Christ through teaching, rebuking, exhorting, and the development of doctrine (1 Tim. 4:11-14). We do not need an image to portray the glory of Christ. No, we need to preach the fullness of the Gospel found in the Old and New Testaments because only the scriptures can present clearly the majesty and, this is important, the mystery of the Glory. Preaching does not limit Christ to the imagination of men. It does not obscure the holiness of the Godhead. Preaching retains the hidden glory of the unseen God, and yet it presents, in terms we can understand, all we need to know about his nature and beauty of his nature. The proclamation of the Gospel is the only means by which we can present Christ coming from the clouds to judge this world, by it is the only way we can display his anger in the temple, and from it is the horror of the cross described.

When we try to present the message of Christ by means of a picture we limit and bind him to our sinful imaginations. We remove the background and context that is presented in the narrative and our Lord becomes a caricature of our design. This is not a minimalist nor an antithesis argument. God indeed gives us truth outside of scripture through general revelation, but we must be careful that we do not confuse the means by which God has given to present both types of truth. The declaration of God’s glorious truths is limited to his command. If we depart from his explicit designs we move ourselves to will worship rather than true worship.

A Perfect Picture

The only satisfactory picture of the Godhead is that which scripture paints. It is not a limited by our imaginations, rather it opens up eternity and frees us from the bondage of the mind of man. To do otherwise obscures and blasphemes God, it limits his nature either by presenting us two Christ’s or by presenting only part of the Trinity. It shows us that our hearts are not satisfied in the better and final images portrayed in the sacraments and finally it demonstrates that we have adopted an aspect of this world which cannot be sanctified and redeemed because it is entirely contradictory to the plan of God.

That’s not an image, is it? (Part 4)

The Sacraments are a Better Picture
Thirdly we must understand that the church has been given all that it needs in regard to a physical presentation of the Gospel in the Sacraments of the Lord’s supper and Baptism.

The Old Testament, in its sacrificial system had a far more visible and complex physical component than the New Testament. Many argue that the Reformed position is stating that God is against all art and skillful aesthetic architecture and accouterment, however this is not the case. God gave specific instruction about construction of the tabernacle and the beauty that was to accompany that structure (Ex. 25-28); David and Solomon were given detailed plans and orders by the inspiration of God for the building of the temple (1 Chron. 28:10-18). These were the prescriptions of the Old Covenant that presented pictures of the glorious Christ, but with the institution of the New Covenant the need for such things has been made not only unnecessary but also unscriptural. The objects of the sacrificial system were shadows and therefore we have no need to return to the methods of the old system. In fact we are prohibited from returning to that system because we have a better sacrifice and finished work of Christ (Heb. 10:10). We no longer turn to those things made and ordained by Moses, but we trust in the tabernacle that was not made by hands, the one who obtained eternal redemption for his elect, because he has fulfilled the obligations of the first covenant (Heb. 9). We should not consider the New Testament as limiting us, rather Baptism and the Lord’s supper provide a better and complete comfort for us who are in Christ.

When we see and hear the wine we have a picture of the blood of Christ and when we see and taste the bread we are reminded of the broken body of our Savior. We are not witness to the physical body and blood of Christ, for his humanity is seated on the throne of God until he descends from the clouds and casts death into hell, but we still have his real presence by his Spirit and grace. Further the finished work of Christ is pictured by testimony of this sacrament, because he once and for all paid the penalty for our sins in his own body and are union with him is signified by our eating of the bread and drinking of the wine.

When we consider baptism we have the image of Christ’s forgiveness by the washing away of our sins by his blood and also our union with him in his life. This real and physical act provides our eyes with a God mandated image that bolsters our faith by helping to make the work of Christ more tangible because of the weakness of our flesh in our sin. Question 167 of the Westminster Larger Catechism notes that baptism also shows and reminds us of the dying of our sinful nature and the need to put to death our evil lusts and desires.

These Sacraments put together are, in faith, the only physical declaration of Glory of the Godhead that t is sanctioned by the word of God. We are limited, if we care to honor God in our worship and practice, what images can be used to present the Gospel. Though presenting a scene from the life of Christ, especially his Passion and Death, might move us to more thoughtfully consider his suffering for the sin of his people, it is not what God has declared as the means to remember his suffering. We must understand that through the eyes of faith the sacraments provide all that we need for our devotion, faith, and understanding of the nature of the Gospel for our lives.

That’s not an image, is it? (Part 3)

A Half-Christ and a Broken Godhead
Secondly we must consider the nature of Christ. The early church endured a certain false teaching called Nestorianism. Basically, this error taught that Christ had two separate natures; that is his human nature was independent from his divine nature and vice versa. To put it more simply, and following the thoughts of Thomas Watson, when we represent Christ in his manhood, we are not representing Christ in his deity, and therefore we only present a half-Christ (Thomas Watson. The Ten Commandments. Carlisle, PA; Banner of Truth, 1692, Reprint, 1890, 1959, 1965, pg., 62.)

We must present Christ in all of his glory, for if we do not give him full honor, we are guilty of breaking the first commandment. Christ is the image of the invisible God, the head of all things, in whom the fulness dwells (Col. 1:15, 17, 19). He is the Word of God, the maker of world, made flesh to dwell among us (John 1:1, 10, 14). He is the one who sits at the right hand of Majesty, whose throne reigns for all eternity (Heb. 1:3, 8). He is the Alpha and Omega, to whom all glory and dominion is given (Rev. 1:8, 6). God is one, and worship is to be given to him alone (Deut. 6:4, 5). Therefore if we limit the prohibition of making images to the Father alone, we are guilty of separating the Godhead and creating a hierarchy in the Trinity where honor and worship of God is differentiated in such a way as the Son and the Holy Spirit do not have equal glory, honor, and power. While we must distinguish the persons of the Trinity and that each person of the Godhead has agreed, in love to each other to function in specific roles that in their application are in subjection, nonetheless they must receive the same worship. As Calvin stated, “…let not God’s majesty, which is far above the perception of the eyes, be debased through unseemly representations (Institutes 1.11.12).”

What to change about seminary?

Al Mohler on seminary:

“The ministry is a calling, and the most important qualifications for the Christian ministry are spiritual. We must aim for something far higher than the preparation of professionals, and our real challenge goes far beyond knowledge and skills”

Read the rest here. (HT Justin Taylor)

Want to know about Covenant Theology?

Today there is a general ignorance and/or misunderstanding of Covenant Theology. If you want to understand the development of this area of theology as well as the historical connections and distinctions between the Dutch and the British (there is not that much difference), read this from Pastor Carl Schouls of the Free Reformed Churches.

To whet your appetite

“When we speak about “The Covenant” we must, at the outset, agree on which covenant we mean. What does the term “covenant” mean? In the broad sense, a covenant is an agreement between two or more parties which involves obligations, penalties and rewards. In that sense, we can say that most contracts are covenants: an agreement of sale is a covenant and a marriage is a covenant.

The Bible mentions various covenants. Theologians, by good and logical consequence, have pointed out others, not mentioned as such in Scripture. The word ‘covenant’ (‘berith’) is used in the Old Testament about 250 times while the New Testament form (‘diatheke’) appears only 33 times, either as ‘covenant’ or ‘testament’ (in the AV). The Old Testament usage of the word is not limited to the covenants which God has made with man; mention is made of covenants between people – e.g. David and Jonathan, Abraham and Abimelech, etc. The New Testament, however, uses it only in that frame of reference which deals exclusively with the relation between God and his people.”

Read it here (it’ll take a while)…

That’s not an image, is it? (Part 2)

Take Heed of Your Heart
Firstly, we must consider the weakness of our own hearts. “Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen (1 John 5:21).” This idea is echoed by the apostle Paul in his letter to Corinthians,

“Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry. I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say (1 Corinthians 10:11–15).”

The apostles are making the argument that people have a tendency to make representations of god or gods. Certainly we can say that the ancient world was full of statues and figurines and temples dedicated to all of the gods of the Roman and Greek world. But, to think that we in the modern world do not have this same temptation is a denial of the testimony of scripture. Rather we must understand that we have the same temptation as Israel when God warned his chosen people to “take heed unto yourselves…Lest ye corrupt yourselves, and make you a graven image…lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven and…shouldest be driven to worship them (Deut. 4:15-19)…” It does not matter how strong we think we are, we have a tendency to find ways to worship God according to our own desires. The argument is not that images of Christ cause us to worship another God, it is, again, that we cannot portray God, in any of his godhead, because of the temptation to use those images as a means of worshiping him.

This was the sin of Israel when they commanded Aaron to make the golden calf, for Israel was worshiping the true God, but they were worshiping him through an image (Ex. 32). Therefore it is reasonable to make the application that when an artist makes a representation of God that we will begin to conceive of God by that image. When we think of God the Father, how often do you picture the image on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel? Or, when we think of Jesus, isn’t it the tendency to picture the men we have seen painted in storybooks and portrayed in movies? Unfortunately those images become a medium whereby we conceive of God and therefore we inadvertently make idols of them. To introduce an image of the Godhead, even if its purpose does not remotely involve worship, still promotes false worship in heart, however minimal, which is yet a heinous sin. Watch your heart.

Resources on Purity

Justin Taylor, as usual, has a wonderful link to a lecture given by Al Mohler on the topic of pornography and sexual purity.

From Mohler:

“Pornography is a slander against the goodness of God’s creation and a corruption of this good gift God has given his creatures out of his own self-giving love. To abuse this gift is to weaken, not only the institution of marriage, but the fabric of civilization itself. To choose lust over love is to debase humanity and to worship the false god Priapus in the most brazen form of modern idolatry.”

Listen to it here.