And we know this is true from the Bible itself! So the prohibition against graven images in Exodus 20 is not an absolute prohibition against making graven images or images of things in heaven or on earth, it is a prohibition against worshipping them as gods. They forsook worship of the one true God for the worship of idols. Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity…because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshippedand served the creature rather than the Creator…And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a base mind and to improper conduct.”ĭoes Paul tell the Romans that God gave these men up in the lusts of their hearts simply because they made graven images or images of things in heaven or on earth? No! He gave them up in the lusts of their hearts because they viewed these images as gods and they worshippedthe images they had made. In Romans 1:22-28, we see Paul telling the Romans about men who, “Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man or birds or animals or reptiles. Which means, given the context, this is not an absolute prohibition upon the Israelites against the making of graven images or any likeness of things in heaven or on earth, rather they are being prohibited from making such images and then turning around and worshipping them. Furthermore, the words that seem, to Protestants, to prohibit the making of a graven image or of any likeness of anything in heaven or on earth are proceeded by: “You shall have no other gods before Me,” and they are followed by: “…you shall not bow down to them or serve them.” There is one God that the Israelites are to worship. It begins with, “I am the Lord your God,” and ends with “I the Lord your God am (a jealous God).” The operative word is “I.” One. This whole passage from Exodus 20 is all about the fact that there is one God we should worship. You shall not make for yourself a graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth you shall not bow down to them or serve them for I the Lord your God am a jealous God…” Exodus 20:2-5, “I am the Lord your God…You shall have no other gods before Me. Let’s begin by looking very closely at the prohibition in Exodus 20 regarding the making of “graven images” and see if it actually says what many Protestants think it says. I knew nothing about “why” when a friend (Catholic) asked me to constructively explain why and not defensively. I’m not against this practice, i just want to understand why, and as well, know how to convince non-Catholics, because the only explanation I’ve gotten so far and can still remember is “there were statues on the ark of the covenant”. I’m Catholic, but I do not understand nor have answers to why we use statues and blessed images in the Catholic church as opposed to God’s commandment in Exodus 20. Check out his new audio series to the left and his excellent website. Question sent to John Martignoni from The answer is John Martignoni’s.
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