To Whom Will You Liken Me? The Biblical Prohibition of Images (Part 2)

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To whom will you liken Me, and make Me equal
And compare Me, that we should be alike?

Isaiah 45:6 NKJV

Objections

Having considered the Biblical case against images of Christ in Part 1, we will continue to the modern arguments promoting images of Christ.

In 1981 the Reformed Presbyterian Church, Evangelical Synod (RPCES) published a report “On Images of Christ.”[1] In 1983 the RPCES merged with the Presbyterian Church in America. The report presents three objections to the Westminster Standards’ presentation of the second commandment and images that are commonly held today.

First Objection: One Part or Two?

Make and Bow Down

“The [second] commandment does not prohibit the making of pictures… the commandment does prohibit the making of shaped objects for the purpose of worshipping them or worshipping God through them. Therefore, L.C. 109 is not justified in forbidding 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.”

RPCES, On Images of Christ

The Lord does not prohibit the making of all pictures or images. In certain contexts, God even requires making images as was the case of the cherubim facing the mercy seat in Exodus 37.

However, the premise of the RPCES statement assumes one or both of the following arguments: 1) That images of any or of all the three persons of the Godhead are the same in Scripture as images of created things. 2) That images of any or of all the three persons of the Godhead and images of the creature are only a violation of the second commandment when worshipped.

Response From Scripture

The first assumption is refuted on Scriptural grounds and the Creator-creature distinction. From Scripture it is evident that Christ the Son of God is not to be compared to the visible or invisible creature. “To which of the angels did He ever say: You are My Son, Today I have begotten You… Your throne, O God, is forever and ever…Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool” (Hebrews 1:5, 8, 13).

From the Creator-creature distinction we understand, “The distance between God and the creature is so great, that although reasonable creatures do owe obedience unto him as their Creator, yet they could never have any fruition of him as their blessedness and reward, but by some voluntary condescension on God’s part” (WCF 7.1). Scripture teaches that God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, is high above the creature and cannot be compared truthfully to a creature.[2] The creature is made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). God is not made in the image of man which is to bring God down. Packer notes that the second commandment “compels us to take our thoughts of God from his own holy Word, and no other source whatsoever… to make an image of God is to take one’s thoughts of him from a human source, rather than from God himself; and this is precisely what is wrong with image-making” (Packer, Knowing God. pp. 48-49). Therefore, we may conclude it is idolatry to make representations of Christ in the image of a creature.[3]

The second assumption is refuted on the grounds of misunderstanding the second commandment. In his sermon on Deuteronomy 4, John Calvin said, “For God has forbidden two things. First, the making of any picture of him because it is a disguising and falsifying of his glory, and a turning of his truth into a lie. That is one point. The other is, that no image may be worshipped” (Calvin, Sermons on Deuteronomy. p. 298). The Scripture positively divides the second commandment into two parts, making and worshipping. In relation to God, both making and/or worshipping images is forbidden. In relation to the creature, the making is not necessarily forbidden. The making and worshipping is always forbidden.

Second Objection: The Person and Worship Dichotomy  

The RPCES report laid out a second objection to the Westminster[4] view of the second commandment by creating a divide between the person of Christ and the worship of Christ. The report made the following recommendation:

That synod warn against the violation of the Second Commandment (Ex. 20:4-6 and Deut. 5:8-10) by the worship of visual depictions of Jesus Christ, while at the same time recognizing the legitimacy of usual depictions for other purposes, such as instruction or artistic expression.

RPCES, On Images of Christ. Recommendation 2

The report further stated that pictures of Christ are not just permissible but to be encouraged. [5]

Look but Not Worship

The RPCES argument is that the person of Christ can be separated from the worship of Christ. God’s people can look at manmade depictions of Christ for their help and devotion while not worshipping the image. Worship of the image breaks the second commandment; however, using the image outside of worship does not (Ibid). In this way, the argument is in line with Lutheran practice. [6] Are these things true?

Response From Scripture

The Scriptures know of no separation of the person of Christ and the worship of Christ. Assuming Joshua met the pre-incarnate Christ when he met the Commander of the army of the Lord, he fell on his face to the earth and worshiped (Joshua 5:13-15). When Isaiah saw the Lord sitting on His throne and the angels worshipping, he confessed his unworthiness before the Lord (Isaiah 6:1-3). When the blind man whom Jesus healed knew that Jesus was Lord, he worshiped Him (John 9:38);  When Jesus ascended to Heaven, His disciples worshiped Him (Luke 4:52). The angels of God worship Him (Hebrews 1:6). The testimony of Scripture is that those who believe God worship God.

The Scriptures negatively demonstrate that those who do not worship do not believe. When Jesus rode into Jerusalem the people worshipped Him. The unbelieving Pharisees said, “Teacher, rebuke Your disciples” (Luke 19:39).

Thomas Vincent argues against the person and worship dichotomy by first reiterating the divine nature of Jesus Christ. Jesus is divine and His divine nature cannot be pictured at all. Furthermore, Jesus is now glorified and cannot be pictured as He is now in Heaven. Because these things are true, to look upon an image and not be stirred up to worship, is vain. To look at an image and worship is to commit idolatry.[7]

Turretin argues that beholding images always leads to worship. If not to direct worship like Roman Catholicism then it leads indirectly by conceiving “holy thoughts concerning God and Christ which cannot but belong to the worship of God.”[8]  

From the Scripture we have no commandment to look or think of Christ and not worship. We have many examples that Christians who see Christ in the flesh worship Him.[9] From this we may conclude that the person and worship dichotomy does not align with Scripture and therefore must be rejected. With Calvin, we can agree as “St. Paul says, that every service of God invented by man, whatever appearance of wisdom it may have, is nothing better than vanity and foolishness, if it has no other foundation than our own devising.” [10]

When men gaze upon Christ in glory or on His return at the day of judgment, all those who believe in His name will worship Him. May the Lord enable all Christians to avoid all images of Christ until we see Him as He is in glory.

Third Objection: The Pedagogical Argument  

Images for Education

The third argument for images of Christ is arguably the most important as it is focused on the youngest in the Kingdom of God: Images of Christ are helpful in the education of the church and the world concerning the things of the Lord. The RPCES report states:

For another thing, pedagogy, particularly with children, calls for depicting events in the life of our Lord – if art has any place in the life of a Christian, should it not find expression in the sphere of that which is of great importance to the believer-the events of Jesus’s life and death and resurrection?

RPCES, 1981

That the Lord cares for the instruction of children of all ages is positively affirmed throughout Scripture.[11] Further, the example of Scripture demonstrates the problems that come when children are not raised in the way of the Lord, such as was the case with Eli’s two sons and many of the kings’ sons of Judah and Israel. Finally, the Lord gives warning toward those who would mislead children (Matthew 18:6-14). Does Scripture support the use of images for educational purposes, especially for children?

Response From Scripture  

God is Truth and the Christian must be a lover of truth. Jesus prayed before His crucifixion, “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your Word is truth” (John 17:17). Earlier that same evening Jesus told His disciples that He is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). Jesus told the Samaritan woman the time had come for all men to worship God in truth (John 4:24). Hebrews 6:18 contends that it is impossible for God to lie. To love God is synonymous with loving truth for God is truth.

The Scripture testifies that images of God are lies. “What profit is the image, that its maker should carve it, the molded image, a teacher of lies, that the maker of its mold should trust in it, to make mute idols?” (Habakkuk 2:18).[12] Williamson, Packer, Henry, Turretin, and Vincent unite with Romans 1:25 in referring to images of Christ as nothing other than falsehood and lies.[13]

Consider a husband claiming to show a picture of his wife. If he produced a picture of a woman other than his wife, we would say that man is lying. So it is to make an imagination of God and call it God the Father, Son, or Holy Spirit. The image is a lie, and the maker is lying.

Imagining God as a false image is more heinous than doing the same with a creature. Whereas lying about the creature is sinful in its own right, lying about God Himself is worse. The Son is “the brightness of His glory and express image of His person” (Hebrews 1:3). The sin immediately against God is more heinous than the sin against man.[14]

The Heidelberg Catechism asks this question: “But may not images be permitted in churches in place of books for the unlearned? No, we should not try to be wiser than God. God wants the Christian community instructed by the living preaching of His Word – not by idols that cannot even talk” (Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 98).

The Heidelberg Catechism leads to the positive education concerning God. The greatest teacher of God is the Spirit of God working in and through the Word of God. “Sacred signs are the sacraments, not images. The ornaments of churches are the pure preaching of the word, the lawful administration of the sacraments and holiness of discipline” (Turretin, Vol. 2. p.66).

If we want children to be saved, we must use the means God gives for that salvation. The Scripture is that which makes one wise unto salvation.[15] Moses and the prophets are better means to convince a sinner of their need for the Savior than even a man coming back from the dead.[16] When Peter preached the Word free of images three thousand souls were saved.[17] Therefore, we conclude that images of any or of all of the three persons of the Godhead are not true and must be rejected. Furthermore, there is no hope of salvation in or from them. To attempt to teach the truth to children or adults through the means of lies is not only foolish but dangerous to the soul. Let us strive to teach only that which is true concerning Jesus Christ the Savior of sinners.

Blessed Are Those Who Believe

When Jesus first appeared to the disciples after His resurrection, Thomas was not present. When Thomas heard of Jesus risen from the dead, he doubted, saying, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.” Jesus came to him eight days later and said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.” Thomas responded in worship and confession, “My Lord and my God!” At that response Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (John 20:24-29).

In the verses of John 20 the Lord addresses each of the three objections we considered regarding images. Thomas was not walking by faith but by sight. In the infinite mercy of Christ, Jesus showed Himself to Thomas not by false images but truthfully in the flesh. Thomas did not separate the person of Christ from the worship of Christ, but on seeing Jesus he fell down and worshipped. The Lord pronounced a startling blessing – blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed. The call of the Gospel of God concerning Jesus Christ the Son is to believe in Jesus Christ alone for salvation. Jesus is not offered through man-made images but in the Scripture alone.[18] Have you believed in Christ Jesus as He is freely offered in the Bible? Whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life.

Nothing is offered for those who seek Christ by images. Thomas Vincent summarizes the argument in this way: “Images or pictures of God are an abomination and utterly unlawful because they debase God and may be a cause of idolatrous worship” (Vincent, p. 147). Have you put away images of any or of all of the three persons of the Godhead?

Those with faith in Christ know God and are known by God. When asked, “To whom will you liken Me?” the Christian answers, “There is none to whom You can be compared. You are who You are, high and lifted, and none is like You.” Though the Christian has not yet seen Jesus in the flesh, yet he loves Him and rejoices with joy inexpressible and full of glory.

May the Lord help His children to keep themselves from idols, Amen. [19]

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[1] The full text of this report can be found at See https://www.pcahistory.org/rgo/rpces/docsynod/332.html.

[2] See Isaiah 40:28; I Timothy 6:16; Romans 11:33; and Revelation 1:8.

[3] See Romans 1:18-25.

[4] See Westminster Confession of Faith Chapter 21 and Westminster Larger Catechism #107 – #110.

[5] See RPCES report III. C. The use of pictures of Christ. Recognizing that caution in the making of portraits of Christ is indicated, what are we to say about the use of pictures? While permissible, are pictures of Christ to be encouraged? Yes. For one thing, God’s Word itself encourages the picturing of events. The description of Christ entering Jerusalem on “Palm Sunday” is but one of a great number of episodes in the life of our Lord on earth which call forth mental pictures.

[6] See Turretin, Institutes of Elenctic Theology, 1994. p. 64.

[7] See Vincent, T. The Shorter Catechism Explained from Scripture, 2021. p. 147. Q.6.

[8] Whereas Lutherans and many Reformed today following the RPCES guidelines view it as a sin to worship images or through images, Roman Catholicism goes the other direction and considers it anathema not to adore and venerate images (see Turretin, p. 52 and 62).

[9] See Matthew 8:1-3; Mark 11:6-10; Luke 17:11-19; John 12:12-13.

[10] Calvin, Treatise on Relics, 1555. p.218 See https://www.gutenberg.org/files/32136/32136-h/32136-h.html for full text.

[11] See Mathew 19:14 “Let the little children come to Me…” and Deuteronomy 6:6-7 “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.”

[12] See also Jeremiah 10:8 and Isaiah 40:25-26.

[13] See Williamson, The Westminster Shorter Catechism, 1970. pp. 212-213. “When an artist paints a picture, out of his own imagination entirely and then says, “This is a picture of Jesus Christ,” he lies. And the picture is “falsehood, and… the work of errors” (Jeremiah 51:17-18). Packer, Knowing God, 1993. p. 48. “To follow the imagination of one’s heart in the realm of theology is the way to remain ignorant of God, and to become an idol-worshipper – the idol in this case being a false mental image of God, made by one’s own speculation and imagination.” Henry, Matthew Henry’s Commentary. Genesis to Deuteronomy, 2006. p. 283. “It is certain that it forbids making any image of God… or the image of any creature for a religious use. It is called the changing of the truth of God into a lie (Rom. 1:25), for an image is a teacher of lies; it insinuates to us that God has a body, whereas he is an infinite Spirit.  Vincent, The Shorter Catechism Explained from Scripture, 2021. p. 145. “Persons are guilty of idolatry in worshipping of God by images – 1. When they worship feigned and false gods (apprehending them to be true) by images and representations. Turretin, Institutes of Elenctic Theology, 1994. p. 66. “So far from images being rightly called “books of the common people” and aids to piety and religious devotion, the Holy Spirit testifies that they are teachers of vanity and lies.”

[14] See Westminster Larger Catechism Q. 151 and I Samuel 2:25

[15] See II Timothy 3:15.

[16] See Luke 16: 29-31.

[17] See Acts 2:41 also Acts 4:4.

[18] See Romans 1:1-4

[19] See I Peter 1:8-9; I John 5:21.

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