'Pictures' of Jesus

[just_grace]

I am not against generic images but facial ones yes, dead against it.

 

[Saiph]

Trevor, read "Vere Homo" by Jeffery Meyers and your mind will find sabbath in support of images.

 

[Pilgrim]

Originally posted by trevorjohnson
Mark:

I am afraid to google "Vere Homo"! Do you have a link?


When the Passion movie came out, many churches that I know of tripped over one another in vitriolic condemnation. Yet, these same churches will support missionaries that distribute the Jesus film. And some of them do also have the Dove representing the Holy Spirit inside their church sanctuaries. Also, one Reformed kid's book on the Gospels, in order not to depict Jesus, drew a white shadow in the shape of Jesus in the midst of his disciples. That is STILL an image - albeit a shadowy and non-descript one.



If any image of Jesus is a sin against the 2nd Commandment then, logically, it would be less sinful to watch a porno than to watch the Jesus film! After all, is not gross idolatry much worse than lust!

I guess it depends on who you know. The vast majority of evangelical churches have no problem with either film or with any other method that is perceived to be an aid in evangelism. I think a few may have had more of a problem with Gibson's film because it was largely based on the visions of a Catholic mystic and the "Jesus" film attempts to follow the gospel of Luke. But for 99% this was not an issue.

I was dismayed Easter Sunday last year attending a large church where the pastor didn't preach, but rather showed a scene from a film depicting Jesus and served the Lord's Supper without preaching and without much of an effort to fence the table. The God ordained methods were essentially replaced with dinner and a movie.

 

[Henry from Canada]

A Second Commandment question:
-------------------------------------------

There is a large Pentecostal church in Toronto that performs a play every Easter depicting the life of Jesus.

I suspect the people associated with this play have very sincere and loving intentions. I suspect they wish to portray an accurate and compassionate depiction of Jesus' life and death.

This play is widely acclaimed. The church holds 2,000 people, and they still have to have about 9 performances every year. They have had numerous sellouts.

Church attendance on a typical Sunday morning is only about 1,000.

From what I gather, these Pentecostals have performed this play so many times through the years that they are throughly professional in their delivery. Yet they are unpaid, and they appear to be doing so for very honourable intentions - to reach the lost.

Question: Is this church sinning with this play based on Jesus' life? They have characters that actually depict Jesus.

Should they stop performing this play?

 

[Henry from Canada]

A followup question:
------------------------

These people that perform the Passion play at the Pentecostal church spend many hours preparing for this performance.

Would their time be better spent engaging in the activities so many people here engage in, such as listening to the Beatles, Rolling Stones, etc?

Are these Pentecostal misusing their talents?

 

[matt01]

Originally posted by Henry from Canada
A Second Commandment question:
-------------------------------------------

There is a large Pentecostal church in Toronto that performs a play every Easter depicting the life of Jesus.

Oh the memories... My older sister and I once played Mary and Joseph in an outdoor play. It was a huge affair, with live animals and tons of scenes. The finale consisted of the crucifixion, where the pastor was hosted up on a cross in the sanctuary. In retrospect, realizing that I hated God at the time, I would have preferred to be listening to the Beatles or at that time, "Puff the Magic Dragon".

 

[Puritanhead]

Originally posted by Saiph
I think if images of Jesus are indeed idolatrous, then 90% of the Christians that have lived in the past 60 years were never saved. Because they lived lives of gross idolatry. Not only do they approve of such idolatry they publish it and teach it to children.

I'm glad my Lord is more merciful than your standards. I have an Orthodox icon on my windows desktop on a PC. Why? Because I like Byzantine art. I cannot say I've prayed to the icon, or venerated or worshipped it, as of yet. You guys assume 'graven.' Personally, I think there are lot more pressing concerns for Christians to worry about than whether people have pictures of Jesus, host a Gospel play, or erect a Nativity scene or watch the crypto-Roman Catholicism in Mel Gibson's The Passion of Christ.

I think we should focus on discipleship instead of being Calvinistically-Correct all of the time.

 

[NaphtaliPress]

*Bump.* I was reminded of this article again today when I got an email from Pastor Harrell
http://www.banneroftruth.org/pages/articles/article_detail.php?908

 

[jaybird0827]

Good article, Chris.

We lived in Norfolk back in the mid-80's and were attending a PCA in Va Bch. I have still never forgotten the service we attended at his church and how he addressed God so reverently in prayer. It had been a long time since I'd heard anything like that.

We relocated out of state in '86, but would have been headed his way had we remained there. I had worked with one of his elders during my last job in Norfolk, and we knew others in that congregation.