Paul,
{Edited}
I assume that you have rejected the teaching of the Larger Catechism, in which the divines states that you are in error:
[quote:cc6a03346a]WLC 109 What are the sins forbidden in the second commandment? A. The sins forbidden in the second commandment are, all devising,(1) counselling,(2) commanding,(3) using,(4) and any wise approving, any religious worship not instituted by God himself;(5) tolerating a false religion;(6) the making 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;(7) all worshipping of it,(8) or God in it or by it;(9) the making of any representation of feigned deities,(10) and all worship of them, or service belonging to them;(11) all superstitious devices,(12) corrupting the worship of God,(13) adding to it, or taking from it,(14) whether invented and taken up of ourselves,(15) or received by tradition from others,(16) though under the title of antiquity,(17) custom,(18) devotion,(19) good intent, or any other pretence whatsoever;(20) simony;(21) sacrilege;(22) all neglect,(23) contempt,(24) hindering,(25) and opposing the worship and ordinances which God hath appointed.(26)
(1)Numb. 15:39
(2)Deut. 13:6-8
(3)Hosea 5:11; Micah 6:16
(4)1 Kings 11:33; 1 Kings 12:33
(5)Deut 12:30-32
(6)Deut 13:6-12; Zech. 13:2,3; Rev. 2:2,14,15,20; Rev. 17:12,16,17
(7)Deut. 4:15-19; Acts 17:29; Rom. 1:21-23,25
(8)Dan. 3:18; Gal. 4:8
(9)Exod. 32:5
(10)Exod. 32:8
(11)1 Kings 18:26,28; Isa. 65:11
(12)Acts 17:22; Col. 2:21-23
(13)Mal. 1:7,8,14
(14)Deut. 4:2
(15)Ps. 106:39
(16)Matt. 15:9
(17)1 Pet. 1:18
(18)Jer. 44:17
(19)Isa. 65:3-5; Gal. 1:13,14
(20)1 Sam. 13:11,12; 1 Sam. 15:21
(21)Acts 8:18
(22)Rom. 2:22; Mal. 3:8
(23)Exod. 4:24-26
(24)Matt. 22:5; Mal. 1:7,13
(25)Matt. 23:13
(26)Acts 13:44,45; 1 Thess. 2:15,16 [/quote:cc6a03346a]
as well as Deut 4, which says nothing about "worship":
[quote:cc6a03346a]Deuteronomy 4:14 "And the LORD commanded me at that time to teach you statutes and judgments, that you might observe them in the land which you cross over to possess. 15 " Take careful heed to yourselves, for you saw no form when the LORD spoke to you at Horeb out of the midst of the fire, 16 "lest you act corruptly and make for yourselves a carved image in the form of any figure: the likeness of male or female, 17 "the likeness of any animal that is on the earth or the likeness of any winged bird that flies in the air, 18 "the likeness of anything that creeps on the ground or the likeness of any fish that is in the water beneath the earth.[/quote:cc6a03346a]
The Heidelberg makes no worship/non-worship distinction about images of God either:
[quote:cc6a03346a]Q96: What does God require in the second Commandment?
A96: That we in no way make any image of God,[1] nor worship Him in any other way than He has commanded us in His Word.[2]
1. Deut. 4:15-19; Isa. 40:18, 25; Rom. 1:22-24; Acts 17:29
2. I Sam. 15:23; Deut. 4:23-24; 12:30-32; Matt. 15:9; John 4:24
Q97: May we not make any image at all?
A97: God may not and cannot be imaged in any way; as for creatures, though they may indeed be imaged, yet God forbids the making or keeping of any likeness of them, either to worship them or to serve God by them.[1]
1. Exod. 23:24-25; 34:13-14; Deut. 7:5; 12:3; 16:22; II Kings 18:4; John 1:18
Q98: But may not pictures be tolerated in churches as books for the people?
A98: No, for we should not be wiser than God, who will not have His people taught by dumb idols,[1] but by the lively preaching of His Word.[2]
1. Jer. 10:8; Hab. 2:18-19
2. II Peter 1:19; II Tim. 3:16-17; Rom. 10:17[/quote:cc6a03346a]
Neither does the 2nd Helvetic:
[quote:cc6a03346a]"And because God is an invisible Spirit, and an incomprehensible Essence, he can not, therefore, by any art or image be expressed. For which cause we fear not, with the Scripture, to term the images of God mere lies.
"We do therefore reject not only the idols of the Gentiles, but also the images of Christians. For although Christ took upon him man's nature, yet he did not therefore take it that he might set forth a pattern for carvers and painters. He denied that he came to destroy the law and the prophets (Matt. 5:17), but images are forbidden in the law and the prophets (Deut. 4:15; Is. 44:9). He denied that his bodily presence would profit the church, but promised that he by his Spirit be present with us forever (John 16:7; 2 Corinthians. 5:5).
"Who would, then, believe that the shadow or picture of his body doth any whit benefit the godly? And seeing that he abideth in us by the Spirit, 'we are therefore the temples of God' (1 Corinthians 3:16); but 'what agreement hath the temple of God with idols?' (2 Corinthians 6:16). And seeing that the blessed spirits and saints in heaven, while they lived here, abhorred all worship done unto themselves (Acts 3:12; and 14:15; Rev. 19:10 and 22:9), and spake against images, who can think it likely that the saints in heaven, and the angels, are delighted with their own images, whereunto men do bow their knees, uncover their heads, and give other such like honor?
"But that men might be instructed in religion, and put in mind of heavenly things and of their own salvation, the Lord commanded to preach the Gospel (Mark 16:15) - not to paint and instruct the laity by pictures; he also instituted sacraments, but he nowhere appointed images.
"Furthermore, in every place which way soever we turn our eyes, we may see the lively and true creatures of God, which if they be marked, as is meet, they do much more effectually move the beholder than all the images of vain, unmovable, rotten, and dead pictures of all men whatsoever; of which the prophet spake truly, 'they have eyes, and see not,' etc. (Psa. 115:5).
"Therefore we approve the judgment of Lactantius, an ancient writer, who says, 'Undoubtedly there is no religion where there is a picture.' And we affirm that the blessed bishop Epiphanius did well, who, finding on the church-doors a veil, that had painted on it the picture, as it might be, of Christ or some saint or other, he cut and took it away; for that, contrary to the authority of Scriptures, he had seen the picture of a man to hang in the Church of Christ: and therefore he charged that from henceforth no such veils, which were contrary to religion, should be hung up in the Church of Christ, but that rather such scruple should be taken away which was unworthy of the Church of Christ and all faithful people. Moreover, we approve this sentence of St. Augustine, 'Let not the worship of men's works be a religion unto us; for the workmen themselves that make such things are better, whom yet we ought not to worship' (De Vera Religione, Cap. 55)."
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Calvin clearly states that it is not worship + an image that is the problem, but rather that the image itself produces false worship:
[quote:cc6a03346a]"In the First Commandment, after He had taught who was the true God, He commanded that he alone should be worshipped; and now He defines what is His legitimate worship. Now, since these are two distinct things, we conclude that the commandments are also distinct, in which different things are treated of. The former indeed proceeds in order, viz, that believers are to be contented with one God; but it would not be sufficient for us to be instructed to worship Him alone, unless we also knew the manner in which He would be worshipped. The sum is, that the worship of God must be spiritual, in order that it may correspond with His nature. For although Moses only speaks of idolatry, yet there is no doubt but that by synecdoche, as in all the rest of the law, he condemns all fictitious services which men in their ingenuity have invented."
Comment on Ex. 20:4-6; Deut. 5:8-10.
Harmony of the Last Four Books of Moses
Vol. II, p. 107.
"There is no need of refuting the foolish fancy of some, that all sculptures and pictures are here condemned by Moses, for he had no other object than to rescue God's glory from all the imaginations which tend to corrupt it.... Some expound the words, 'Thou shalt not make to thyself a graven image, which thou mayest adore;' as if it were allowable to make a visible image of God, provided it be not adored; but the expositions which will follow will easilty refute their error. Meanwhile, I do not deny that these things are to be taken connectedly, since superstitious worship is hardly ever separated from the preceding error; for as soon as any one has permitted himself to devise an image of God, he immediately falls into false worship."
Ibid., p. 108.
"For when Jeremiah declares that 'the stock is a doctrine of vanities,' (Jeremiah 10:8,) and Habakkuk, 'that the molten image' is 'a teacher of lies,' the general doctrine to be inferred certainly is, that every thing respecting God which is learned from images is futile and false. If it is objected that the censure of the prophets is directed against those who perverted images to purposes of impious superstition, I admit it to be so; but I add, (what must be obvious to all,) that the prophets utterly condemn what the Papists hold to be an undoubted axiom, viz., that images are substitutes for books."
Calvin's Institutes Book I Chapter 11 Section 5
"Now we must remark, that there are two parts in the Commandment - the first forbids the erection of a graven image, or any likeness; the second prohibits the transferring of the worship which God claims for Himself alone, to any of these phantoms or delusive shows. Therefore, to devise any image of God, is in itself impious; because by this corruption His Majesty is adulterated, and He is figured to be other than he is. There is no need of refuting the foolish fancy of some, that all sculptures and pictures are here condemned by Moses, for he had no other object than to rescue God's glory from all the imaginations which tend to corrupt it."
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As I have said (way too many times) before, if you think that the 2nd commandment is only about worshipping an idol, then join with Rome and combine the 1st and 2nd commandments. As Calvin so clearly points out, the 1st is about the WHO of worship, the second is about false means in worship, which includes ANY viewing of an image of God.
[Edited on 2-18-2004 by fredtgreco]
[Edited on 2-20-2004 by fredtgreco]