You shall not make for yourself a graven image

The Supreme Court of Canada has agreed to hear a dispute between the Alberta government and two Hutterite colonies whose members say their religious beliefs prevent them from carrying photo-bearing drivers’ licences. Members of the small colonies near Lethbridge, Alta.[Alberta], interpret the Second Commandment of the Old Testament – “You shall not make for yourself a graven image” – as meaning it’s a sin to be photographed. For years, Alberta allowed people with religious objections to carry special drivers’ licences without photographs. In 2003, the government changed the law, making photographs mandatory. The two colonies, supported by 14 other Hutterite communities in Alberta, sued the province and won. Last May, a 2-1 decision of the Alberta Court of Appeal upheld the trial court ruling that said forcing Hutterites to submit to photographs in order to obtain drivers’ licences, violated their constitutional right to religious freedom.

National Post, 30 November 2007

The Hutterites are one of Anabaptist Christians – they got their name from their leader, Jacob Hutter (tortured and burned as heretic in 1536).  Most of them now live in western part of Unites States of America and Canada.   Anabaptists, also known as Rebaptizer, was one movements of the sixteenth century Reformation.  Their most distinct tenet is adult Baptism, though they are known as pacifist and advocate separation of church and state. Keep in mind that not all Hutterites consider their photos as violation of first (Catholics consider “You shall not make for yourself a graven image” to belong to first commandment) Commandments of God (Exodus 20:2-17, Deuteronomy 5:6-21).

If we only consider the phrase “You shall not make for yourself a graven image” by itself, it looks like they (the two Hutterite communities in Alberta) have a point.   A photo is image of living thing, in this case human, even it is two dimensional – after all the verse does not say it only forbids three-dimensional images.  A photo bears a person (or persons) likeness and Deuteronomy 5:8 says “You shall not make for yourself a graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth“.   But from the Bible we know that God commanded Moses to make two gold cherubim (Exodus 25:18-20) and bronze serpent (Number 21:8-9).  Are they not likeness in heaven and on earth?  King Solomon decorated the Temple with cherubim made from olive word overlaid with gold (1 Kings 6:23-28) and twelve likeness of oxen (1 Kings 7:25).  God through His written words cannot contradict Himself.  What is forbidden is worshipping them – in 2 Kings 18:4 king Hezekiah destroyed the bronze serpent Modes made because people had burned incense to it.  Well, do Catholics light candles and pray in front of statues?  

Religious worship is not directed to images in themselves, considered as mere things, but under their distinctive aspect as images leading us on to God incarnate. The movement toward the image does not terminate in it as image, but tends toward that whose image it is

Catechism of the Catholic Church # 2132

After being healed from leprosy, Naaman told prophet Elisha: “Behold, I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel” (2 Kings 5:15) and “for henceforth your servant will not offer burnt offering or sacrifice to any god but the Lord” (2 Kings 5:17).  But he also said: “In this matter may the Lord pardon your sevant; when my master goes into the house of Rimmon to worship there, leaning on my arm, and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, when I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, the Lord pardon your servant in this matter” (2 Kings 5:18). Elisha did not tell Naaman to step down from his position in order to avoid bowing to Rimmon – the prophet response was: “Go in peace” (2 Kings 5:19).

Why God permits the use of images but forbids us to worship them, according to my opinion, is because our human nature.  We need something tangible and real to express or to channel our feelings.  Many of us keep photos of our loved ones either in our wallet or on our office desks.   Some of us express dislike to certain country or person by burning its flag or his/her effigy/photo.  We are angry if someone makes fun of photos of us or of our loved ones.  A man brings flowers (they must be real ones, not artificial flowers) to his wife or a girl he is dating.  Coming back to Naaman, he requested Elisha to let him take two mules’ burden of earth  (2 Kings 5:17).   What do you think he would do with it?  

Did Augustine change his mind on his list of Old Testament books?

Augustine (354 to 430 AD) was bishop of Hippo in North Africa and was, perhaps, the most well-known among Church fathers.  He left us numerous works that gives great impact on Christianity and was highly respected by both Catholics and Protestants (Calvinists).  My earlier post gave his list of Old Testament books, a total of forty-four books, which agrees with Catholic’s forty-six books of Old Testament (to arrive at forty-four books, Baruch and Lamentations are combined with Jeremiah).

In around 427 AD Augustine wrote Retractations where he made some revisions in chronological order on the numerous works he had written and retracted some of his statements.  Regarding what he wrote in “On Christian Doctrine”, Book 2, he wrote (English translation from The Fathers of the Church, Vol. 60):

In the second book, however, with regard to the author of the book which many call the Wisdom of Solomon, I learned later that it is not certain that Jesus, the son of Sirach, wrote this as well as Ecclesiasticus, as I stated; and I found out that it is, indeed, more probable that he is not the author.  Furthermore, when I said: “The authority of the Old Testament is confined to these forty-four books,” I spoke of it according to the way in which the Church customarily speaks of it.  However, the Apostle seems to give the title “Old Testament” only to that which was given in Mount Sinai.

Augustine, The Retractations, 2:30

Augustine withdrew his statement that Jesus, son of Sirach, was the person who wrote Wisdom of Solomon.  He also stated that the title “Old Testament” should be applied only to the ones given in Mount Sinai (i.e. the five books of the Moses). Perhaps, since he did not elaborate, he made this conclusion from 2 Corinthians 3:14-15 where the Apostle (i.e. Paul) used the term “old covenant” (RSV) or “old testament” (KJV)” to refer to the Law of Moses.  Augustine did not change his mind about his list of inspired books – in the same book he still cited as scripture deuterocanonical books Wisdom and Sirach or Ecclesiasticus (English translation from The Fathers of the Church, Vol. 60 with added scripture reference).

In another place, I said: “God does not seek the death of anyone.”  This should be interpreted as follows: man brought death on himself by abandoning God and he who does not return to God brings it on himself according to what is written.  “For God made not death.” [Wisdom 1:13]  But the following, too, is no less true: “Life and death ……. are from the Lord God,” [Ecclesiasticus 11:14] that is, life is from the giver, death from the avenger.

Augustine, The Retractations, 1:20

Limited Atonement vs. Unlimited Atonement

Catholics and some Protestants & “Bible only” Christians believe in the universal or unlimited atonement of Christ, i.e. that He died on the cross for all men, the Elect (those predestined to heaven) and the Reprobate (those predestined to hell).  The scriptural support that Christ died on the cross for everyone is overwhelming, among which: 

And he died for all, that those who live might live no longer for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.

2 Corinthians 5:15

And they sang a new song, saying:  ”Worthy art thou to take the scroll and to open its seals, for thou wast slain and by thy blood didst ransom men for God from every tribe and tongue and people and nation,

Revelation 5:9

Other verses like John 4:42 refers Christ as the Saviour of the world; 1 Timothy 4:10 calls God as the Saviour of all men, especially of those who believe; Hebrews 2:9 says that Christ tasted death for every one and 1 John 2:2 states that Christ is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.   In the words of the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

“At the end of the parable of the lost sheep Jesus recalled that God’s love excludes no one: ‘So it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.’  He affirms that he came ‘to give his life as a ransom for many’; this last term is not restrictive, but contrasts the whole of humanity with the unique person of the redeemer who hands himself over to save us. The Church, following the apostles, teaches that Christ died for all men without exception: ‘There is not, never has been, and never will be a single human being for whom Christ did not suffer.”

Catechism of the Catholic Church # 605

“Jesus, the Son of God, freely suffered death for us in complete and free submission to the will of God, his Father. By his death he has conquered death, and so opened the possibility of salvation to all men. “

Catechism of the Catholic Church # 1019

Not all Christians believe that Christ died for every one.  Calvinists believe in Limited Atonement, i.e. that Christ died only for the Elect.  Limited Atonement is the “L” of the Five Point of Calvinism or TULIP.  Those who reject Limited Atonement but accept the other four points are sometimes referred as “four-point Calvinists” or Amyraldians, after French Reformed Theologian Moses Amyraut (1596 to 1664). To support their belief they usually quote verses that say Christ saves His People (Mathew 1:21), died for His friends (John 15:13), gave His life as ransom for many (Mark 10:45) and gave Himself for the Church (Ephesians. 5:25).  Catholics and those who believe in Unlimited Atonement reply that the terms: His people, His friends, His church and many are part or subset of “all men”.  While in Marks 10:45 Christ died as ransom for many; in1 Timothy 2:6 He died as ransom for all.  Because Christ died for all men then He died for His people, for His friends, for the Church and for many.  Note also that those verses do not have the word “only”; i.e. they do not say that Christ saves only His people, died only for His friends and gave Himself only for His Church.  As an analogy, a married man says that he loves his family and that he loves his wife.  He does not contradict himself because his wife is part of his family, neither does it mean he only loves his wife and hates his children.  The following verses also support Unlimited Atonement:

Then as one man’s [Adam's] trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one man’s [Christ'] act of righteousness leads to acquittal and life for all men.

Romans 5:18

For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.

1 Corinthians 15:22

If “all” in the above verses means “all Elect”, then only the Elect are affected by Adam’s sin (Original Sin).  But if it refers to “all mankind”, which is certainly the case, then these verses indicate that God through Christ does intend to save all men.  Why not all will be saved is because they, in using their freedom, choose to reject God and His Grace. 

No Scriptural reference for purgatory?

Catholic teaching on purgatory is one of the stumbling blocks for Protestants and “Bible only” Christians.   Where does the Bible say there is purgatory and does it nullify Christ’ last word on the cross: “It is finished” (John 19:30)?  The word “purgatory” itself is not in the Bible – but neither is Trinity, Original Sin and many other terms created by both Catholics and Protestants to describe certain teaching: Unconditional or Conditional Election, Irresistible Grace, Dispensational etc.

The standard reference to purgatory is 2 Maccabees 12:46 where prayer for the dead is mentioned but since Protestants and “Bible only” Christians do not accept 2 Maccabees as inspired let us look at other verses.   We know from Scripture (Malachi 3:2-3) that God is like refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap who purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver (RSV) – and that’s what purgatory is meant for, i.e. we are being cleansed and purified from any stains of venial sins we have.   When prophet Isaiah saw the glory of God, he expressed his sinfulness (Isaiah 6:5). One of seraphim then flew to him with a burning coal in his hand, with which he touched his lips and said:

Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin forgiven

Isaiah 6:7

This verse shows that sins can be forgiven and guilt can be taken away through fire. We also have allusion of purgatory in the prophecy given through the prophet Zechariah:

In the whole land, says the LORD, two thirds shall be cut off and perish, and one third shall be left alive. And I will put this third into the fire, and refine them as one refines silver, and test them as gold is tested. They will call on my name, and I will answer them. I will say, `They are my people’; and they will say, `The LORD is my God.’”

Zechariah 13:8-9

The fire does not refer to hell because they are refined, not eternally condemned through it.  Another allusion to the fire of purgatory is found in 1 Corinthians 3:15 that say that a man whose works is burned up will be saved as through fire.  In Matthew 12:32 Jesus says those who sin against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven either in this age or in the age to come.  Catholics understand this verse to imply that there are sins that can be forgiven in the age to come.  He who commits sin is of the devil (1 John 3:8) and nothing unclean shall enter heaven (Revelation 21:27) – then one with (venial) sins upon dying cannot enter heaven unless they are purged first.