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Euthymius Protasecretis against Images
I came across this beautiful text from a Greek-speaking author with whom I’m not familiar. It is interesting for a variety of reasons, including its opposition to the use of religious images: Euthymius Protasecretis (10th century?), Encomium to St. Theodore Stratelates (d. 319) (Encomium in sanctum Theodorum stratelatem). (7) “Do not be harsh on things you…
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Reason for Corruption?
One possible reason for corruption of the patristic church was the influence of outside religions, particularly the idol-heavy pagan religions: C. Guignebert, in an illuminating article, [FN 59] points out that for the first five centuries many converts from paganism to Christianity lived a sort of double religious life, which made them what he calls…
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Irony of Idolatry in Francis of Rome's Remarks and the Split Tenth Commandment
Francis of Rome recently was reported as saying (VIS, 9 June 2013): “We shouldn’t see the Ten Commandments as restriction upon our freedom; no, not that way. We should see them as signs for our freedom. … They teach us how to avoid the slavery to which the many idols that we ourselves build reduce…
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Insulting My Idol-Worshiping Ancestors
Some of my ancestors were idol-worshipers. It’s pretty much a sure thing that at least some of your ancestors were too. After all, idol-worship was widespread throughout most religions other than the worship of Jehovah. Being Jewish won’t help you escape either, because even if you were purely Jewish, chances are you would be descended…
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Ahab vs. Jeroboam | 1st Command vs. 2nd Commandment
Not all sins are equally heinous in God’s eyes. The sin of Jeroboam was to set up a rival worship of God according to his own imagination, with his own priests, and images, namely golden calves. He set up one of those in Dan and the other in Bethel. 1 Kings 12:28 Whereupon the king…
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Thomas Vincent's "The Shorter Catechism Explained from Scripture" on the Second Commandment
The following is an excerpt from Thomas Vincent’s “The Shorter Catechism Explained” (Question 49)(Question 50)(Question 51)(Question 52) XLIX. Ques. What is the second commandment?Ans. The second commandment is, “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath%…
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Thomas Watson's Body of Divinity on the Second Commandment
The following is an extract from Thomas Watson’s Body of Divinity (first part)(second part). The Second Commandment ‘Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: thou shalt…
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Fisher's Catechism on the Second Commandment
James Fisher, Ralph Erskine, and Ebenezer Erskine produced a meta-catechism, a catechism designed to explain and explicate the Westminster Shorter Catechism. It was originally released in 1753, though it was revised and ultimately released in the form below by James Fisher in 1765. As explained in the introduction, while these three men were involved, they…
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Because Painted Images Can't Do Anything
Isaiah 41:24 Behold, ye are of nothing, and your work of nought: an abomination is he that chooseth you. To God be the Glory!