The following "Question" was asked by a member of the congregation at Grace Community Church in Panorama City, California, and "Answered" by their pastor, John MacArthur Jr. It was transcribed from the tape, GC 70-9, titled "Questions and Answers" --  A copy of the tape can be obtained by writing, Word of Grace, P.O. Box 4000, Panorama City, CA 91412 or by dialing toll free 1-800-55-GRACE. Copyright 2001 by John MacArthur Jr., All Rights Reserved.

Question

"The Bible is clear on the fact, that we should not use images of the Lord. Why do we use pictures of Jesus to teach our children?"

Answer

Well, that is an interesting question. Are we disobeying the Word of God? No, let me give to you what I think might be a helpful answer. By the way, I wouldn't mind, if someone wanted to believe that you should never have a picture of Christ at all. That's fine, I don't argue with that at all, in fact, personally, I don't like pictures of Christ. I don't know why, I just don't care for them personally.

I don't think they are wrong, in this sense; it is one thing to have an image of Christ, which is worshiped. It is another thing to have a representation on paper, which is clearly not worshiped. And it is the heart attitude that is the issue.

When the Old Testament commandment said, "That we are not to make images of God, and we are not to make idols, the point was for the purpose of worship.

And of course, remember now, that is the Old Testament, and God was a Spirit and had no image. But even God made Christ into an image that could be seen, right? He is the visible image of God, Hebrews 1. God actually appeared in a visible form.

And so if, in children's books, there are pictures of Jesus, as long as we don't worship the picture, as if it were Jesus or God. As long as we understand, that it is simply a representation of a man that really did walk on the earth, and really did live on the earth, I think we can make a distinction in the minds of children.

We are not worshiping the picture. We are not drawing an image of God. God Himself came in the form of a man, and we are simply reproducing the form of a man, in which God came. Not that the form is to be worshiped at all.

Added to Bible Bulletin Board's "MacArthur’s Questions and Answers" by:

Tony Capoccia
Bible Bulletin Board
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