Question

I read your article on Idolatry (by J. C. Ryle) and have a few comments: God gave Moses instructions to place two winged creatures of hammered gold on the lid of the Ark of the Covenant box. If He meant, in the Commandment, that people were not to make images of any thing in Heaven, then wasn't He was the first to break it?

Answer

God never breaks any command because He makes them. God commanded that the two cherubim be placed on top of the ark, not for any worship, but as a symbol of how Holy God is. His specific command not to make any carved images, is in the context of worshipping them, or what they represent. This is prohibited by God, and is what Ryle was condemning the Roman Catholic Church for, the bowing down in front of images, kissing them, praying to them, etc.  God tells us not to murder anyone, and then tells the Israelites to go into a city and kill every man, woman and child. There is no conflict here, they are two distinct situations.

Question (continued)

Instead of attacking other Churches wouldn't it be a better plan to try introducing God's Word to Churches that are barren of it, even to the point of working within or without to help these poor impoverished souls?

Answer (continued)

When you apply the truth of the Word of God, to a church or religion that is living in error, then the truth is normally considered "unloving" and "harsh" by those within the false religion. Look at the Jews and Jesus. Jesus was trying to lead them away from the error and they hated Him for it, they hated His truth and considered Him unloving.  Trying to stay within a false religion to help them from the inside is foolishness. God says separate yourself from the lies, or you can be corrupted. No, you always work from the outside.

Added to Bible Bulletin Board's "Tony Capoccia's Questions and Answers" by:

Tony Capoccia
Bible Bulletin Board
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Columbus, New Jersey, USA, 08022
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Email: tony@biblebb.com
Online since 1986