Playlist: Representations of God (topic)
The Commandments (Part Three)
Sermon/Bible Study by John W. RitenbaughThe prohibition against representations of God flows directly from the distinction between the first and second commandments. The first commandment establishes the uniqueness of the Creator God as the sole object of worship; the second commandment governs the manner of that worship, insisting that God be worshipped in spirit and …
Words Versus Images
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughGod explicitly forbids any physical representation of Himself, a prohibition rooted in Deuteronomy 4:15-24, where He reminds Israel that they saw no form when He spoke to them at Horeb, and therefore commands them not to corrupt themselves by making a carved image in the likeness of anything on earth, in the sky, or in the …
Remaining Free
Sermon by David C. GrabbeIn the context of God's deliverance and the call to remain free from spiritual bondage, the representations of God are critical to true worship. God introduces His law in Exodus 20:1-6 by declaring His authority as the One who brought Israel out of the house of bondage, emphasizing that there shall be no other gods before Him …
The Third Commandment: Idolatry
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughThe command against making images of God flows directly from His absolute uniqueness—since no likeness can be compared to Him, any physical representation automatically constitutes a lie. Isaiah's rhetorical question, "To whom then will you liken God?" establishes that God has no point of contact or physical reference for …
The Father-Son Relationship (Part Two)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughThe Father, named as the only true, invisible, and immortal God, is described by Paul as the King eternal to whom all creation moves, while Jesus Christ is directly identified as the Image of that One God. Since an image and the reality it reflects cannot be equal or identical, Jesus alone is permitted to portray the Father as …
The Father-Son Relationship (Part One)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughHuman reasoning that cannot be verified by Scripture leads to speculation, and this is precisely what has produced much confusion about the nature of God, including the Trinity doctrine. Paul's warning in First Corinthians not to think of men "above that which is written" applies directly to this subject, since even sources like …
The Father-Son Relationship (Part Three)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughJesus Christ is presented as the visible representation of the invisible Father, the Image through whom the Absolute Deity has always been revealed to mankind. The Father is the Source and Object of all purpose, while the Son is the Channel through whom creation and all divine dealings with man occur. Paul's identification of …