Making Pictures of God: The Second Commandment Controversy

Posted on February 22, 2012 by les

I’ve been working through the Ten Commandments for my course on Exodus. The second commandment (according to the enumeration used by most Protestants)—the one about not making carved images and not bowing down to them—brings up the controversial topic of making images of God.

Well, I should say it brings up the historical controversy of making these images because while it once caused much dispute, it no longer does, at least not that I’m aware of.

Here’s my lesson on that topic.

Q: If you had a real photograph of Jesus what would you do with it?

Images are powerful temptations. Someone said, if you don’t think you value images then find a picture of your mother and cut out the eyes. Why does that sound crazy to us? Because we value and honor the image. Think of how people who are in love treat pictures of each other. There’s a mysterious connection between the real thing and the image.

Image———————————–Real Thing

(If you’re interested in reading more on this topic read The Image Culture by Christine Rosen in The New Atlantis.)

Images can be dangerous because we can easily fall into giving too much reverence to the image when, in fact, that reverence should be given to the real thing. The question regarding whether it’s okay to make pictures of Jesus (and angels and saints) created intense controversy in Christian history. And that controversy erupted into warfare.

Specifically, the controversy surrounded the making of icons. Icons = paintings on small wooden boards of God, Christ, angels, and the saints. The two sides in the controversy were the iconodules and the iconoclasts.

Iconodules = those who made and venerated icons
Iconoclasts = those who believed icons should be destroyed because they had become idols. Some iconoclasts acted on their belief.

Here’s the iconodules’ defense:

We are not worshiping the images we make. The images are merely:

art
educational – many illiterate people learned Bible stories through artwork
an aid in worship – visible pictures help us think of the invisible God

To those arguments an iconoclast would ask:

Can we and should we depict God or Jesus?
When does an image become an idol?
What should we do with an image that has become an idol?

Here are the iconoclastic arguments:

The second commandment bans the making of an image to be used as an object of worship.
The image you make can easily become too important for you or for someone else and therefore lead to a clear violation of the second commandment.
No one can depict God accurately therefore images detract from God’s glory. How can a static man-made image ever capture a holy, living, active, and eternal God?

Since Jesus is the Son of God, the problems with depicting him are the same as the problems with depicting God. In addition, we can list the following problems with depicting Jesus:

The Bible doesn’t give details of Jesus’ appearance so we don’t know what Jesus looked like.
We don’t know exactly what Jesus looks like now. He has been glorified.
Jesus is both human and divine and that’s impossible to capture in a picture.

We’ll end the arguments with a pushback against the iconoclasts from St. John of Damascus (c. 8^th century a.d.): Since Jesus took on human nature we have the right to depict him as a human being.

What was the ultimate result of this controversy? Christianity is often divided into three main branches—Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, and Protestants—and each branch takes a different view on the matter.

The Roman Catholic Church supports the use of two-dimensional and three-dimensional (statues) representations of Christ and other holy figures.
The Eastern Orthodox Church only supports the use of two-dimensional representations (icons) and employs them in their worship. But how are icons used in worship without them becoming idols? Eastern Orthodoxy (and Catholicism) makes a distinction between the reverence given to an icon (dulia) and the reverence given to God (latria). Only God can be given latria. The icons are not viewed as objects of worship, rather they serve as windows to the divine.
The Protestant Church is a mixed bunch as you’ve probably learned from the many Protestant denominations. Some Protestants don’t believe any images of Christ or the saints should be made and used in a worship setting. If you visit one of their church buildings you’ll find the building to be plain and simple with almost no artwork. However, most Protestant churches that I’ve visited have a cross. And some also use an image of a dove, or a cup, or certain Greek letters. Of course, churches with stained glass windows use them to depict biblical scenes and characters. In general, Protestant churches avoid three-dimensional representations and use two-dimensional works of art on a limited basis.

Q: What’s your opinion of this controversy?

The Paul Series: Posts on the Apostle’s Life and Teaching

Posted on January 25, 2012 by les

As I looked over my blog entries I realized that Paul’s life and teaching influenced me in a number of ways. I guess that’s not surprising considering that he wrote more New Testament books (letters) than anyone else and he’s featured prominently in the first historical record of the church—the book of Acts.

Here are my Paul-inspired posts so far:

Guide for High School Bible Teachers

Posted on January 23, 2012 by les

High school Bible teaching is a difficult job. Hopefully this series makes that job a bit easier.

5 High School Bible Class Assignments for the Hands

Posted on January 23, 2012 by les

We’ve already considered high school Bible class assignments which target the mind and heart. Unfortunately, I’ve had a much more difficult time coming up with assignments which target the hands—ways to encourage students to put into practice what they’ve learned. How can we really get students to do something in a classroom environment? And if they do it, how can we put a grade on it?

Nevertheless, targeting the hands is still worth a try because as James says if we only hear the word without doing it we’re deceiving ourselves (1:22). Feel free to add to my rather pathetic list of five items.

Hands: Active Work (Do it)

Prior experience – To encourage students to reflect on and modify a particular behavior, begin class by asking how they currently perform a particular task (e.g. showing hospitality, serving the poor, granting forgiveness, etc.). After teaching on that topic, end class by asking students how their performance of that task should be affected by the lesson.
Student lessons – To encourage students to teach the Bible, place them in groups of three to four and have them prepare a lesson to be taught to the class or another class or chapel.
Community service – To encourage students to serve, facilitate community service events or a introduce a community service requirement (with the approval of your administrator).
Prayer journal– To encourage students to pray, have them keep a prayer journal for a specific period of time. (I don’t recommend using this assignment for non-Christian students.)
Application day – To encourage students to consider what actions they need to take, have an informal class where you sit on the floor or in a circle and ask the students what they learned and can put into practice from the past week/month/semester of Bible lessons.

[This post is part of a series for high school Bible teachers.]

11 High School Bible Class Assignments for the Heart

Posted on January 19, 2012 by les

The last post listed 15 high school Bible assignments for the mind so this post will focus on Bible assignments for the heart. We not only want students to know biblical content, we want them to feel it—to engage with it on an emotional and volitional level. Here are 11 high school Bible class assignments for the heart.

Heart: Creative Work (Feel it)

Journal entry – Have the students write a journal entry for one of the characters in the story. You can specify whatever content you want (e.g. use the five senses) and how long you want it.
Drama – There are many ways to incorporate drama into Bible class: act out the story using skits or mimes, create a talk show with characters from the Bible story, present TV commercials promoting a theme from the passage, and show a life situation illustrating a particular theme. If you want quality skits give plenty of class time for the students to prepare.
Drawing – Allow students to doodle as you’re lecturing then collect and share with the class. A more structured assignment is drawing a biblical scene (on the whiteboard or on computer paper) and a major project could be creating a Children’s Bible.
Reflection – Ask students to summarize the passage in their own words, record their own questions of the passage, pose questions to a character in the passage, and explain how the passage connects to some area of their life.
Artwork – Many of the great artists painted or drew biblical scenes so incorporate these masterpieces into your lessons. (Use Google images to find these works of art quickly.)
Article – Have students create a newspaper or magazine article from the assigned passage. The article should include a title, picture, summary, and interview.
Questions on Feelings – Ask questions such as the following: How does this passage make you feel? Why?
Craft – Bring play-doh, magazines, or other materials, and have students make something related to the lesson.
Music/Poetry – Have students write song/rap lyrics or a poem that relates to the lesson. You can also begin class with a song or play an appropriate song during a lesson then discuss the lyrics.
Prayer – Students can write a prayer incorporating the passage they’re reading. If you’re comfortable with it, you can also lead students through a meditative exercise where they imagine they’re in the biblical scene and then turn their thoughts into private prayer. Of course, you can always begin class with prayer or pray during class for a particular need. The degree to which you incorporate prayer, however, may depend on your school’s admission policy. If there are non-Christian students in class, you’ll need to be more sensitive to how you incorporate prayer.
Case-Study – Give an example of a life situation then discuss appropriate responses.

[This post is part of a series for high school Bible teachers.]

15 High School Bible Class Assignments for the Mind

Posted on January 17, 2012 by les

In the last post, I listed 19 icebreakers for high school Bible class. But icebreakers only take five or ten minutes so what are we going to do for the rest of the class period?

Since the Bible aims to affect our head (intellect), heart (emotion/will), and hands (behavior/actions), I’ve separated my Bible class assignments into those three main areas. While all three areas are interconnected, seeing assignments under separate headings helps us intentionally target each area. Again, our goal is to help students know it, feel it, and do it.

Here’s my list of Bible class activities targeting the intellectual dimension. Feel free to add your own activities to the list.

Head: Content Work (Know it)

Reading – There are a variety of ways to read a passage in class: silently, randomly call on people, popcorn reading where the reader finishes reading wherever they want and then calls on another student to read, dramatic reading, assigned character roles, etc.
Observations – Help the students to see details in the passage. You can give guidance by tell students what to look for such as repeated words and phrases or you can give them freedom to record whatever they notice.
Q and A – Have the students write out any questions they have about the passage and then discuss. (Of course, you can always prepare your own questions to test the students’ knowledge as well.)
Partner discussion – Place students with a partner to read and discuss the passage together.
Notes – Have students take notes on the lecture then collect at the end of class. Students can record notes in a variety of ways such as dividing the paper into four sections to write down facts, new ideas, questions, and action steps.
Handouts – use the handouts included in your curriculum or make your own.
Outline – Hand out the passage without subheadings and have the students outline it.
Summarize – Give guidelines such as a minimum number of sentences to be written.
Prior knowledge – Find out what the students already know about the topic before you explore it together, then end class by reviewing how they’ve grown in their understanding of that topic.
Scripture memorization – Give a passage to be memorized by the end of class. You can also have students memorize a chapter or passage as a whole class – e.g., memorize one or two verses each, then go around the class.
Translation comparison – Give three or four translations and have students compare the similarities and differences. Use www.biblegateway.com for free access to different translations.
Surveys – Poll students in class or send them out to collect data on a specific topic.
Crossword puzzle – Make one for the students or have the students make one for each other as a review activity.
Research paper – Make sure to give the details of what you’re looking for and how you’ll be grading.
Debate – Divide the class into two groups and assign positions to be argued for. Give class time for the groups to prepare their arguments then have representatives from each group debate then rotate in new representatives.

[This post is part of a series for high school Bible teachers.]

19 Icebreakers for High School Bible Class

Posted on January 13, 2012 by les

While I’ve written three homeschool Bible courses, I’ve spent more time writing Bible courses for the traditional high school classroom so I’ve posted a few thoughts about traditional high school Bible teaching here and here.

In this post, I want to give a list of ways that a high school Bible teacher can begin class. The opening activity is known either as an icebreaker (church youth group) or an anticipatory set (school). There are probably distinctions between the two, but there’s also a high degree of overlap so I’ll use the term icebreaker because it sounds better.

Let’s begin with a question: What’s the point of using an icebreaker? The point is to break the ice, of course. But if you’re a classroom teacher who sees the same students five days a week, what kind of ice needs to be broken? You’re already quite familiar with each other. I would suggest that the academic ice needs to be broken.

Bible class is different than other classes. What the Bible teacher is seeking to accomplish is unique. And that means students need to be in the right frame of mind where they can let down their guard and really think about God and life and relationships. Put yourselves in their shoes. They’re going from class to class, where they sit down takes notes then move on to the next class and do it all over again. Then they come into Bible class. Do you want it to be just another class for them? There’s a devotional and spiritual aspect that’s at the heart of Bible class which is not necessarily the case in other classes. So the way I see it, an icebreaker can serve to change the academic atmosphere for the students.

Ideally the icebreaker will connect with the topic of the day. Well, at least that’s the idea behind an anticipatory set. But if your goal is to get to know the students a bit better and help them relax somewhat then I wouldn’t be too concerned that the icebreaker directly connects with the lesson. (Of course, your administrator may disagree.)

While it’s not wise to use an icebreaker every class period because “familiarity breeds contempt,” it’s probably safe to use an icebreaker two or three times a week. But you’ll have to be the judge of that.

Hopefully, if you’ve been a classroom teacher for a while, you have your own list of icebreakers. After all, who knows what suits your personality and your classes better than you? Here’s my list, some of which I used on a weekly basis.

Random Lessons – Allow students (one or two per period) to come to the front and individually share anything they want with the class. I recommend making this a requirement. I’ve had students share the layout of their neighborhood, how they make a sandwich, a story from their childhood, how to save the world from hunger, a book they recently read, a joke, . . . You’ll probably need to encourage students to think about sharing things they don’t usually share. Also make sure to give a time limit (ideally about five minutes unless it’s especially interesting). This is a great way to get to know the students.
Interview –Act as if you’re a talk show host and invite one student to the front and ask anything that comes to mind.
Ask a question – Make up your own question or use a book of questions such as The Conversation Piece: Creative Questions to Tickle the Mind. You can also spur on creative thinking by asking lateral thinking questions such as “How is a book like a light bulb?” If you don’t have a creative question handy ask what they’ve learned from a previous class or ask them about what they were discussing before class started.
Prayer – Caution: taking prayer requests may take a long time.
Lectio divina – Silent meditation and prayer based on a passage of Scripture. One person reads the passage slowly three times pausing between each reading while the others attempt to internalize the words and then turn their thoughts into a prayer.
Word associations/brainstorm – Write a word on the board and have students write down words or phrases that they associate with it. You can also do, “things that make you sad, angry, bored, etc.” This can be turned into a competition by awarding the student with the most associations. It’s usually fun to read these to the class.
Graffiti – Ask students to come to the board and draw something related to a particular theme. To alleviate the stress for students who lack confidence in their drawing skills, have students come to the board in groups and draw individually. The following groups can build upon what’s been drawn or draw something different. This is also a good end of the semester activity.
Random Bible lesson – Give students five to ten minutes to flip through the Bible and find something to share. Then call on one or two to come to the front and read a verse or passage and give a short explanation.
Q & A – Have students write out questions about anything. Throughout the year pick out a question and then have the class write individual responses to the questions. Review the answers and give your answer.
Progressive Story – Give the first line of the story and then have each student add a line or two.
Play catch – Bring a ball to class and randomly throw it to students. You can also have them get into a circle and you can get a couple balls going at the same time. This can be an ice-breaker or a review activity if you ask questions to the person who caught the ball. If they miss the ball or answer incorrectly they’re out of the circle.
Exercise – You can include review questions while exercising.
Tell a joke or funny story – You can tell one yourself or ask one of your class comedians to share one.
Play a quick game – e.g., sword drill, 7-up, thumb wrestling, hang-man
High point and low point – of the day, week, weekend, year . . .
Devotional reading – Read a selection from a devotional of your choice.
True or False – Write three true facts and one false fact about yourself then share with the class. Break the class up into groups and have them guess the false fact.
Show a video clip or an image
Play or sing a song

Feel free to add your own ideas to the list.

[This post is part of a series for high school Bible teachers.]

Eight Good Books

Posted on January 9, 2012 by les

Here’s a list of some of my favorite books. Most of these books are short and sweet so high school students should be able to read through them with ease. But before spending your hard-earned cash, why not check your local library to see if you can borrow these books for free? (I’m currently not an Amazon Affiliate so I won’t be gaining a penny if you purchase them and I happen to like libraries.)

A Little History of the World
An engaging overview of world history.

Pocket History of the Church
A nice summary of 2,000 years of Church history.

Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin
While this book doesn’t directly connect to the Bible, it’s one of my favorites and I think it’s an important read for high school students. If you like American history even a little bit, you’ll love this book. Franklin was one-of-a-kind.

World Religions: An Indispensable Introduction
Offers a compelling explanation for why Christians should learn about other beliefs and deftly covers a variety of belief systems.

The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism
The longest book on this list, but an excellent defense of Christian belief. Keller is well-versed in a variety of fields.

Pensees
A classic defense of Christian belief written in proverbial style.

The Blue Parakeet: Rethinking How You Read the Bible
The topic of biblical interpretation has the potential to put many readers to sleep, but this book is so well written that reading through it is a breeze.

Introducing Paul: The Man, His Mission and His Message
An excellent introduction to Paul’s thinking with an entertaining flair.

Israel’s Population During the Exodus: 2 Million or 36,000?

Posted on January 9, 2012 by les

Translation challenges occur throughout the Bible, but numbers in the Old Testament present us with a special challenge. In Exodus 12:37 the ESV says that Israel consisted of about 600,000 men. Since we’re not given the number of women and children, there’s no way to be certain about the total population. However, a popular guess has been around 2 million people. And that’s where we get the imagery of 2 million people marching out of Egypt on the night of the exodus.

But we have a problem. In his excellent commentary on Exodus, Douglas Stuart uses the NRSV to show that the Hebrew word for “thousand” has been translated in a variety of ways: thousand, cattle, clan(s), division(s), family(ies), ox(en), and tribe(s). After giving a possible explanation for why this term has such a broad range of meaning, Stuart argues that the Hebrew word should be connected to Israel’s military. And that means “platoon” or “squad” are better translations than “thousand.” But how many soldiers were in a “platoon”?

Stuart surmises that each platoon would have had about a dozen soldiers. So six hundred platoons would give us about 7,200 fighting men. Based on that number, Stuart estimates that the total population of Israel would have been about 28,800—36,000.[1]

So which is it, 2 million or at most 36,000? Since I don’t have the Hebrew competency to argue with my former professor, I’m going to defer to him. (I know appealing to authority can be a logical fallacy, but it can also be the wise move, especially when you trust the authority and when you know you’re in over your head.) So when you try to imagine the people of Israel marching through the wilderness think of about thirty to forty thousand people.

[1] Douglas K Stuart, Exodus: The New American Commentary: Vol. 2 (Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 2006), 297–303.

God’s Path in the Wilderness

Posted on January 5, 2012 by les

Where do you expect to find God? What earthly location would God visit? The prophet Isaiah gives a surprising answer to that question.

The first 39 chapters of the book of Isaiah focus on the theme of divine judgment, but chapter 40 begins with these words: “Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem” (vv.1-2a). Finally, judgment is over. “Cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned” (v. 2).

And then come the intriguing words of verse 3:

“A voice cries: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God’” (ESV).

Of all places why is God going to travel through a lonely and desolate wilderness? Nothing is happening in the wilderness—at least nothing important. Why do we have to make a highway for God in a barren desert? There’s no civilization or excitement in the desert. Wouldn’t it be better for us to prepare a path for God in a megacity?

Listen to the crying voice once again:

“In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD;
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.”

In the empty and barren places of life look for God. Better yet, get things ready for him in those places. He will come traveling through our desolate places soon and when he does things will be different.

“O God, when you went out before your people, when you marched through the wilderness, the earth quaked, the heavens poured down rain” (Ps. 68:7-8a ESV).

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Author Archives: les

Making Pictures of God: The Second Commandment Controversy

The Paul Series: Posts on the Apostle’s Life and Teaching

Guide for High School Bible Teachers

5 High School Bible Class Assignments for the Hands

11 High School Bible Class Assignments for the Heart

15 High School Bible Class Assignments for the Mind

19 Icebreakers for High School Bible Class

Eight Good Books

Israel’s Population During the Exodus: 2 Million or 36,000?

[1] Douglas K Stuart, Exodus: The New American Commentary: Vol. 2 (Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 2006), 297–303.

God’s Path in the Wilderness