Posted on 08/05/2013 10:31:02 AM PDT by Gamecock
Question:
Does the OPC use the crucifix in the church? If not, are they opposed to it?
Answer:
Thank you for your question. The answer is, so far as I know, the crucifix is not used in OPC churches, and here is why:
1.The Second Commandment (Ex. 20:4-6 and Deut. 5:8-10) forbids any picture or image of God, and that would include the Son of God, even as man. At any rate we do not know what Jesus looked like as there is no physical description of him.
2.The crucifix will always end up being an object of worshipregarded as holy. History teaches as much. The bronze serpent Moses made became an object of worship and was not destroyed till King Hezekiah did it (Numbers 21:9; 2 Kings 18:1-5). Roman Catholics have worshipped it, kissed it and held it to have mystical powers.
3.Christ did not remain on the Cross. In the Roman Church Christ is said to be resacrificed each time the Mass is celebrated. This is heresy; he died once for allHebrews 9:25-28.
We in the OPC have learned not to trust our idolatry prone hearts not to do the same as others have in the past. Hence, no crucifixes are used. So, yes, we are opposed to it.
It wasn’t making it personal. But it did not contain any formatting html. I’ll restore it for a few minutes so you can see for yourself.
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Actually, if you just cut and paste from a formatted source, without ANY HTML, the FR software will automatically put things right. But, if you have ANY HTML code in one line, all must conform or you get garbage like post #755
It has nothing to do with Athanasius ‘man’ as It is ALL about JESUS THE WORD. It is about what JESUS says and no one else.
If you look at the stories told about the Apostles and those around Jesus during His earthly ministry, NONE is noted as being sinless, but far too "human" and fallible to have ever been lifted up as without any "stain of sin". There aren't even pseudepigraphical works that speak of what MUST have been noted, had it been real, of the little girl Mary that NEVER, EVER messed up her whole life.
Some people think that whenever anyone mentions these facts about Mary that we're disrespecting her or dishonoring her. But nothing can be further from the truth. We are being honest and giving the praise and glory to whom it genuinely belongs - the Lord Jesus Christ, the ONLY sinless, spotless Son of God, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.
TITLES? He called Abraham a 'man of faith'. Does that mean no other man had faith?
'God is no respector of persons'. He died for ALL and shed ALL His Blood. So in His sight ALL needed it. There are NO exceptions. Remember that - and that should clear up bad teaching. Bad teaching goes against The Word. You can't have both and expect to be doing the will of The Father which is to hear and obey HIS WORD.
'Someone told JESUS, Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to You. He replied to him, Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?
'Pointing to His disciples, He said, Here are My mother and My brothers. For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.
Both Matthew and Mark recorded that because it was significant. That's the supernatural concept of His family, not the natural way we see things which they soon learn and we must, also, if we choose to HEAR and OBEY.
It's is 'man' who into 'favorites' and into 'titles'. The ONLY person worthy of praise is JESUS. And His Title is Savior. Keep it Truthful, Keep it Simple, Keep The WORD only.
Mary isn't a sinner because she's been saved. We know she accepted JESUS as her Savior as she is mentioned in Acts as others, also, in that room who were Holy Spirit filled. And we, also, know she did the will of The Father because she heard and obeyed HIM. 'Not my will but Your will be done.' Catholicsm refuses to do that.
You are talking about PHYSICAL, free of genetic defects, traits being passed down from mother to child. But, sin is a SPIRITUAL defect that has nothing to do with what Mary did or did not pass down to Jesus. Jesus was perfect and sinless because he was GOD, not because his mother was also sinless. Jesus didn't even need a physically "perfect" mother to be born of human flesh. What mattered is that Almighty God was incarnated in the likeness of sinful flesh:
It is to me, as well. I think it also plays down the truth of the resurrection and the Apostle Paul says if Christ be not risen our faith is in vain, we are dead in our sins and without hope in this world and "Of all men most miserable".
rab·bi1 /ˈræbaɪ/ Show Spelled [rab-ahy] Show IPA noun, plural rab·bis. 1. the chief religious official of a synagogue, trained usually in a theological seminary and duly ordained, who delivers the sermon at a religious service and performs ritualistic, pastoral, educational, and other functions in and related to his or her capacity as a spiritual leader of Judaism and the Jewish community. Compare cantor
( def 2 ) . 2. a title of respect for a Jewish scholar or teacher.
Lots of ASSUMIN' goin' on here!
If the very ROCKS can cry out...
THEREFORE??
Are you ASSUNING a lot here?
THIS is a new one!
Still trying to use this to PROVE that MARY had no sin?
That she somehow NEVER made it to the AGE OF ACCOUNTABILITY?
Wow!
What happened to this thread when I when to bed?
All these removals around 730-750??
Oh!
I see...
What does 'all' mean when the RM uses it in the To: box??
;^)
Ooops!
Uh...
Do we have ANY Presbyterians in this thread??
Someone ELSE got 666, but lookie who got 777!
;^)
I realize that the RM is powerful, but s/he is not omnipotent. and I don' think even you would want to put all of their writings on the same level as scripture.
Isaiah 45:4
For the sake of Jacob My servant, And Israel My chosen one, I have also called you by your name; I have given you a title of honor.
Thus when a name is changed or a title given by God, it shows how God sees this person --- or who this person really is---
Abram --> Abraham (father of nations)
Sarai --> Sarah (princess)
Jacob --> Israel (he who wrestles with God)
Simon --> Cephas (Rock)
and then, in a wonderful fashion:
Mary --> Kecharitomene (she who has been filled with grace)
To grasp these truths from Scripture concerning Mary, you have to realize two things: first, there was a need for Jesus the Messiah to be perfect in His human nature and in is earliest human nurture; and second, God announces that He has destined that this perfect human nature and nurture would be given to the Messiah by his mother Mary. Who is Mary in His eyes? Kecharitomene.
We don't grasp the full significance of this Scripture, because our knowledge and wisdom are limited. We don't get the full breadth and depth of things unless we sincerely ask for the Holy Spirit Who teaches the fullness of the truth, as Jesus said.
Here's a good video (11 min) about God's favor to his handmaid Mary, through Scripture:
It's just a brief outline, but it sketches what we know about God's gracious and exceptional gift: Mary was foreshadowed in the OT and foretold to be the sinless Mother of God's perfect Son.
These Scripture types and images in the OT find their fulfillment in the NT in Mary's role in the coming of the Messiah.
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