Jesus was worshiped by his disciples who lived with him and other people. This shows that they looked at him as their God and savior. The three wise men (who worshiped Jesus since infancy) hailed from faraway regions. And take note that they were not Jews who had knowledge about the arrival of their Messiah. So definitely there was a divine information that they received ahead of their coming to Israel so as to pay the infant Jesus homage. This fact alone proves that Jesus is a divine being who came from Heaven as he claimed. Muslims and some non-Catholic Christians refuse to accept Jesus as their God despite the evidences reflected in the Bible. They even intentionally misrepresent verses from the Bible just to disprove the divinity of Jesus. Below are some of the Biblical verses telling us that Jesus was worshiped and He accepted worship in His time;
1. [Matthew 2:11] And going and into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.
2. [Matthew 8:2] And, behold, there came a leper and worshiped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.
3. [Matthew 14:33] And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
4. [Matthew 15:25] Then came she and worshiped him, saying, Lord, help me.
5. [Matthew 28:9] And behold, Jesus met them, saying, “Greetings!” And having approached, they took hold of His feet and worshiped Him.
6. [Matthew 28:17-18] And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me”
7. [Luke 24:50-52] When He had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up His hands and blessed them, while He was blessing them, He left them and was taken up into Heaven, then they worshiped Him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy.
8. [John 1:1-2] In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made, and without Him nothing was made that has been made
9. [John 9:38] He said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped
10. [John 20:27-28] Then Jesus said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and look at My hands. Reach out your hand and put it into My side. Stop doubting and believe.” Thomas replied, “My Lord and my God!”
11. [Acts 16:31] And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”
12. [1 Corinthians 1:3-4] Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus,
13. [1 Corinthians 8:6] Yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.
14. [Hebrews 1:6] And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says, “Let all God’s angels worship him.”
15. [Hebrews 1:3] He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
16. [Philippians 2:10] So that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
17. [Colossians 1:16-17] For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
18. [Titus 2:13] Waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ
†What is Trinity? Trinity is derived from the two words, tri– means three + unity means oneness; is a doctrine of the Catholic Church that teaches that God has three persons (the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit) in one Godhead. The person referred in theHoly Trinity does not mean individual man, but, it does mean form or appearance of God when He introduced Himself to men. A lot of religious groups or individuals could not grasp what is the Holy Trinity as taught by Catholicism based on the Holy Scripture. Some might have perceived it but they just purposely distorted the truth either for principle’s sake or for fear of losing adherents in their own church. It is difficult to understand the Trinity specially when you are lazy in studying the Bible. Islam accuses Catholicism for practicing polytheism which is contrary to what is proclaimed in the Holy Scripture that God is one [Isaiah 45:18]. Though the mystery of Divine Trinity is hard to fathom specially for the ordinary-minded ones, it is undeniable that this mystery is manifested in the Holy Scriptures many times. The Holy Scripture teaches us that God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are interrelated to each other. The Father is God [Psalm 68:5, Isaiah 64:8, & 1 Corinthians 8:6], the Son is God [Psalm 2:11-12, John 1:1-18, & Hebrews 1:8-9], and the Holy Spiritis also God [Acts 5:3-4 & Hebrews 3:7-11]. But they are one in nature [Deuteronomy 6:4]. This triune Godhead stirs different interpretations among groups or individuals, and became one of the causes of Christian apostasies. Some Christian denominations teach that the Son and the Father are separate in nature _resulting to twoGods. This belief contradicted God’s claim that He is one. Some teach that Jesus is only a man thus he is not God. It appears that their founders were not sharp enough to comprehend the contents of the Holy Scripture, or they did perceive but just deliberately twisted the truth for personal gain.
TRINITY REVELATION IN THE BIBLE:
†There are many verses in the Bible that emphasize the three persons of God. The following are some of the verses that revealed Trinity, let us read and interpret each;
1.[Isaiah 9:6] For to us a child is born, to us a Son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
COMMENT: Isaiah 7:14 is another verse of the book of Isaiah that also predicts the birth of a Son; it says, Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call himEmmanuel. ‘Emmanuel’ is a Hebrew word which means “God with us”. These prophesies by Isaiah were fulfilled in Jesus about 700 years later; the angel said to Mary, “Do not be afraid Mary; for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus” [Luke 1:30-34]. ‘Jesus’ is a transliteration derived from the word ‘Iesous’, a Greek transliteration for Hebrew word ‘Yeshua’ which means “God saves”. Isaiah 9:6 describes the Son (Jesus) as the Counselor, Mighty God, and the Everlasting Father. In John 15:26, Jesus says that this Counselor is also the Spirit of Truth; He says, “When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, He will testify about me”. Isaiah 9:6 is a resounding evidence that God the Father, the Son (Jesus), and the Holy Spirit are one being; this verse declares Trinity.
2.[Isaiah 48:16] “I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; from the time that it was, there I am; and now the Sovereign Lord has sent Me with his Spirit“.
COMMENT: The speaker of this verse claimed that He already existed from the beginning, so it means He is God. And then He proceeded, “. . . and now the Lord has sent Me with His Spirit”; so the speaker God is sent by Sovereign Lord with His Spirit. Notice that there are three persons mentioned in this verse: the speaker God who is sent, the Sovereign Lord who is the sender, and the Spirit of the Sovereign Lord. The sender Lord is the source (Father) of the Spirit, and the messenger God is the emanated Spirit (Son) who came to Earth and dwelt a man Jesus [Luke 1:35]. The speaker God could simply just say, “the Sovereign Lord has sent me”, but He mentioned about “Spirit” who accompanies Him. Therefore, God emphasizes the interrelation among the Father, the Son, and the Spirit. Isaiah 48:16 portrays Trinity.
3.[John 14:6] Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me“.
COMMENT: “Way” signifies Salvation. Since mankind was cut-off from God’s grace due to sin, God provided a bridge for us to cross to His Holy abode. This bridge or way is Jesus, that whoever believes in Him will have eternal life. “Truth” signifies the Spirit of Truth who will attest Jesus’ testimony. He will prove to mankind that what Jesus promised and warned are true. “Life” signifies the Father God who is the fountain of life [Psalm 36:9]. The Lord Jesus demonstrated the Trinity.
4. [John 15:26] Jesus says, “But when the Counselor comes whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of Truth who goes out from the Father, He will testify about me”.
COMMENT: Notice that in this verse Jesus is the one who will send the Counselor, and this Counselor is the Spirit of Truth who goes out from the Father. Who is this Counselor (Spirit of Truth) that Jesus will send from the Father? It is He who will testify about Jesus. But referring to [John 8:18], Jesus Himself will testify about Himself. For He says, “I am the one that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent me bear witness of me”. Therefore, the mentioned Spirit of Truth is Jesus Himself. The Father spirit is the source of the spirit of the Son and the Spirit of Truth, so they are one nature. In this verse, Jesus demonstrates the holy Trinity.
5.[John 14:15-17] If you love me, you will obey what I command. “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to help you and be with you forever, that is the Spirit of truth.
COMMENT: Jesus tells that He will ask the Father another Counselor to be with His people forever; why another Counselor? because Jesus himself is the Counselor whom sent by the Father and dwelt among the people. After Him, will follow another Counselor who is the Spirit of Truth. But referring back to [John 8:18], we are told that this Spirit of Truth is also Jesus Himself who will return on the Last Day. And in [Isaiah 9:6], we know that the Counselor is also the Everlasting Father. Therefore, the Father, Counselor (Jesus), and the Holy Spirit (Spirit of Truth) are one being. Jesus demonstrates the Holy Trinity.
6.[Matthew 28:19] “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit”.
COMMENT: Prior to ascension of Jesus to Heaven, He commanded His disciples to baptize His followers using the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. This formula strongly signifies interrelation among the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Why it should be the three of them? because they symbolize the three phases of God’s appearance to men: the God (as Father) on the Creation period; the God (as the Son or Jesus) on the Salvation period; and the God (as Spirit of Truth) who will appear on the Resurrection period. Jesus emphasizes the importance of the Holy Trinity in baptism.
7. [1 John 5:7] For there are three that bear witness in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit: and these three are one.
COMMENT: The “Word” is also Jesus according to John 1:14, it says; “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth”. ‘1 John 5:7′ clearly emphasizes the Trinity.
8.[1 John 5:6-8] This is the One who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ; not with the water only, but with the water and with the blood. It is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. For there are three that testify: the Spirit and the Water and the Blood; and the three are in agreement.
COMMENT: . . .For there are three that testify . . .Notice that the writer John specifies about three testifiers (‘testifier’ means person who testifies); they are the Spirit, the Water, and the Blood. The “Spirit” signifies the Spirit of Truth, who is the testifier of the truth about Jesus [John 15:26]: the “Water“signifies the fountain of living water, the source of life [Jeremiah 2:13 & Psalm 36:8-9], the Father God who is the testifier of Jesus [John 12:18]: and the “Blood” symbolizes the sacrificial Lamb who is Jesus, and testifier of the Father [John 5:36]. And these three persons of God are in agreement.
9.[2 Corinthians 13:14] The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
COMMENT: God is the source (Father) of Jesus (Son) and the Holy Spirit. This verse clearly emphasizes the Holy Trinity.
10.[Revelation 1:8] “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God the almighty, “Who is, and Who was, and Who is to come“.
COMMENT: In this verse, the speaker Lord Jesus declares that He is the Alpha (First) and the Omega (Last) equaling what God the Father’s claim in [Isaiah 41:4]. He is not pointing that His reign has First and Last for He is eternal being, but He is referring to the Beginning of Creation through out the Last Day.
“Who is“, describing Himself as the present God, the Son, who appeared to men in the form of Jesus on the Salvation period; the center of the three stages of God’s appearance to men;
“Who was“, describing Himself as the God in the Creation period who is the Father God, the first stage of God’s appearance to men.
“Who is to come“, describing Himself as the coming God on the ‘Resurrection’ period, this is the Spirit of Truth, who will return to the world to punish the sinners, and bring His devoted followers to Heaven; the last stage of God’s appearance to mankind on earth. Again, God emphasizes the significance of the Holy Trinity.
TRINITY ANALYSIS:
†The truth is that there is only one God, He is naturally spirit [John 4:24], but He can scattet Himself into many. He made the heavens and all living things but He took favor on humans, probably because He created them after His image [Genesis 1:26]. These humans are unique from His other living creations. They are intelligent and wise, the reason why they disobeyed His commandment and succumbed to Satan’s temptation, because they wanted to compete God’s lordship [Genesis 3:4-6]. Even until today, there are many skeptics who keep challenging God’s claim of the universe.
Why God came to the World through human birth?
†When Adam and Eve transgressed God’s law and fell from the glory of God [Genesis 3:1], they became impure since they had committed a sin _thus they’re condemned to eternal punishment which is death [Genesis 2:16-17]. Because of the first sin, man became mortal and doomed to perish. Mankind was cut-off from God’s grace [Isaiah 59:2]. Heaven is holy, impure creation has no place in there; God is holy He won’t live with impure creation [Leviticus 11:44 & Deuteronomy 23:14]. Man can’t enter into Heaven by himself because of his sin. God is so angry with the sins of the world, that’s why He determined to destroy the world [Ezekiel 22:31]. He searched for the one among the people who would stand as the mediator between Him and mankind, but He found no one [Ezekiel 22:30], all people are sinners [Micah 7:2]. But because God so loved the world [John 3:16], and since He is the only one who can bring the pure from the impure [Job 14:4], He sent forth an amount of His Spirit to destroy the works of the devil through His death [Isaiah 48:16, 1 John 3:8, & Hebrews 2:14]. This emanated Spirit is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His nature [Hebrews 1:3]. God called the sender Spirit as ‘the Father’, while He called the messenger Spirit as ‘the Son’ [Isaiah 9:6]. The messenger Spirit descended to the world and became flesh through human birth _ thus He’s called “Immanuel, Jesus, and Son of God/Man” [Isaiah 7:14, Luke 1:35, & Matthew 26:24].
†Jesus’ mission was to save the world from condemnation by purifying it with His pure nature _ thus He’s called ‘Jesus or Savior’ [Titus 2:13 & Isaiah 62:11]. He’s the only sinless man on Earth, makingHim eligible to stand as a mediator between God and mankind _ thus He’s called a ‘Mediator or Counselor’ [Isaiah 9:6]. He showed His great love for mankind by giving up His life for the sins of the world [1 John 2:2]. His deed was like a sacrificial lamb prepared by men to atone their transgressions against God _ thus He’s called ‘lamb of God’. By the saving blood of Jesus, man could regain his eternal life and became qualified to enter into Heaven. To follow Jesus’ teaching is the way or bridge of mankind to Heaven _ thus He is also called the ‘Way’ [John 14:6]. The savior (sent spirit) needed to be a pure man, since death entered the world through a man, therefore, the resurrection of the dead comes through a man [1 Corinthians 15:21]. And after the saving mission of Jesus on Earth, He ascended to Heaven and rejoined with the source Spirit, the Father God [Mark 16:19]. He promised to return on the Last Day to punish the ancient Serpent and his angels [Revelation 12:9], as well as, to punish the unrepentant human sinners [Revelation 20:15], and to bring His devoted followers into His Holy abode, the Heaven [John 14:1-3].
The Son of God meaning
†Biologically, Jesus could not be called the son of God because He was not formed in the womb through sperm or sexual contact. In another sense, “father” could also mean “source or author”, for instance “Satan is the father of lies”. While the word “son” could also mean “product or emanation” that is something coming from a source, for instance; “son of soil”, ‘son of the Demon’. In [John 15:26], Jesus says that the Spirit of Truth goes out from the Father _ so this Spirit is an emanation from God the Father. And this is the Spirit who came upon Mary and dwelt in the flesh who was named Jesus, also called the Son of God [Luke 1:35] or Son of Man [Daniel 7:13 & Matthew 16:27].
How come a Spirit goes out from a Spirit?
†Before I answer this question, I want to share with you a short story; “When I was a teenager, I met a faith-healer, he’s nickname was ‘Migo’. He confessed to me that he had an angel friend. One day right after his marriage, he had experienced a supernatural event. He narrated that while he was talking to his parent-in-law inside the house, the angel came and took him outside. To his amazement, while they were talking each other with the angel, he saw his body also talking to his parent-in-law inside the house”. At a young age, I regarded that event as impossible to happen, but not until in my early thirties. In my mid-twenties, I became somewhat curious about Spiritual Faith, I started scanning the Holy Bible occasionally. Though I was born Catholic, I didn’t go to Church to attend Mass often. I became doubtful about Trinity and using of images of Catholicism, because these had been the prevailing objections raised by many Christian denominations, and for me, they seemed had Biblical truths. I often watched Eli Soriano’s Bible Exposition on television, I admired him for his Bible adeptness, he could answer your query right away through quoting of Bible verses, as if he had memorized the whole contents of the Bible. His argument about the Son and Father God whom, for him, are different beings, was convincing on my part. But still I had a feeling left somewhere within me that there must be some explanations behind the accusations because Catholicism is the original Christian Church founded by Christ Himself, hence this should not be fallible. Thanks to the internet age! we can now scan verses comfortably in theBible that we want to read or consult. I now understand much of the Trinity.
†The main problem why people could not comprehend the Trinity in the Bible is because they regard the capability of God as of human, remember that God is the greatest supernatural being, His capability is unlimited, hence all things are possible to Him [Matthew 19:26]. He is not human that depends only on his limited resources. The claim of ‘Migo’ is very possible because a spirit has power. We can divide or fold even our being into many through the power of God’s spirit. We are still in physical world yet, hence we don’t know about spiritual characteristic but the Bible gives us several verses relating spirits and their capabilities for us to formulate ideas about them. The following are verses about spirits and their capabilities, let us read and interpret each of them;
1.[Numbers 12:25-26] Then the Lord came down in the cloud and spoke with him, and he took some of the power of the Spirit that was on him and put it on the seventy elders. When the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied—but did not do so again. However, two men, whose names were Eldad and Medad, had remained in the camp. They were listed among the elders, but did not go out to the tent. Yet the Spirit also rested on them, and they prophesied in the camp.
ANALYSIS: ” . . . He took some of the power of the Spirit . . “. God took some of the power of His Spirit and put it on seventy elders so that they prophesied including Eldad and Medad who were distant from the seventy elders. Now, if God could take out some power of His Spirit and put it upon numerous bodies in order to prophesy, how much more on one body? Therefore, it is very possible for God to take an amount of His powerful Spirit and sent it to the world to become a man. Jesus claimed that the Spirit of God is upon Him [Luke 4:18], and even it dwells in Him [John 14:10]. So, the spirit in jesus is the exact representation of God’s being [Hebrews 1:3].
†Actually, a spirit could transform into a human body anytime, and vice versa. God appeared to Abraham in three men [Genesis 18:1-2]; Jacob wrestled with God in the form of an ordinary man [Genesis 32:24]; and Jesus transformed into light [Matthew 17:2]. When Jesus ascended to Heaven, He was in the human form, since He was raised from the dead. Jesus’ body transfigured into brightness and shone like the sun. This is an indication that His body could transform into light or spirit, and vice versa. In light of these facts, a physical thing like a human body could ascend to the heavens. And also, a physical thing could disappear through the power of God. The birth of the sent spirit to a woman is to make him eligible to save mankind.
2.[Revelation 5:6] Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the Earth.
ANALYSIS: ” . . the seven spirits of God sent out into all the Earth”. This verse is very evident that God could divide His Spirit into many. Therefore, no doubt that God could emanate another Spirit from His powerful Spirit and send to the world to become our purifier. God could fold His eyes into many, the same way, He could fold His Spirit into many because nothing is impossible to Him [Luke 1:37 & Job 42:2]. These Spirits could detach from each other, and even talk to each other. God has the power to fold Himself into many, and reversely converge them into one being, that’s why He could sometimes be singular or plural as described in the Bible. “Revelation 5:6” solidifies the belief on Trinity.
CONCLUSION:
†I wonder why those people who have read the Bible completely, still are skeptic about the holy Trinity, for there are verses in the Bible that so emphasize it. God is one being but He has the capability to divide His Spirit into many. Just like water, one nature, but it has the capability to scatter upon different places of the Earth, and reversely, it has the capability to converge from different corners into one body. God could pour His Spirit on all people [Joel 2:28]; meaning, He could distribute His Spirit on all people. Just like an electricity, one nature but it could be distributed to Billions of households. Indeed, God could approach us not just with His three persons, but even with His countless persons. He could appear and talk to all humans at the same time at different venues. Jesus appeared to His more than 500 believers at the same time [1 Corinthians 15:3-9]. God works all things in all persons [1 Corinthians 12:5], let us not limit the capability of God.
ENCOURAGEMENT AND WARNING:
†For those who are ignorant of the Holy Scriptures (Tanakh and New Testament), I encourage you to read them. There are lots of them available on internet today. You only waste your own intellect and education if you just depend your Godly knowledge on the rhetoric of your religious leaders. Remember that your spiritual life is put at stake here. Do you not dream of having eternal life in Heaven? Isn’t to achieve eternal life is far better than the most precious thing on Earth? Heaven and Earth will pass away but the word of God will endure forever [Mark 13:31 & Luke 21:33]. Therefore research about God, and do not rest your salvation on religious leaders, because if they are blind, then all of you will fall into the abyss. You would be easily misled by their lies if you are ignorant of the Holy Scriptures. The Bible warns us, “false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies” [2 Peter 2:1-3]. This means that the original Church would deal false prophets and heresies. And these false prophets and teachers are now among us who have misled billions of people.
†And for those people who have read the whole Scripture but still denying Jesus as God, you help Satan spreading his lies; “who is a liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a person is the anti-Christ—denying the Father and the Son” [1 John 2:22]. You let the father of lies guide your heart in exchange of earthly pleasures, so prepare yourselves for the coming fiery lake; “But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death” [Revelation 21:8].
Although polygamy was practiced in the Old Testament, it doesn’t mean that God authorized it. In fact, in the beginning, God designed man and woman to be one flesh, He only made one wife for Adam, who was Eve [Genesis 2:23-24]. Jesus pointed out the obstinacy of the Israelites as the reason why taking wife after another occurred [Mark 10:5-9]. Lamech, the first man who practiced polygamy, was the son of Cain whom God cursed. Job, the oldest Saint recorded in the Old Testament whom God called “my servant”, had one wife only [Job 2:9-10]. God forbids a man to divorce his wife and take another. Religion or individual who practices polygamy is detestable to God, and this will be judged in the Last Day. The following are some of the verses in the Bible proving that God does not allow polygamy;
1. [Genesis 2:23-24] And Adam said: “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.
2. [Deuteronomy 14:16-17] “You are not to go back that way again.” He must not take many wives, or his heart will be led astray. He must not accumulate large amounts of silver and gold“
3. [Malachi 2:15-16] “Has not the one God made you? You belong to him in body and spirit. And what does the one God seek? Godly offspring. So be on your guard, and do not be unfaithful to the wife of your youth. For I hate divorce!” says the LORD, the God of Israel. “To divorce your wife is to overwhelm her with cruelty,” says the Lord Almighty. “So guard your heart; do not be unfaithful to your wife.
4. [Proverbs 5:18] Let your own fountain be blessed, and enjoy the girl you married when you were young
5. [Mark 10:5-9] “It was because your hearts were hard that Moses wrote you this law,” Jesus replied. “But at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female.’ ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate”
6. [Mark 10:11-12] So He told them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her. And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery.
7. [Matthew 5:31-32] Furthermore it has been said, “Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce. But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery”
8. [Matthew 19:4-6] Jesus answered, “Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.”
9. [1 Timothy 3:2] An overseer then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach
10. [Titus 1:6] A spiritual leader must have a good reputation. He must have only one wife and have children who are believers. His children shouldn’t be known for having wild lifestyles or being rebellious.
11. [1 Corinthians 7:1-3] It is good for a man not to touch a woman. Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband
12. [Ephesians 5:33] Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.
13. [Hebrews 13:3-4] “Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge“
“. . . Therefore the cost of having a mansion in Heaven is way more difficult than owning a mansion on Earth. We cannot just sit down having a good time here on Earth always, while expecting to have a slot in Heaven in the hereafter.”
Depiction of Heaven
For the rich men, this line of question is saddening or unacceptable, but Biblically speaking, it is impossible for the rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. The Gospel tells us about a rich man who asked Jesus how to inherit eternal life [Mark 10:17 & Matthew 19:16]. Jesus admired this man for having kept the Ten Commandments since his boyhood [Mark 10:21]. But what he lacked? it was his unwillingness to give his possessions to the poor. Being rich is not forbidden by God in fact He made king Solomon wealthy, but there’s a responsibility that lies on it. The haves are instructed by God to help the have-nots. Jesus commanded us, “love your neighbor as you love yourself” (Matthew 22: 39). Therefore, to love your neighbor lesser than yourself means you disobey this commandment. If truly you love your neighbor the same as yourself, you can’t bear watching poor people around you in sufferings. Rich men live in luxury everyday, they can buy expensive foods for themselves and even for their pets. They can buy expensive dresses for themselves and even can buy dresses and diapers for their dogs. They can travel around the world and check in at a 5 star hotel. Rich men can afford to do these stuffs while neglecting their neighbors who have nothing to eat, nothing to wear, nothing to take shelter in, and no means to medicate their illnesses. God will become unfair and a liar if He will let wealthy men continue their luxurious life from Earth to Heaven. Christ said, “woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort, woe to you who are well fed now for you will go hungry” (Luke 6: 24-25). To enter the Heavenly kingdom is not easy to obtain, God laid commandments for us to observe so that we might be guided in living a holy life. To fail to follow God’s commandments means to fail to enter His abode. One must undergo sufferings in going through the path of eternal life. Jesus said, “take up your daily cross and follow me” (Luke 9:23). The more you suffer, the more you are to be exalted in the afterlife. If you want to be the first, you must be the very last and be the servant of all (Mark 9: 35). The greatest among us here on Earth will be the least in Heaven. In the parable of a rich man and Lazarus, Abraham replied the rich man who pleaded him, “Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony” (Luke 16: 25). To have a luxurious life on earth will deny us from entering God’s abode, “do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth . . . but store up for yourself treasures in Heaven” (Matthew 6:19). Jesus Christ said, “Love your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matthew 22: 38). It means one should be bound to obey all His laws including to give up their possessions in helping the needy. Christ also said, “blessed are you who are poor for yours is the kingdom of God, blessed are you who hunger now for you will be satisfied, blessed are you who weep now for you will laugh” (Luke 6: 20-21).
People’s wealth is only a dot compared to the magnitude of the world’s poverty. Assuming that all rich people combine their wealth, still the resulting amount is insufficient to feed the billions who suffer starvation around the world. Certainly, there would be no rich people provided that everyone is willing to follow the will of God. Being wealthy means you are truly greedy, because you cannot possess or amass wealth if only you have pity on your neighbors who can’t buy foods, who can’t pay their hospitalization, and who can’t afford decent houses. Likewise, you cannot get rich in just a short period of time if you don’t accept bribes from corrupt people, accept kickbacks from government project contractors, if you don’t pinch the salaries of your employees, if you don’t cheat your customers, or if you don’t impose high interest rate on your money lent. These acts are detestable to God and will send the committer to hell. If you are a billionaire and you give millions to calamity victims, this has no weight in the eyes of God, for what is millions to you compared to your billions? And if you are a millionaire and you give thousands, this has no weight to God, for what is thousands to you compared to your millions? When you give, it should incur a heavy effect on you. In (Luke 21:3), Jesus commended the 2 mites put in by a widow as greater than the large amounts put in by rich people. For that widow out of her poverty put in all she had to live on. If you plan to own a mansion, it is imperative that you work extra hard in order to afford that dream. How much more to have a mansion in Heaven? Isn’t having a mansion in Heaven is way more fantastic than owning a mansion on Earth? Isn’t it to have an eternal life is way more pleasant than to have a transitory life? Therefore the cost of having a mansion in Heaven is way more difficult than owning a mansion on Earth. We cannot just sit down having a good time here on Earth always, while expecting to have slots in Heaven in the hereafter.
[Matthew 23:10] Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Christ.
[Mark 15:32] Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross, so that we may see and believe!” And even those who were crucified with Him berated Him.
[Luke 23:2] And they began to accuse Him, saying, “We found this man subverting our nation, forbidding payment of taxes to Caesar, and proclaiming Himself to be Christ, a King.”
[John 4:25-26] The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things.” Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am he.”
[John 7:41] Others declared, “This is the Christ.” But still others asked, “How can the Christ come from Galilee?
[Acts 17:3] explaining and proving that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead. “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ,” he declared.
[Acts 26:23] that the Christ would suffer, and as the first to rise from the dead, would proclaim light to our people and to the Gentiles.”
[1 Corinthians 1:2] To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be his holy people, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ—their Lord and ours:
[1 Corinthians 1:17] For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with wisdom and eloquence, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.
[1 Corinthians 4:15] Even if you had ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel.
[1 Corinthians 3:23] and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God.
[1 Corinthians 6:15] Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never!
[1 Corinthians 10:16] Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ?
[1 Corinthians 11:3] But I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.
[2 Corinthians 1:5] For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ.
[2 Corinthians 5:20] We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.
[1 Timothy 6:15] For, At just the right time Christ will be revealed from heaven by the blessed and only almighty God, the King of all kings and Lord of all lords.
[2 Timothy 1:1] Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, according to the promise of life in Christ Jesus,
[2 Timothy 1:10] And now He has revealed this grace through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has abolished death and illuminated the way to life and immortality through the gospel,
[2 Timothy 4:1] I solemnly urge you in the presence of God and Christ Jesus, who will someday judge the living and the dead when he comes to set up his Kingdom:
[Colossians 3:1] Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
[Colossians 3:4] When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
[Ephesians 1:3] Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms.
[Ephesians 2:13] But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
[Galatians 2:16-17] know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified. “But if, in seeking to be justified in Christ, we Jews find ourselves also among the sinners, doesn’t that mean that Christ promotes sin? Absolutely not! If I rebuild what I destroyed, then I really would be a lawbreaker.
[Galatians 2:20] I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
[Galatians 3:27] for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
[1 Peter 1:3] Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
[1 Peter 1:11] trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow.
[2 Peter 1:1] Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours:
[2 Peter 1:11] Then God will give you a grand entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ
[Jude 1:1] Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James, To those who are called, loved by God the Father, and kept in Jesus Christ:
[Revelation 1:5] and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood
For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for your souls upon the altar; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.
Leviticus 17:11
Biblical verses about blood for the atonement of sins
OLD TESTAMENT
1. [Exodus 24:8] So Moses took the blood, sprinkled it on the people, and said, “This is the blood of the covenant that the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words.”
2. [Exodus 30:10] And Aaron shall make an atonement upon the horns of it once in a year with the blood of the sin offering of atonements: once in the year shall he make atonement upon it throughout your generations: it is most holy unto the LORD.
3. [Leviticus 4:7] The priest must then put some of the blood on the horns of the altar of fragrant incense that is before the LORD in the Tent of Meeting. And he is to pour out the rest of the bull’s blood at the base of the altar of burnt offering at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting
4. [Leviticus 4:18] He is also to put some of the blood on the horns of the altar that is before the LORD in the Tent of Meeting, and he must pour out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar of burnt offering at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.
5. [Leviticus 4:25] Then the priest is to take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger, put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and pour out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar.
6. [Leviticus 5:9] Then he will sprinkle some of the blood of the sin offering against the sides of the altar, and the rest of the blood will be drained out atthe base of the altar. This is an offering for sin.
7. [Leviticus 6:30] But no sin offering may be eaten if its blood has been brought into the Tent of Meeting to make atonement in the Holy Place; it must be burned.
8. [Leviticus 8:15] And he slew it; and Moses took the blood, and put it upon the horns of the altar round about with his finger, and purified the altar, and poured the blood at the bottom of the altar, and sanctified it, to make reconciliation upon it.
9. [Leviticus 9:9] And the sons of Aaron brought the blood unto him: and he dipped his finger in the blood, and put it upon the horns of the altar, and poured out the blood at the bottom of the altar
10. [Leviticus 16:15] Aaron shall then slaughter the goat for the sin offering for the people and bring its blood behind the veil, and with its blood he must do as he did with the bull’s blood: He is to sprinkle it against the mercy seat and in front of it
11. [Leviticus 16:18] Then he shall go out to the altar that is before the LORD and make atonement for it. He is to take some of the bull’s blood and some of the goat’s blood and put it on all the horns of the altar.
12. [Leviticus 16:27] The bull and the goat for the sin offerings, whose blood was brought into the Most Holy Place to make atonement, must be taken outside the camp; their hides, flesh and intestines are to be burned up.
13. [Leviticus 17:11] For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for your souls upon the altar; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.
14. [2 Chronicles 29:24] The priests then slaughtered the goats and presented their blood on the altar for a sin offering to atone for all Israel, because the king had ordered the burnt offering and the sin offering for all Israel.
15. [Ezekiel 43:18] Then he said to me, “Son of man, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: These will be the regulations for the burning of offerings and the sprinkling of blood when the altar is built
16. [Ezekiel 43:20] You will take some of its blood and smear it on the four horns of the altar, the four corners of the upper ledge, and the curb that runs around that ledge. This will cleanse and make atonement for the altar.
17. [Ezekiel 45:19] And the priest is to take some of the blood from the sin offering and put it on the doorposts of the temple, on the four corners of the ledge of the altar, and on the gateposts of the inner court.
18. [Lamentation 4:13] But this was for the sins of her prophets and the guilt of her priests, who shed the blood of the righteous in her midst
NEW TESTAMENT
1. [Matthew 26:28] This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins
2. [1 John 1:7] But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.
3. [Romans 3:25] God presented Him as the atoning sacrifice through faith in His blood, in order to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance He had passed over the sins committed beforehand.
4. [Romans 5:9] Therefore, since we have now been justified by His blood, how much more shall we be saved from wrath through Him
5. [Hebrews 9:7] But only the high priest entered the second room, and then only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance.
6. [Hebrews 9:12-13] He did not enter by the blood of goats and calves, but He entered the Most Holy Place once for all by His own blood, thus securing eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that their bodies are clean,
7. [Hebrews 9:22] According to the law, in fact, nearly everything must be purified with blood, and without the shedding of bloodthere is no forgiveness.
8. [Hebrews 10:3-4] Instead, those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins, because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins
9. Hebrews 13:11] Although the high priest brings the blood of animals into the Holy Place as a sacrifice for sin, the bodies are burned outside the camp.
10. [Ephesians 1:7] In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
11. [Revelation 1:5] and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and theruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and has released us from our sins by His blood
12. [Revelation 7:14] And I said to him, “Sir, you are the one who knows.” Then he said to me, “These are the ones who died in the great tribulation. They have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb and made them white.
1. [Psalm 16:11] You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.
2. [Psalm 21:4] He asked you to preserve his life, and you granted his request. The days of his life stretch on forever.
3. [Psalm 21:6] For You grant him blessings forever; You cheer him with joy in Your presence.
4. [Psalm 89:29] I will establish his line forever, his throne as long as the heavens endure.
5. [Psalm 133:3] It is like the dew of Hermon falling on the mountains of Zion. For there the LORD has bestowed the blessing of life forevermore.
6. [Isaiah 26:19] Your dead will live. Their corpses will rise. Those who lie dead in the dust will wake up and shout for joy, because your dew is a refreshing dew, and the earth will revive the spirits of the dead.
7. [Daniel 12:2] Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt.
QUOTED FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT
1. [Matthew 18:8] If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire.
2. [Matthew 19:16] Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?”
3. [Matthew 19:29] And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.
4. [Matthew 25:46] “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternallife.”
5. [Mark 10:17] As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?
6. [Mark 10:30] will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life.
7. [Luke 10:25] On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
8. [Luke 18:18] A certain ruler asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
9. [Luke 18:30] will fail to receive many times as much in this age, and in the age to come eternal life.”
10. [John 3:15] that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”
18. [John 3:16] For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
11. [John 3:36] Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.
12. [John 4:14] but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
13. [John 4:36] Even now the one who reaps draws a wage and harvests a crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together.
14. [John 5:24] “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.
15. [John 5:39] You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me
16. [John 6:27] Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.”
17. [John 6:40] For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”
18. [John 6:47] Very truly I tell you, the one who believes has eternal life
19. [John 6:54] Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.
20. [John 6:68] Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.
21. [John 10:28] I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.
22. [John 12:25] Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.
23. [John 12:50] I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say.”
24. [John 17:3] Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.
25. [Romans 6:23] For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
26. [1 John 1:2] And this is the life that was revealed; we have seen it and testified to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us
27. [1 John 5:20] And we know that the Son of God has come, and he has given us understanding so that we can know the true God. And now we live in fellowship with the true God because we live in fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ. He is the only true God, and he is eternal life
In 31 A.D. after the ascension of Jesus Christ, the apostles spread the good news initially from Jerusalem throughout the Roman Empire. In Rome, the apostle Simon Peter together with Paul established the Church which Jesus Christ told to Simon Peter, “and I tell you that you are peter [peter derived from Greek petros means rock], and on this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it” [Matthew 16:18]. In the year 107, St. Ignatius of Antioch named this Christian Faith as the Catholic Church [catholic derived from Greek katholikos means universal]. It became the state religion by Armenia in 301; Georgia in 319; and in the year 380, Theodocius 1 declared this Faith as the official religion in Rome. In 1054, the Latin West Church and the Greek East Church split especially due to conflict of leadership and language barrier, which later became known as the Roman Catholic Churchin the west and Orthodox Catholic Church in the east. Today, the Roman Catholic Church proved to be the most dominant of all Christian Religions at 1.6 Billion adherents around the world. There had been ecumenical efforts made to reunite these two early Churches.
In 1517, a priest named Martin Luther protested the management of the Roman Catholic Church, he questioned the using of images and also selling indulgences by some corrupt leaders. Martin Luther’s purpose was to reform the management but later led to breaking away from the Mother Church and establishing the Protestant Church. And that’s the Genesis of the many schisms, many so-called Christian reformists followed.
In 1527, King Henry vIII of England asked the pope to have his marriage to Catherine of Aragon annulled because for nearly twenty years they had not yet produced a male heir to the throne. The pope refused to grant the annulment so Henry declared his independence from the pope in 1534 and founded the Church of England.
In 1830, Joseph Smith founded the Mormonism which originated the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
In 1914 in the Philippines, Felix Manalo founded the Iglesia ni Cristo. He claimed that he’s an angel rising from the east. From the Philippines it reached as far as America.
In 1870, Charles Taze Russell in the USA founded a Bible study movement and had gained many members. In 1931 after Charles Russell’s death, his followers led by Joseph Rutherford established the Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Since then, many other Christian sects had emerged, each of them claimed that they are the true Church. These Christian denominations or sects were once partakers of the Catholic Faith founded by Christ through Saint Peter and other Apostles, but eventually left the Mother Faith. Just like children who rebelled against their parents, just like Satan who rebelled against God.
♦TRUTH OR ORIGIN OF A RELIGION
If believers want truth of a religion, they should trace back the origin of it. How come a newly sprouted Church can be true or original? Instead, it is the one which has the earliest foundation, the one that Jesus Christ founded through St. Peter and other apostles, the one which has an unbroken continuity with the early apostolic Church. A Christian religion that has no apostolic connection is false. God said to Simon Peter,“I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven” [Matthew 16:19]. To break away from the Church bound by Peter and other Apostles is a rebellion, and therefore it has the consequence of losing the grace of God’s promise. Saint Paul already predicted this apostasy or rebellion in his epistles:“for the time is coming when men will not endure sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths“[2 Timothy 4:3-4]; and, “don’t let anyone deceive you in anyway, for that Day will not come, unless the rebellion occurs” [2 Thessalonians 2:3]. They rejected the Church that Jesus Christ founded, therefore God will reject them in the Last Day. One needs to be part of this Church bond in order for them to be enclosed by the Lord’s grace. If ever there is a blemish in the management, it’s not the Church itself that erred, but some people within it. Jose Rizal became doubtful of this Faith because of the atrocities inflicted by the Friars, but later retracted his doubt. People are prone to be swayed by earthly pleasures, and the clergy are not impervious to it for they are humans too.
♦DO CATHOLICS WORSHIP STATUES OR IMAGES?
Most of the newly sprouted Christian religions are attacking the Catholic Church focusing on the image issue. I prefer to call them ‘newly sprouted Christian religions’ because of the enormous time span from the time the Catholic Church was established to the time they emerged as religions. For more than thousand years, there was no other Christian religion except the Catholic Church. Some regard these newly sprouted Christian religions as cults or sects because they were founded by men only.
In [Exodus 20:4-5] it says,“you shall not make for yourself a graven image or likeness of anything that is heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them”. This passage is the center of accusation and rebellion by many so-called reformists. It is right to point fingers against people committing the sin of idolatry, but condemning the Catholics because they use images is based on misinterpretation of what the Bible says about the purpose and uses of statues.
COMMENT: If we read the verse 3 of Exodus 20, God begins His commandment by saying,“you shall have no other gods before Me”. So the issue here is not really the images themselves, but people who worshiped other gods (like Molech, Golden calf, Asherah, Baal, Bel, Amon, Dagon, Tammuz, Zeus, Hermes, Artemis, and many others). Why God hated these images? Because these were the images of gods that the Israelites worshiped. The Catholicism is the owner of the Holy Scriptures, so they know better than all rebellious groups.
In (Exodus 25:18-20), God instructed Moses to make two gold cherubim [Cherubim is pl. form of Cherub means angel statue] and placed them over the Ark of the Lord. Even King David held a feast for the Ark of the Lord with the two cherubim over it [2 Samuel 6:15, 19]. He sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings before it, he was dancing and leaping with all his might before it [2 Samuel 6:13-14]. David was despised by his wife Michal for what he had done, so the Lord penalized her by closing her womb (2 Samuel 6:16, 20, 23). King Solomon made Cherubim too and placed them in the inner sanctuary of God’s Temple [1 Kings 6:23-27]. God also instructed Moses to make a bronze statue of snake, and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, he lived [Numbers 21:8-9].
Catholic Church does not worship, bow, or serve idols. When Catholics kiss the image of God, they imagine it as they kiss the heavenly Father, just like when you are hugging a pillow while you are longing for your loved one, just like when you are kissing their picture while you are imagining them in your arms. Assuming that you have a girlfriend somewhere else, at one day, a friend of yours informed you that she is caressing your picture and hugging pillow in longing for you, would you get angry of your girlfriend because of what she is doing? _certainly you would not. How much more on the part of God? The Lord is not severe, He is slow to anger and abounding in love (Exodus 34:6). God would have even spared Sodom and Gomorrah if only He had found ten righteous men living in those cities [Genesis 18:32]. God instead loves those who are addicted to Him.
Catholics use statues, paintings, and other devices to reflect the persons who had firm faith in God that led to their martyrdom. By looking at their images, it helps us recollect their examples, as well as strengthen our spiritual Faith. Catholics also use the images as teaching tools for the instruction of the illiterate people. In the situation of the gold cherubim and bronze snake, it proves that God does not forbid the ritual use of religious images. It is when people start to worship and serve a statue as god that the Lord becomes angry. The Bible recorded that early people killed their children as propitiatory sacrifices for their cult images; and did many other detestable practices (such as sexual perversions in homage for their gods) that provoked the anger of the Lord. God does not prohibit the making of image as long as it is solemnly consecrated to Him, as in the case of Micah’s carved silver image [Judges 17:3]. Judges chapter 18 tells about Micah’s carved silver image which was brought by Danites when they attacked Laish, and God let them conquered Laish.
