No Graven Images

Calvin makes it clear, in the 1543 treatise entitled The Necessity of Reforming the Church, that the heart of the Reformation was the restoration of worship according to the second commandment. The Reformed churches of the 16th century were known for their iconoclasm and prohibition of idols in worship or as aids to piety. Alternatively, the Reformed argued that Scripture maintained the primacy and exclusivity of the preached word as the saving and sanctifying means of Christ to communicate His knowledge and grace to the Church. A movement is afoot in some Reformed circles today to encourage the use of images and even pictures of Jesus as aids to piety and teaching tools, as well as for decorating the interior of worship auditoriums. This message explores the Reformed confessions and theologians, as well as Scripture, to evaluate whether the use of images and pictures are prescribed in Scripture for use by the Church in order to promote growth in knowledge and sanctification.