Images and Incarnation - KG Ch4+5

Yo, within the last two weeks I read two chapters of Knowing God by J.I. Packer.

The fourth chapter was called "The Only True God" and I guess the thing I am still reflecting on a bit is essentially that the chapter was about not idolizing anything, which again lined up with what I had been reading in Romans 1. But then it threw me a screw ball when the chapter quickly switched into talking about images of God. "Idolatry consists not only in the worship of false gods, but also in the worship of the true God by images." (p.44)

o.O

Now, this statement really struck me because I can clearly see many ways that I have been encouraged to praise God by images, or how normal it is. Be it stained glass. Be it pictures in church of Jesus. Be it different "images" of the gospel each capturing a different aspect. Be it watching a film about Jesus' life. Be it a crucifix with Jesus on it. These all present images of God for the benefit of us being able to better focus on all God is and has done.

The chapter goes further to go beyond "molten images" (those that are physical and visible, those made by hands) to the images we get in our head, the "mental images".

"The realization that images and pictures of God affect our thoughts of God points to a further realm in which the prohibition of the second commandment applies. Just as it forbids us to manufacture molten images of God, so it forbids us to dream up mental images of him. Imagining God in our heads can be just as real a breach of the second commandment as imagining him by the works of our hands." (pg47)

Examples include "the great architect", "judge", "Father". And the main reasons all of these images shouldn't be used it that they either present false images of God, or they can obscure his glory. Although he is strong and noble as a golden calf, he is soooooo much more and that gives such a reduced image. Although he is the great creator and made everything beautifully, he is more. Although he is ultimately the righteous judge, and redeemer, and atoned for us, he is so much more. Although he is our heavenly father, he is so much more. No image can properly capture his greatness, some deny facets of his greatness, others even those that imagine a superhuman or more, any image we create, rightfully limits his immeasurable greatness.

"The world by wisdom knew not God" 1Cor1:21 KJV.

"In this light, the positive purpose of the second commandment becomes plain. Negatively, it is a warning against ways of worship and religious practice that lead us to dishonor God and to falsify his truth. Positively it is a summons to us to recognize that God the Creator is transcendent, mysterious and inscrutable, beyond the range of any imagining or philosophical guesswork of which we are capable--and hence a summons to us to humble ourselves, to listen and learn of him, and to let him teach us what he is like and how we should think of him." (pg50) (see also Isa55:8-9 and Rom11:33-34)

Packer encourages us to look to the knowledge of God revealed in His Son Jesus, reflecting on the life and works of God, the very image of God shown in Jesus reflecting the nature and grace of God bodily. With the additional note addressed to concerns of this chapter and images for personal devotion that "some risks are not worth taking".

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The fifth chapter spoke of miracles and debate on those points as causes of doubt and difficulty, but that the real difficulty, the real stumbling block is that God would become man. Both diving into concepts of the trinity and the union of God and man.

The main passage Packer looks at here is John1 where the Word, who was with God and was God and all things came to be through him, in whom was life, who was the light of men; the Word became flesh. He expounds upon this passage to show the eternity, personality, deity, creating, animating, revealing, incarnate nature expressed in the passage. The baby born was God.

Packer continues and gets into the thoughts about the kenosis theory, the theories based on Phil2:7 where he literally 'emptied himself' as he became man. But holds firm that "The Word had become flesh: a real human baby. He had not ceased to be God; he was no less God then than before; but he had begun to be man. He was not now God minus some elements of his deity, but God plus all that he had made his own by taking manhood to himself." (pg57) After explaining and reviewing thoughts he gives this statement "The impression of Jesus which the Gospels give is not that he was wholly bereft of divine knowledge and power, but that he drew on both intermittently, while being content for much of the time not to do so." (pg61) and the idea that all he did was based on the Father's will, even if not knowing everything at that time was part of that as well.

the finale of the chapter was to restate what the incarnation was all about: God had become poor so that we may become rich through him. He had left his glory to come and be born and ultimately die that we may once again have the ability to know God.

-D.Fa