“I will not let statues take the praise that should be mine.” ( Isaiah 42:8, Easy-to-Read Version) God rejects worship given to him through images. You must not bow down to them nor be induced to serve them, because I Jehovah your God am a God exacting exclusive devotion.” ( Exodus 20:4, 5) Since God requires “exclusive devotion,” he is not pleased if we praise or worship images, pictures, idols, icons, statues, or symbols.

“You must not make for yourself a carved image or a form like anything that is in the heavens above or that is on the earth underneath or that is in the waters under the earth. Describing the laws that God gave to the nation of Israel, the New Catholic Encyclopedia notes: “From various Biblical accounts it is evident that the true worship of God was devoid of images.” Consider these Bible verses: 32 Though they know God’s decree that those who do such things deserve to die, they not only do them but approve those who practice them.No, we should not. Full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malignity, they are gossips, 30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 29 They were filled with all manner of wickedness, evil, covetousness, malice. Their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural, 27 and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in their own persons the due penalty for their error.Ģ8 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a base mind and to improper conduct. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man or birds or animals or reptiles.Ģ4 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed for ever! Amen.Ģ6 For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. So they are without excuse 21 for although they knew God they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking and their senseless minds were darkened. 20 Ever since the creation of the world his invisible nature, namely, his eternal power and deity, has been clearly perceived in the things that have been made. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed through faith for faith as it is written, “He who through faith is righteous shall live.” The Guilt of Mankindġ8 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and wickedness of men who by their wickedness suppress the truth. The Power of the Gospelġ6 For I am not ashamed of the gospel: it is the power of God for salvation to every one who has faith, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

14 I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish: 15 so I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome. 13 I want you to know, brethren, that I have often intended to come to you (but thus far have been prevented), in order that I may reap some harvest among you as well as among the rest of the Gentiles.

11 For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you, 12 that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine. 9 For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I mention you always in my prayers, 10 asking that somehow by God’s will I may now at last succeed in coming to you. Prayer of ThanksgivingĨ First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed in all the world. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God 2 which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy scriptures, 3 the gospel concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh 4 and designated Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, 5 through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations, 6 including yourselves who are called to belong to Jesus Christ ħ To all God’s beloved in Rome, who are called to be saints:

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