Is It Idolatry to Have Statues Inside Churches?
We are familiar with the accusation that making and bowing down to a statue is idolatry and condemned in the Commandments given to Moses. But unfortunately, the one making such a charge has chosen to ignore other portions of Scripture, which explains why they misinterpret the commandment pertaining to statues and idolatry. This is another example of what happens when one succumbs to the man made traditions of Sola Scriptura and Private Interpretation.
If one's personal interpretation of a passage puts Scripture at odds with itself, making it contradictory, then it is not Scripture which is wrong. Rather, it is the twisting and distorting of man which is wrong.
God commanded the Jews to make the ark of the covenant.
Exodus 25:8 And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst.
He then commands that it be made of gold and that it include statues of golden cherubim with it. Notice too that God specifies He will use this as His means of speaking to the people, as well as His preferred means of His designated leaders speaking to Him. In other words, as they communicate with God, they will do so before a golden ark with two golden cherubim right before their eyes.
Exodus 25:17-22 You shall make a mercy seat of pure gold... And you shall make two cherubim of gold; of hammered work shall you make them, on the two ends of the mercy seat. Make one cherub on the one end, and one cherub on the other end. Of one piece with the mercy seat shall you make the cherubim on its two ends. The cherubim shall spread out their wings above, overshadowing the mercy seat with their wings, their faces one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubim be. And you shall put the mercy seat on the top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the testimony that I shall give you. There I will meet with you, and from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim that are on the ark of the testimony, I will speak with you about all that I will give you in commandment for the people of Israel.
Numbers 7:89 And when Moses went into the tent of meeting to speak with the Lord, he heard the voice speaking to him from above the mercy seat that was on the ark of the testimony, from between the two cherubim; and it spoke to him.
1 Samuel 4:4-5 So the people sent to Shiloh and brought from there the ark of the covenant of the Lord of hosts, who is enthroned on the cherubim. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God. As soon as the ark of the covenant of the Lord came into the camp, all Israel gave a mighty shout, so that the earth resounded.
1 Chronicles 13:6 And David and all Israel went up to Baalah, that is, to Kiriath-jearim that belongs to Judah, to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the name of the Lord who sits enthroned above the cherubim.
The pertinent factor here is that Scripture shows us that the Jews would not only bow down before the ark, but they would also even prostrate themselves before the golden ark with golden cherubim made by human hands. Whenever they worshiped and prayed to God, they would do so before images of golden cherubim.
Joshua 7:6-7 Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell to the earth on his face before the ark of the Lord until the evening, he and the elders of Israel. And they put dust on their heads. And Joshua said, "Alas, O Lord God, why have you brought this people over the Jordan at all, to give us into the hands of the Amorites, to destroy us? Would that we had been content to dwell beyond the Jordan!"
1 Chronicles 16:1-2 And they brought in the ark of God and set it inside the tent that David had pitched for it, and they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before God. And when David had finished offering the burnt offerings and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord.
We also see in the Bible that the Temple also contained statues of cherubim.
Exodus 26:31 And you shall make a veil of blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen. It shall be made with cherubim skillfully worked into it.
2 Chronicles 3:7 So he lined the house with gold—its beams, its thresholds, its walls, and its doors—and he carved cherubim on the walls.
We see that Scripture gives precedent for statues within the context of liturgical worship as well as personal prayer. In fact, it is a direct command by God. And the Bible can not contradict itself, so the commandment pertaining to statues and idolatry forbids the worship of false idols, however it does not forbid utilizing statues and images as a means of lifting up one's mind to God in prayer and worship. If one argues that it does, then they are contradicting Sacred Scripture, which is inspired by God.
God commanded that statues be made of cherubim (Angels that are in Heaven). And now in the New Covenant, we know that the Saints reign in Heaven as well. Thus, we have clear biblical precedent to have statues and images inside our churches. Again, if one objects to such a practice, then their argument is with the Bible.
