To bow or not to bow that is the question: A response to critics of Catholic worship
Let us “search the scriptures” (cf. John 5:39) and let our mind be enlightened from the search. Truly, God alone by His glorious nature deserves all worship. For He is the Master of all things as scripture says, “for all things are thy servants” (Psalm 119:91 ff)
It is impossible to make an image of God, who is a pure Spirit, invisible, having neither form nor limit.
“No one has ever seen God; the only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has made him known.” (John 1:18) Also, God said “you cannot see my face; for man shall not see me and live.” (Exodus 33:20)
According to scriptures, when Moses went up to Mount Sinai, to receive the law, the ungrateful people of Israel rose against Aaron. They said
“Up, make us gods, who shall go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” (Exodus 32:1 ff)
The making of graven images and the worshipping of these images as a god is precisely what God forbids. Let us find out what scripture says concerning this issue.
“Therefore take good heed to yourselves. Since you saw no form on the day that the LORD spoke to you at Horeb out of the midst of the fire, beware lest you act corruptly by making a graven image for yourselves, in the form of any figure, the likeness of male or female, the likeness of any beast that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged bird that flies in the air.” (Deuteronomy 4:15-17)
Further, the Ten Commandments make it crystal clear that, the making of graven images as a god is totally forbidden.
“You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself a graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them or serve them; for I the LORD your God am a jealous God…” (Deuteronomy 5:7-9, cf. Exodus 20:3-5, Leviticus 19:4)
We have seen from the context of the above scripture passage that the creature should not be worshipped instead of the Creator.
Let us now see passages in the scriptures where the Living God commands the making of images. The first instance is the making of the Ark of the Covenant. Here, God said to Moses,
“And you shall make two cherubim of gold; of hammered work shall you make them, on the two ends of the mercy seat.” (Exodus 25:18)
Again, God commands the making of bronze serpent.
“And the LORD said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and every one who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.” So, Moses made a bronze serpent, and set it on a pole…” (Numbers 21:8-9)
Do we see how God can use images to reveal His glory and bless people, if and only if it is not worshipped as a god?
Concerning the bronze serpent, the unfaithful people of Israel began to worship it as a god. This incurred God’s wrath, and King Hezekiah destroyed it.
“He removed the high places, and broke the pillars, and cut down the Asherah. And he broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the people of Israel had burned incense to it; it was called Nehushtan.” (2 Kings 18:4)
Finally, God revealed Himself visually to all humans in the person of Jesus Christ.
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father.” (John 1:14)
Jesus Himself said, “He who has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9 ff)
And St. Paul adds, “He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation.” (Colossians 1:15)
Now that God has been clothed in flesh, we can make an image of Him. We can now worship the God of matter, who became matter for our sake.
Our Lord Jesus said “that all may honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He who does not honour the Son does not honour the Father who sent him.” (John 5:23)
He who does not honour the image does not honour the original.
Many of us love to sing during worship. Some of us sing with our hands in the air, others kneel while singing the music. We sometimes even shed tears during adoration. Could we say we are worshipping the music? Certainly not, rather we are worshipping through music. The music serves as a channel for expressing an inner feeling to honour and worship God.
Similarly, images can serve as a channel for expressing an inner feeling to honour and worship God. Can we see how our Lord Jesus Christ can be honoured and worshipped through music, as well as images, without being idolatry?
Okay, what about the Saints? Well, let us see what scripture tells us. It is written “Honour your father and your mother” (Exodus 20:12, Leviticus 19:3, Deuteronomy 5:16, Matthew 15:4, Mark 7:10, Ephesians 6:2), this commandment was fulfilled perfectly by our Lord Jesus Christ. He honoured His heavenly Father and His earthly mother. We are told to be imitators of Christ. (cf. 1 Corinthians 11:1, Ephesians 5:1) If our Lord did honour His mother Mary perfectly, then what stops us from doing so? Mary herself prophesied saying, “For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed” (Luke 1:48) why? Because He who is Mighty has done great things for her. (cf. Luke 1:49) Great things such as being the blessed one who is full of grace (cf. Luke 1:28, 42), the mother of the Word incarnate. (cf. John 1:14)
Also, Jesus tells His disciples “He who hears you hears me, and he who rejects you rejects me, and he who rejects me rejects him who sent me.” (Luke 10:16, cf. Matthew 10:40, Mark 9:37) Mary and the Saints who have endured unto the end, and have won the crown of life are perpetually in God’s friendship there in heaven. (cf. Matthew 24:13, 2 Timothy 4:8, James 1:12, 1 Peter 5:4, Revelation 2:10) We know that God is not the God of the dead but of the living. (cf. Mark 12:26-27), for to Him all are alive. This was clearly demonstrated at the transfiguration where Moses and Elijah appeared. (cf. Matthew 17:1-8, Mark 9:2-9, Luke 9:28-36)
Again, the bodily resurrection of the Saints during the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ speaks volume. (cf. Matthew 27:52)
Is it right to bow before images and statues of the Saints? In answering this question, we must first distinguish between adoration due to God alone and honour due to the Saints. By adoration we mean the acknowledgement of God as God, Creator and King.
Abraham saw the image of God, not His nature, for no man has ever seen God, and he fell down and worship His image. (cf. Genesis 18:2) This is the worship due to God alone.
However, St. John mistakenly adored an angel, a creature of God as God and he was immediately corrected by the angel.
“Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brethren who hold the testimony of Jesus. Worship God.” …” (Revelation 19:10)
Now let us see examples in scriptures that angels are honoured, but not worshipped as God.
Joshua bowed down and honoured an angel of God, but committed no sin in doing so.
“ … And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and worshipped, and said to him, “What does my lord bid his servant?”” (Joshua 5:14)
We should note that, Joshua saw an image of the angel, not the actual form of this angel since angels are bodiless beings. He worshipped (honoured) the angel not as God, but as God’s ministering spirit. Here, we see that it was acceptable in the scriptures.
Also, Lot the nephew of Abraham bowed down before two angels of the Lord, but he was not worshipping them as a god.
“The two angels came to Sodom in the evening; and Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them, and bowed himself with his face to the earth.” (Genesis 19:1)
Were Joshua and Lot worshipping those angels as a god? Certainly not, they were rather honouring them as God’s ministering angels. Now to some instances where people of God bowed to other men, not as a god.
Firstly, David, the servant of the LORD, bowed down and did obeisance before king Saul, but he was not sinning against God’s commandment.
“Afterward David also arose, and went out of the cave, and called after Saul, “My lord the king!” And when Saul looked behind him, David bowed with his face to the earth and did obeisance.” (1 Samuel 24:8)
Furthermore, Ruth bowed down to the ground before Boaz in gratitude, but she was not worshipping him.
“Then she fell on her face, bowing to the ground, and said to him, “Why have I found favour in your eyes, that you should take notice of me, when I am a foreigner?”” (Ruth 2:10)
And again, the Shunammite woman bowed down before the prophet Elisha after he had raised her child from the dead, but she was not committing idolatry.
“She came and fell at his feet, bowing to the ground; then she took up her son and went out.” (2 Kings 4:37)
Bathsheba was blameless when she bowed down in honour of king David, while he was on his deathbed.
“Bathsheba bowed and did obeisance to the king, and the king said, “What do you desire?” (1 Kings 1:16)
Again, the prophet Nathan was likewise not committing idolatry when he also bowed down to king David at his deathbed.
“And when he came in before the king, he bowed before the king, with his face to the ground.” (1 Kings 1: 23 ff)
And finally, when Jacob and Esau had their dramatic reconciliation, we read that:
“He himself went on before them, bowing himself to the ground seven times, until he came near his brother.” (Genesis 33:3)
Can any of us accuse Jacob of idolatry? Certainly not. What stop us from making images of God’s friends? What stop us from honouring images of God’s friends, not as gods? Neither Joshua nor Lot worshipped the angels they saw as gods. Neither do we worship the images as God, but through the image, we show our worship to God, because we honour His friends (our role models), and do them reverence.
Brethren, let us remember that anything can become an idol if it takes the unique place of God. For some people it may be gods, for others it may be money, power, fame, pleasure, work, celebrities. Let us remind ourselves about the words of our Lord Jesus Christ as He says, “You cannot serve God and mammon.” (Matthew 6:24 ff)
At your service LORD.
Adadzie, Godwin Delali (GADEL) GodwinDelali@yahoo.com
Sts. Peter and Paul Catechism Ministry
27th August, 2008.
Pray for us
Catholic Apologetics Guide 101
Scriptural Reference for Catholic Apologetics
by Adadzie, Godwin Delali
This is a little book for those seeking a right understanding of Apologetics in the context of Catholicism. It is written in a simple and friendly manner. It is an attempt to look at some Catholic positions in a Biblical perspective. It is hoped that this book should appeal to the Catholic as well as to the non-Catholic readers. It is not written in a "scholarly" way, but as a plain "theological" statement with the hope of carrying conviction.
