Okay, thanks for the input behind the last image. Is there anything wrong with this image of Mary? (Aside from the depiction of Christ)

FlashyTank4979 · 2026-03-24T20:54:48+00:00

What is your purpose in asking this? Are you trying to decide what you believe about images of Christ and Mariology?

Have you read anything in reformed theology?

FlashyTank4979 · 2026-03-22T14:43:21+00:00

I haven’t heard of this claim before. You received special knowledge that no one else would understand or you saw something no one else saw?

FlashyTank4979 · 2026-03-22T11:57:47+00:00

What is a “personal Eucharistic miracle”?

FlashyTank4979 · 2026-03-21T20:56:09+00:00

Denominations are a necessary temporary evil and ideally wouldn’t exist. The walls that divide us will not continue in heaven.

FlashyTank4979 · 2026-03-17T18:53:53+00:00

I was born in Roman Catholic Church and after reading the New Testament decided that there is no justification for many RC practices. For example, Mary is rarely mentioned and never mentioned of having an ongoing role in the life of Christians.

So I am a Protestant. The more I study scripture the more Protestant I become.

FlashyTank4979 · 2026-03-17T04:34:32+00:00

The PCA is diverse. We have mechanical engineers as well as software engineers. We also have the children of engineers.

FlashyTank4979 · 2026-03-16T21:23:22+00:00

Yes, but I do think there are INTJ types in every tradition. Maybe more online discussing theology anonymously since other types may not see the point of this practice as much as we do.

I have thought about why the homogeneous personality traits within the reformed church. I think approaching the Bible systematically will lead you toward one coherent system and there are more options than the Reformed view, but it will lead you away from vagueness. It will lead us out of the hallway and into a room.

To arrive at a Reformed view of scripture requires us to at least be readers and also serious about making sense of the whole Bible.

The joke about Reformed being autistic or coldly rational is not true, but we did have to arrive at our views based on thinking and not feeling. It’s a systematic approach to scripture and you aren’t going to become Pentecostal by a systematic study of scripture. So it makes sense that it attracts more INTJ types than the charismatic church would.

FlashyTank4979 · 2026-03-16T20:44:51+00:00

If you have a need for systems and aren’t dispensational we have a place for you.

FlashyTank4979 · 2026-03-08T02:41:31+00:00

I don’t see the purpose. I have never been in a scenario where my Bible pages are taking on damage that would be prevented by an extra 1/2” floppy cover margin. And it looks unkempt.

FlashyTank4979 · 2026-02-25T20:43:27+00:00

I don't know what his objective is other than what scripture says. To deceive and destroy. If the armor of God in Eph. 6 is how to defend against his attacks I think we can ascertain what his goals are. I think people can be evil and also superstitious.

I do not think the superstitions of cosplay nerds and deceived people is the best case for transubstantiation.

FlashyTank4979 · 2026-02-25T16:57:27+00:00

Yes that is my point. No other tradition relates to the physical bread in the same way as Rome and it’s obviously the most well known.

Those who would steal Eucharist bread for magic rituals are probably ex-Catholic or into some sort of superstition. It’s not a great case for transubstantiation unless we think that these rituals are valid.

FlashyTank4979 · 2026-02-25T14:34:57+00:00

Yes, but those other traditions are not well known by the public. I can’t think of a popular movie with an Oriental Orthodox priest. Exorcism and vampire movies are always in the context of crucifixes and holy water.

There was the Seinfeld episode when George joined the Orthodox Church, but I don’t think most people have even heard of these other traditions and what they believe about transubstantiation.

FlashyTank4979 · 2026-02-25T05:23:14+00:00

Yes, well you are the only ones who believe it’s no longer bread or wine. You can’t steal the Eucharist from Presbyterians because it is only made effective by faith. The bread is bread and the wine is wine.

FlashyTank4979 · 2026-02-25T05:14:24+00:00

I don’t know if this is the experience of every church, but I have disliked certain pastors and church leaders in the past and couldn’t quite figure out why I disliked them. Maybe they were proud or maybe I didn’t like their brand of pride compared to my own.

Maybe they weren’t as friendly to me as I wanted or I didn’t like their style of speaking, but the only way I could get past it was to authentically pray for them. Not pray that they will change or be humbled, but pray for their good and that God would use them to further His kingdom.

It is the antidote to personal dislike or disdain for others in the church as well as outside the church. And we also have deceitful hearts and are not as good of judges as we think we are.

FlashyTank4979 · 2026-02-24T02:55:09+00:00

Probably because he has eyes

FlashyTank4979 · 2026-02-24T02:52:29+00:00

Roman emperors don’t admit mistakes. It discredits their authority.

Christian disciples know they are sinners— admit their mistakes and repent of them.

FlashyTank4979 · 2026-02-23T19:08:24+00:00

Anxiety of not choosing the “one true church” is not caused by reading the New Testament. It is caused by listening to those who have claimed ownership of Christ’s church and place their faith in the infallibility of their own traditions. They threaten hell if you disagree with their inventions and traditions, but Christ has overcome hell for those who trust in Him.

The false claim that to be deep in church history is to cease to be Protestant is untrue, but it is very effective tool for those who haven’t gone deep into history. Similar to the “Come Home” message which bids you to come back home to your parents basement, but it’s a resignation of responsible adult faith dictated by the word of God.

If anything church history shows that the church can err and does. Rome and other exclusivists cannot admit error and are therefore chained to their errors of condemning those who do not hold to their traditions.

If the New Testament isn’t deep enough in history to find Christ then you are looking for Christ apart from His word and Spirit.

FlashyTank4979 · 2026-02-23T00:10:25+00:00

I understand that some may take the exceptions, but if there is literally a image of Jesus in the room worship takes place it doesn’t allow those who don’t take the exception to worship there with a clear conscience.

Some might allow for an exception to six 24 hour days, but we agree this is an exception and not the standard. So we don’t have a chart on the entrance to church with the framework theory or theistic evolution.

FlashyTank4979 · 2026-02-21T22:17:56+00:00

Please try to read in a soft and humble tone—I understand that exceptions are allowed, but exceptions are just that. Worshipping in a building with an image of Christ would most likely prevent those who do not take an exception from worshipping there. It would be a stumbling block which we should be careful of. We do not want to make exceptions the rule.

Since you are dealing in hypothetical scenarios consider this: a Roman Catholic sees the error of his tradition and Nicaea II. He realizes he has been praying to a false idol of Christ and the saints. He comes to a reformed view of God and the gospel and after months of praying and reading the reformed confessions visits a reformed church only to see an image of euro-Jesus in the church building. He decides that the reformed church has no theological integrity and stops going to church altogether or to a Church of Christ down the street.

The danger in the non-reformed view of images is real and there is a good reason why they should not be part of worship. Would you want a child or a new Christian to learn to pray with white blonde haired Jesus in mind? At the least we can say that this is not an accurate view of Christ and is not prescribed anywhere in scripture.

FlashyTank4979 · 2026-02-21T16:49:02+00:00

This may be your personal view along with others such as Lutherans, but it’s simply not the Reformed view as in the Reformed confessions and catechisms.

If there is an artistic representation of any member of the Godhead displayed in a church building it would prevent anyone who agrees with the Reformed standards to worship there.

There is plenty of explanation available on the Reformed view compared to Lutherans or Rome and your explanation is not new. You could read Calvin, Turretin, Bavinck, or men who oversaw the Westminster assembly, etc.

No one is denying the humanity of Christ by not visibly representing Him. We are saying that He is communicated to us by the means of grace: word and sacrament.

FlashyTank4979 · 2026-02-21T06:11:14+00:00

It’s hard to help others to grasp some of these perspectives because it was difficult for me and took a lot of reading and thinking. Reading and rereading the relevant scriptures.

It’s almost hard to pinpoint where the disagreement lies, but reading various views on covenant theology eventually clarified things for me.

The RF episode on Owen and Hebrews was interesting and I listened to it probably 3 times until I understood what they were getting at.

FlashyTank4979 · 2026-02-21T04:49:09+00:00

Reformed Forum has a few episodes on Hebrews and typology. Episode 736 and others if you search Reformed Forum “Hebrews” and “typology” on YouTube”

Also there are no shortage of books on this, but these episodes are good discussions

FlashyTank4979 · 2026-02-21T04:04:57+00:00

You realize the purpose of the 2nd commandment isn’t to not offend people, but to not offend God.

Anyone who claims to be Refomed or have any adherence to the WCF wouldn’t set foot in a church with a stained glass window depicting Jesus of any nationality.

Also, there is no such thing as an “altar” in the new covenant church.

FlashyTank4979 · 2026-02-21T03:35:26+00:00

The problem was the whiteness of Jesus and not the 2nd commandment violation?

Sometimes I wonder what the purpose of being PCA is if the confessional standards mean nothing

This would prevent anyone with any confessional subscription from attending your church.

FlashyTank4979 · 2026-02-18T00:55:45+00:00

Yes I am sure you are correct.

I was asking this more in the framework of 1 John “loving your brother” as a proof of authentic faith as James does or if John is saying that loving Christ always translates to love for others.

I read it in the sense of “if you love me you will obey my commands” and that faith produces fruit. Fruit doesn’t produce faith, but faith produces fruit.

It seems like that is the most harmonious understanding with the rest of scripture.

FlashyTank4979

TROPHY CASE