Knowing God

by J.I. Packer

All speculative theology, which rests on philosophical reasoning rather than biblical revelation, is at fault here.

Thus it appears that the positive force of the second commandment is that it compels us to take our thoughts of God from his own holy Word, and from no other source whatsoever.

The mind that takes up with images is a mind that has not yet learned to love and attend to God’s Word.

Those who look to manmade images, material or mental, to lead them to God are not likely to take any part of his revelation as seriously as they should.

To make an image of God is to take one’s thoughts of him from a human source, rather than from God himself; and this is precisely what is wrong with image-making.