 IS IT WRONG FOR A CHRISTIAN TO WEAR A CRUCIFIX?
Dear Bro. Waddey:
Is it wrong for a Christian to wear a crucifix as jewelry? Roger
Dear Roger:
Thanks for your question about wearing a crucifix. Your wife's crucifix, I assume, is an image of Christ upon the cross. I can only offer you my opinion since the Bible says nothing about crucifixes.
The second of the ten commandments forbade the making of graven images and bowing down (in worship) unto them and serving them as gods (Ex. 20:4-5). Thus if a person has an image of Christ, or of any other creature, that he adores or regards as having supernatural power, he would be in violation of this passage.
If on the other hand he has a piece of jewelry which is worn for only ornamental purposes and it has an image of a bird, or fish or even of Jesus, that is another matter. It is not an object of religious or superstitious devotion. For example many churches have crosses on their buildings, pews, songbooks or communion service trays. They do not adore them or worship them. They are simply reminders of our Lord's death. Many churches have a logo on their letterhead that depicts Christ on the cross. We do not worship that image. It is a statement of who and what we are. We commonly use images of Jesus in our Bible School literature and tracts and in films used for home Bible Studies. They serve as teaching devices, not objects of adoration.
Over the years I have observed many Christian women wearing necklaces or earrings designed as crosses. Only rarely have I heard such questioned. If we include Christ on the crosses, do they become wrong?
Our hesitancy I suspect is based upon the fact that the Catholic church makes so much of their crucifixes. They do impart spiritual power to them. They are worn or displayed as amulets to protect the wearer from harm. They have tales and legends of how the crucifix saved people from harm. Witches and demons are supposed to be afraid of crucifixes. They kiss and adore them. That usage I would say is wrong in light of the second commandment.
If by wearing the crucifix your wife leaves the impression that she is Roman Catholic or that she regards it as they do, then it becomes an issue of one's influence. If it causes offense to fellow-Christians, Paul's message in I Cor. 10:32 comes to bear: "Give no occasion of stumbling, either to Jews, or to Greeks, or to the church of God." In the big scheme of things, whether or not to wear a certain piece of jewelry is not to be compared to helping another soul get to heaven.
Personally, I see no more harm in wearing a crucifix as a piece of jewelry than in wearing a simple cross, but I would be very careful lest my doing so be interpreted wrongly by others. In such matters each Christian must answer only to the Lord and not answer to me or to others (Rom. 14:4).
John Waddey |
