Distorted Views of God Through Human Traditions and Examples

Scripture identifies the human heart as the primary source of distorted conceptions of God. The fall corrupted human nature at its root, leaving humanity "evil in heart" and "blinded in heart," with minds that are "depraved" and "without understanding" ^[1]. This foundational corruption manifests in systematic opposition to God's self-revelation, as "the world's viewpoint is one of systematic evil, opposed to God" ^[12]. The distortion is not merely intellectual error but a moral condition affecting the entire person.

The Exchange: Trading Glory for Images

Romans 1:23 describes the fundamental distortion: humanity "traded the glory of the incorruptible God for the likeness of an image of corruptible man, and of birds, and four-footed animals, and creeping things" ^[4]. This exchange represents more than aesthetic preference—it constitutes a deliberate substitution of the Creator's self-disclosure with projections shaped by creaturely categories. Idolatry, which Scripture forbids in multiple forms, includes not only "bowing down to images" and "worshipping other gods" but also "worshipping the true God by an image" ^[5]. The latter category proves particularly insidious: even when the object of worship is nominally the true God, the medium of representation can fundamentally distort the reality being worshipped.

The defilement extends beyond the act itself. As with adultery, idolatry "defiles God's people" ^[11], corrupting their capacity to perceive and relate to God accurately. This defilement operates through the heart, where God threatens to "take the house of Israel in their own heart" by which "they are ensnared, and drawn aside to their ruin; being given up to strong delusions" ^[13]. The distortion becomes self-reinforcing: corrupted hearts produce corrupted worship, which further hardens the heart.

Tradition as Instrument of Distortion

Human traditions function as vehicles for these distortions when they displace divine revelation. Mark 7:13 identifies the mechanism: such traditions "cancel the word of God," and this cancellation was "not an isolated instance" but a pattern evident throughout Israel's history ^[9]. The charge against Hezekiah illustrates how tradition can invert moral categories: Rabshakeh accused him of overthrowing God's worship when Hezekiah had actually "taken away false gods and superstitious worship, which God abhors" ^[8]. The tradition had become so entrenched that its removal appeared as sacrilege rather than reformation.

Paul warns of "men of depraved mind who are devoid of the truth" who "regard godliness as a means of gain" ^[3]. This commodification of religion represents another form of distortion—not replacing God with an image, but reshaping the concept of God to serve human interests. The accusation in Acts 18:13 that Paul persuaded "men to worship God contrary to the Law" ^[2] demonstrates how tradition can become the standard by which even authentic worship is judged heretical.

The Role of Deception

False prophets and teachers actively propagate distorted views through supernatural means. Scripture records "miracles through evil agents," performed "in support of false religions" by "false prophets" ^[6]. These signs, "wrought through the power of the devil," are designed to "deceive the ungodly" ^[6]. The warning extends to dreams and visions, where "false prophets pretended to" divine revelation and were "condemned for pretending to" such experiences ^[7]. The danger lies not in the medium itself—God genuinely reveals His will through dreams ^[7]—but in counterfeits that exploit human credulity.

The apostolic response to such distortions involves "casting down imaginations" and "the carnal reasonings of the minds of natural men against God, his providences and purposes, against Christ, and the methods of salvation" ^[10]. This warfare targets not merely false conclusions but the reasoning structures that generate them, recognizing that distorted views of God arise from "every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge" of God ^[10].

The hardening described in Acts 28:27—hearts "waxed gross," ears "dull of hearing," eyes "wilfully shut"—represents the terminal stage of distortion, where the capacity for correction has been systematically destroyed ^[14]. The progression moves from initial corruption through habitual distortion to final imperviousness, a trajectory Scripture presents as both judgment and self-inflicted blindness.

Sources

Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Fall of Man, The — By the disobedience of Adam -- Ge 3:6,11,12; Ro 5:12,15,19. Through temptation of the devil -- Ge 3:1-5; 2Co 11:3; 1Ti 2:14. Man in consequence of Made in the image of Adam. -- Ge 5:3; 1Co 15:48,49. Born in sin. -- Job 15:14; 25:4; Ps 51:5; Isa 48:8; Joh 3:6. A child of wrath. -- Eph 2:3. Evil in heart. -- Ge 6:5; 8:21; Jer 16:12; Mt 15:19. Blinded in heart. -- Eph 4:18. Corrupt and perverse in his ways. -- Ge 6:12; Ps 10:5; Ro 3:12-16. Depraved in mind. -- Ro 8:5-7; Eph 4:17; Col 1:21; Tit 1:15. Without understanding. -- Ps 14:2,3; Ro 3:11; 1:31. ”
Acts “Acts 18:13 (LITV) — saying, This one persuades men to worship God contrary to the Law.”
I Timothy “I Timothy 6:5 (BSB) — and constant friction between men of depraved mind who are devoid of the truth. These men regard godliness as a means of gain.”
Romans “and traded the glory of the incorruptible God for the likeness of an image of corruptible man, and of birds, and four-footed animals, and creeping things. -- Romans 1:23”
Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Idolatry — Forbidden -- Ex 20:2,3; De 5:7. Consists in Bowing down to images. -- Ex 20:5; De 5:9. Worshipping images. -- Isa 44:17; Da 3:5,10,15. Sacrificing to images. -- Ps 106:38; Ac 7:41. Worshipping other gods. -- De 30:17; Ps 81:9. Swearing by other gods. -- Ex 23:13; Jos 23:7. Walking after other gods. -- De 8:19. Speaking in the name of other gods. -- De 18:20. Looking to other gods. -- Ho 3:1. Serving other gods. -- De 7:4; Jer 5:19. Fearing other gods. -- 2Ki 17:35. Sacrificing to other gods. -- Ex 22:20. Worshipping the true God by an image, & c. -- Ex 32:”
Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Miracles Through Evil Agents — Performed through the power of the devil -- 2Th 2:9; Re 16:14. Wrought In support of false religions. -- De 13:1-2. By false christs. -- Mt 24:24. By false prophets. -- Mt 24:24; Re 19:20. A mark of the Apostasy -- 2Th 2:3,9; Re 13:13. Not to be regarded -- De 13:3. Deceive the ungodly -- 2Th 2:10-12; Re 13:14; 19:20. Exemplified Magicians of Egypt. -- Ex 7:11,22; 8:7. Witch of Endor. -- 1Sa 28:7-14. Simon Magus. -- Ac 8:9-11.”
Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Dreams — Visions in sleep -- Job 33:15; Da 2:28. Often by imaginary -- Job 20:8; Isa 29:8. Excess of business frequently leads to -- Ec 5:3. God's will often revealed in -- Nu 12:6; Job 33:15. False prophets Pretended to. -- Jer 23:25-28; 29:8. Not to be regarded in. -- De 13:1-3; Jer 27:9. Condemned for pretending to. -- Jer 23:32. Vanity of trusting to natural -- Ec 5:7. The ancients Put great faith in. -- Jdj 7:15. Often perplexed by. -- Ge 40:6; 41:8; Job 7:14; Da 2:1; 4:5. Anxious to have, explained. -- Ge 40:8; Da 2:3. Consulting magicians on. -- Ge 41:8; Da 2:”
CCEL (Reformed) “Calvin, Commentary on Isaiah, Vol. 3, section 4.14: to us, that, imitating the example of Hezekiah, we may stand unshaken against such accusations and slanders. So far as relates to the last clause, in which Rabshakeh reproaches him with having overturned the worship of God, 36 36 Our author refers to the charges contained in the 7 th verse of this chapter. — Ed. every person must plainly see how slanderous is that charge; for Hezekiah had taken away false gods and superstitious 37 37 “ Les idols et l’idolatrie .” “Idols and idolatry.” worship, which God abhors. ( 2 Kings 18:4 .) But we need n”
Mark (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Mark 7:13: 7:13 The result of such traditions was to cancel the word of God. • only one example among many others: It was not an isolated instance; see, e.g., Isa 1:10-20; 58:1-14.”
2 Corinthians (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on 2 Corinthians 10:5: Casting down imaginations,.... Or "reasonings"; the carnal reasonings of the minds of natural men against God, his providences and purposes, against Christ, and the methods of salvation, and every truth of the Gospel; which are all disproved, silenced, and confounded, by the preaching of the word, which though reckoned the foolishness and weakness of God, appears to be wiser and stronger than men; and whereby the wisdom of the wise is destroyed, and the understanding of the prudent brought to nothing: and every high thing that exalteth itself against the know”
Psalms (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Psalms 106:39: 106:39 Idolatry, like adultery, defiles God’s people (see Lev 18:24; Hos 5:3).”
1 John (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on 1 John 4:5: 4:5 The world’s viewpoint is one of systematic evil, opposed to God (2:15-17).”
Ezekiel (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Ezekiel 14:5: That I may take the house of Israel in their own heart,.... By which they are ensnared, and drawn aside to their ruin; being given up to strong delusions, to believe a lie, and worship idols; God threatening to answer them by righteous judgments, and thereby take the wickedness, the hypocrisy, and idolatry, that were in their hearts, and expose and make it manifest unto others; or, by punishing them, to draw out the corruption and sin that were in them, that it might be seen what a wicked people they were. The Targum interprets the text in another way, "that I may ”
Acts (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Acts 28:27: For the heart of this people is waxed gross,.... Or fat; stupefied with notions of carnal and temporal things, and become hardened against, and unsusceptible of, divine and spiritual things: and their ears are dull of hearing; the Gospel, and its joyful sound; to which they stop their cars, as the deaf adder to the voice of the charmer: and their eyes have they closed; and wilfully shut, against all evidence from facts, miracles, prophecies, and preaching: lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and shoul”

Ask Your Own Question