Topical Bible: Idolatry: They Who Practise: Carried Away by It

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Idolatry, the worship of idols or the excessive reverence for something other than God, is a recurring theme throughout the Bible. It is depicted as a grave sin that leads individuals and nations away from the true worship of Yahweh. Those who practice idolatry are often described as being carried away by it, indicating a loss of spiritual discernment and a departure from God's commandments.

The Bible provides numerous examples of individuals and groups who were led astray by idolatry. In the Old Testament, the Israelites frequently fell into idol worship, despite clear warnings from God. In Exodus 32:8 , God laments, "How quickly they have turned aside from the way I commanded them! They have made for themselves a molten calf, have bowed down to it, sacrificed to it, and said, ‘These, O Israel, are your gods, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.’" This incident illustrates how quickly and easily the people were carried away by idolatry, forsaking the God who delivered them.

The prophet Jeremiah also speaks to the pervasive nature of idolatry among the Israelites. In Jeremiah 10:14 , he declares, "Every man is senseless and devoid of knowledge; every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols. For his molten images are a fraud; there is no breath in them." Here, the futility and deception of idol worship are highlighted, showing how it leads people into spiritual blindness and ignorance.

In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul addresses the issue of idolatry among the Gentiles. In Romans 1:21-23 , he writes, "For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but they became futile in their thinking and darkened in their foolish hearts. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images of mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles." Paul emphasizes that idolatry results in a darkening of the heart and mind, leading individuals away from the truth of God.

The consequences of being carried away by idolatry are severe. In 2 Kings 17:15 , it is recorded, "They rejected His statutes and His covenant He had made with their fathers, as well as the testimonies He had given them. They pursued worthless idols and themselves became worthless, going after the surrounding nations the LORD had commanded them not to imitate." This passage underscores the spiritual degradation and worthlessness that result from idol worship.

The Bible consistently warns against the dangers of idolatry and the ease with which people can be led astray. In 1 Corinthians 10:14 , Paul exhorts believers, "Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry." This admonition serves as a reminder of the need for vigilance and faithfulness to God, avoiding the snares of idolatry that can so easily entangle and carry away the unwary.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

1 Corinthians 12:2
You know that you were Gentiles, carried away to these dumb idols, even as you were led.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Josiah, a Pattern for the Ignorant.
... Even after years of activity against idolatry, in the ... better than he did, and to
practise it more ... punishment awaited his own people, should they persist in sin ...
/.../newman/parochial and plain sermons vol viii/sermon vii josiah a pattern.htm

Rom. Ii. 17, 18
... we hang our instruments," but still they might not ... will you say, Forsake idolatry,
acknowledge God, and draw ... thing for a Gentile to practise idolatry, and a ...
/.../chrysostom/homilies on acts and romans/homily vi rom ii 17.htm

Answer to the Objection of the Heathen, that it was not Right to ...
... evil one, and prefer wisdom to idolatry, and take ... having obeyed, instead of the
destruction they looked for ... Practise husbandry, we say, if you are a husbandman ...
/.../clement/exhortation to the heathen/chapter x answer to the objection.htm

Six Years in North Bengal --Missionary and Indigo Planter
... to live by farming, Thomas was to practise his profession ... were a million times worse
than they are, if I ... idols, the folly and wickedness of idolatry, the nature ...
/.../smith/the life of william carey/chapter iv six years in.htm

Saurin -- Paul Before Felix and Drusilla
... and experience confirms, that "covetousness is idolatry." The covetous ... to be restricted
to the practise of virtue ... Ask whether they have renounced their salvation ...
/.../kleiser/the worlds great sermons volume 3/saurin paul before felix.htm

Jeremiah, a Lesson for the Disappointed.
... the whole extent of the promised land; idolatry was destroyed ... found, and in the way
in which they are to ... we must go through pain, we must practise self-denial ...
/.../newman/parochial and plain sermons vol viii/sermon ix jeremiah a lesson.htm

Historia Acephala.
... peoples, holding communion in the Churches, should practise religion ... and him for
the sake of idolatry he cast ... was stirred at Alexandria, and so they all became ...
/.../athanasius/select works and letters or athanasius/historia acephala.htm

Paul in Ephesus.
... order of nature, to patronise idolatry, and encourage ... and fortunetellers of other
nations, to practise their arts ... prevailed against them, so that they fled out ...
/.../dick/lectures on the acts of the apostles/lecture xxii paul in ephesus.htm

CHAP. II. 4-25 (2-23).
... that her whole aim was only to excite to it, and to practise it ... and in the midst
of idolatrous nations, a stronger temptation to idolatry than they had in ...
/.../hengstenberg/christology of the old testament/chap ii 25-apr 2-23.htm

The Lame Man Cured by Peter and John.
... license, in which the ancient systems of idolatry indulged their ... imitation of the
Apostles, who gave what they had; and ... Let us then go forth and practise in the ...
/.../dick/lectures on the acts of the apostles/lecture iv the lame man.htm