What does it mean to be sacrilegious?

Answer

Sacrilege is irreverence toward a sacred person, place, or thing. It happens when someone intentionally misuses a consecrated object, desecrates a hallowed place, or speaks disrespectfully about something related to God or religion. The term “sacrilege” originates from Latin roots: sacer (“sacred”) and legere (“to steal”). Initially, sacrilege likely referred to the actions of grave robbers who desecrated tombs but now encompasses any act of taking away sacredness from a religious place, object, or individual.

During a banquet, King Belshazzar of Babylon committed sacrilege by ordering the use of the gold and silver goblets that had been taken from the temple in Jerusalem, so that he, his nobles, his wives, and his concubines could drink from them. They praised the gods of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone as they drank the wine (Daniel 5:3-4). This act was one of Belshazzar’s final deeds, as he was killed that very night (verse 30).

Nadab and Abihu, the two sons of Aaron, committed sacrilege by offering unauthorized fire before the Lord, contrary to His command “And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took each of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which He commanded them not.”, (Leviticus 10:1). Their misuse of their sacred duty led to tragedy: “Fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord” (verse 2). Clearly, God views sacrilege as a grave offense.

In the Old Testament, the tabernacle (and later, the temple) was the place where God would meet with His people. The buBuilding and everything contained therein—such as the ark of the covenant—was sprinkled with the blood of a holy sacrifice and therefore set apart for God. Only the priests, who were also consecrated to the Lord for service, were allowed to enter the tabernacle. God struck dead anyone who violated the tabernacle or profaned the sacred articles (Numbers 16:1-40;2 Samuel 6:6-7). The Holy of Holies was separated from the rest of the tabernacle by a thick veil and could only be entered once a year when the high priest offered a blood sacrifice for the sins of the people. One lesson the tabernacle taught was that God is holy and we are not—and we dare not commit sacrilege against Him.

Jesus warned the Pharisees against their sacrilegious practice of loose oath-taking. In their oaths, the Pharisees tried to make distinctions between the temple and the gold in the temple treasury (the latter being more holy in their eyes) and between the altar and the gift on the altar (the latter being more holy in their eyes). Jesus taught that the temple and everything associated with it was ultimately consecrated to God, so any oath made on any part of the temple was binding before God (Matthew 23:16-22).

One of the most common forms of sacrilege today is the profaning of God’s holy name and the name of our Lord Jesus. This is in direct violation of Exodus 20:7, “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name” cf: Psalm 139:20. The New Testament prohibits “unwholesome talk” «Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. », (Ephesians 4:29), which certainly includes using God’s name in vain.

God’s name should not be used as a swear word.

While some churches today venerate saints and possess “holy” elements, there is no biblical basis to exalt one individual, location, or object as more “sacred” than another. All believers, not just a chosen few, “are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” «ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. », (1 Peter 2:5). The Old Testament temple is no more, and now we are “God’s building” «For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building. », (1 Corinthians 3:9). Paul questions believers, “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?” (verse 16). If someone defaces a church building with blasphemous graffiti today, it is indeed an act of sacrilege, but not because the wood and stone of the building are holy. It is the intention of the vandal to show disrespect to God, directing their action at a visible, tangible representation of God, in their perception. This intention is what renders the vandalism sacrilegious, and God discerns the motive.

Even religious systems can endorse sacrilege if they appropriate the holiness of God and attribute it to individuals or objects. Churches that elevate biblical characters or historical figures to sainthood, pray to saints, demand the worship of icons or relics, or cultivate reverence toward physical objects are committing sacrilege. Individuals whom God has utilized should be honored and learned from, but they are still sinners saved by grace. Physical objects may hold historical significance or serve as religious symbols, but they should never be worshipped, prayed to, or sought after as a means of obtaining grace.