Did the early Christians venerate images?

[Darron Steele]

As for the “graven image” of Exodus 20:4: what God was forbidding was idolatry: making a stone or block of wood God. The Jews were forbidden to have idols (like all their neighbors had), and God told them not to make an image of Him because He revealed Himself as a spirit. The KJV and RSV Bible versions use the term graven image at Exodus 20:4, but many of the more recent translations render the word as idol (e.g., NASB, NRSV, NIV, CEV). Context makes it very clear that idolatry is being condemned. The next verse states: “You shall not bow down to them or worship them” (NIV, NRSV).

In other words, mere blocks of stone or wood ("them") are not to be worshiped, as that is gross idolatry, and the inanimate objects are not God. This does not absolutely preclude, however, the notion of an icon, where God is worshiped with the help of a visual aid.

Idolatry is a matter of disobedience in the heart towards the one true God. ....

Correct. Orthodox and Catholic worship-like veneration of images is not idolatry when done according to the guidelines of their leaderships. The images are considered `worship aids' in worship of the one true God.

However, Exodus 20:4-5a says "Thou shalt not make unto thee a graven image, nor any manner of likeness, of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; thou shalt not bow down unto them, nor serve them" (JPS 1917).

I believe that this prohibition would include images of Jesus Christ, or of the Father, or of the Holy Spirit, or of people believed to have special favor before the Lord. Orthodox and Catholic use of religious images may not be idolatry, but it is still wrong.

The practice does not appear in records from or about the New Testament-era church either. The reason for that is that it was not practiced. They knew it would have been wrong.

 

[BobRyan]

#1. Animism is sometimes described AS IF this is the "only form of idolatry that exists". And that is error. The other kind -- the more common kind - is the same kind practiced by the RCC.

#2. In Hindu cultures for example - the wood is NOT god -- rather the wood is merely an ICON that STANDS for god - representing a god to be prayed to and worshipped - you know... just like the RCC does.

I work with a lot of Hindu's and never met one that said that they think the marble, the wood, the stone ITSELF is the god in whose image it has been carved.

Quote:

Cath Digest 9/1993 pg 129
Question:
“My husband has been transferred to Japan and we have been here in Hiroshima for about two months. On a site seeing tour the Japanese guide brought me to a Buddhist shrine. There were statues of Buddha everywhere. The guide told me they represented different aspects of life and that the people offer food to the Buddhas and ask for Favors. It made me think of Our Catholic praying to the saints and wonder whether they have anything like the Ten Commandments to guide them.

There were fountains at the gate where pious visitors washed their hands before entering the shrine grounds. Could this be the same as our holy water?”

Ans:
“Very probably the physical washing signifies some kind of spiritual cleansing, AS it does with Us! Some Muslims say prayers on rosarylike beads Just as We do, so there is no copyright enforced on prayerful customs among the great world religions. [b]The Pagan Romans prayed, each family to its Own household gods, JUST as we do to our patron saints[/b]. In Old Testament times the gentile had local gods for their town or country, and our Christian Saints eventually supplanted Them!

The Hebrews, of Course, [b]had the mission of Wiping Out such heathen worship[/b] with the worship of the one true God, and while they have always had great respect for spiritual heroes, they Never set up any of their own race as substitutes for the local pagan gods!!
They had no need to make distinctions between praying TO the saints for their intercession with god and total adoration of God as the source of everything, as we must!