Icons and Worship
The biblical basis for icons, their purpose as windows to heaven, and the councils that affirmed them.
The use of icons in the Orthodox Church is deeply rooted in the reality of the Incarnation, that God became man in Jesus Christ (John 1:14). Icons serve as visual reminders of the truths of the faith, helping believers to focus their worship on Christ and to honor the saints who have lived faithfully in Him.
The Seventh Ecumenical Council (Nicaea II, 787 AD) affirmed the veneration (proskynesis) of icons while making a clear distinction between veneration (honor) and worship (latreia), which is due to God alone. The council declared:
“The veneration of the icon is directed to the prototype; he who venerates an icon venerates in it the person represented.”
This means that honor given to an icon does not remain with the material image itself but passes to the one depicted, whether Christ, the Theotokos, or the saints.
The Biblical Basis for Icons
Some object to the use of icons based on Exodus 20:4, which forbids graven images. However, the commandment in context prohibits the worship of idols, not the making of sacred images for veneration. In fact, God Himself commands sacred images to be made:
Exodus 25:18-22 – God commands Moses to make golden cherubim for the Ark of the Covenant.
Numbers 21:8-9 – God instructs Moses to make a bronze serpent for healing.
1 Kings 6:23-29 – Solomon decorates the Temple with carved cherubim, palm trees, and flowers, demonstrating that sacred images were used in true worship.
If God forbade all images, He would not have commanded these. Instead, idolatry, the worship of something other than God, is what is condemned. Icons, therefore, are not idols but sacred images that point beyond themselves to heavenly realities. For so many people in ancient times, it was the Gospel on displays, without words.
The Purpose of Icons: A Window to Heaven
Icons are not merely decorative but serve as windows into the spiritual realm. They provide a tangible connection to the communion of saints, just as a family might keep photographs of loved ones to honor and remember them.
A helpful analogy:
Imagine a pastor has a Bible that once belonged to a beloved mentor who first guided him in ministry. This Bible is precious, not just for its contents, but because it represents the mentor’s faith, wisdom, and the influence he had on the pastor’s life. From time to time, the pastor might hold this Bible, maybe even run his hand over its worn cover, and feel a sense of connection to his mentor. He knows this book is not the mentor himself, but in a way, it’s a bridge—it reminds him of the values, teachings, and love that his mentor instilled in him.
Similarly, icons serve as a tangible connection to the saints and, ultimately, to Christ. Just as the pastor’s touch on that Bible honors the legacy of his mentor without confusing the book with the person, venerating icons expresses respect and love toward the saints without worshipping the wood and paint.
The Church Fathers on Icons
The early Church embraced the veneration of icons long before the Reformation rejected them. The Fathers of the Church spoke explicitly about their importance:
St. John of Damascus (676–749 AD) – the great defender of icons, declared:
“I do not worship matter, I worship the Creator of matter, who became matter for my sake… I venerate the matter through which salvation came to me.”
Here, St. John affirms that icons are not worshipped but venerated because they depict Christ and His saints.
St. Basil the Great (c. 329–379 AD)
“The honor paid to the image passes to the prototype.”
This statement, later confirmed by the Seventh Ecumenical Council, reinforces that venerating an icon is not worshipping the material image, but honoring the one it represents.
St. Gregory of Nyssa (c. 335–395 AD)
“Images of Christ and the saints are placed in Churches so that by looking at them, we might recall their deeds and be inspired to imitate their virtues.”
St. Theodore the Studite (c. 759–826 AD)
“If one denies veneration to an icon of Christ, he also denies Christ Himself.”
St. Theodore emphasized that to reject icons of Christ is to reject the reality of His Incarnation. As one saint observed, Satan corrupts every good thing that God makes, twisting what is holy into something profane. This is especially true in the visual realm.
It is tragically ironic that many who accuse Orthodox iconography of being idolatrous will, in secret, consume the devil’s own iconography — images that degrade the human person, distort God’s gift of the body, and enslave the heart.
What icons point to in glory, pornography corrupts in shame. Icons lead us to reverence, to prayer, and to transfigured beauty. Pornography leads us to isolation, objectification, and despair.
In this contrast, we see not only the difference between veneration and lust, but the difference between sanctification and dehumanization. Icons uplift the soul to God; pornography enslaves it to passion.
Historical Councils Affirming Icons
The Council of Trullo (692 AD) – Affirmed the legitimacy of sacred images in churches.
The Seventh Ecumenical Council (787 AD, Nicaea II) – Fully affirmed the use of icons and condemned iconoclasm as heresy.
The Synod of Constantinople (843 AD) – Declared the final victory of icons, celebrated annually as the “Triumph of Orthodoxy.”
Icons are not idols, but sacred images that serve as windows to heaven. They testify to the reality of the Incarnation, the communion of saints, and the continuity of the Church’s faith. To dismiss the veneration of icons is not to reject a mere custom, but to sever oneself from over 1,500 years of continuous Christian witness, before the Reformation ever began.
As St. John of Damascus wisely said:
“If we made an image of the invisible God, we would certainly be in error. But we do not do anything of the kind. We represent God incarnate.”
Thus, the veneration of icons is not an innovation, but a faithful continuation of Apostolic Tradition, leading us to a deeper love and worship of Christ Himself.
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