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Jumpstarter 9 of 10

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The Claims of Rome and Eastern Orthodoxy  /  Images and Prayers to Saints  /  Discussion Questions
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Question 9
The Epiphanius letter describes a bishop tearing down a curtain with an image in a church because it was “contrary to the teaching of the Scriptures”; what does this episode reveal about how seriously Scripture functioned as a limiter on worship practice, and how would our churches respond today if someone acted with that kind of conviction?
Another way to ask: A bishop tore down a church curtain with an image because he thought it broke Scripture. What does that show about how Scripture limited worship practices, and how would our churches react if someone acted that strongly today?

Direct Answer Based on the transcript, the episode shows Scripture was treated as an active boundary on worship innovations, even to the point of immediate correction; today, many churches would likely see such action as disruptive, yet it raises the question of whether we still let Scripture limit cherished practices.

Support from Transcript:

  • Epiphanius sees the curtain bearing an image “either of Christ or of one of the saints” and “loathe[s] that an image of a man should be hung up in Christ's church, contrary to the teaching of the Scriptures.”
  • He “tore it asunder” and urged it be used as a burial sheet, showing urgency and moral seriousness.
  • He then supplies a replacement curtain and asks another bishop to order that such curtains “opposed as they are to our religion shall not be hung up in any church of Christ.”
  • Bercot uses this to show images were “beginning to creep in” in the 4th century, but there was “pretty strong opposition,” even from bishops.
  • He contrasts this with the later requirement to venerate icons, showing a major shift from Scripture-limited practice to mandated veneration.
Discussion Follow-ups If someone today publicly challenged a worship element as “contrary to Scripture,” would leaders investigate or just manage the conflict? What is a wise, biblical way to correct errors without disorder?

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