Early Christian Beliefs About Idolatry and Images

Tertullian, On Idolatry Direct teaching

The images of those things are idols; the consecration of the images is idolatry.

Tertullian, Scorpiace Direct teaching

You shall not make you idols fashioned by the hand, neither rear you up a graven image.

Cyprian, Treatises Direct teaching

1. That idols are not gods, and that the elements are not to be worshipped in the place of gods.

Tertullian, On Idolatry Supporting witness

Idolatry is the main crime of the human race. It is the greatest guilt charged against the world, and the full cause of judgment. For although each sin keeps its own particular character, and will be judged under its own name, it is still included under the general charge of idolatry. Put names aside and look at the actions. The idolater is also a murderer. You may ask, whom has he killed? To make the charge even heavier, he has killed no stranger and no personal enemy, but himself. By what traps? By the traps of his error. By what weapon? By the offense committed against God. By how many blows? By as many acts of idolatry as he commits. Anyone who says that the idolater does not perish will also say that the idolater has not committed murder. Further, you can recognize adultery and fornication in this same crime. For anyone who serves false gods is certainly an adulterer against the truth, because all falsehood is adultery. In the same way, he is also plunged into fornication. For who, if he works together with unclean spirits, does not walk in general impurity and fornication? And this is why the Holy Scriptures use the name of fornication when they rebuke idolatry. The nature of

Clement of Alexandria, Exhortation to the Heathen Supporting witness

...iah 40:18-19, and so on. Therefore do not be idolaters, but even now beware of the threats. For the graven images and the works of men's hands shall wail, or rather those who trust in them. Isaiah 10:10-11. For matter is without feeling. Once more he says, "The Lord will shake the cities that are inhabited, and grasp the world in His hand like a nest." Isaiah 10:14. Why should I repeat to you the mysteries of wisdom, and sayings from the writings of the son of the Hebrews, the master of wisdom? "The Lord created me the beginning of His ways, in order to His works." Proverbs 8:22. And, "The Lord gives wisdom, and from His face proceed knowledge and understanding." Proverbs 2:6. "How long will you lie in bed, O sluggard; and when will you be aroused from sleep?" Proverbs 6:9. But if you show yourself no sluggard, "as a fountain your harvest shall come," Proverbs 6:11, the Word of the Father, the kindly light, the Lord that brings light, faith to all, and salvation. Proverbs 6:23. For the Lord who created the earth by His power, as Jeremiah says, "has raised up the world by His wisdom." Jeremiah 10:12. For wisdom, which is His word, raises us up to the truth, we who have fallen pro

Arnobius, Against the Heathen Supporting witness

19. Do the gods live in images? If so, is each god wholly in one image, or divided into parts and limbs? For it is not possible for one god to be in several images at the same time. Nor can he be divided into parts by being cut up. Suppose there are ten thousand images of Vulcan in the whole world. Is it at all possible, as I said, for one deity to be in all ten thousand at the same time? I do not think so. Do you ask why? Because things that are naturally single and unique cannot become many while keeping the wholeness of their simple nature. And they are even less able to do this if the gods have the forms of men, as your belief says. For a hand separated from the head, or a foot divided from the body, cannot show the perfection of the whole. Otherwise, it would have to be said that parts can be the same as the whole, even though the whole cannot exist unless it has been made by gathering its parts together. Moreover, if the same deity is said to be in all the statues, then all reason and sound judgment are lost from the truth, if this is assumed: that at one time one being can remain in them all. Or else each of the gods must be said to divide himself from himself, so that he is

Arnobius, Against the Heathen Supporting witness

...nd make small the power believed to be in their hands. Next we must say something about statues and images, which you make with great skill and care for with religious devotion. If there is any sense in this, we cannot decide, no matter how much we think about it, whether you do this seriously and with a real purpose, or whether you amuse yourselves with childish fantasies by mocking these very things. For if you are sure that the gods you believe in really exist, and that they live in the highest regions of heaven, what cause or reason is there for you to make those images, when you have real beings to whom you may pour out prayers, and from whom you may ask help in times of trouble? But if, on the other hand, you do not believe, or, to speak more moderately, if you are in doubt, then what reason is there, I ask, to make and set up images of doubtful beings, and with empty imitation to shape what you do not believe exists? Do you perhaps say that under these images of the gods, their presence is shown to you, so to speak, and that because you have not been given the ability to see the gods, they are worshiped in this way and the duties owed to them are paid? The person who says

Lactantius, The Divine Institutes Supporting witness

...s. First, they put the elements, that is, the works of God, above God Himself. Second, they worship images of those same elements in human form. For they make images of the sun and moon in the likeness of men. They also do this for fire, earth, and sea, which they call Vulcan, Vesta, and Neptune. Nor do they openly sacrifice to the elements themselves. Men are filled with such a great love for images that the things which are true are now valued less. In fact, they delight in gold, jewels, and ivory. The beauty and brightness of these things blind their eyes, and they think there is no religion where these things do not shine. And so, under the excuse of worshipping the gods, they are really worshipping greed and desire. For they believe that the gods love whatever they themselves desire, whatever it may be. Because of these things, thefts and robberies and murders rage every day. Because of these things, wars overthrow nations and cities throughout the whole world. Therefore they dedicate their spoils and plunder to the gods, who certainly must be weak and lacking in the highest excellence if they are subject to desires. For why should we think they are heavenly if they long fo

Arnobius, Against the Heathen Supporting witness

Here too, those who defend images usually say this: the people of old knew well that images have no divine nature and no sense in them. But they made them in a useful and wise way for the sake of the hard-to-control and ignorant mob, which is the majority among nations and in states. Their purpose was that, when a kind of appearance of the gods was set before them, fear might make them cast off their rough ways. Thinking they were acting in the presence of the gods, they might put away their wicked deeds and, changing their behavior, learn to act like human beings. They also say that majestic forms of gold and silver were provided for them for no other reason than this: people believed that some power was present in their brightness, a power able not only to dazzle the eyes, but even to strike terror into the mind itself by its grand shining splendor. Now this might perhaps seem to be said with some reason, if, after the temples of the gods were built and their images were set up, there were no wicked person in the world and no crime at all; if justice, peace, and good faith possessed the hearts of men; and if no one on earth were called guilty or guiltless, because all were ignora

Arnobius, Against the Heathen Supporting witness

Those images which fill you with terror, and which you adore prostrate upon the ground in all the temples, are bones, stones, brass, silver, gold, clay, wood taken from a tree, or glue mixed with gypsum.

Lactantius, The Divine Institutes Supporting witness

Nor do the foolish men understand, that if images could exercise perception and motion, they would of their own accord adore men, by whom they have been adorned and embellished, since they would be either rough and unpolished stone, or rude and unshapen wood, had they not been fashioned by man.

Arnobius, Against the Heathen Supporting witness

You mock the mysteries of the Egyptians, because they ingrafted the forms of dumb animals upon their divine causes, and because they worship these very images with much incense, and whatever else is used in such rites: you yourselves adore images of men, as though they were powerful gods, and are not ashamed to give to these the countenance of an earthly creature, to blame others for their mistaken folly, and to be detected in a similarly vicious error.

Arnobius, Against the Heathen Supporting witness

24. Here also the advocates of images are wont to say this also, that the ancients knew well that images have no divine nature, and that there is no sense in them, but that they formed them profitably and wisely, for the sake of the unmanageable and ignorant mob, which is the majority in nations and in states, in order that a kind of appearance, as it were, of deities being presented to them, from fear they might shake off their rude natures, and, supposing that they were acting in the presence of the gods, put away their impious deeds, and, changing their manners, learn to act as men;

Justin Martyr, Hortatory Address to the Greeks Supporting witness

Then elsewhere thus:—“But we have strayed from the Immortal’s ways, And worship with a dull and senseless mind Idols, the workmanship of our own hands, And images and figures of dead men.”

Tertullian, On Idolatry Supporting witness

If you look back, too, to the precept enjoining the subsequently made similitude, do you, too, imitate Moses: make not any likeness in opposition to the law, unless to you, too, God have bidden it.

Lactantius, The Divine Institutes Supporting witness

Therefore men formed images of them, that they might derive some consolation from the contemplation of their likenesses;

Tertullian, On Idolatry Supporting witness

All things, therefore, does human error worship, except the Founder of all Himself.

Irenaeus, Against Heresies: Book I Supporting witness

They style themselves Gnostics. They also possess images, some of them painted, and others formed from different kinds of material;

Aristides, The Apology Supporting witness

and for this end they made images and shut them up in shrines, and lo!

Clement of Alexandria, Exhortation to the Heathen Supporting witness

...se, which Nicander says is blind and uncouth, they are still better than those completely senseless idols and images. For they have at least one sense — for example, hearing, or touch, or something like smell or taste — while images do not have even one sense. There are many creatures that have neither sight, nor hearing, nor speech, such as oysters, and yet they live and grow and are affected by the changes of the moon. But images, being motionless, lifeless, and senseless, are bound, nailed, glued, melted, filed, sawed, polished, and carved. Senseless earth is dishonored by the makers of images, who change it by their skill from its proper nature and lead men to worship it. And the makers of gods worship, not gods and demons, but, in my view, earth and art, which together make up images. For in truth, an image is only dead matter shaped by the craftsman's hand. But we do not have a visible image of visible matter. Instead, we have an image perceived by the mind alone — God, who alone is truly God.

Athenagoras, A Plea for the Christians Supporting witness

...ces and hold festivals for him. But the people of Ilium cannot even bear to hear his name, and they worship Hector instead. The people of Ceos worship Aristæus, thinking him to be the same as Zeus and Apollo. The Thasians worship Theagenes, a man who committed murder at the Olympic games. The Samians worship Lysander, despite all the killings and all the crimes committed by him. Alcman and Hesiod worship Medea, and the Cilicians worship Niobe. The Sicilians worship Philip the son of Butacides. The Amathusians worship Onesilus. The Carthaginians worship Hamilcar. Time would fail me if I tried to list them all. Therefore, when they disagree among themselves about their gods, why do they accuse us of not agreeing with them? Now look at the practices among the Egyptians. Are they not completely ridiculous? In their temples, at their sacred festivals, they beat their breasts as if mourning the dead, and they offer sacrifices to those same beings as gods. And this is no wonder, since they regard animals as gods. When these animals die, they shave themselves, bury them in temples, and make public mourning. If, then, we are guilty of impiety because we do not practice a piety like their

Dionysius of Alexandria, Epistles and Epistolary Fragments Supporting witness

...ven you the power to save yourselves, if you are willing to turn to what agrees with nature, and to worship the gods who also keep them in their kingdom, and to forget the things that are against nature. So what do you say to these things? For I do not at all expect that you will be ungrateful for their mercy, since what they are aiming at is to bring you to better ways." Dionysius replied in this way: "Not all people worship all the gods. Different people worship different beings that they think are true gods. But we worship the one God, the Creator of all things, and the very God who has entrusted royal power to their most sacred majesties, Valerian and Gallienus. Him we both honor and worship. And to Him we pray continually on behalf of the rule of these princes, that it may remain unshaken." Aemilianus the prefect said to them, "But who is keeping you from worshipping this god too, if indeed he is a god, along with those who are gods by nature? For you have been commanded to worship the gods, and those gods whom everyone knows to be such." Dionysius replied, "We worship no other." Aemilianus the prefect said to them, "I see that you are both ungrateful for and unmoved by the

Tertullian, De Corona Supporting witness

...it, but "from idols"; that is, from any likeness to them. For it is an unworthy thing that you, the image of the living God, should become the likeness of an idol and a dead man. So far we maintain that this attire belongs to idols, both from the history of its origin and from its use by false religion; on this ground also, that while it is not mentioned as connected with the worship of God, it is more and more given over to those in whose antiquities, as well as festivals and services, it is found. In a word, the very doors, the very victims and altars, the very servants and priests, are crowned. In Claudius, you have the crowns of all the various colleges of priests. We have also added that distinction between things altogether different from each other, namely, things agreeable to reason and things contrary to reason, in answer to those who, because there happens to be the use of some things in common, maintain the right of participation in all things. Therefore, with reference to this part of the subject, it now remains to examine the special grounds for wearing crowns, so that, while we show these to be foreign, indeed even opposed, to our Christian discipline, we may prove

Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho Supporting witness

...d great king who built the Jerusalem temple, none of the psalm's predictions apply to him. No kings worshipped him; he did not rule to the earth's ends; his enemies did not bow and lick the dust before him. Furthermore, I dare to mention what's written in the book of Kings—that he, influenced by a woman, worshipped the idols of Sidon, something which the Gentiles who know God through Jesus refuse to do, enduring torture and death rather than worship idols or eat food offered to them.