Letter to John of Jerusalem · §4 · Epiphanius of Salamis

Sending the replacement curtain and urging John to prevent such hangings

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Epiphanius is closing his letter to John of Jerusalem, explaining that he has now sent the replacement curtain and asking John to order the local presbyter to receive it and to prevent such images in churches.

I had expected to send one from Cyprus, but now I have sent what I found. Deign, then, to order the presbyter of the parish to receive what has been sent from the reader, and I ask you to command that such things not be hung in the churches. For it is fitting for your honor to care about all things and to examine carefully what is beneficial for the church of God and for the people entrusted to you.

Greek

ζητεῖν προσεδόκων γὰρ ἀπὸ Κύπρου ἀποστέλλεσθαι, νῦν οὖν ὅπερ εὗρον ἀπέστειλα. καταξίωσον οὖν κελεῦσαι τῷ πρεσβυτέρῳ τῆς παροικίας δέξασθαι παρὰ τοῦ ἀναγνώστου τὸ ἀπεσταλμένον, καὶ παρακαλῶ πρόσταξον ἵνα μὴ τοιαῦτα ἁπλοῦται ἐν ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις· πρέπει γὰρ τῇ σῇ τιμιότητι περὶ πάντων φροντίζειν καὶ ἀκριβολογεῖν περὶ τῶν συμφερόντων τῇ τοῦ θεοῦ ἐκκλησίᾳ καὶ τοῖς λαοῖς τοῖς ἐμπεπιστευμένοις σοι.

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About this text

A bishop's urgent plea for unity and truth amid accusations of idolatry in a holy land.

Epiphanius of Salamis (c. 310/320–403) wrote this letter to John, bishop of Jerusalem, in 394 or 395. Epiphanius was bishop of Salamis in Cyprus. He wrote to explain and defend his action of tearing a curtain with a painted human image in a church at Anautha, and to send what he had obtained as a replacement.

John was angry that Epiphanius had ordained a priest inside John's jurisdiction, and Epiphanius had openly charged John with being an Origenist.

Epiphanius urges John not to be carried away by pride of office but to heed Scripture's warning against grumbling. He prays that God will crush Satan under the feet of Christians and prevent the bond of Christ's unfeigned love, peace, right faith, and truth from being torn away from them. He then recounts that while traveling to the holy place of Bethel to meet with John, he entered a church at the village of Anautha, found a curtain painted with a human image said to be Christ or a saint, tore it as an abomination in church, and advised using it to wrap a poor dead person. He notes that some grumbled, saying he should have replaced the curtain from his own resources before tearing it, though he had promised to send another. He now sends what he found, having expected to send something from Cyprus, and asks John to order the local presbyter to receive it and to prevent such things from being placed in churches. The letter quotes 1 Corinthians 10:10 directly without naming Paul, with a possible allusion to 10:9.

Printed text used

Translated from PG 41 – 43 (Greek)

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