Treatise against Those Who Make Images · §3 · Epiphanius of Salamis

Apostles and Laodicea refuse worship

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Epiphanius is arguing that neither the apostles nor the angels wish to be worshipped, and he now cites the apostle's words to Cornelius and the Council of Laodicea's anathema against invoking angels.

When the apostles were sent out to preach the gospel, they did not want to be worshipped themselves, but only Christ who sent them. The one who received authority from him to bind and loose on earth and in heaven said to Cornelius, "I am a human being of like nature with you," and he taught that he himself was not to be worshipped, but only Christ the Savior.

As for the angels, the fathers who gathered at Laodicea—for they certainly assembled because of just such a matter—say: "If anyone abandons the church of God and invokes angels, let him be anathema, because he has abandoned our Lord Jesus Christ and has fallen into idolatry."

Greek

καὶ γὰρ ο τε εὐαγγελίζεσθαι ἀπεστάλησαν, ἑαυτοὺς

προσκυνεῖσθαι οὐκ η θελον, ἀλλὰ τὸν αὐτοὺς ἀποστείλαντα Χριστόν. ὁ γὰρ ἐξουσίαν

παρ' αὐτοῦ λαβὼν δεσμεύειν καὶ λύειν ἐπὶ γῆς καὶ οὐρανοῦ, ελεγε Κορνηλίῳ ο τι

«ὁμοιοπαθής εἰμι κατὰ σὲ ανθρωπος», καὶ ἐδίδασκε μὴ ἑαυτὸν προσκυνεῖσθαι ἀλλὰ

τὸν σωτῆρα Χριστόν.

11 περὶ δὲ τῶν ἀγγέλων οἱ πατέρες οἱ ἐν Λαοδικείᾳ συνελθόντες– πάντως γὰρ

οτι διὰ τοιαύτην ὑπόθεσιν συνήχθησαν–λέγουσιν· «ει τις ἐγκαταλείπει τὴν

ἐκκλησίαν τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ ἀγγέλους ὀνομάζει, ἀνάθεμα εστω· οτι ἐγκατέλιπε τὸν

κύριον ἡμῶν ̓Ιησοῦν Χριστὸν καὶ εἰδωλολατρείᾳ προσελήλυθε».

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About this text

Epiphanius argues against painting images of Christ, the Mother of God, the saints, and the angels, saying they dishonor those they mean to honor.

Epiphanius of Salamis (c. 310/320–403) was bishop of Salamis, the chief city of Cyprus, from 367 until his death. This treatise is attributed to him and belongs to a small group of writings against images that circulated under his name, though modern scholars debate whether all of them are genuine. It is addressed to Christians who make and honor painted images of Christ, the Mother of God, martyrs, angels, and prophets.

The work opposes the practice of making painted images for memorial and honor, which the author regards as a return to idolatry. He argues that making images of the saints dishonors rather than honors them, since Scripture promises they will be transformed into glory like Christ and the angels, not depicted in dead, voiceless matter.

The fathers at the Council of Laodicea are quoted pronouncing an anathema on those who abandon the church to invoke angels. The author calls Christ incomprehensible and uncircumscribable, meaning he cannot be grasped by the mind or contained in a visual form. The word images renders painted likenesses, worship renders the act of bowing before them, and idolatrous custom renders the practice the author opposes. Old Testament quotations follow the Greek Septuagint book names and Psalm numbering.

Printed text used

Translated from PG 41 – 43 (Greek)

This work has passed our source check. We made this study translation with AI help. No scholar has yet certified it as faithful and complete. Open Greek on any section to see the source text. It is not a critical edition.

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