The Deception of Idolatry and the Integrity of Faith

Through his own wicked artifice, the devil contrived idolatry in the world, sowing it and establishing it, thereby turning men away from God. Now, following the heresies and the idols, he has once again brought down and deceived the faithful into an ancient form of idolatry.

In this letter, he presents himself as one who has followed the faith of the fathers at Nicaea from his youth, claiming that his parents were born into this same confession and held the same belief. For his own piety will be judged by whether it is proper for us to possess a God depicted through colors.

I have heard that some claim to depict even the incomprehensible Son of God, yet I have no memory of seeing anything of the kind. Which of the ancient fathers of Christ, having painted an icon, ever placed it in a church or in a private house, or upon the lintels of doors? Which of the ancient bishops painted Christ?

Greek

Epistula ad Theodosium imperatorem ̓Επιφανίου ἐπισκόπου Κύπρων Ἐπιστολὴ πρὸς Θεοδόσιον τὸν βασιλέα. 19 τὴν εἰδωλολατρείαν ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ τῇ ἑαυτοῦ κακοτεχνίᾳ ὁ διάβολος ἐμηχανήσατο καὶ ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ ἔσπειρε τοῦτο καὶ ἐθεμελίωσε καὶ τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ἀπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ ἀπέστρεψε· νῦν δὲ πάλιν μετὰ τὰς αἱρέσεις καὶ τὰ εἴδωλα εἰς ἀρχαίαν εἰδωλολατρείαν τοὺς πιστοὺς καθείλκυσε καὶ ἠπάτησε. 20 εἰσφέρει ἑαυτὸν ἐν τῇ ἐπιστολῇ τῇ πίστει τῶν ἐν Νικαίᾳ πατέρων ἐκ νέας ἡλικίας ἠκολουθηκέναι καὶ ὡς οἱ γονεῖς αὐτοῦ ἐν ταύτῃ γεγέννηνται καὶ τὴν αὐτὴν εἶχον ὁμολογίαν. 21 νοήσει γὰρ ἡ σὴ εὐσέβεια εἰ πρέπον ἐστὶν ἔχειν ἡμᾶς θεὸν ζωγραφητὸν διὰ χρωμάτων. 22 ἤκουσα ὡς καὶ τὸν ἀκατάληπτον υἱὸν τοῦ θεοῦ τινὲς γράφειν ἐπαγγέλλονται οὐ μέμνημαί τι τοιοῦτον ἰδών. 23 Τίς τῶν παλαιῶν πατέρων Χριστοῦ εἰκόνα ζωγραφήσας ἐν ἐκκλησίᾳ ἢ ἐν οἴκῳ ἰδίῳ κατέθετο ἢ ἐν βήλοις θυρῶν; τίς τῶν ἀρχαίων ἐπισκόπων Χριστὸν

About this text

Epiphanius begs the emperor to remove religious images, and explains why Christ must not be painted.

Catalogue & scope

Khazarzar scan

Witnesses

Copy-text PG 41–43 (Khazarzar) (Greek)

This is an AI-assisted study translation. Source fidelity and completeness have not been independently certified. Open Greek on each section for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.