As someone who was once vehemently opposed to iconography, the Orthodox church has directed me straight into a gentle blessing that has filled my soul with joy. The icons allow me to partake in the movement of salvation, and to remind me constantly that my name be inscribed in the book of life. The icons, to put it simply, make me realize the glory of God.
I’m an inquirer coming from an American Protestant background, and I’ve seen many videos making a defense of icons (which I very much needed), but this is the first one I’ve seen that has helped me make sense of the way they look, which I deeply appreciate. Thank you ever so much.
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️☦️☦️☦️☦️☦️🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏 We love icons, and have well over a hundred, collected over twenty years. We certainly find them a comfort and have felt the presence of God through venerating our favourite ones. These are truly enlightening videos, full of inspiration, hope there will be more. God bless, and thank you so much.
The only icon i have at the moment is an icon of theotokos. im hoping to get more, like a jesus icon, and a saint michael or saint george icon. god bless you. ☦️
It is me. The Holy Spirit inspired the Bible alone. Not oral tradition no one can test. True faith hears the word of God, keeps it and does it. God justifies sinners through faith alone in Christ alone without any icon. May God bless you.
@Arch Stanton First: I am no Biblolater. I worship God, not a book. The simple answer is that the Holy Spirit teaches us inwardly what the Scriptures teach us by the letter. So true Christians are abel to discern what is of the Spirit and what of the soul. Read Hebrews 4,12. So the canon was fixed by abel people and their decision is confirmed by abel people. When Jesus Christ came in my life I soon realized that the bible is God`s word. This is my question to you: Is Christ in you? Did you ever test yourself according to 2. Corinthians 13,5 ? If not, every wind of teaching will blow you here and there. But with Christ in you and Sola Scriptura you will find the narrow path. May God help you.
@Arch Stanton I am only a poor German protestant justified by God`s grace through faith alone according to the letter of Romans. I praise God who redeemed me through Jesus Christ who died for me at the cross paying for my sins. Don`t expect that such a barbarian like me could ever answer your questions. Your superior wisdom is too high for me. I will never reach it. Enjoy.
@Arch Stanton I love Church history. And I am aware of the 7 councils and their creeds. With the great Reformers I hold the councils in esteem but agree that councils sometimes erred (f.e. the 7th of Nicaea in 787). Scripture is the sole infallible authority and the sole source of revelation. It must be interpreted in and by the Church within the hermeneutical boundaries of the rule of faith (Romans 12,6). I hold the Augsburg Confession (1530) and the Westminster Confession (1646) in high esteem. But I also test them (1.Thess. 5,21). To gain a deeper understanding of the "faith that God once for all entrusted the saints" (Jude 3). "Once for all" is remarkable. Martin Luther was a high educated professor knowing Church History very well. He also knew he was a sinner and feared to be damned. Than God saved him through understanding the gospel in the letter of Romans: "The rightousness of Christ - imputed to sinners" (1.Mose 15,6 and Romans 4,5). Martin Luther and the Reformers gave the church back that was lost. After darkness - light. My friend, why should I cease being a Protestant after studying Church history? Which is so rich? But not unfailable? May God bless you. Reinhold
@Arch Stanton The teachings of Martin Luther are the teachings of the apostle Paul and of the bible. He brought nothing new. It can be compared with the reformation of the 2nd temple in Jerusalem. Likewise God punished the eastern orthodox church for their icon idoltry by giving the church of constantinople to the muslims. Isnn`t a deep repentence and a reformation to biblical standards the solution for your eastern orthodox problems? Are the muslims too strong for God? Care about your eastern sins, brother. We have to repent for our western sins. God`s arm is not weak to help both of us.
What is your comment on contemporary visual artists, painters, calling their images, which are not at all religious, icons? Is the word misused in that sense, or has it gotten a new modern meaning?
Jesus did NOT say that he is an image or icon of the father. He said he is ONE with the father. The problem with icons or images is not that they can remind us etc. The problem is whether we BOW to them. Making an image so that we can bow before it is forbidden by God. That was never changed. The other point is that our flesh is dedicated to blasphemy and idolatry. It loves to make an idol of everything. That includes images of all kind. And I can not see how the orthodox church is able to prevent our flesh to misuse icons. As long as I do not know how that is made possible I must refrain from this kind of spirituality.
@@_____c___482And when Jesus said: "If you have seen Me you have seen my Father” he verbally meant it. He was (and still is) so "ONE" with the Father (who can not be seen) that seeing him enables humans to see the father. So it is about a LIVING HUMAN BEING "reflecting" God. But a living human being is a total different category than a painted picture or a carved image etc. The same way God is NOT living in temples made of stone but those made of flesh = human beings he is not living in or through human art. WE are his masterpieces through which the people should see him. NOT human art. Therefore venerating icons is distracting us from the way God wants to reveal himself. That is why it was forbidden to make such images. In my humble opinion.
@@_____c___482 I still can not get your jump from Jesus, being one with the father and pictures of Jesus: 1. Jesus appearance is not described anywhere in scripture. Nor is anyone encouraged to make a picture of him. So it is not important for us. 2. To the contrary. Paul says that even if he would have know Jesus after the flesh he would not hold to it. Because knowing him is a spiritual thing. 3. There is no mention of icons at all in the whole New Testament. So we don´t need them. 4. As Jesus was and is we shall be. People shall see the father in and through us. That also does not have anything to do with how we look at a picture. 5. You write "So He has a body, and if someone took a picture of Him, He would be shown in the picture. If you said “that’s not God” you would be lying." you are confusing categories. As a man Jesus can be depicted. But as God? To see him as God his appearance and a picture of it won´t help anyone. Do you remember what Jesus answered to Peter the moment after Peter said "You are the son of the living God"? Jesus said to him, that the Father did reveal that to Peter and not flesh and blood. Many other people in those days saw the body of Jesus but did not see the Father in and through him. 6. When you write "By saying depictions are Jesus are forbidden you are denying the Trinity" you are way over the top. And there is no logic in this sentence. 7. Yes, I kiss family members. Because they are living human beings that can feel my kiss and my love I am expressing through it. I don´t kiss a picture because it is a dead two dimensional copy of a living multi dimensional human being. And none of my family members could experience my love for them by kissing a picture of them. 8. No I am not forgetting that there was art involved in the Ark of the Covenant and the Tabernacle. But you forget that no one except the high priest once a year was allowed to see this art and no one including the high priest was commanded to bow before them, kiss them etc.Your comparison is simply not working.
@@_____c___482 You know what Jesus meant? In my humble opinion Jesus came to reveal the Father. That means to reveal who the Father is, his character, his heart, his emotions, his love etc. So that we can trust him wholeheartedly. So when Jesus showed his character, his heart, his emotions, his love etc. he exactly revealed how God the Father really IS. Let me say it in a different way: When I for example see Jesus healing someone I know that this shows me exactly the heart of the Father and his will to heal us. Etc. Then the Father is no longer a kind of abstract "figure" whom I can not know, hidden in mystery and maybe somehow freaky but he really is LOVE and loves me the way Jesus loves me. That is wonderful.
@@_____c___482 I have big concerns about it. And iconography definitely hinders me to become an orthodox Christian. Yes, you neither can force nor convince me.
That's not the image of the Lord that bro.Patrick alleges (3:00), because the Lord would never have long hair like is depicted in Orthodox icons; 1Cor.11 vs.14. Brother, you're too much caught up with mystics!
Actually we have scans to prove he had long hair and men in those times had hair to there shoulders how about you educate yourself before saying something absolutely absurd
This is extremely helpful and insightful thank you
As someone who was once vehemently opposed to iconography, the Orthodox church has directed me straight into a gentle blessing that has filled my soul with joy. The icons allow me to partake in the movement of salvation, and to remind me constantly that my name be inscribed in the book of life. The icons, to put it simply, make me realize the glory of God.
I’m an inquirer coming from an American Protestant background, and I’ve seen many videos making a defense of icons (which I very much needed), but this is the first one I’ve seen that has helped me make sense of the way they look, which I deeply appreciate. Thank you ever so much.
THANK YOU for telling the story of Prince ABGAR!!
I am writing a research paper on the discipline of iconography. This was so helpful. Thank you!
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️☦️☦️☦️☦️☦️🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
We love icons, and have well over a hundred, collected over twenty years. We certainly find them a comfort and have felt the presence of God through venerating our favourite ones. These are truly enlightening videos, full of inspiration, hope there will be more. God bless, and thank you so much.
Greetings from georgia 🇬🇪
Fantastic video with wonderful explanations. Thank you.
This is beautiful.
Amazing explanation necessary to introduce the meaning of icons. Thanks
The only icon i have at the moment is an icon of theotokos. im hoping to get more, like a jesus icon, and a saint michael or saint george icon. god bless you. ☦️
Thank you so much for this video!
Great video and channel.
Who could dislike this video
It is me. The Holy Spirit inspired the Bible alone.
Not oral tradition no one can test.
True faith hears the word of God, keeps it and does it.
God justifies sinners through faith alone in Christ alone without any icon.
May God bless you.
@Arch Stanton First: I am no Biblolater. I worship God, not a book.
The simple answer is that the Holy Spirit teaches us inwardly what the Scriptures teach us by the letter.
So true Christians are abel to discern what is of the Spirit and what of the soul. Read Hebrews 4,12. So the canon was fixed by abel people and their decision is confirmed by abel people.
When Jesus Christ came in my life I soon realized that the bible is God`s word.
This is my question to you: Is Christ in you?
Did you ever test yourself according to 2. Corinthians 13,5 ?
If not, every wind of teaching will blow you here and there. But with Christ in you and Sola Scriptura you will find the narrow path.
May God help you.
@Arch Stanton
I am only a poor German protestant justified by God`s grace through faith alone according to the letter of Romans. I praise God who redeemed me through Jesus Christ who died for me at the cross paying for my sins.
Don`t expect that such a barbarian like me could ever answer your questions. Your superior wisdom is too high for me. I will never reach it. Enjoy.
@Arch Stanton I love Church history. And I am aware of the 7 councils and their creeds.
With the great Reformers I hold the councils in esteem but agree that councils sometimes erred (f.e. the 7th of Nicaea in 787). Scripture is the sole infallible authority and the sole source of revelation. It must be interpreted in and by the Church within the hermeneutical boundaries of the rule of faith (Romans 12,6).
I hold the Augsburg Confession (1530) and the Westminster Confession (1646) in high esteem. But I also test them (1.Thess. 5,21). To gain a deeper understanding of the "faith that God once for all entrusted the saints" (Jude 3).
"Once for all" is remarkable.
Martin Luther was a high educated professor knowing Church History very well. He also knew he was a sinner and feared to be damned. Than God saved him through understanding the gospel in the letter of Romans: "The rightousness of Christ - imputed to sinners" (1.Mose 15,6 and Romans 4,5).
Martin Luther and the Reformers gave the church back that was lost.
After darkness - light.
My friend, why should I cease being a Protestant after studying Church history? Which is so rich? But not unfailable?
May God bless you.
Reinhold
@Arch Stanton The teachings of Martin Luther are the teachings of the apostle Paul and of the bible. He brought nothing new. It can be compared with the reformation of the 2nd temple in Jerusalem.
Likewise God punished the eastern orthodox church for their icon idoltry by giving the church of constantinople to the muslims.
Isnn`t a deep repentence and a reformation to biblical standards the solution for your eastern orthodox problems? Are the muslims too strong for God?
Care about your eastern sins, brother. We have to repent for our western sins.
God`s arm is not weak to help both of us.
A very talented man (Hieromonk Patrick)
What is your comment on contemporary visual artists, painters, calling their images, which are not at all religious, icons? Is the word misused in that sense, or has it gotten a new modern meaning?
an icon can be religious or not. an icon is a gateway and it can be on religious, like computer icons a gateway.
Used to be " shrines" of your heritage :) Moreover 2 Chronicles 19:8 in Jerusalem for the Judgment and for controversies..😂
All I hear is John Malkovich.
Jesus did NOT say that he is an image or icon of the father. He said he is ONE with the father. The problem with icons or images is not that they can remind us etc. The problem is whether we BOW to them. Making an image so that we can bow before it is forbidden by God. That was never changed. The other point is that our flesh is dedicated to blasphemy and idolatry. It loves to make an idol of everything. That includes images of all kind. And I can not see how the orthodox church is able to prevent our flesh to misuse icons. As long as I do not know how that is made possible I must refrain from this kind of spirituality.
@@_____c___482And when Jesus said: "If you have seen Me you have seen my Father” he verbally meant it. He was (and still is) so "ONE" with the Father (who can not be seen) that seeing him enables humans to see the father. So it is about a LIVING HUMAN BEING "reflecting" God. But a living human being is a total different category than a painted picture or a carved image etc. The same way God is NOT living in temples made of stone but those made of flesh = human beings he is not living in or through human art. WE are his masterpieces through which the people should see him. NOT human art. Therefore venerating icons is distracting us from the way God wants to reveal himself. That is why it was forbidden to make such images. In my humble opinion.
@@_____c___482 I still can not get your jump from Jesus, being one with the father and pictures of Jesus:
1. Jesus appearance is not described anywhere in scripture. Nor is anyone encouraged to make a picture of him. So it is not important for us.
2. To the contrary. Paul says that even if he would have know Jesus after the flesh he would not hold to it. Because knowing him is a spiritual thing.
3. There is no mention of icons at all in the whole New Testament. So we don´t need them.
4. As Jesus was and is we shall be. People shall see the father in and through us. That also does not have anything to do with how we look at a picture.
5. You write "So He has a body, and if someone took a picture of Him, He would be shown in the picture. If you said “that’s not God” you would be lying." you are confusing categories. As a man Jesus can be depicted. But as God? To see him as God his appearance and a picture of it won´t help anyone. Do you remember what Jesus answered to Peter the moment after Peter said "You are the son of the living God"? Jesus said to him, that the Father did reveal that to Peter and not flesh and blood. Many other people in those days saw the body of Jesus but did not see the Father in and through him.
6. When you write "By saying depictions are Jesus are forbidden you are denying the Trinity" you are way over the top. And there is no logic in this sentence.
7. Yes, I kiss family members. Because they are living human beings that can feel my kiss and my love I am expressing through it. I don´t kiss a picture because it is a dead two dimensional copy of a living multi dimensional human being. And none of my family members could experience my love for them by kissing a picture of them.
8. No I am not forgetting that there was art involved in the Ark of the Covenant and the Tabernacle. But you forget that no one except the high priest once a year was allowed to see this art and no one including the high priest was commanded to bow before them, kiss them etc.Your comparison is simply not working.
@@_____c___482 You know what Jesus meant? In my humble opinion Jesus came to reveal the Father. That means to reveal who the Father is, his character, his heart, his emotions, his love etc. So that we can trust him wholeheartedly. So when Jesus showed his character, his heart, his emotions, his love etc. he exactly revealed how God the Father really IS. Let me say it in a different way: When I for example see Jesus healing someone I know that this shows me exactly the heart of the Father and his will to heal us. Etc. Then the Father is no longer a kind of abstract "figure" whom I can not know, hidden in mystery and maybe somehow freaky but he really is LOVE and loves me the way Jesus loves me. That is wonderful.
@@_____c___482 Okay, I see that you stop arguing and begin talking ad hominem. That is the end of every discussion.
@@_____c___482 I have big concerns about it. And iconography definitely hinders me to become an orthodox Christian. Yes, you neither can force nor convince me.
That's not the image of the Lord that bro.Patrick alleges (3:00), because the Lord would never have long hair like is depicted in Orthodox icons; 1Cor.11 vs.14. Brother, you're too much caught up with mystics!
Actually we have scans to prove he had long hair and men in those times had hair to there shoulders how about you educate yourself before saying something absolutely absurd
Their version of “long” is different then ours. Their length standards probably vary too.