Did Irenaeus associate Christ images with heresy?
The passage condemns a Gnostic setting and pagan-style honors; it does not provide a general rule for all Christian images.
Key points
- Irenaeus reports Gnostics honoring images of Christ alongside philosophers. Doesn't that make image devotion a heretical innovation?
- Against Heresies 1.25.6 names images of Christ displayed with images of Pythagoras, Plato, Aristotle, and others.
- This is useful evidence that the theological setting and form of honor matter. The Christian name alone does not validate a cult.
- It is not positive evidence of orthodox icon veneration, but neither does the passage explicitly argue that every picture of Christ is forbidden.
- Avoid turning Irenaeus's hostile report into a friendly proof text. The strongest response distinguishes the condemned practice from the practice being defended.