Why honor images of saints as well as Christ?
Saints are honored as Christ's servants and members of his body, with a different relationship to worship than Christ himself.
Perspective note
Comparative historical/source study. The original author's or church's reception is retained; inclusion does not make every claim Oriental Orthodox teaching.
Key points
- Christ is God incarnate; saints are creatures. An argument for Christ's image does not establish reverence for theirs.
- The distinction matters: Orthodox Christians worship Christ as God, while honoring saints for God's work in them.
- The second-century Martyrdom of Polycarp explicitly distinguishes devotion to Christ from love for the martyrs and describes preserving Polycarp's bones.
- That text supports early reverence for saints and relics. It does not by itself document the complete later practice toward painted icons.
- Prayer for saintly intercession is an additional question. Link to the intercession world rather than assuming it was already proved by Christ's depictability.