Orthodox Christianity

[Spud]

Everything changed with the Incarnation, which is exactly the point. God became one of us. That is why are able to depict him and his saints. We are not gnostics.

Thanks for this, ad_o.

Not very different from depicting angels on the walls inside the temple though? Did the priests venerate these pictures, or were they simply illustrations?

It's not just pictures of Christ. Orthodoxy also has veneration of objects such as the cross, bread and wine, and pictures of people they consider more holy than others (however, all Christians are saints, and all saints are equally holy).

There is no evidence for this in the New Testament. The early Christians are known to have made pictures used as illustrations on church walls etc, like the art work in the Temple. But that is all - they were not "venerated".

[Spud]

Revelation 19:10
And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not:
I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

Revelation 22:8
And I am John, the one who heard and saw these things. And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had shown me these things.

Revelation 22:9
But he said to me, "Do not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God!"