Christians who venerate icons often say that the Second Commandment applied to Israel, but now that God has shown Himself in a visible form, the rules have changed. We can now not only depict God in visible form, but we can worship God by bowing, kissing, burning candles, and venerating images.

It can seem a powerful argument. After all, the eternal Son who was the image of God did become a visible image.

Yet, it is not what the apostles teach.

At the beginning of his first epistle, John ecstatically announces that he has seen the Word of Life Himself with his own eyes, touched Him with his hands, heard His voice.

Yet, John doesn’t encourage his readers to have communion with God through icons. Instead, he tells them they have fellowship with the Father by hearing and believing the message proclaimed by the apostles. Even after the Son has become visible, biblical faith remains a faith of the ear not the eye.

Venerating images violates biblical religion at a basic level. Christian faith is confidence in promises concerning an unseen future. It is eschatological through and through. Someday, we shall see as we see. For the time being, even after the Son has appeared in the flesh, we are called to faith not sight.