Understanding Holy Icons (ቅዱሳት ሥዕላት): A Perspective from the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church – Part I

In the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, holy icons (ቅዱሳት ሥዕላት) transcend mere artistry; they are vital expressions of faith that unite the earthly and the divine. These sacred images, rich in tradition, invite the faithful into a deeper communion with God and the saints, serving as visual testimonies of their lives and virtues. Rooted in the rich history of Christianity, icons express theological truths and foster a sense of continuity with the apostolic Church.

This essay will examine the significance of holy icons within the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, focusing on their theological foundations, liturgical uses, and the impact they have on the spiritual lives of the faithful.

Holy icons are called "holy" because they are sacred temple items—clean, pure, unique, and revered before God.

Similarly, holy icons are titled 'holy' because they reveal the saints' history and identity to us through the eyes of the spirit, bridging the gap for those who were not present in their time. Unlike worldly icons that reflect the physical, these icons are sanctified by the holiness of the saints and the miracles God performs through them.

In the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, holy icons are painted according to apostolic tradition and canon, portraying the identity, life, and history of God, our Lord Jesus Christ, the Holy Trinity, the Virgin Mary, holy angels, prophets, apostles, and other saints and martyrs. These icons do not aim for exact likeness but serve as sacred representations.

St. John of Damascus described icons as "symbols" or "types" that represent Christ and the saints, helping worshipers "see" with the eyes of faith rather than as exact likenesses. This distinction highlights that icons serve as representations rather than exact images (On the Divine Images, Book I, trans. David Anderson, 1997).

The Bible frequently affirms the role of holy icons in Church services, including prayer. However, some argue that sacred images are unnecessary or even label them as idols, citing Biblical verses written for idolatry. Supported by Scripture, this article examines the accuracy of such claims.

To begin with, God Himself commanded the creation of holy icons during the time of the Torah (ኦሪት) for the temple used in Moses’ time, with Moses as the appointed artist. “መጋረጃውንም ከሰማያዊ ከሐምራዊም ከቀይም ግምጃ ከተፈተለ ከጥሩ በፍታም አድርግ፤ ብልህ ሠራተኛ እንደሚሠራ ኪሩቤል በእርሱ ላይ ይሁኑ።” (Exodus 26:31). ኪሩቤል (Cherubim) are angels who bear God’s throne (ዙፋን/መንበር) (Ezekiel 10:18-21).

Similarly, in Exodus 25:19-20, it is written: “ከስርየት መክደኛውም ጋር አንዱን ኪሩብ በአንድ ወገን፥ ሁለተኛውንም ኪሩብ በሌላው ወገን አድርገህ በአንድ ላይ ትሠራዋለህ። ኪሩቤልም ክንፎቻቸውን ወደ ላይ ይዘረጋሉ፥ የስርየት መክደኛውንም በክንፎቻቸው ይሸፍናሉ፥ ፊታቸውም እርስ በርሱ ይተያያል፤ የኪሩቤልም ፊቶቻቸው ወደ ስርየት መክደኛው ይመለከታሉ።”

Moses obeyed God’s command, depicting the Cherubim on the Ark: “ሁለት ኪሩቤልንም ከተቀጠቀጠ ወርቅ ሠራ፤ በስርየት መክደኛውም ላይ በሁለት ወገን አደረጋቸው። ከስርየት መክደኛውም ጋር አንዱን ኪሩብ በአንድ ወገን፥ ሁለተኛውንም ኪሩብ በሌላው ወገን አድርጎ በአንድ ላይ ሠራቸው። ኪሩቤልም ክንፎቻቸውን ወደ ላይ የዘረጉ ሆኑ፥ የስርየት መክደኛውንም በክንፎቻቸው ሸፈኑ፥ እርስ በርሳቸውም ተያዩ፤ የኪሩቤልም ፊቶቻቸው ወደ መክደኛው ተመለከቱ።” (Exodus 37:7-10).

King Solomon, the king of the Israelites was a King who depicted icons in the Holy of Holies: “በቅድስተ ቅዱሳኑም ውስጥ ቁመታቸው አሥር ክንድ የሆነ ከወይራ እንጨት ሁለት ኪሩቤል ሠራ።” (1 Kings 6:23). He also engraved cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers on all the walls of the temple, both inside and out: “በቤቱም ግንብ ሁሉ ዙሪያ በውስጥና በውጭ የኪሩቤልና የዘንባባ ዛፍ የፈነዳም አበባ ምስል ቀረጸ።” (1 Kings 6:29). Another verse affirming that King Solomon drew holy icons in the temple states: “ታላቁንም ቤት በጥድ እንጨት ከደነው፥ በጥሩም ወርቅ ለበጠው፤ የዘንባባና የሰንሰለት አምሳል ቀረጸበት።” (2 Kings 3:5). Additionally, the Bible mentions: “አንተም፥ የሰው ልጅ ሆይ፥ ጡብን ወስደህ በፊትህ አኑራት የኢየሩሳሌምንም ከተማ ስዕል ሳልባት ክበባት፥” (Ezekiel 4:1). The Bible also states that icons can be consecrated for God: “አንዱን ሺህ አንዱን መቶ ብርም መለሰላት፤ እናቱም፦ ይህን ብር የተቀረጸ ምስልና ቀልጦ የተሠራ ምስል አድርጌ ከእጄ ስለ ልጄ ለእግዚአብሔር እቀድሰዋለሁ፤ አሁንም ለአንተ እመልሰዋለሁ አለች።” (መሳፍንት 17:3). The key question to consider is: if holy icons are idols, as some claim, why did God instruct the Israelites to create them? Many misinterpret Scripture by citing verses meant for idols and applying them to holy icons. Holy icons are sacred, while idols are unclean. St. Paul states in 2 Corinthians 6:16, “ለእግዚአብሔር ቤተ መቅደስም ከጣዖት ጋር ምን መጋጠም አለው?” Unlike idols, holy icons are dedicated to Church services and prayer. Verses like “…የማናቸውንም ምሳሌ፥ የተቀረጸውንም ምስል ለአንተ አታድርግ።” (Exodus 20:4) refer specifically to idols, not holy icons. If these verses applied to all icons, including the holy icons, would God have instructed their depiction? Icons created for Church services and prayers are holy once blessed by priests, while unholy icons are classified as idols. Part II of this essay will explore the criteria that define unholy icons. Some believe that the icons mentioned in the Old Testament are relevant only to that covenant and have no place in the New Testament. However, the Bible counters this notion as stated in Matthew 5:17-19: “እኔ ሕግንና ነቢያትን ለመሻር የመጣሁ አይምሰላችሁ፤ ልፈጽም እንጂ ለመሻር አልመጣሁም:: እውነት እላችኋለሁ፥ ሰማይና ምድር እስኪያልፍ ድረስ፥ ከሕግ አንዲት የውጣ ወይም አንዲት ነጥብ ከቶ አታልፍም፥ ሁሉ እስኪፈጸም ድረስ።እንግዲህ ከነዚህ ከሁሉ ካነሱት ትእዛዛት አንዲቱን የሚሽር ለሰውም እንዲሁ የሚያስተምር ማንም ሰው በመንግሥተ ሰማያት ከሁሉ ታናሽ ይባላል፤ የሚያደርግ ግን የሚያስተምርም ማንም ቢሆን እርሱ በመንግሥተ ሰማያት ታላቅ ይባላል።” This indicates that the laws and orders from the Old Testament given to Moses and the prophets are not entirely outdated; rather, some, like the sacrificial laws, have been fulfilled and transformed. Romans 3:31 further affirms, “እንግዲህ ሕግን በእምነት እንሽራለንን? አይደለም፤ ሕግን እናጸናለን እንጂ.” Thus, while certain practices may have changed, the essence of the divine instructions remains significant. In the New Testament, St. Paul addresses the Galatians, reminding them of their faith: “የማታስተውሉ የገላትያ ሰዎች ሆይ፥ በዓይናችሁ ፊት ኢየሱስ ክርስቶስ እንደ ተሰቀለ ሆኖ ተሥሎ ነበር፤ ለእውነት እንዳትታዘዙ አዚም ያደረገባችሁ ማን ነው?” (Galatian 3፥1). This verse emphasizes the significance of holy icons, as St. Paul highlights that the crucifixion of Christ was visually portrayed among the Galatian Christians. He questions their doubtful faith, emphasizing their failure to believe in Christ despite visually witnessing His sacred image. Likewise, when our Lord entered the temple and drove out the merchants and their animals, He did not remove the holy icons present in the temple (Matthew 21:12-13). This serves as further evidence that the veneration of holy icons continues in the New Testament. In addition to facilitating worship and prayer to God, holy icons serve to honor saints and educate us about their life. Recognizing the significance of honoring the saints is vital, as St. Paul reminds us: "ክብር ለሚገባው ክብርን ስጡ" (Romans 13:7). In the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (EOTC), holy icons are venerated, not worshipped, as they serve as windows to the divine, helping believers connect with the spiritual realities they represent. This distinction is crucial because worship is reserved for God alone (Exodus 20:3-5). Veneration is an act of honor towards the saints and sacred icons, reflecting the EOTC teaching that it honors the saints or righteous figures depicted, without equating them with God. Some people confuse respect with worship, mistakenly believing that the prostrations of grace or honor (የጸጋ / የአክብሮት ስግደት) given to saints represented in icons constitute worship. However, the Bible offers numerous examples showing that prostration does not necessarily imply worship, as seen in verses like 1 Samuel 28:14, 2 Kings 2:15, 1 Chronicles 21:21, Genesis 33:1-8, Acts 10:25, and Revelation 3:9. While we already covered the topic of prostration for saints in another essay, it is crucial to note that the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (EOTC) does not worship saints or icons, a principle shared by all Orthodox churches, both Eastern and Oriental. Those who claim that Orthodox churches worship icons or saints must provide evidence from Orthodox sources. This distinction can be illustrated with a simple analogy: when we say "thank you" to people and "thank you" to God, does expressing gratitude to people mean we are worshiping them? Similarly, when we bow to people to show respect and bow to God, does bowing to people imply worship? Although the actions may appear similar, the intention behind them is what truly matters. When our intention is directed toward God, it constitutes worship; when it is directed toward others, it signifies respect.

In conclusion, holy icons are not mere decorations but vital instruments of faith that enrich the spiritual life of believers in the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. They bridge the past and present, enabling worshipers to encounter the divine through the sanctified lives of the saints. By understanding their rightful place in the liturgy (ቅዳሴ) and the scriptural basis for their veneration, we affirm the profound connection between the earthly and the heavenly sphere, enhancing our journey toward holiness and communion with God.

 

 

 

Understanding ገድላት (Hagiographies) and ተአምራት (Miracles Books) in the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church

In the rich tradition of Ethiopian Orthodox spirituality, ገድላት (Hagiographies) and ተአምራት (Miracles Books) serve as vital sources of faith and tradition. These texts not only document the remarkable lives and struggles of saints and martyrs but also illuminate the divine interactions that shaped their journeys. By describing the trials faced by these holy figures in their commitment to God, these writings offer profound insights into the essence of Christian perseverance and devotion. This essay examines how these texts strengthen the faith of believers and contribute to the preservation of Ethiopian Orthodoxy's rich heritage (ቅርስ).

Eminent Ethiopian scholar Desta Teklewold defines Gädl (ገድል) in his Amharic dictionary as “the labor, struggle, and hardship one endures until victory and the crown are achieved.” Similarly, Aleka Kidanewold Kifle explains Gädl (ገድል) as “a book that tells the deeds of saints and martyrs during their lifetimes” (Desta Teklewold, p. 2036; Aleka Kidanewold Kifle, p. 301).

Hagiographies and books of miracles narrate the struggles of saints, martyrs, and scholars against cruel kings, the devil, and the willful flesh, all to uphold God's commandments and the church’s order. These deeds serve as mirrors of their lives, showing how their faith was lived out. In essence, hagiographies and books of miracles capture the history, miracles, promises, and messages of the saints. They also demonstrate how the teachings of the Holy Bible were expressed in the struggles of the saints (Matthew 10:37, Luke 14:27, 2 Cor. 11:26-28).

These books record the lives of saints who glorified God, their trials for their Christian faith, and the wisdom they showed in overcoming them. They are sacred texts honoring the saints, encompassing their sufferings, miracles, and the promises made to them.

Hagiographies and miracle books have biblical roots and have served since Old Testament times. 1 Kings 11፥41 says, “የቀረውም የሰሎሞን ነገር... በሰሎሞን ታሪክ መጽሐፍ ተጽፎአል።” Likewise, 2 Kings 8፥23 states, “በይሁዳ ነገሥታት ታሪክ መጽሐፍ የተጻፈ አይደለምን?” These texts were used in the Old Testament, and the Bible itself references them.

After our Lord Jesus Christ established the New Testament, Saint Luke wrote the first hagiography, known as the Acts of the Apostles (የሐዋርያት ሥራ). This book records the struggles of the Lord's disciples and is part of the 81 books of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church Bible.

Saint Paul, known as the lamp of the Church, recalls the names of past saints, highlighting their struggles and teachings. In Hebrew. 11 ፥ 32-38, he states:

“እንግዲህ ምን እላለሁ? ስለ ጌዴዎንና ስለ ባርቅ ስለ ሶምሶንም ስለ ዮፍታሔም ስለ ዳዊትና ስለ ሳሙኤልም ስለ ነቢያትም እንዳልተርክ ጊዜ ያጥርብኛልና። እነርሱ በእምነት መንግሥታትን ድል ነሡ፥ ጽድቅን አደረጉ፥ የተሰጠውን የተስፋ ቃል አገኙ፥የአንበሶችን አፍ ዘጉ፥ የእሳትን ኃይል አጠፉ፥ ከሰይፍ ስለት አመለጡ፥ ከድካማቸው በረቱ፥ በጦርነት ኃይለኞች ሆኑ፥ የባዕድ ጭፍሮችን አባረሩ።ሴቶች ሙታናቸውን በትንሣኤ ተቀበሉ፤ ሌሎችም መዳንን ሳይቀበሉ የሚበልጠውን ትንሣኤ እንዲያገኙ እስከ ሞት ድረስ ተደበደቡ፤ሌሎችም መዘበቻ በመሆንና በመገረፍ ከዚህም በላይ በእስራትና በወኅኒ ተፈተኑ፤በድንጋይ ተወግረው ሞቱ፥ ተፈተኑ፥ በመጋዝ ተሰነጠቁ፥ በሰይፍ ተገድለው ሞቱ፥ ሁሉን እያጡ መከራን እየተቀበሉ እየተጨነቁ የበግና የፍየል ሌጦ ለብሰው ዞሩ፤ዓለም አልተገባቸውምና በምድረ በዳና በተራራ፥ በዋሻና በምድር ጕድጓድ ተቅበዘበዙ።” Hagiographies (ገድላት) and Miracles books (ተአምራት) similarly document the histories and miracles of saints, echoing the legacy that Saint Paul refers to in this verse.

After reflecting on the hagiographies of others, St. Paul emphasizes the importance of learning from the saints' lives: “እንግዲህ እነዚህን የሚያህሉ ምስክሮች እንደ ደመና በዙሪያችን ካሉልን፥ እኛ ደግሞ ሸክምን ሁሉ ቶሎም የሚከበንን ኃጢአት አስወግደን፥ የእምነታችንንም ራስና ፈጻሚውን ኢየሱስን ተመልክተን፥ በፊታችን ያለውን ሩጫ በትዕግሥት እንሩጥ፡፡” (Hebrews 12:1). This calls us to strengthen our faith and strive to follow their virtuous lives.

The Apostle Paul encourages us to reflect on the saints and strive to be like them, providing a foundation for Christians to be inspired by their battles. “የእግዚአብሔርን ቃል የተናገሩአችሁን ዋኖቻችሁን አስቡ፥ የኑሮአቸውንም ፍሬ እየተመለከታችሁ በእምነታቸው ምሰሉአቸው።” (Heb. 13:7). Following the lives of the saints is vital because imitating them means imitating Christ Himself: “እኔ ክርስቶስን እንደምመስል እኔን ምሰሉ።” (1 Cor. 11:1). Paul further urges, “እኔን የምትመስሉ ሁኑ ብዬ እለምናችኋለሁ” (1 Cor. 4:16). To reflect on saints and follow their example, we need two things: teachers who tell their battles and books that preserve their struggles.

The Battle of the Saints illustrates perseverance in suffering, endurance in hardship, steadfast faith in Jesus Christ, and the rejection of heretics. A Christian who regularly reads and reflects on the struggles of the saints gains the strength to confront difficulties and remain patient in temptation (ፈተና).

The following verses emphasize the importance of recording and preserving hagiographies—the books of the saints' struggles.

“እንደ እብድ ሰው እላለሁ፤ እኔ እበልጣለሁ፤ በድካም አብዝቼ፥ በመገረፍ አብዝቼ፥ በመታሰር አትርፌ፥ በመሞት ብዙ ጊዜ ሆንሁ።አይሁድ አንድ ሲጎድል አርባ ግርፋት አምስት ጊዜ ገረፉኝ። ሦስት ጊዜ በበትር ተመታሁ፤ አንድ ጊዜ በድንጋይ ተወገርሁ፤ መርከቤ ሦስት ጊዜ ተሰበረ፤ ሌሊትና ቀን በባሕር ውስጥ ኖርሁ።ብዙ ጊዜ በመንገድ ሄድሁ፤ በወንዝ ፍርሃት፥ በወንበዴዎች ፍርሃት፥ በወገኔ በኩል ፍርሃት፥ በአሕዛብ በኩል ፍርሃት፥ በከተማ ፍርሃት፥ በምድረ በዳ ፍርሃት፥ በባሕር ፍርሃት፥ በውሸተኞች ወንድሞች በኩል ፍርሃት ነበረብኝ፤በድካምና በጥረት ብዙ ጊዜም እንቅልፍ በማጣት፥ በራብና በጥም ብዙ ጊዜም በመጦም፥ በብርድና በራቁትነት ነበርሁ።”(2 Cor. 11:23-27)

“ነገር ግን እንደምታውቁት በፊልጵስዩስ አስቀድመን መከራ ተቀብለን ተንገላትተንም፥ በብዙ ገድል የእግዚአብሔርን ወንጌል ለእናንተ እንናገር ዘንድ በአምላካችን ደፈርን።” ( 1 Thessalonians 2:2)

“መልካሙን የእምነት ገድል ተጋደል፥ የተጠራህለትንም በብዙም ምስክሮች ፊት በመልካም መታመን የታመንህለትን የዘላለምን ሕይወት ያዝ።” (1 Tim 6:12)

“መልካሙን ገድል ተጋድዬአለሁ፥ ሩጫውን ጨርሼአለሁ፥ ሃይማኖትን ጠብቄአለሁ።” (2 Tim 4 ፡ 7)

Hagiographies offer several key advantages and purposes:

Revealing Christ

Hagiographies primarily reveal the glory of Christ, not merely that of the saints. St. Paul states this truth in 2 Thessalonians 1:10: “በዚያም ቀን በቅዱሳኑ ሊከብር፥ ምስክርነታችንንም አምናችኋልና…” St. Ephrem echoes this in the Thursday Hymn of Praise of Mary: “በእውነት ሰማዕታት የዚህችን ዓለም ጣዕም ናቁ፤ ስለንጉሥ ክርስቶስም ደማቸውን አፈሰሱ፤ ስለ መንግሥተ ሰማያትም መሪር ሞትን ታገሡ::” This highlights that all they endured was rooted in their faith in Christ.

Memorial for the Saints and Resource for Holy Living

Hagiographies are known as the light of the gospel. While the Holy Gospel instructs, "Stand firm! Be patient! Suffer! You will be crowned!” hagiographies illustrate this by showing how the saints stood firm, were patient, suffered, and received their crowns. They reveal the fulfillment of the gospel and God’s commandments. In relation to this, St. Paul wrote to his spiritual son Timothy, stating, “ስለዚህም ምክንያት ይህን መከራ ደግሞ ተቀብዬአለሁ፥ ነገር ግን አላፍርበትም፤ ያመንሁትን አውቃለሁና፥…..በክርስቶስ ኢየሱስ ባለ እምነትና ፍቅር አድርገህ፥ ከእኔ የሰማኸውን ጤናማ ቃል ምሳሌ ያዝ፤መልካሙን አደራ በእኛ በሚኖረው በመንፈስ ቅዱስ ጠብቅ።” (2 Timothy 1:12-14). He encouraged him further, saying, “እንደ ኢየሱስ ክርስቶስ በጎ ወታደር ሆነህ፥ አብረኸኝ መከራ ተቀበል። ደግሞም በጨዋታ የሚታገል ማንም ቢሆን፥ እንደሚገባ አድርጎ ባይታገል፥ የድሉን አክሊል አያገኝም።” (2 Timothy 2:3, 5).

St. Paul praised Timothy for following his teachings, stating, “አንተ ግን ትምህርቴንና አካሄዴን አሳቤንም እምነቴንም ትዕግሥቴንም ፍቅሬንም መጽናቴንም ስደቴንም መከራዬንም ተከተልህ” (2 Timothy 3:10). While being well-equipped in scriptural teachings is commendable, education alone does not make a true follower of Christ. St. Paul emphasized the importance of imitating the saints in action, echoing, “….አካሄዴን አሳቤንም እምነቴንም ትዕግሥቴንም ፍቅሬንም መጽናቴንም ስደቴንም መከራዬንም ተከተልህ፡፡” Thus, the struggles of the saints serve as valuable lessons for other believers.

Hagiographies in This Day

The Church, rooted in the Holy Bible, has accepted, preserved, and continued to write, translate, and teach about the struggles of early Christians and the saints. However, the Church currently faces numerous challenges regarding hagiographies and the miracle books of the saints. Some people are misled by those who oppose the Church's traditions, including hagiographies and books of miracles. These individuals distort the original texts by erasing or altering their content, inserting improper language, misinterpreting their meanings, and teaching falsehoods that are not found in these books. Additionally, they engage in the theft and destruction of these valuable texts.

Christians should not panic when hearing negative remarks from those who oppose the struggles of the saints, as these struggles are firmly rooted in biblical evidence and tradition. To navigate the deceptions spread by some, Christians need to seek guidance from the Church Fathers and teachers for clarification on unclear passages in these texts and to deepen their understanding through diligent study.

The Church acknowledges the significant challenges faced by hagiographies and the Book of Miracles. However, it firmly rejects any texts contradicting the gospel or Holy Bible, recognizing that such misstatements are introduced by those seeking to undermine the Church's traditions and canons. This truth is illustrated in the following passage:

“ከወንጌል ቃል የተለየ አስተያየት ሥርዋጽ (ጣልቃ ገብ) ያለዉንና ያልተስማማዉን ንባብና ልብወለድ ኃይለ ቃል አስፍረዉ የተገኙ መጽሐፍት ቢኖሩም እንኳ በበር በኩል ያልገቡ አንዳንድ ጉሕልያዎች (ሽሙጠኞች፣ ሴረኞች) የሰነቀሩዋቸዉ ናቸዉ ብለን እንሰርዛቸዋለን እንጂ አሜን ብለን አንቀበላቸውም።” (መርሐ ጽድቅ ባህለ ሃይማኖት፣ በኢትዮጵያ ኦርቶዶክስ ተዋሕዶ ቤተ ከርስቲያን፡ ትንሳኤ ዘጉባኤ ማተሚያ ድርጅት፣ ገጽ 156)

Hagiographies and miracle books do not serve for doctrinal discussions (የኢትዮጵያ ቤተክርስቲያን ታሪክ ፣ አባ ጎርጎርዮስ፣ ገጽ 82). Their primary purpose is to inspire imitation of Christ through the lives of the saints. Doctrines represent the unchangeable teachings of the Church, including the Five Pillars of Mysteries, the Holy Trinity, Christology, Mariology, Soteriology, the Incarnation, Angelology, Saintology, Eschatology (last things), and Anthropology (the doctrine of creation), etc.

Given the challenges outlined, hagiographies and miracle books may undergo revisions after Church review and approval. For doctrinal discussions, the Holy Bible, teachings of the Church Fathers, and Holy Tradition are referenced.

In conclusion, the enduring legacy of ገድላት and ተአምራት highlights their crucial role in the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. They inspire believers to imitate the commitment of saints, encouraging a deeper understanding of faith through the lens of their struggles and victories. In embracing these stories, the faithful not only honor the past but also find the strength to navigate their spiritual paths today, affirming that the battles of the saints continue to echo within their own lives.