Short answer: No. Polycarp and Irenaeus never taught Christians to use images in worship the way Catholic tradition later did. In fact, the earliest Church Fathers often warned against images because they saw them as tied to pagan practices and heretical groups.
Polycarp (Disciple of John the Apostle, c. 69–155 AD)
No record shows Polycarp endorsing images in worship.
His Letter to the Philippians focuses on faithfulness to Scripture and moral purity, not external religious art.
His martyrdom highlights his devotion to Christ alone, without reliance on material symbols.
Letter to the Philippians (c. 110–140 AD): Polycarp exhorts believers to “serve the Lord in fear and truth” (Philippians 2:1), emphasizing obedience and purity, not ritual objects.
Irenaeus of Lyons (c. 130–202 AD)
In Against Heresies (Book 1, Chapter 25, Section 6), Irenaeus directly criticizes heretical groups for using images:
“They also possess images, some of them painted, and others formed from different kinds of material; while they maintain that a likeness of Christ was made by Pilate… They crown these images, and set them up along with the images of the philosophers… They have also other modes of honouring these images, after the same manner of the Gentiles.” (Against Heresies, 1.25.6, c. 180 AD, ANF Vol. 1, p. 352)
He notes that heretics “crowned” images and honored them like pagans.
His tone is condemnation, not approval.
Orthodox Christians of his time did not use images in worship; references to images are always negative.
Other Early Witnesses
Tertullian (c. 160–225 AD): In On Idolatry (De Idolatria) (Chapter 3), he warns Christians to avoid making or using images, calling it a compromise with paganism. (ANF Vol. 3, p. 62-63)
Chapter 3 (p. 62): "Thenceforward every art which in any way produces an idol instantly became a fount of idolatry. For it makes no difference whether a moulder cast, or a carver carve, or an embroiderer weave the idol; because neither is it a question of material, whether an idol be formed of gypsum, or of colors, or of stone, or of bronze, or of silver, or of thread. For since even without an idol idolatry is committed, when the idol is there it makes no difference of what kind it be, of what material, or what shape; lest any should think that only to be held an idol which is consecrated in human shape."
"Chapter 4 (p. 63): "The images of those things are idols; the consecration of the images is idolatry. Whatever guilt idolatry incurs must necessarily be imputed to every artificer of every idol."
Clement of Alexandria (c. 150–215 AD): In Exhortation to the Heathen (Chapter 4), he ridicules pagan image worship, stressing that true worship is spiritual. (ANF Vol. 2, p. 184-190)
ANF Vol. 2, p. 184: "If, in addition, I take and set before you for inspection these very images, you will, as you go over them, find how truly silly is the custom in which you have been reared, of worshipping the senseless works of men's hands... That of stones and stocks and, to speak briefly, of dead matter, you have made images of human form, by which you have produced a counterfeit of piety, and slandered the truth, is now as clear as can be..."
ANF Vol. 2, p. 186: "Works of art cannot then be sacred and divine. For a work of art is that which is produced by the art of man; but art is the exertion of human skill... An image, then, is a dead matter shaped by the craftsman's hand; but with us the image is not a material object, but spiritual..."
ANF Vol. 2, p. 189: "How great, then, is the folly of attributing divine honor to dead, lifeless, and irrational things! ... How much better, then, is it to walk upon the ground, than to bow down before dead things and worship the work of human craftsmanship!"
ANF Vol. 2, p. 190: "For the divine image is not painted on canvas, nor fashioned in cold stone, but is formed in the soul of man by the Spirit... Far be it, then, from us to attribute divine honors to the creations of human art, which are devoid of life, breath, and feeling, when the true God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth."
Contrast with Later Catholic Practice
Early Fathers (1st–3rd century): Focused on the Word of God, preaching, and purity of worship. Images were linked to heresy and paganism.
Catholicism (4th century onward): Began using icons and images as “windows to heaven,” especially after Constantine and the post-Nicene church era.
Eusebius of Caesarea (c. 260–339 AD) reflecting on the early development of images in the post-Constantinian era.
"I have seen the likenesses of His Apostles Paul and Peter, and indeed of Christ Himself, preserved in paintings; which is natural, since the ancients were accustomed, as is their pagan habit, to honor those who had saved them in this way without reservation." (Church History (Historia Ecclesiastica), Book VII, Chapter 18)
Gregory of Nyssa (c. 335–395 AD) describes how sacred art moves the soul, serving as a visual medium for contemplation.
"I have often seen a painted representation of this passion [the sacrifice of Isaac], and have never passed by without shedding tears, for art brings the story vividly before the eyes." (On the Deity of the Son and the Holy Spirit (De Deitate Filii et Spiritus Sancti)
Basil the Great (c. 330–379 AD) established the early theological principle that later became foundational for icon veneration.
"Because the honor paid to the image passes on to the prototype." (In original context: "ἡ γὰρ τῆς εἰκόνος τιμὴ ἐπὶ τὸ πρωτότυπον διαβαίνει") (On the Holy Spirit (De Spiritu Sancto), Chapter 18, Section 45
John of Damascus (c. 676–749 AD) articulated the fully developed theology of icons as visible manifestations (windows) leading the mind to spiritual realities.
Treatise I, Chapter 16 (p. 15): "I do not worship matter, I worship the Creator of matter, who became matter for my sake and deigned to inhabit matter, who through matter effected my salvation... Is not the ink, and the most holy book of the Gospels, matter? Is not the life-giving altar, which gives us the bread of life, matter? ... And before all else, is not the flesh and blood of my Lord matter? Either dispense with the honor and veneration of all these, or accept the tradition of the Church and the veneration of images." (Three Treatises on the Divine Images (Apologetic Treatises against those who Decry the Holy Images), Treatise I, Chapter 16, c. 730 AD)
Historical Context & Terminology
The phrase “windows to heaven” is a modern way of describing icons in Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic tradition. It’s a metaphor used to explain how icons function, not as ends in themselves, but as openings that point believers toward the divine.
But here’s the important part: this language didn’t exist in the earliest centuries. What we do see, starting in the post‑Constantinian era (4th century onward), is the gradual acceptance and defense of religious art. As Christianity moved from being a persecuted minority to the dominant faith of the empire, leaders began to document and justify the use of images in devotion.
Early Church Resistance (1st–3rd Century)
What They Believed: No images, no idols.
Why: The early Fathers, Tertullian, Clement of Alexandria, and Irenaeus, lived in a Roman world full of statues treated as gods. To keep the church pure, they drew a hard line: worship must be spiritual, not tied to man‑made objects.
Quote: Tertullian warned, “Idolatry is the chief crime of humanity” (On Idolatry, ch. 1, c. 200 AD, ANF Vol. 3, p. 61).
"The principal crime of the human race, the highest guilt charged upon the world, the whole cause of judgment, is idolatry. For although each single fault retains its own proper feature, although it is consigned to judgment under its own proper name also, yet it is marked off under the general name of idolatry." (On Idolatry (De Idolatria), Chapter 1 ("Idolatry in Its Wider Sense. Its Heinousness")Takeaway: For them, images were either pagan traps or heretical gimmicks not part of true Christian devotion.
Post‑Constantinian Shift (4th–5th Century)
What Changed: Christianity became legal and dominant under Constantine. Suddenly, the church was full of new converts, many of them illiterate.
How Leaders Responded: Gregory of Nyssa described art as “silent preaching”, pictures that could move the heart and teach the mind (On the Baptism of Christ, c. 385 AD). Eusebius, the church historian, noted that people were painting Christ and the Apostles, reflecting the cultural shift (Ecclesiastical History, Book 7, c. 325 AD).
"I have seen the likenesses of His Apostles Paul and Peter, and indeed of Christ Himself, preserved in paintings; which is natural, since the ancients were accustomed, as is their pagan habit, to honor those who had saved them in this way without reservation." (Church History (Historia Ecclesiastica), Book VII, Chapter 18)Takeaway: Art moved from being seen as a pagan danger to being used as a teaching tool and a way to honor Christian memory.
Mature Iconology & Veneration (8th Century Onward)
What They Defended: Icons were not idols but “windows” to the divine.
Theological Grounding: During the Iconoclastic controversies, John of Damascus argued that since God became flesh in Jesus, matter itself is redeemed. He distinguished between latria (worship due to God alone) and proskynesis (veneration given to images that point to Christ).
Quote: John of Damascus wrote, “I do not worship matter, but I worship the Creator of matter who became matter for my sake” (On the Divine Images, Book 1, c. 730 AD, PG 94:1245).
Takeaway: Icons were reframed as theological aids, not ends in themselves, but signposts leading believers to heavenly realities.
The Big Picture
So while the catchy phrase “windows to heaven” is a later metaphor, the roots of icon defense go back to the 4th century. Early historians and theologians began shifting the conversation:
From strict rejection of images (1st–3rd century),
To pastoral use for teaching and memory (4th–5th century),
To a formal theological defense (8th century onward).
Key Takeaway
Polycarp, Irenaeus, and other early Fathers did not teach the use of images in worship. When images appear in their writings, they are tied to heretics and pagans, not to faithful Christian practice. The Catholic tradition of venerating icons developed centuries later; it was not part of the original apostolic teaching.
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