Apostolic authenticity

Alan Asquith said:

How did the cherubim benefit the worshipper? Only the high priest ever saw the cherubim, and he only saw it once a year. What do you mean by saying that icons help the eyes in prayer? How does it help you to look at the face of a man when you are praying to God?

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not the cherubim over the Ark, but the ones on the curtains and the walls. it helps you to look at the face of a saint or of Christ because you are seeing the Gospel, not written in words, but written in the lives of the saint depicted.

Alan Asquith said:

What does "theology in colour" mean? Can you explain it in simple words rather than soundbites please?

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theology which is painted as opposed to theology which is heard or read. icons are teaching tools. the colors, the way things are painted, etc are all to teach us about God. as an example, eyes and ears are often increased in size in an icon, because the saints truly have eyes to see and hears to hear.

Alan Asquith said:

It's not just the skin colour that looks Greek. It's the hairstyle, the shape of the eyes and nose, the size of the mouth, etc.

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except that Greek styling may have been an influence due to the Roman Empire in the East, but there was no intent to make the saints specifically look like Greeks or Europeans.

Alan Asquith said:

Have you seen this?
Their holy books look very impressive too.

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except the colors only make distinctions between who is who. those were certainly not the clothes of the wealthy back in ancient Palestine. also, yes the books look nice, but books as such didn't exist then, only scrolls.

Alan Asquith said:

Beyond emotion? Prayer is more than just emotion but it is not without emotion. If we pray with all our mind and heart it will certainly involve our emotions, whatever deeper dimensions it may also include.
I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing and make melody to the Lord. (Psalms 27:6)
Hear my prayer, O Lord, and give ear to my cry; hold not your peace at my tears! (Psalms 39:12)
And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. (Luke 22:44)

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joy is not an emotion, it is beyond emotion. tears are also beyond emotion, and can be a gift granted by God as well. and agony might have been what Christ was going through, but His prayer was not being controlled by His emotional state. being the Incarnate Logos, He is personally also beyond emotion when in prayer, as He is never NOT in communion with the Father.