Idol/Idolatry (New Testament)

The New Testament mentions idols, idolatry, and related terms a handful of times. These occurrences are limited to Acts, the Epistles, and Revelation. In the Gospels, the topic is only hinted at, if at all. The most extensive discussion of idolatry is found in 1 Corinthians, where Paul offers guidance on the eating of food offered to idols, and in Acts, where speeches echo contemporary philosophical critiques of cultic images. New Testament references to idolatry should be understood not as the application of settled Old Testament norms but as parts of a larger Hellenistic conversation on the nature and legitimacy of religious images. Noncanonical and so-called Apocryphal sources, such as Philo, Josephus, and the Wisdom of Solomon, as well as pagan Greco-Roman literature, provide essential context. As Christianity changed from a marginal apocalyptic Jewish movement into an imperially backed religion, distinctly Christian art flourished even as debate about the legitimacy of religious images continued.