part 2 of 3
Is Scripture the sole rule of faith for Christians? Not according to the Bible. While we must guard against merely human tradition, the Bible contains numerous references to the necessity of clinging to apostolic tradition.
Thus Paul tells the Corinthians, āI commend you because you remember me in everything and maintain the traditions even as I have delivered them to youā (1 Cor. 11:2), and he commands the Thessalonians, āSo then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by letterā (2 Thess. 2:15). He even goes so far as to order, āNow we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brother who is living in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from usā (2 Thess. 3:6).
To make sure that the apostolic tradition would be passed down after the deaths of the apostles, Paul told Timothy, ā[W]hat you have heard from me before many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others alsoā (2 Tim. 2:2). In this passage he refers to the first four generations of apostolic successionāhis own generation, Timothyās generation, the generation Timothy will teach, and the generation they in turn will teach.
The early Church Fathers, who were links in that chain of succession, recognized the necessity of the traditions that had been handed down from the apostles and guarded them scrupulously, as the following quotations show.
Papias
āPapias [A.D. 120], who is now mentioned by us, affirms that he received the sayings of the apostles from those who accompanied them, and he, moreover, asserts that he heard in person Aristion and the presbyter John. Accordingly, he mentions them frequently by name, and in his writings gives their traditions [concerning Jesus]. . . . [There are] other passages of his in which he relates some miraculous deeds, stating that he acquired the knowledge of them from traditionā (fragment in Eusebius, Church History 3:39 [A.D. 312]).
Eusebius of Caesarea
āAt that time [A.D. 150] there flourished in the Church Hegesippus, whom we know from what has gone before, and Dionysius, bishop of Corinth, and another bishop, Pinytus of Crete, and besides these, Philip, and Apollinarius, and Melito, and Musanus, and Modestus, and, finally, Irenaeus. From them has come down to us in writing, the sound and orthodox faith received from traditionā (Church History 4:21).
Irenaeus
āAs I said before, the Church, having received this preaching and this faith, although she is disseminated throughout the whole world, yet guarded it, as if she occupied but one house. She likewise believes these things just as if she had but one soul and one and the same heart; and harmoniously she proclaims them and teaches them and hands them down, as if she possessed but one mouth. For, while the languages of the world are diverse, nevertheless, the authority of the tradition is one and the sameā (Against Heresies 1:10:2 [A.D. 189]).
āThat is why it is surely necessary to avoid them [heretics], while cherishing with the utmost diligence the things pertaining to the Church, and to lay hold of the tradition of truth. . . . What if the apostles had not in fact left writings to us? Would it not be necessary to follow the order of tradition, which was handed down to those to whom they entrusted the churches?ā (ibid., 3:4:1).
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"It is possible, then, for everyone in every church, who may wish to know the truth, to contemplate the tradition of the apostles which has been made known throughout the whole world. And we are in a position to enumerate those who were instituted bishops by the apostles and their successors to our own timesāmen who neither knew nor taught anything like these heretics rave about.
"But since it would be too long to enumerate in such a volume as this the successions of all the churches, we shall confound all those who, in whatever manner, whether through self-satisfaction or vainglory, or through blindness and wicked opinion, assemble other than where it is proper, by pointing out here the successions of the bishops of the greatest and most ancient church known to all, founded and organized at Rome by the two most glorious apostles, Peter and Paul, that church which has the tradition and the faith which comes down to us after having been announced to men by the apostles.
āWith this church, because of its superior origin, all churches must agreeāthat is, all the faithful in the whole worldāand it is in her that the faithful everywhere have maintained the apostolic traditionā (ibid., 3:3:1ā2).
Clement of Alexandria
āWell, they preserving the tradition of the blessed doctrine derived directly from the holy apostles, Peter, James, John, and Paul, the sons receiving it from the father (but few were like the fathers), came by Godās will to us also to deposit those ancestral and apostolic seeds. And well I know that they will exult; I do not mean delighted with this tribute, but solely on account of the preservation of the truth, according as they delivered it. For such a sketch as this, will, I think, be agreeable to a soul desirous of preserving from loss the blessed traditionā (Miscellanies 1:1 [A.D. 208]).
Origen
āAlthough there are many who believe that they themselves hold to the teachings of Christ, there are yet some among them who think differently from their predecessors. The teaching of the Church has indeed been handed down through an order of succession from the apostles and remains in the churches even to the present time. That alone is to be believed as the truth which is in no way at variance with ecclesiastical and apostolic traditionā (The Fundamental Doctrines 1:2 [A.D. 225]).
continued to part 3
Hello,you hit it right on the head. I stopped comming to this site because I was not treated by some, with love but anger. Jesus spoke to your insides to your heart not the outside with the sword,thatās how the Romans did it and we know from history they were wrong and unkind and chased otherās away to start their own religions in the world. Love of Christ Nancy God Bless Your Kindness. I hope others can see Jesus in you as I do .
Nancy
In Mathew:7 the church is not the rock Jesus is th rock of our Salvation. That means weather or not your in a church or in bed Jesus is the rock we lean on jesus and not our own understanding the Holy Spirit is everywhere Grow where you are Planted. Love of Christ Nancy
M&MāSPLEASE READ 1Thes:4:3, 1Cor:6:11 Sanctified, 1Thes:5:9 Rom:1:16 Salvation, Rom:5:18 Justification Then read,1Cor:1:18,19. Love of Christ Nancy