Tradition is a necessary part of Christianity

  • Thread starter Thread starter Curious_Hobbit
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
C

Curious_Hobbit

Guest
Here are some verses that prove that tradition (not solely scripture) is a necessary part of the Christian faith.

2 Thess 2:15
Therefore, brothers, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught, either by an oral statement or by a letter of ours.

1 Cor 11: 2
I praise you because you remember me in everything and hold fast to the traditions, just as I handed them on to you.

John 20: 30
Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of (his) disciples that are not written in this book.

2 Timothy 2:2
And what you heard from me through many witnesses entrust to faithful people who will have the ability to teach others as well.

2 Thes 3: 6
We instruct you, brothers, in the name of (our) Lord Jesus Christ,to shun any brother who conducts himself in a disorderly way and not according to the tradition they received from us.

John 21: 25
There are also many other things that Jesus did, but if these were to be described individually, I do not think the whole world would contain the books that would be written.

2 John 1: 12
Although I have much to write to you, I do not intend to use paper and ink. Instead, I hope to visit you and to speak face to face so that our joy may be complete.

3 John 1: 13
Although I have much to write to you, I do not intend to use paper and ink. Instead, I hope to visit you and to speak face to face

All these verses suggest that we are to follow the tradition of the apostles and the whole of Christianity is not found in scripture. Now take these verses and pair them with what the church fathers had to say.

‘For how should it be if the apostles themselves had not left us their writings? Would it not be necessary to follow the course of the tradition which they handed down to those whom they did commit the Churches?’ Irenaeus, Against Heresies 3, 4:1 (inter A.D. 180/199).

"Through none others know we the disposition of our salvation, than those through whom the gospel came to us, first heralding it, then by the will of God delivering to us the Scriptures, which were to be the foundation and pillar of our faith…But when, the heretics are Scriptures, as if they were wrong, and unauthoritative, and were variable, and the truth could not be extracted from them by those who were ignorant of Tradition…And when we challenge them in turn what that tradition, which is from the Apostles, which is guarded by the succession of elders in the churches, they oppose themselves to Tradition, saying that they are wiser, not only than those elders, but even than the Apostles. The Tradition of the Apostles, manifested ‘on the contrary’ in the whole world, is open in every Church to all who see the truth.’ Irenaeus, Against Heresies 3,1-3 (inter A.D. 180/199).

“We do not take our scriptural teaching from the parables but we interpret the parables according to our teaching.” Tertullian, Purity 9,1 (c. A.D. 200).

‘But they, safeguarding the true tradition of the blessed teaching, which comes straight from the Apostles Peter, James, John and Paul and transmitted from father to son have come down to us with the help of God to deposit in us those ancestral and apostolic seeds’ Clement of Alexandria, Stromata 1,11 (c. A.D. 205).

There was about 25 years from Jesus’ crucifixion until the New testament started being written and during this time Christians didn’t have the whole bible we had today. If they were Christians then they must have been following the oral traditions of the apostles, because there was no scripture besides the OT. The Early Church fathers even appealed to apostolic tradition as a way to denounce apocrypha and false gospels before the canon was complete. In many of the books the teachings were obviously contrary to Christian teaching, but the early fathers also made clear that these apocryphal works were not handed down to them by apostolic tradition.
 
“The Church’s preaching has been handed down through an orderly succession from the Apostles and remains in the Church until the present. That alone is to be believed as the truth which in no way departs from ecclesiastical and apostolic tradition.” Origen, First Principles 1,2 (c. A.D. 230).

“But after him (the devil) and with him are all inventors of unlawful heresies, who indeed refer to the Scriptures, but do not hold such opinions as the saints have handed down, and receiving them as the traditions of men, err, because they do not rightly know them nor their power” Athanasius, Festal Letter 2 (c. A.D. 350).

‘Of course, the holy Scriptures, divinely inspired are self-sufficient for the proclamation of the truth.** But there are also numerous works composed for this purpose by blessed teachers. The one who reads them will understand the interpretation of the Scriptures and will be able to gain knowledge he desrires.**’ Athanasius, Gentes 1 (c. A.D. 350).

But what is also to the point,** let us note that the very tradition, teaching, and faith of the Catholic Church from the beginning was preached by the Apostles and preserved by the Fathers**. On this the Church was founded; and if anyone departs from this, he neither is, nor any longer ought to be called, a Christian.’ Athanasius, Ad Serapion 1,28 (c. A.D. 350).

“Wherefore keep yourselves all the more untainted by them,** and observe the traditions of the Fathers,** and chiefly the holy faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, which you have learned from the Scripture, and of which you have often been put in mind by me.” Anthony of Egypt, Vita S. Antoni 89, (c. A.D. 350).

“Let us now investigate what are our common conceptions concerning the Spirit, as well those which have been gathered by us from Holy Scripture** as well those which have been gathered concerning it as those which we have received from the unwritten tradition of the Fathers.**” Basil, Holy Spirit 22 (c. A.D. 370).

“The day would fail me, if I went through the mysteries of the Church which are not in Scripture. I pass by the others, the very confession of faith, in Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, from what written document have we?” Basil, Holy Spirit 67 (c. A.D. 370).

“While the unwritten traditions are so many and their bearing on ‘the mystery of godliness’ is so important, can they refuse us a single word which has come down to us from the Fathers;–which we found, derived from untutored custom, abiding in unperverted churches;–a word for which contributes in no small degree to the completeness of the force of the mystery.” Basil, Holy Spirit 67 (c. A.D. 370).

‘Do you demand Scripture proof? You may find it in Acts of the Apostles. And even if it did not rest on the authority of the Scripture the consensus of the whole world in this respect would have the force of command…’ Jerome, Dialogue Luciferians 8 (c. A.D. 379).

‘And let them not flatter you themselves** if they think they have Scripture authority since the devil himself has quoted Scripture texts…we could all, while preserving in the letter of Scripture, read into it some novel doctrine.**’ Jerome, Dialogue Luciferians 28 (c. A.D. 379)

“I desire to learn what is this fashion of innovation in things concerning the Church. But since our faith has been proclaimed,** both in writing and without writing**, here and in distant parts, in times of danger and of safety, how comes it that some make such attempts, and that others keep silence?” Gregory of Nazianzus, Epistles 101 (c. A.D. 385)

‘So then, brethren, stand fast, and hold to the traditions which you were taught, whether by word, or by our epistle of ours’.** Hence it is manifest, that they did not deliver all things by Epistle, but many things unwritten, and in like manner both the one and the other are worthy of credit. Therefore let us think the tradition of the Church also worthy of credit. **It is a tradition seek no farther." John Chrysostom, Homilies on Second Thessalonians (c. A.D. 392).

“Wherever this tradition comes from, we must believe that the Church has not believed in vain, even though the express authority of the canonical scriptures is not brought forward for it.” Augustine, Letter 164 to Evodius of Uzalis (A.D. 414).
 
I’m not sure how people can deny the absolute necessity of sacred tradition when it has such a strong biblical foundation and historical foundation.
 
The most important part, people often miss.
Mark 16 15-16, Jesus told the apostles to preach the Gospel to all nations, those who believed and were baptized would be saved.

Thus salvation comes from believing the Gospel that was taught and preached.
Sacred Tradition.

It does not come from believing the Gospel that was written.

No where does Jesus say salvation comes from believing the bible, scripture, the New Testament, etc. He only says salvation comes from believing the Gospel His Church taught and preached, that is Tradition.
 
dcdurel said:
The most important part, people often miss.
Mark 16 15-16, Jesus told the apostles to preach the Gospel to all nations, those who believed and were baptized would be saved.

Thus salvation comes from believing the Gospel that was taught and preached.
Sacred Tradition.

It does not come from believing the Gospel that was written.

No where does Jesus say salvation comes from believing the bible, scripture, the New Testament, etc. He only says salvation comes from believing the Gospel His Church taught and preached, that is Tradition.
Click to expand...
It must be remembered that there was no Bible to refer to for almost the first four hundred years of Christianity. Everything was taught orally by Tradition ( word of mouth ) from the Apostles through and to their successors long before the written word. God, the Holy Spirit, kept this Tradition true and without error during that time and down through the ages.

PAX DOMINI :signofcross:

Shalom Aleichem
 
I agree. Notice the posters are all catholic. Hmm… no defense of SS?
 
traillius said:
I agree. Notice the posters are all catholic. Hmm… no defense of SS?
Click to expand...
Well, since SS does not, necessarily, deny the importance of Tradition (it simply holds Tradition accountable to scripture), I felt no need to respond to the OP. It is significant that the first section of the Book of Concord, the Lutheran confessions, contains the three Creeds, as they area right reflection of the truth of the Gospel, the Trinity, and the nature of Christ.

Jon
 
JonNC said:
Well, since SS does not, necessarily, deny the importance of Tradition (it simply holds Tradition accountable to scripture), I felt no need to respond to the OP. It is significant that the first section of the Book of Concord, the Lutheran confessions, contains the three Creeds, as they area right reflection of the truth of the Gospel, the Trinity, and the nature of Christ.

Jon
Click to expand...
Isn’t scripture a product of Tradition? Even in OT times there was Tradition before the writings of scripture. The NT is a fullfillment and completion of the OT and Tradition came first.

PAX DOMINI :signofcross:

Shalom Aleichem
 
Javl said:
Isn’t scripture a product of Tradition? Even in OT times there was Tradition before the writings of scripture. The NT is a fullfillment and completion of the OT and Tradition came first.
PAX DOMINI :signofcross:

Shalom Aleichem
Click to expand...
If it is, then there should be no conflict between them. I would further ask, then, why is there a conflict between and amongst those who hold to Tradition and scripture?

Jon
 
Actually, I think everyone accepts Tradition, at least in practice. And at least, they accept their own “tradition”–that is, the teachings that were handed down to them.

If anyone were a strict practitioner of scripture only, then they would simply evangelize by handing out bibles, saying, “everything you need to know is in there,” with no attempt at further elaboration. After all, any thing they would say after handing out the bible would be not scripture but tradition.
 
I am with JonNC on this one. There really is not need to respond if you agree that tradition plays a role in Christianity. All Christians have tradition. There is not escaping that.
 
JonNC said:
If it is, then there should be no conflict between them. I would further ask, then, why is there a conflict between and amongst those who hold to Tradition and scripture?

Jon
Click to expand...
There is no conflict between the OT and the NT since the NT is explained by, and refers to, the OT. The conflict between and among those who hold to Tradition and scripture arises from the insistance of the use of “sola scriptura”, and those that reject any and all Tradition as the “traditions of men”.

PAX DOMINI :signofcross:

Shalom Aleichem
 
After reading all of these posts I have a question…don’t you think that maybe the protestants that “reject” tradition and insist on “bible alone” do not understand what tradition is as it pertains to our faith?

Maybe that is the place to start…defining tradition, what it is and the importance of it in the Catholic Church.

If it could be clearly defined, maybe these SS advocates would see that the traditions we have do not in any way negate scripture.

What say you?
 
traillius said:
I agree. Notice the posters are all catholic. Hmm… no defense of SS?
Click to expand...
What do you want us to say?

It’s hard to discuss SS when there’s so much misunderstanding from your side of the isle.

Tradition is great, but be careful.
 
Dokimas said:
What do you want us to say?

It’s hard to discuss SS when there’s so much misunderstanding from your side of the isle.

Tradition is great, but be careful.
Click to expand...
Which traditions do you consider great?
 
JonNC said:
Well, since SS does not, necessarily, deny the importance of Tradition (it simply holds Tradition accountable to scripture), I felt no need to respond to the OP. It is significant that the first section of the Book of Concord, the Lutheran confessions, contains the three Creeds, as they area right reflection of the truth of the Gospel, the Trinity, and the nature of Christ.

Jon
Click to expand...
Since SS (“sola scriptura”) means “scripture alone”, how can you say that it does not deny the importance of Tradition? After all, the word “alone” in English means: “exclusive of anyone or anything else; considered without reference to any other.”

Also, since “sola scriptura” states that scripture is the only authority, please show me in scripture where it says “scripture alone?”
 
Prodigal_Son1 said:
Which traditions do you consider great?
Click to expand...
Meeting at least weekly to worship God together with other believers. Of course this is being obedient to Hebrews 10:25.

BTW, I don’t think much on the subject of traditions.

There is potential danger with traditions because the practice of such can become such a habit that the meaning is lost, thus we’re not drawn closer to God.
 
Dokimas said:
Meeting at least weekly to worship God together with other believers. Of course this is being obedient to Hebrews 10:25.

BTW, I don’t think much on the subject of traditions.

There is potential danger with traditions because the practice of such can become such a habit that the meaning is lost, thus we’re not drawn closer to God.
Click to expand...
What about the examples of oral tradition shown in scriptures, even used by Christ Himself?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top