Tradition

What is the Tradition? It is every teaching, other than the Holy Bible,

that reached us through the entrustment of the

Apostles and the Fathers.

It includes the writings of the Church Fathers, the

decisions of the holy councils, the Church canons

and regulations, beside the rituals and oral

tradition

Tradition is older than the Holy Bible (1)

The earliest written Law that reached us

was written by Moses the prophet who

lived in the fifteenth and fourteenth

centuries B.C.

Man’s thought and behavior before the

Law was led by man’s conscience on one

hand and Tradition on the other hand.

Tradition is older than the Holy Bible (2)

In the Book of Genesis it is written that Abel the

righteous brought fat portions of his flock. St. Paul

explains this saying: “By faith Abel offered to God

a more excellent sacrifice than Cain” Heb.11:4

How did Abel know the idea of offering sacrifice to

God? From where did he get that faith?

Tradition is older than the Holy Bible (3)

The same applies to the burnt offerings

which were offered by our fathers Noah,

Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Also, this is applied on the idea of building

altars by our fathers Noah (after the

Flood), and Abraham who built an altar at

the greet tree of Morah.

Tradition is older than the Holy Bible (4)

It is written that Noah took from the clean

animals and birds and sacrificed a burnt

offering on the altar and the Lord smelt

the soothing aroma (Gen.8: 20,21).

How did Noah know about offering a

sacrifice from clean animals before Moses

explain this in the Law?

Tradition is older than the Holy Bible (5)

In the event of the meeting between Abraham

and Melchizedek, it is written that Melchizedek

“was the priest of God Most high” Gen. 14:18

How was the idea of priesthood, which gave

Melchizedek the authority to bless Abram and

which made Abram to give him the tenth of

everything he had; known by that time?

Tradition is older than the Holy Bible (6)

When God gave the written Law, He willed

Tradition to remain as well. He commanded the

fathers to commend and entrust the teachings to

their children.

“Only take heed to yourself, and diligently keep

your self, lest you forget the things your eyes have

seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the

days of your life. And teach them to your children

and grandchildren” Deut.4:9

Tradition is older than the Holy Bible (7)

We also find that writers of the New Testament

mention information about events in the Old

Testament that was received only from Tradition.

Example 1: St. Paul mentioned the names of the

two witches who resisted Moses the Prophet

“Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so

these also resist the truth” 2Tim3:8

Tradition is older than the Holy Bible (8)

Example 2: St. Jude in his epistle mentioned a

dispute between Archangel Michael and Satan

about the body of Moses “Yet Michael the

Archangel, in contending with the devil, when he

disputed about the body of Moses, dared not to

bring against him a reviling accusation, but said,

‘the Lord rebuke you’ “ Jude 9

Tradition is older than the Holy Bible (9)

Example 3: The Apostle Paul was describing the

fear of the people on receiving the Law, he said: “

And so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, ‘I

am exceedingly afraid and trembling’ ’’

Heb.12:21

This phrase attributed to Moses was not recorded

either in the Book of Exodus or Deuteronomy.

Tradition is older than the Holy Bible (10)

Example 4: St. Jude spoke about Enoch’s prophecy which is not mentioned in the Old Testament. He said: “Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, ‘Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him” Jude 14,15

Tradition is older than the Holy Bible (11)

We notice also that the commandment of

circumcision was entrusted to our father Abraham

by God and commended to the people through

Tradition before the existence of the written Law

by Moses

Tradition is older than the Holy Bible (12)

We find also in New Testament that a long time

elapsed before there was any written gospel or

epistle. For a period of approximately twenty

years, people received the entire faith, the entire

story of Christ together with His teachings and His

redemption, through Tradition.

Tradition is older than the Holy Bible (13)

When the Lord began His teaching, He said to the

people: “The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of

God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the

gospel” Mk.1:15

There was no written gospel at that time but

there was preaching of the good news

representing the oral gospel or the Divine

teaching which was taught through entrustment.

The Holy Bible does not mention everything (1)

It does not mention all that the Lord Jesus Christ

did nor said.

St. John says “and there are also many other

things that Jesus did, which if they written one by

one, I suppose that even the world itself could not

contain the books that would be written” Jn.21:25

The Holy Bible does not mention everything (2)

After the resurrection, the Lord met the two

disciples of Emmaus, and “beginning at Moses

and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all

the Scriptures the things concerning Himself”

Lk.24:27

All these teachings, and others were not recorded

in the Gospel.

The Holy Bible does not mention everything (3)

What about the forty days which the Lord spent

with His disciples after His resurrection, speaking

to them of the things pertaining to the kingdom of

God (Acts 1:3)?

We can not believe that His teachings were lost

since they are so important. The only way for

these teachings to reach us was through

Tradition.

The Holy Bible does not mention everything (4)

The Church has been living these teachings

according to the Lord’s saying: “The words that I

speak to you are spirit, and they are life” Jn.6:63

Therefore, we can say that Tradition is the life of

the Church or it is the Living Church.

Many Apostles did not write epistles. Where are

their teachings? Where is the work of the Divine

inspiration in them? It is also not possible that some

of the Apostles taught only what they wrote

The Apostles laid down disciplines for the Church. What are they ? (1)

It is unreasonable to accept that the Lord’s

Apostles, after having received all those

teachings from the Lord, left the Church without

any disciplines or laws to direct her affairs.

St. John writes in his second epistle: “Having

many things to write to you, I did not wish to do

so with paper and ink; but I hope to come to you

and speak face to face” 2Jn.12

The Apostles laid down disciplines for the Church. What are they ? (2)

St Paul says in his first epistle to the Corinthians:

“And the rest I will set in order when I come”

1Cor.11:34

He also says to his disciple Titus: “For this reason I

left you in Crete, that you should set in order the

things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every

city as I commanded you” Titus1:5

He did not explain in the epistle how to appoint

elders, with regards to the prayers, rituals, and

necessary conditions thereof.

The Apostles laid down disciplines for the Church. What are they ? (3)

The same applies to what St. Paul said to

his disciple Timothy: “And the things that

you have heard from me among many

witnesses, commit these to faithful men

who will be able to teach others also”

2Tim2:2

The Apostles laid down disciplines for the Church. What are they ? (4)

From previous quotations, we notice that our

Fathers the Apostles preferred sometimes to speak

rather than to write. Their verbal teachings were

entrusted from one generation to the next until

they have reached us today.

Probably, the Apostles focused in their epistles on

the main principles of faith and left the details of

the disciplines and rituals to the practical

arrangements in the churches.

The Apostles laid down disciplines for the Church. What are they ? (5)

To illustrate this point, we can refer to the

consecration of Sunday as the Lord’s day.

All Christians, even those who do not regard the

Tradition, consecrate Sunday instead of Saturday

as the Lord’s day. From where derive this

teaching? Is it from the Holy Bible or the

Tradition?

St. Paul receiving teachings from the Lord (1)

Regarding the sacrament of the Eucharist, the

Apostle says: “For I received from the Lord that

which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus

on the same night in which He was betrayed took

bread” 1Cor.11:23

Here the Apostle speaks about the entrustment

he received from the Lord and which he

commended to the church in Corinth.

St. Paul receiving teachings from the Lord (2)

The Holy Bible does not tell us how and

when the Apostle Paul received it from the

Lord.

He is giving us an idea about Church

dogmas and how they entered the Church

through entrustment.

Why Tradition is important ? (1)

Through Tradition we came to know the

Bible itself. Divine Books were

distinguished and were able to reach us

through Tradition.

Through Tradition, the Church heritage,

rituals, and disciplines have reached us.

Why Tradition is important ? (2)

Tradition preserved for us the sound

doctrines that were handed from one

generation to the next. If the

interpretation of the Bible was left to the

comprehension of each individual, we

would have various sects and

denominations not sharing the same faith.

Sound and Vain Traditions (1)

Those who reject Tradition build their

objection on the pretext that the Lord

Jesus Christ rejected Tradition when He

reproached the scribes and Pharisees.

“Why do you also transgress the

commandment of God because of your

tradition?” Matt.15:3

Sound and Vain Traditions (2)

They also use the pretext of the Apostle’s

words, “Beware lest anyone cheat you

through philosophy and empty deceit,

according to the tradition of men,

according to the basic principles of the

world, and not according to Christ” Col.2:8

Sound and Vain Traditions (3)

In our discourse about Tradition, we do not mean

the vain traditions laid down by men nor do we

mean those traditions which are not in accord

with the doctrine and spirit of the Bible. But we

mean the sound Tradition that conforms with:

The teachings of the Lord Christ, which have

reached us through entrustment.

Sound and Vain Traditions (4)

The Apostolic Tradition, that reached us through

entrustment from one generation to the other.

The Ecclesiastical Tradition, decreed by the holy

Ecumenical councils regarding the Church canons

and disciplines which we received from the

fathers.

Sound and Vain Traditions (5)

That is what St. Paul confirmed by saying

“Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the

traditions, which you were taught, whether by word

or our epistle” 2Thess.2:15

“But we command you, brethren, in the name of

our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw from every

brother who walks disorderly and not according to

the tradition which he received from us” 2Thess3:6

Sound and Vain Traditions (6)

“Now I praise you, brethren, that you

remember me in all things and keep the

traditions as I delivered them to you”

1Cor.11:2

Conditions of Sound Tradition (1)

It should not be incompatible with the Holy

Bible.

It should not contradict other Church

Traditions.

It should be accepted by the Churches.

Church authority in teaching and legislation (1)

This authority was given to the Apostles: “…

whatever you bind on earth will be bound in

heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be

loosed in heaven” Matth18:18

The Church commenced this duty of hers by

holding the first Church Council in Jerusalem (45

A.D.)

Church authority in teaching and legislation (2)

The Council discussed the acceptance of the

Gentiles, and the Apostles decision was “For it

seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay

upon you no greater burden than these necessary

things: that you abstain from things offered to

idols, from blood, from things strangles, and from

sexual immorality” Acts 15:28-29

Church authority in teaching and legislation (3)

Therefore, holy councils, local and ecumenical,

were held by the authority of teaching and

legislation which the Lord endowed upon

priesthood.

These councils have laid down decisions and

disciplines for the Church which have been

included in the Church Tradition.