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.