The Holy Scriptures, the Pure and Perfect Tradition
Many Christians get caught up in the relationship between Scripture and Tradition. Some are vehemently against Tradition, in favor of a Bible alone approach. Others emphasize the connection between the two that we find in history. And others Seem to almost place Tradition above Scripture, although they would not admit it.
I am not saying I fully understand the dynamic and complicated relationship between the two. Trust me, greater minds have mulled over this for years and we still don't have a universal consensus. But I have some thoughts. Some thoughts that may or may not lead anywhere, but thoughts nonetheless. This is a somewhat informal journal after all.
Scripture was indeed birthed through the Tradition of the Christian Church. Granted, the Scriptures were inspired by God and are by no means the product of man. But the God did indeed give the Scriptures to us through the Church. The Church was the vehicle by which He conveyed the message of the Holy Writ. The Inspired biblical writers penned it, the Early church used it and affirmed it, and the Church of the Ages has passed it down to us in incredible detail. So when some say that the Scriptures were a product of the Church, they are partially correct.
But we must remember something very important. Yes, the Church was the tool by which the Scriptures were made, but that it is ultimately subject to it. The Scriptures are True, we know this. So anything the Church may say contrary to them, must be regarded as inferior and ultimately untrue.
posted by Mathaytace_Christou at 6:34 PM
3 Comments:
John,
I agree with you. Tradition is only valuble where it is in congruence with Scripture. I am a firm believer in the rallying cry of the Reformation, "Solo Scriptura" which is also reflexive of the Biblical statement to "test all things".
5:31 PM
I always like to use the analogy of The constitution and the supreme court for scripture and tradition.
Both scripture and the church (ie tradition) derive their authority from the same place... God. Just as the Constitution and the Supreme court ultimately derive their power from the social contract. The powers of the supreme court are enumerated in the constitution just as the authority of the church is set forth in scripture.
The supreme court can not modify or nullify the constitution, just as the church can not modify or nullify the scripture. Yet the supreme court carries the responsability, and the authority to interpet the constitution (despite each of us having an individual right to uphold the true meaning of the constitution). Likewise the church has the authority to teach and interpet scripture, yet we as individuals retain the responsability to uphold the truth of scripture.
9:56 PM
another comment :)
when it comes to tradition vs. scripture, often times I think people fool themselves. The whole crowd of people who argue for bible alone believe that their view is based solely on scripture. Yet, usually, most of them come from a specific school of thought as to how scripture should be interpeted. Also, more often than not, they have specific doctrinal positions they hold which have been taught and passed down for generations. This is "tradition".
In my own view, the place and real value of tradition is that it helps us understand scripture, by putting the framework around scripture, and filling in the contextual gaps. Scripture was not written in a vacume. It was written to living people in a living culture.
Further, scripture itself says that it does not cover everything that Jesus or the apostles said or did, because there was simply too much materiel. Scripture contains everything that is necessary to salvation, but there are many things it doesn't tell us, or doesn't tell us in very much detail, especially when dealing with issues of practice. How the church lived and worshiped day to day. In scripture we get small glimpses of these things.
Without the surrounding context of tradition, it is very easy to miss the importance of topics which may only occasionally be mentioned, or to compeltely misunderstand them.
4:43 PM
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