Cyril of
A highly misused quotation of Cyril is this one:
“Take heed then, brethren, and hold fast the traditions which ye now receive,
and write them on the table of your heart. Guard them with reverence, lest per chance the enemy despoil any who have grown slack;
or lest some heretic pervert any of the truths delivered to you.”
-Cyril of
http://www.ccel.org/fathers2/NPNF2-07/Npnf2-07-10.htm#P645_149614
The use of
this quote by Roman apologists tries to bring the reader to believe that Cyril taught the existence of an oral tradition separate
from the written Scriptures. However, they leave out the context, the preceding sentences:
So for the present listen while
I simply say the Creed, and commit it to memory; but at the proper season expect the confirmation out of Holy Scripture of each part
of the contents. For the articles of the Faith were not composed as seemed good to men; but the most important points collected out
of all the Scripture make up one complete teaching of the Faith. And just as the mustard seed in one small grain contains many branches,
so also this Faith has embraced in few words all the knowledge of godliness in the Old and New Testaments. Take heed then, brethren,
and hold fast the traditions which ye now receive, and write them on the table of your heart.
-Cyril of
http://www.ccel.org/fathers2/NPNF2-07/Npnf2-07-10.htm#P645_149614
Thus, Cyril’s
interpretation of 2 Thessalonians 2:15 and tradition becomes clear. Like Irenaeus, the ‘traditions’ Cyril refers to are the
teachings of the Creed which are formed from “all the knowledge of godliness in the Old and New Testaments.” J.N.D. Kelly comments:
“The
clearest token of the prestige enjoyed by the latter is the fact that almost the entire theological effort of the fathers, whether
their aims were polemical or constructive, was expended what amounted to the exposition of the Bible. Further, it was everywhere
taken for granted that, for any doctrine to win acceptance, it had first to establish its Scriptural basis…The creed itself, according
to Cyril of Jerusalem, Augustine and Cassian, was a compendium of Scripture.” –J.N.D. Kelly, Early Christian Doctrines, rev. ed. (
The tradition, the Creed, is formed from the clear teachings of Scripture, not
some separate oral tradition that Roman apologists want us to believe in.
Athanasius
Athanasius believed that the ‘tradition of the fathers’ must be confirmed by the Scriptures:
“But our faith is right, and starts
from the teaching of the Apostles and tradition of the fathers, being confirmed both by the New Testament and the Old. For the Prophets
say: ‘Send out Thy Word and Thy Truth,’ and ‘Behold the Virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel,
which is being interpreted God with us.’ But what does that mean, if not that God has come in the Flesh? While the Apostolic tradition
teaches in the words of blessed Peter, ‘Forasmuch then as Christ suffered for us in the Flesh;’ and in what Paul writes, ‘Looking
for the blessed hope and appearing of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ, Who gave Himself for us that He might redeem us from
all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a people for His own possession, and zealous of good works.’”
-Athanasius, Letters of St. Athanasius, Letter 60.6
http://www.ccel.org/fathers2/NPNF2-04/Npnf2-04-114.htm#P10078_3609272
However,
Roman Catholic polemicists use the following quote to try to establish the historicity of a separate oral tradition:
“But after
him 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, Letters of St. Athanasius, Festal Letter 2.6
http://www.ccel.org/fathers2/NPNF2-04/Npnf2-04-73.htm#P8854_3253288
They
latch on to the phrase “opinions as the saints have handed down” and imply that the ‘saints’ Athanasius refers to are the church fathers
and their traditions. However, such an interpretation takes Athanasius out of context. He refers to the ‘saints’ elsewhere:
“The
divine Scriptures, then, consistently show that the Holy Spirit is not a creature, but is proper to the Word and to the Godhead of
the Father. Thus, the teaching of the saints joins in establishing the holy and indivisible Triad; and the Catholic Church has
one faith, even this.”
-Athanasius, Ad Serapion 1.32
As scholars
have concluded, the ‘saints’ Athanasius refers to are the writers of the Old and New Testaments.
John Chrysostom
“So then,
brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye were taught, whether by word, or by Epistle of ours." Hence it is manifest,
that they did not deliver all things by Epistle, but many things also 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 Thessalonians, Homily 4
http://www.ccel.org/fathers2/NPNF1-13/npnf1-13-78.htm#P2716_1874115
This
is the passage from Chrysostom that is often misused by Roman apologists. They claim that Chrysostom is implying the existence
of an unwritten apostolic tradition that interprets Scripture. This is not the case, however. As William Webster notes:
“When
he speaks of tradition, he is referring to ecclesiastical customs and practices. He assumed that if a practice had been used
for many ages it was apostolic in origin. However, nowhere, in the entirety of his writings, does he make an appeal to a tradition
that is independent of Scripture in defense of a doctrine or as proof to support any teaching. Scripture alone is the source
of truth and carries within itself its own normative authority.”
-William Webster, Holy Scripture: The Ground and Pillar of Our Faith,
Vol. II (Battle Ground, Washington: Christian Resources, 2001), p.66.
Just as with Tertullian, Chrysostom is referring
to ecclesial customs and practices.
Basil of
“Of the beliefs and practices whether generally accepted or publicly
enjoined which are preserved in the Church some we possess derived from written teaching; others we have received delivered to us
“in a mystery” by the tradition of the apostles; and both of these in relation to true religion have the same force.”
–Basil of
http://www.ccel.org/fathers2/NPNF2-08/Npnf2-08-06.htm#P1123_256929
“Is
answer to the objection that the doxology in the form “with the Spirit” has no written authority, we maintain that if there is no
other instance of that which is unwritten, then this must not be received. But if the greater number of our mysteries are admitted
into our constitution without written authority, then, in company with the many others, let us receive this one. For I hold it apostolic
to abide also by the unwritten traditions. "I praise you,” it is said, “that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances
as I delivered them to you;” and "Hold fast the traditions which ye have been taught whether by word, or our Epistle.” One of these
traditions is the practice which is now before us, which they who ordained from the beginning, rooted firmly in the churches, delivering
it to their successors, and its use through long custom advances pace by pace with time.”
–Basil of
http://www.ccel.org/fathers2/NPNF2-08/Npnf2-08-06.htm#P1123_256929
These
two passages of Basil the Great are frequently used by Roman Catholic apologists to support the idea of unwritten apostolic traditions
that are equal in authority to Scripture. However, they never give the context to these quotations, and thus, they mislead the
reader. The following quote occurs just after the first quote from above:
“And these no one will gainsay;-no one, at all
events, who is even moderately versed in the institutions of the Church. For were we to attempt to reject such customs as have no
written authority, on the ground that the importance they possess is small, we should unintentionally injure the Gospel in its very
vitals; or, rather, should make our public definition a mere phrase and nothing more. For instance, to take the first and most general
example, who is thence who has taught us in writing to sign with the sign of the cross those who have trusted in the name of our Lord
Jesus Christ? What writing has taught us to turn to the East at the prayer? Which of the saints has left us in writing the words of
tim invocation at the displaying of the bread of the Eucharist and the cup of blessing…Nay, by what written word is the anointing
of oil itself taught? And whence comes the custom of baptizing thrice?” (emphasis mine)
–Basil of
http://www.ccel.org/fathers2/NPNF2-08/Npnf2-08-06.htm#P1123_256929
Like
Tertullian and Chrysostom, Basil used unwritten traditions only for ecclesial customs and practices that were not necessary to believe
in order to be saved. Also, some of these so-called ‘apostolic’ traditions such as triple-immersion baptism and turning toward
the east in prayer are not even practiced by the Roman Catholic Church (thus turning the Catholic’s argument against them)!
J.N.D. Kelly comments on ‘tradition’ in the early church:
“Indeed, all the instances of unwritten tradition lacking Scriptural
support which the early theologians mention will be found, on examination, to refer to matters of observance and practice (e.g. triple
immersion baptism; turning East in prayer) rather than of doctrine as such, although sometimes they are matters (e.g. infant baptism;
prayers for the dead) in which doctrine is involved.”
–J.N.D. Kelly, Early Christian Doctrines, rev. ed. (
[Note: Tertullian used tradition to argue against infant baptism, and he also used tradition to argue
for prayers for the dead who were already in paradise. Neither of these traditions match Roman Catholic doctrine.]
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Also,
some helpful audio on this topic can be found at:
http://www.straitgate.com/webster/
http://www.straitgate.com/aom/dl/99.htm (Jan.
30, Feb. 6)
Suggested reading:
- Eric Svendsen, Evangelical Answers (Lindenhurst, New
York: Reformation Press, 1999).
- David King and William Webster, Holy Scripture: The Ground and Pillar of Our Faith, Vol. I-III (
- William Webster, The Church of Rome at the Bar of History (Carlisle, Pennsylvania: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1995).
The Nature of
Tradition in the
Early Church
(Part 2)