This Week at Ss Cyril & Methodius

Scripture Tells Us Follow Tradition. Turning now to the Orthodox understanding of Scripture, let’s begin with the Gospel of St Luke:

Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught (1:1-4, NIV).

Later, in Acts of the Apostles, we read

In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit” (1:1-5).

It’s important to note that in both of these passages, St Luke argues that what he is writing isn’t just true and accurate but a refutation of alternative histories about what Jesus said and did.

What makes his Gospel the standard is he is recording faithfully what was handed down to him by eyewitnesses to the events he records. St Luke, in other words, isn’t himself an eyewitness. The original word in Greek translated as “handed down” is paradidómi or to deliver verbally or an “oral teaching” or oral tradition.

So what St Luke is writing down in his Gospel and in Acts is the oral tradition he received from those who were witnesses.

Moreover, he doesn’t simply record what he has been told; he investigates what people have told him to determine if it is true. Only then does he offer what he calls “an orderly account.”

Orthodox Understanding of Tradition. Following the example of St Luke, the Orthodox Church understand the Bible as a witness to a wider, older, and oral Tradition (paradidómi) that comes from Jesus Himself inspired by the Holy Spirit, and through the Apostles who, like Matthias, have been with the Apostles “the whole time the Lord Jesus was living among us, beginning from John’s baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection” (Acts 1:21-22).

And like St Luke and the Apostles, if we are to “know the certainty of the things [we] have been taught” we need to know not only the Apostolic tradition but also how the other teachings about Jesus and the Gospel deviate from this tradition. This is why St Paul tells the Thessalonians “stand firm and hold fast to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter” (2 Thessalonians 2:15).

Oral Tradition. Here again, we hear that the Gospel isn’t limited to what we find in the Bible (“by letter”) but is also contained in the living Tradition (paradosis) of the Church (“by word of mouth”). By tradition (paradosis) here St Paul doesn’t mean mere history in the modern sense but the teaching of the Apostles together with the life of the Church. Or as he tells St Timothy:

…if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth (1 Timothy 3:15).

It isn’t then enough to know the bare facts of the Gospel; we must also know how to live (conduct) as members of God’s household (the church). For St Paul, is it the Church and not the books of the Bible that is the “pillar and foundation of the truth.”

None of this is a surprise if we’ve read carefully the events on the first Pentecost:

With many other words [St Peter] warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

These new Christians don’t turn to the Scriptures for instruction and how could they, the New Testament at least had not yet been written! Instead, they committed (“devoted”) themselves to the oral instruction of the apostles (“the apostles’ teaching”), gathering together with the church (“to fellowship”), the celebration of the Eucharist (the Last Supper or “the breaking of bread”) and the formal, daily worship of the Temple (“to prayer” or “saying of the prayers” in other translations).

Scripture Alone Not Enough. All this is to say that the Orthodox Church holds that to understand the Gospel you need Scripture but not Scripture alone isn’t sufficient. You also must hold to Tradition (paradosis) which includes not only the written Bible but the teachings handed down from generation to generation. We find this teaching reflected in the daily prayers of the Church and, above all, the Eucharist.

In Christ,

Fr Gregory

November 6, 2022

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