As for the question of interpretation.

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Scotth1960

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"As for the question of interpretation, private or otherwise, I think you may agree that the Orthodox Church's concept of tradition is helpful in resolving the problem. The Holy Scriptures themselves bear witness to the fact that they do not contain all that Jesus said and did ("And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written" [John 21:25]). And hence, St. Paul exhorts the Thessalonians, "Brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle" (II Thess. 2:15). It is certainly true the, besides the divinely-proclaimed traditions which St. Paul speaks of, there were also other, man-made and concocted traditions. But the Church has ever rejected human traditions. Indeed, this is why it was necessary for the Apostles, and later, the Church Fathers, to come together in councils in order to reject human fabrications and pernicious dogmas that sought to enter the Church's mainstream of doctrine. In all these matters, we believe and know that the Lord and Comforter, the Holy Spirit, the Bestower of every good, has guided and continues to guide His Church (as He guided the Church in forming the canon of the New Testament), for Our Saviour promised that "the gates of Hades shall not prevail" against the Church. Ultimately, it is the Holy Tradition which determines which church writer is inspired and the question, of course, has a more subtle aspect, because it is also necessary to know at what "level" the Church Father was speaking when he said what he said)." (page 27: "LETTER TO A METHODIST MINISTER", written by Fr. Ephraim (now Metropolitan Ephraim of Boston), Orthodox Christian Witness, Aug. 27/ Sept. 9, 1980, St. Pimen of Egypt; "One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism (Eph. 4:5), Thirty Years of Witness to Orthodox Christianity, Holy Orthodox Metropolis of Boston, Boston, Massachusetts, 2001.).

God bless us all of us in Christ Jesus: AMEN. In Erie PA July 2, 2011 AD Scott R. Harrington

 
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