The Nature of Tradition
"Search the Scriptures, for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of Me. And ye will not come to Me, that ye may have life" (John 5:39-5:40)
"In defending sola Scriptura, Protestant apologists invariably use Roman Catholic theology as a foil. It is asserted that Roman Catholics accept two sources of authority -- Scripture and tradition -- and that tradition is given equal weight with Scripture. Second, it is asserted that Roman Catholic reliance on tradition has resulted in the modern doctrines of the Immaculate Conception and papal infallibility. From these premises, Protestants conclude that sola Scriptura is the only safeguard against aberrant doctrinal developments.
"First of all, the doctrinal aberrations of the Roman Catholic Church are manifestly not part of the universal tradition of the Church. The Orthodox Church opposes the Roman doctrines of universal papal jurisdiction, papal infallibility, purgatory, and the Immaculate Conception precisely because they are untraditional.
"Furthermore, the Orthodox Church has never accepted the Roman Catholic assertion that there are two sources of authority. The Church recognizes one and only one source of authority for Her faith and practice: the apostolic tradition. The Divine Scriptures are part -- albeit the most important part - of that tradition. To set the Scriptures up as something over and apart from tradition is to have the tail wagging the dog." [Carlton, Clark. (1997). THE WAY: What Every Protestant Should Know About the Orthodox Church. Salisbury, MA: Regina Orthodox Press; pp. 135-136.].
God save us in the blood and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Amen. In Erie PA Scott R. Harrington ERIE PA USA JANUARY 2012 AD
"Search the Scriptures, for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of Me. And ye will not come to Me, that ye may have life" (John 5:39-5:40)
"In defending sola Scriptura, Protestant apologists invariably use Roman Catholic theology as a foil. It is asserted that Roman Catholics accept two sources of authority -- Scripture and tradition -- and that tradition is given equal weight with Scripture. Second, it is asserted that Roman Catholic reliance on tradition has resulted in the modern doctrines of the Immaculate Conception and papal infallibility. From these premises, Protestants conclude that sola Scriptura is the only safeguard against aberrant doctrinal developments.
"First of all, the doctrinal aberrations of the Roman Catholic Church are manifestly not part of the universal tradition of the Church. The Orthodox Church opposes the Roman doctrines of universal papal jurisdiction, papal infallibility, purgatory, and the Immaculate Conception precisely because they are untraditional.
"Furthermore, the Orthodox Church has never accepted the Roman Catholic assertion that there are two sources of authority. The Church recognizes one and only one source of authority for Her faith and practice: the apostolic tradition. The Divine Scriptures are part -- albeit the most important part - of that tradition. To set the Scriptures up as something over and apart from tradition is to have the tail wagging the dog." [Carlton, Clark. (1997). THE WAY: What Every Protestant Should Know About the Orthodox Church. Salisbury, MA: Regina Orthodox Press; pp. 135-136.].
God save us in the blood and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Amen. In Erie PA Scott R. Harrington ERIE PA USA JANUARY 2012 AD
