There are two main sources of dogma and religious order: the Holy Tradition of the church and the Holy Scriptures. The concept of Holy Tradition cannot be comprehended without the concept of Holy Scripture, and vice versa.
What is Holy Tradition?
Holy Tradition is, in a broad sense, the totality of all oral and written religious knowledge and sources containing all dogmas, canons, treatises and the basis of religious dogma. The basis of Tradition is the transmission of the content of faith by word of mouth, from generation to generation.
Holy Tradition is the totality of all dogmas and church traditions that are described in religious texts and are also conveyed to people by the apostles. The strength and content of these texts are equivalent, and the truths contained in them are immutable. Important aspects of the entire Holy Tradition are the apostolic sermons and texts.
How is Holy Tradition transmitted?
Holy Tradition can be transmitted in three ways:
- From historical treatises bearing the revelation of God;
- From the experience of previous generations who felt Divine Grace on themselves;
- Through religious ceremonies and church services.
Composition of Holy Tradition
There is no consensus on what place the Bible holds in holy tradition. In any case, this book plays an important role in any branch of Christianity. The concepts of Holy Tradition and Scripture are inextricably linked, but the composition of Tradition is much more complex. Moreover, in some branches of Christianity, for example, in Catholicism, Scripture is not an important part of Tradition. Protestantism, on the contrary, recognizes only the text of the Bible.
Latin interpretation of Tradition
The opinion of the church regarding Holy Tradition directly depends on faith. So, for example, the Latin version of the Tradition says that the apostles, called to preach in all parts of the world, secretly transmitted to the authors a part of the teaching, which was set out in writing. Another, unrecorded, was passed from mouth to mouth, and was recorded much later, in the post-apostolic era.
God's law in Russian Orthodoxy
Holy Tradition is the basis of the foundations for Russian Orthodoxy, which differs little from Orthodoxy in other countries. This explains the same attitude to the basic tenets of faith. In Russian Orthodoxy, the Holy Scripture is rather a form of sacred Tradition, rather than an independent religious work.
The original Orthodox tradition generally believes that Tradition can not be transmitted through the transfer of knowledge, but only in rites and rituals, as a result of the participation of the Holy Spirit in Church life. The creation of Tradition occurs through the appearance of Christ in human life in the course of rituals and images that are transmitted by previous generations as follows: from father to son, from teacher to student, from father to parishioner.
Thus, Scripture is the main book of Holy Tradition, reflecting its essence. Tradition at the same time personifies Scripture. The text of Scripture should not contradict the teaching of the church, because it is the understanding of what is written in the Bible that leads to the realization of the whole creed. The teachings of the church fathers are guides to the correct interpretation of the Bible, but they are not considered sacred, unlike texts approved by Ecumenical Councils.
Scripture in Orthodoxy
The composition of the Holy Scriptures in Orthodoxy:
- Bible;
- Symbol of faith;
- Decisions adopted by Ecumenical Councils;
- Liturgy, church sacraments and rites;
- Treatises of priests, church philosophers and teachers;
- Stories described by martyrs;
- Stories of saints and their lives;
- In addition, some scholars believe that the Christian Apocrypha, whose content does not contradict the Holy Scriptures, can serve as a reliable source of Tradition.
It turns out that in Orthodoxy the Holy Tradition is any religious information that does not contradict the truth.
Catholic interpretation
The Catholic Holy Tradition is a word of mouth, generation to generation, religious teaching on the life of Christ and the Virgin Mary.
Holy Tradition in Protestantism
Protestants do not consider Tradition the main source of their faith and allow independent interpretation of the text of Scripture by Christians. In addition, Protestants adhere to the principle of sola Scriptura, which means "Only Scripture." Trust, in their opinion, is possible only to God, and only the Divine word is authoritative. All other instructions are called into question. Nevertheless, Protestantism retained the relative authority of the Church Fathers, relying on their experience, however, the information contained in the Scriptures is considered the absolute truth.
Muslim Holy Tradition
The Holy Tradition of Muslims is set forth in the Sunnah, a religious text that cites episodes from the life of the prophet Muhammad. The Sunna is an example and guide that forms the basis of behavior for all members of the Muslim community. It contains the statements of the prophet, as well as actions that are approved by Islam. The Sunna is the second religious book of Muslims after the Koran, which is the main source of Islamic law, which makes its study very important for all Muslims.
From the 9th to the 10th century, the Sunnah is revered among Muslims along with the Qur'an. There are even such interpretations of Holy Tradition when the Qur'an is called the “first Sunnah”, and the Sunna of Muhammad - “the second Sunnah”. The importance of the Sunnah is due to the fact that after the death of the Prophet Muhammad, it is the main source that helps to resolve the contentious issues of the life of the Caliphate and the Muslim community.
Bible Place in Holy Tradition
The Bible as the basis of divine revelation is the stories described in the Old and New Testaments. The word "Bible" is translated as "books", which fully reflects the essence of the Holy Scriptures. The Bible has been written by different people for several thousand years, has 75 books in different languages, but has a single composition, logic and spiritual content.
According to the church, God himself inspired people to write the Bible, so this book is “inspired.” It was he who revealed the truth to the authors and compiled their narrative into a single whole, helping to conceptualize the content of books. Moreover, the Holy Spirit did not forcibly fill the human mind with information. Truth was poured on the authors as grace, creating a creative process. Thus, the Holy Scripture is, in fact, the result of the joint creation of man and the Holy Spirit. When writing the Bible, people were not in trance or foggy states. All of them were in their right mind and sober memory. As a result, thanks to fidelity to Tradition and living in the Holy Spirit, the church was able to separate the grains from the chaff and include in the Bible only those books on which, in addition to the creative imprint of the author, also bear the divine seal of grace, as well as those that connect the events of the Old and New Testaments. These two parts of one book testify to each other. The old here indicates the new, and the new confirms the old.
Scripture and Scripture Briefly
If Holy Tradition contains the whole foundation of faith, including Scripture, it is very important to know at least a brief summary of its most important parts.
The Bible begins with the Book of Genesis, which describes the moment of creation of the World and the first people: Adam and Eve. As a result of the fall, the unfortunate are expelled from paradise, after which they continue the human race, which only rooted sin in the earthly world. Divine attempts to hint the first people to their inappropriate actions end with a total disregard for them. The same book describes the appearance of Abraham - a righteous man who made a covenant with God - a treaty according to which his descendants should receive their land, and all other people should receive God's blessing. The descendants of Abraham spend a long time in captivity with the Egyptians. The prophet Moses came to the rescue, saving them from slavery and fulfilling the first contract with God: providing them with land for life.
There are books of the Old Testament, which contain the rules for the full fulfillment of the covenant, necessary in order not to violate the will of God. The law of God was entrusted to the prophets in people. From that moment, the Lord proclaims the creation of the New Testament, eternal and common to all peoples.
The New Testament is entirely based on the descriptions of Christ's life: his birth, life, and resurrection. Virgin Mary, as a result of the immaculate conception, gives birth to the baby Christ - the son of God, who is destined to become one true God and Man, to preach and work miracles. Accused of blasphemy, Christ is killed, after which he miraculously resurrects and sends the Apostles to preach all over the world and carry the word of God. In addition, there is a book about the apostolic acts, which speaks of the emergence of the church as a whole, of the actions of a people redeemed by the blood of the Lord.
The last biblical book - the Apocalypse - speaks of the end of the world, the victory over evil, the general resurrection and God's judgment, after which everyone will be rewarded for his earthly deeds. Then God's covenant will be fulfilled.
There is also a Sacred Tradition for children, in which the Scripture contains the main episodes, but is adapted for understanding by the smallest.
Scripture Significance
In fact, the Bible contains evidence of a contract between God and people, and also contains instructions on how to fulfill this contract. Believers draw information from sacred biblical texts on how to do and how not. The Bible is the most effective way to bring the word of God to as many followers as possible.
It is believed that the authenticity of biblical texts is confirmed by ancient manuscripts written by contemporaries of Christ. They contain the same texts that are preached today in the Orthodox Church. In addition, the text of Scripture contains predictions that subsequently came true.
The divine seal lying on the texts is confirmed by numerous miracles described in the Bible, which are still happening today. This includes the descent of the Holy Fire before Easter, the appearance of stigmata and other events. Some consider such things only blasphemous tricks and profanity, trying to expose any evidence of the existence of God and refute the historical reliability of the events of the Bible. However, all these attempts, as a rule, are unsuccessful, because even those eyewitnesses who were opponents of Christ never denied what they saw.
The most incredible miracles described in the Bible
Twice a year, a miracle happens on the shores of the South Korean island of Chindo, similar to what Moses did. The sea parted, revealing a coral reef. In any case, one cannot now say for sure whether the biblical event was an accident related to a natural phenomenon, or a true divine will, but it was in fact.
In the 31st year, the disciples of Christ witnessed an amazing phenomenon: on the way to the city of Nain they met a funeral procession. The inconsolable mother buried her only son; being a widow, the woman was left completely alone. According to the statements of those who were present, Jesus took pity on the woman, touched the tomb, and ordered the dead to stand up. To the amazement of those around him, the young man stood up and spoke.
- The Resurrection of Christ
The most important miracle around which the entire New Testament is built - the resurrection of Christ, is also a witness. This was said not only by students and apostles who initially did not believe what happened, but also by authoritative contemporaries of Christ, such as, for example, the doctor and historian Luke. He also testified to the facts of the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.
In any case, belief in miracles is an integral part of the entire Christian faith. To believe in God means to believe in the Bible, and, accordingly, in the miracles that occur in it. Orthodox Christians sacredly believe in the content of the Bible as in a text written by God himself - a caring and loving Father.