There are two main sources of doctrine and religious order: the Sacred Tradition of the Church and the Sacred Scripture. The concept of Sacred Tradition cannot be comprehended without the concept of Sacred Scripture, and vice versa.
What is Sacred Tradition?
The 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 doctrine. The basis of Tradition is the transmission of the content of faith from mouth to mouth, from generation to generation.
Holy Tradition is the totality of all dogmas and church traditions, which are described in religious texts, and also conveyed to people by the apostles. The power and content of these texts are equal, and the truths contained in them are immutable. Important aspects of the entire Holy Tradition are apostolic sermons and texts.
How the Holy Tradition is transmitted
Holy Tradition can be transmitted in three ways:
- From historical treatises that carry the Revelation of God;
- From the experience of previous generations who felt the Divine Grace;
- Through religious ceremonies and church services.
Composition of Holy Tradition
There is no consensus on what place the Bible occupies in Sacred Tradition. In any case, this book plays an important role in any ramification of Christianity. The concepts of Sacred Tradition and Sacred 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 other hand, only accepts the text of the Bible.
Latin interpretation of Tradition
The opinion of the church regarding the Holy Tradition directly depends on the denomination. So, for example, the Latin version of the Tradition says that the apostles, called to preach in all lands, secretly transmitted to the authors a part of the teaching that was set out in writing. Another, unrecorded, was passed from mouth to mouth, and was recorded much later, in the post-Apostolic era.
The Law of God in Russian Orthodoxy
Holy Tradition is the foundation of Russian Orthodoxy, which differs little from Orthodoxy in other countries. This explains the same attitude towards the basic tenets of faith. In Russian Orthodoxy, Holy Scripture is rather a form of sacred Tradition than an independent religious work.
The original Orthodox tradition generally believes that Tradition can be transmitted not through the transfer of knowledge, but only in rites and rituals, inresult of the participation of the Holy Spirit in the life of the Church. Tradition is created through the appearance of Christ into human life in the course of rituals and images that are passed on by previous generations to the next: from father to son, from teacher to student, from priest to parishioner.
Thus, Holy Scripture is the main book of Holy Tradition, reflecting its entire essence. Tradition at the same time personifies Scripture. The text of Scripture should not contradict the teachings of the church, because it is precisely the understanding of what is written in the Bible that leads to the realization of the entire doctrine as a whole. The teachings of the Church Fathers are a guide to the correct interpretation of the Bible, but they are not considered sacred, unlike the texts approved at the Ecumenical Councils.
Scripture in Orthodoxy
Composition of Holy Scripture in Orthodoxy:
- Bible;
- Creed;
- Decisions adopted by Ecumenical Councils;
- Liturgy, Church sacraments and ceremonies;
- Treatises of priests, church philosophers and teachers;
- Stories recounted by martyrs;
- Stories about 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
Catholic Holy Tradition is a religious teaching about the life of Christ and the Virgin Mary, passed down from mouth to mouth, from generation to generation.
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 "Scripture Only". In their opinion, only God can be trusted, 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, but only the information contained in Scripture is considered absolute truth.
Muslim Holy Tradition
The Holy Tradition of Muslims is set forth in the Sunnah - a religious text citing episodes from the life of the Prophet Muhammad. The Sunnah is an example and a guide that constitutes the basis of conduct for all members of the Muslim community. It contains the sayings of the prophet, as well as actions that are approved by Islam. The Sunnah 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 Koran. There are even such interpretations of the Holy Tradition when the Qur'an is called the "first Sunnah", and the Sunnah of Muhammad is called 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 to help resolve controversial issues in the life of the Caliphate and the Muslim community.
The Place of the Bible in Sacred Tradition
The Bible as the basis of divine revelation -these are the stories described in the Old and New Testaments. The word "Biblia" is translated as "books", which fully reflects the essence of the Holy Scriptures. The Bible was 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 made their narrative into a single whole, helping to comprehend the content of the books. Moreover, the Holy Spirit did not fill the human mind with information by force. The truth was poured on the authors as grace, giving rise to the creative process. Thus, Holy Scripture is, in fact, the result of the joint creation of man and the Holy Spirit. People were not in a trance or clouded state when they wrote the Bible. All of them were of sound 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 wheat from the chaff and include in the Bible only those books on which, in addition to the creative imprint of the author, there is also the divine seal of grace, as well as those that connect the events of the Old and New Testaments. These two parts of the same book testify to each other. The old here testifies to the new, and the new confirms the old.
Holy Scripture and Holy Tradition briefly
If Holy Tradition contains the entire basis of faith, including Scripture, then it is very important to know at least a summaryits most important parts.
The Bible begins with the Book of Genesis, which describes the moment of the 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 roots sin in the earthly world. Divine attempts to hint to the first people about their inappropriate actions end up with a total disregard for them. The same book describes the appearance of Abraham - a righteous man who made a covenant with God - an agreement according to which his descendants should receive their land, and all other people - God's blessing. The descendants of Abraham spend a long time in captivity among the Egyptians. The prophet Moses comes to their aid, saving them from slavery and fulfilling the first contract with God: providing them with lands for life.
There are books of the Old Testament, which give the rules for the comprehensive fulfillment of the covenant, necessary in order not to violate the will of God. It was entrusted to the prophets to bring the Law of God to the people. It is from this moment that the Lord proclaims the creation of the New Testament, eternal and common to all nations.
The New Testament is entirely built on descriptions of the life of Christ: his birth, life and resurrection. The Virgin Mary, as a result of an immaculate conception, gives birth to the baby Christ - the son of God, who is destined to become the 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 throughout the world and carry the word of God. Besides,there is a book about the apostolic deeds, which tells about the emergence of the church as a whole, about the actions of the people redeemed by the blood of the Lord.
The last biblical book - the Apocalypse - speaks of the end of the world, victory over evil, universal resurrection and God's judgment, after which everyone will be rewarded for their earthly deeds. Then God's Covenant will be fulfilled.
There is also a Holy Tradition for children, the Scriptures in which contain the main episodes, but are adapted for understanding by the smallest.
The Meaning of Scripture
In fact, the Bible contains the proof of the contract between God and people, and also contains instructions on how to fulfill this contract. From the sacred biblical texts, believers draw information about how to do it and how not. The Bible is the most powerful way to get the word of God to as many followers as possible.
It is believed that the authenticity of biblical texts is confirmed by the oldest manuscripts written by Christ's contemporaries. They contain the same texts that are preached today in the Orthodox Church. In addition, the text of Scripture contains predictions that later came true.
The divine seal that lies on the texts is confirmed by the numerous miracles described in the Bible, taking place to this day. This includes the descent of the Holy Fire before Easter, the appearance of stigmata and other events. Some consider such things to be only blasphemous tricks and profanity, trying to expose certain proofs of the existence of God andrefute the historical accuracy 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
Miracle of Moses
Twice a year, off the coast of the South Korean island of Jindo, a miracle occurs, similar to what Moses did. The sea parted, exposing the coral reef. In any case, it is now impossible to say for sure whether the biblical event was an accident associated with a natural phenomenon, or real divine will, but it was in fact.
Resurrection of the dead
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 all alone. According to those present, Jesus took pity on the woman, touched the tomb, and ordered the dead to rise. 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 the most attested. This was spoken not only by the disciples and apostles, who initially did not believe what had happened, but also by authoritative contemporaries of Christ, such as, for example, the physician 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 take place in it. Orthodox Christians firmly believe in the content of the Bible as a text written by God himself - a caring and loving Father.
