Chrism

What is tradition? Oxford Dictionary defines tradition as “a belief, custom, or way of doing something that has existed for a long time among a particular group of people; a set of these beliefs or customs religious/cultural, etc.” In the Orthodox Church, traditions are the teachings that were entrusted to us by the Apostles and the Fathers, other than the words of the Holy Bible. These teaching concern matters that are important to the Orthodox faith, that are not included in the Bible, but in no way, shape or form contradict it.

Many denominations do not believe in traditions and only abide by the words in the Holy Bible. By doing this they exclude the heritage of the church passed down by previous generations. The Apostles and Fathers of the early church wrote many things (not in the Bible), and decisions were made at holy counsels and the first meetings after the ascension of our Lord. Church canons and regulations were created, and church rituals were established.

It is wrong to look at the words of the Holy Bible only, without showing any reverence to other teachings concerning our faith. Opponents of tradition, fail to realize that tradition is older than the Holy Bible itself and goes back to the time of our father Adam. The earliest law that has reached us in written form was the law of Moses who lived in the fifteenth and fourteenth century B.C. However, well before Moses wrote the law, tradition already guided many of the early saints.

Examples of Tradition before the Bible was written

1. In the Book of Genesis it is written that Abel the righteous man brought fat portions of his flock (Genesis. 4:4), and “by faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain” (Hebrews 11:4). How did Abel know the idea of offering sacrifices to God? From where did he get that faith? There was no Bible or written law at that time. He had received this idea through tradition from his father Adam who had received it from God himself. This took place many centuries before Moses wrote about sacrifice and burnt offerings.

2. Another example is the burnt offerings which were offered by our fathers Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. They knew about the idea of sacrifice through traditions entrusted to them. The same thing can be said in regards to building altars. After the flood, Noah “built an altar to the Lord” (Genesis 8:20), and Abraham built an altar at the great tree of Moreh (Genesis 12:7). There was no Holy Bible at the time to command them to build altars, but they had done so based on tradition.

3. Noah took clean animals and birds and sacrificed burnt offerings on the altar and the Lord smelt the soothing aroma (Genesis 8:20,21). Why did Noah offer “clean” animals? How did he know he must offer clean animals? He must have learnt it by tradition that came directly from God and he entrusted it to generations after him until Moses wrote it down in the Torah.

4. In Genesis 14:18, Abraham meets Melchizedek who “was the priest of God Most High.” How was this priesthood instituted? Who gave Melchizedek the authority to bless Abraham and why did Abraham offer him the tenths of everything he had well before the Holy Bible teaches us about tithing? There was no written law at the time that explained priesthood and its duties. Where did the knowledge of priesthood come from except through tradition?

5. Our Father Jacob said to the Lord “…and of all that You gave me I will surely give a tenth to You” (Genesis 28:22). Jacob must have received the tradition of tithing from his grandfather Abraham who offered tithes Melchizedek. There was no written law, but tradition was the teacher of all human beings before written law, and remained so after.

6. When God gave the written law, he clearly wanted tradition to remain as well. He specifically commanded the fathers on various occasions, to commend and entrust the teachings to their children. “Only take heed to yourself, and diligently keep yourself, lest you forget the things your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. And teach them to your children and your grandchildren” (Deut. 4: 9).

7. Some of the writers of the New Testament wrote information about events that occurred in the Old Testament which they received through tradition. For example, St. Paul mentions the names of two witches who resisted Moses and said “Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth” (2 Tim. 3: 8). The names of these two witches are nowhere to be found in the Old Testament so the Apostle Paul must have known these names and about the events that occurred through tradition.

8. The entrustment of tradition also occurred in the New Testament. A long time passed before there was a physically written gospel. For approximately 20 years after the ascension of Christ, the apostles traveled and preached the faith and the story of Jesus and His teachings through tradition and spoken Gospel.

9. Finally, the Lord Jesus himself did not write a gospel, nor did he leave behind any writings. He was preaching and teaching, leaving His words behind for people who later spread it. He said to the people, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1: 15) However, there was no written gospel when he said this. There was however the Good News and the oral gospel and divine teaching of the Lord to his disciples. He then commanded his disciples to “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark. 16: 15). That command was not within the written boundary.

These or only some examples that reflect the importance of tradition in our faith. There are many more that will be explored in Part 2 of this series.

To be continued.

– From Sermons and Writings of His Holiness Pope Shenouda, III.