THE ORTHODOX SACRED TRADITION ΠΑΡΑΔΟΣΙΣ OF THE CHURCH

My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ Our Only True Lord, God, and Savior,

CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.

THE ORTHODOX SACRED TRADITION [ΠΑΡΑΔΟΣΙΣ] OF THE CHURCH

The term "tradition" comes from the Latin "traditio," but the Greek term is paradosis and the verb is paradido. It means giving, offering, delivering, performing charity. In theological terms it means any teaching or practice which has been TRANSMITTED FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION THROUGHOUT THE LIFE OF THE Church. More exactly, PARADOSIS is THE VERY LIFE OF THE HOLY TRINITY AS IT HAS BEEN REVEALED BY CHRIST HIMSELF AND TESTIFIED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT.

The roots and the foundations of this Sacred Tradition can be found in the Holy Scriptures. For it is only in the Holy Scriptures that we can see and live THE PRESENCE OF THE THREE PERSONS OF THE HOLY TRINITY, THE Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Saint John the Evangelist speaks about THE MANIFESTATION of the Holy Trinity:

"For the Life was manifested, and we
have seen it, and bear witness, and show
unto you that eternal life, which was with
the Father, and was manifested unto us"
[1 John 1:2].

The ESSENCE of Christian tradition is described by Saint Paul, who writes: "But now in Christ Jesus, you that used to be far apart from us have been brought very close, by the blood of Christ. For He is peace between us, and has made the two into one and broken down the barrier which used to keep us apart, actually destroying in His own person the hostility caused by the rules and decrees of the Law. This was to create one single man in Himself out of the two of them and by restoring peace through the Cross, to unite them both in a single body and reconcile them with God. In His own person He killed the hostility. Through Him, both of us have in one Spirit our way to come to the Father".

Ephesians 2:13-14

He also makes clear that this Trinitarian Doctrine must be accepted by all
Christians:
"If any man preach any other gospel to
you than you have received (paralavete) let
him be condemned."

Galatians 1:8-9

"Speaking about the Holy Eucharist, which is
a manifestation of the Holy Trinity, he writes:
"For I have received (parelavon) of the Lord
that which I also delivered (paredoka) to you"

1 Corinthians 11:23.

Again speaking about the death, burial
and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, Saint Paul
writes:
"For I delivered {paradoka) to you first of
all that which I also received" (parelavon).

Finally he admonishes:

"Brethren, STAND FAST AND HOLD THE
TRADITIONS (tas paradoseis) which you
have been taught, whether BY WORD OR
EPISTLE."

2 Thessalonians 2:15.

The SOLE SOURCE and cause and principle
of the Trinitarian unity is the Father Himself
(Ephesians 4:4-6].

THE APOSTOLIC TRADITION

Theologians call the teaching of the Holy Scriptures "the Apostolic Tradition." It encompasses what the Holy Apostles LIVED, SAW, WITNESSED AND LATER RECORDED IN THE BOOKS OF THE New Testament. The bishops and presbyters, whom the Holy Apostles appointed as their SUCCESSORS, FOLLOWED THEIR TEACHING TO THE LETTER. Those who DEVIATED from the Apostolic Teaching WERE CUT OFF FROM THE CHURCH. They WERE CONSIDERED HERETICS AND SCISMATICS, FOR THEY BELIEVED DIFFERENTLY FROM THE HOLY APOSTLES AND THEIR SUCCESSORS, THUS SEPARATING THEMSELVES FROM THE CHURCH. This brings into focus the Church as the CENTER OF UNITY OF ALL CHRISTIANS. This is the Ecclesiastical or Ecclesiological characteristic of Sacred Tradition. The Church IS THE IMAGE AND REFLECTION OF THE HOLY TRINITY SINCE THE THREE PERSONS OF THE HOLY TRINITY LIVE, INDWELL, AND ACT IN THE CHURCH. The Father offers His agape, the Son offers His obedience, the Holy Spirit His comfort. Only in the historical Church can we see, feel, and live THE PRESENCE OF THE HOLY TRINITY IN THE WORLD. In describing this reality Sainit Paul writes:

"So He came and proclaimed the good news: peace to you who were far off,
and peace to those who were near by; for though Him we both alike have
access to the Father in the one Spirit. Thus you are no longer aliens in a
foreign land, but fellow-citizens with God’s people, members of God’s household.
You are built upon the foundation laid by the Apostles and prophets, and Christ Jesus
Himself is the cornerstone. In Him the whole building is bonded together and grows
into a holy temple in the Lord. In Him you too are being built with all the rest into
a spiritual dwelling of God".

THE PATRISTIC TRADITION

From what has been said so far, it can seen that there is no theological distinctions or differences or divisions WITHIN THE TRADITION OF THE CHURCH. It could be said that Tradition, as an historical event, begins with the Apostolic preaching and is found in the Holy Scriptures, but it is kept treasured, interpreted, and explained to the Church by the Holy Fathers, THE SUCCESSORS OF THE HOLY APOSTLES. Using the Greek term Pateres tes Ecclesias, the Fathers of the Church, this "interpretive" part of the Apostolic preaching is called "Patristic Tradition."

The Fathers, MEN OF EXTRAORDINARY HOLINESS and TRUSTED ORTHODOXY IN DOCTRINE, enjoyed the acceptance and respect OF THE UNIVERSAL CHURCH BY WITNESSING THE MESSAGE OF THE GOSPEL, LIVING AND EXPLAINING IT TO POSTERITY. Thus, Apostolic Preaching or Tradition is organically associated with the Patristic Tradition and vice versa. This point must be stressed since many theologians in the Western churches [Roman Catholic and Protestant] either distinguish between Apostolic Tradition and Patristic Tradition, or completely REJECT Patristic Tradition.

For the Orthodox Christian, THERE IS ONE TRADITION, THE TRADITION OF THE CHURCH, INCORPORATING THE HOLY SCRIPTURES AND THE TEACHING OF THE HOLY FATHERS. This is "THE PREACHING OF THE TRUTH HANDED DOWN BY THE CHURCH IN THE WHOLE WORLD TO HER CHILDREN" (Saint Irenaeus, Proof of the Apostolic Preaching, 98). Saint Athanasius, the Great "Pillar of Orthodoxy," who was bishop of Alexandria during the 4the century, gives the most appropriate definition of the Church’s Tradition:

"Let us look at the very tradition, teaching, and faith of the catholic
Church from the very beginning which the Logos/Word gave (edoken),
the Apostles preached (ekeryxan), and the Fathers preserved (ephylaxan).
Upon this the Church is founded (tethemeliotai).

We find this Sacred Ancient Tradition
a) in the most ancient record of the Church, the Holy Canons
of the Holy Apostles;
b) in the Symbols of Faith of the ancient Local Churches’
c) in the ancient Liturgies, in the rite of Baptism, and in other
ancient prayers;
d) in the ancient Acts of the Christian Martyrs. The Acts of the Martyrs did not enter into use by the faithful until they had been examined and approved by the Local bishops and they were read at the public gatherings of Christians under the supervision of the leaders of the churches. In them we see the confession of the Most Holy Trinity, the Divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ, examples of hte invocation of the Saint, of belief in the conscious life of those who had reposed in Christ, and much else:
e)in the ancient recorcs of the history of the Church, especially in the book of Eusebius Pamphili, Bishop of Caesarea, where there are gathered many ancient traditions of rite and dogmas–in particular, there is given the canon of the Sacred Books of the Old and New Testaments;
f) in the works of the ancient Fathers and Teachers of the Church;
g) and, finally, in the very spirit of the Church life, in the preservation of the faithfulness of all her foundations which come from the Holy Apostles.

The APOSTOLIC TRADTION which has been PRESERVED AND GUARDED BY THE CHURCH, by the very fact that it has been kept by the Church, becomes the Tradition of the Church herself. IT "BELONGS" TO HER, IT TESTIFIES TO HER; AND, IN PARALLEL TO HOLY SCRIPTURE, IT IS CALLED BY HER "SACRED TRADITION."

The witness of Sacred Tradition IS INDISPENSABLE FOR OUR CERTAINTY THAT ALL THE BOOKS OF SACRED SCRIPTURE HAVE BEEN HANDED DOWN TO US FROM THE APOSTOLIC TIMES AND ARE OF APOSTOLIC ORIGIN. [Resources: George Bebis, Ph.D; Orthodox Dogmatic Theology]

______________
"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!"
– Saint John Chrysostomos
+ + +

With sincere agape in His Divine and Glorious Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+ Father George


.;