Tradition!

I'd like to recommend to all the great movie from 1971, the musical "Fiddler on the Roof". It won three academy awards, the music and acting and story are fantastic, it's fun, and sad in the last half. Tevya's relationship with God is as a friend, though he knows his friend isn't going to give him an easy life, he wants to know Him and thirsts for that relationship. I hope Tevya came to find peace in the Messiah, Jesus- the Way, the Truth and the Life- as nobody comes to the Father except through Jesus, AMEN! You have to appreciate that they looked for their Messiah to rescue them out of their troubles near the end.

Tradition! That is what I wanted to talk about- in Gr. 'paradosis', usually translated as tradition- some 13 times in the New Testament-
Matthew 15:2, 3, 6
Mark 7:3,5,8,9,13
1 Cor 11:2
Galatians 1:14
Colossians 2:8
2 Thessalonians 2:15 and then 3:6

Of these times that 'tradition' is used, 3 are directly binding on Christians- 1 Corinthians 11:2, 2 Thessalonians 2:15, and 3:6.

Now the question I wish to explore- Is there support in any text refering to tradition in the Scriptures, to support the notion that there is to be a future unfolding of doctrinal development, or a dogma that awaits future definition?

Answer- NO

1 Corinthians 11:2 the tradition is- delivered.
2 Thessalonians 2:15 the tradition is- taught.
2 Thessalonians 3:6 the tradition is- received.

The Apostles delivered, taught and the Christians received. Here we are some 2000 years later, with the RCC and the EO claiming to be the recipients of this allegedly un-enscripturated tradition.


From D. King -
"We must remember that the meaning of 'tradition' (paradosis) as used in the New Testament is not always uniform, binding, or divine in origin as is the case with Holy Scripture. It can be used negatively or positively. Negatively, it can refer to a corrupt religious system ( Matt. 15, Mk.7, and Gal. 1:14), or to human wisdom, 'the tradition of men,' ordered according to 'the principles of the world' in opposition to the person of Christ and His work (Col 2:8). Therefore, in every case of binding Christian tradition where the noun paradosis appears, we know that these traditions have been identified and defined to the extent that the readers were able to keep, hold, and walk in them. The term paradosis never refers to a body of doctrinal or moral truths awaiting future identification and development like that defined in Roman terms as a seed or germ form would suggest"
Thanks to the fine book by David T. King, Holy Scripture, The ground and Pillar of our Faith- Vol. 1 Chap. 5

Also, please carefully read this fantastic article from the team at AOMin.org!

Discuss!