[CS-FSLUG] Open Source Theology

[Michael Bradley, Jr.]

On 6/14/06, Don Parris <parrisdc at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> On 6/14/06, dmc <edoc7 at verizon.net> wrote:
>
> > The problem with much of the emergent church
> > "mixed theology" is that some of it is badly
> > "mixed up" with extra-Biblical sources.
> >
> > <snip>
> >
> > I do hope to be accused of the same!  I do not rely too much on
> extra-Biblical sources.  While I definitely use study aids in my
> preparation, I am afraid I don't accept non-Cannonical materials as a
> primary source for my growth.  I might read the Gospel of Thomas, to know
> what it says or something.  I just couldn't cannonize it.
>
>

**St. Paul taught us:

So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were
taught by us, either by word of mouth or by letter. (2 Thess. 2:15)


It seems, to me at least, that Bible-believing Christians must hold at least
one extra-Biblical
Tradition<http://www.scripturecatholic.com/oral_tradition.html>(a
"Church tradition" no less) at the center of their faith:  the "table
of
contents" of the Holy Bible.

How did the early Christians, particularly their more vocal and well-known
teachers-leaders feel about the subject of "church tradition?"

;-)

Well, let's see ...


"Follow the bishop, all of you, as Jesus Christ follows his Father, and the
presbyterium as the Apostles. As for the deacons, respect them as the Law of
God. Let no one do anything with reference to the Church without the bishop.
Only that Eucharist may be regarded as legitimate which is celebrated with
the bishop or his delegate presiding. Where the bishop is, there let the
community be, just as where Jesus Christ is, there is the Catholic Church."
*Ignatius of Antioch, Epistle to the Symyrnaens 8 (c. A.D. 110).*



"Through none others know we the disposition of our salvation, than those
through whom the gospel came to us, first heralding it, then by the will of
God delivering to us the Scriptures, which were to be the foundation and
pillar of our faith...But when, the heretics are confuted by the Scriptures,
they turn round and accuse these same Scriptures, as if they were not
correct, nor of authority, and [assert] that they are ambiguous, and that
the truth cannot be extracted from them by those who are ignorant of
tradition...And when we challenge them in turn [with] that tradition, which
is from the Apostles, which is guarded by the succession of elders in the
churches, they oppose themselves to Tradition, saying that they are wiser,
not only than those elders, but even than the Apostles. The Tradition of the
Apostles, manifested 'on the contrary' in the whole world, is open in every
Church to all who see the truth...And, since it is a long matter in a work
like this to enumerate these successions, we will confute them by pointing
to the Tradition of that greatest and most ancient and universally known
Church, founded and constituted at Rome by the two most glorious Apostles,
Peter and Paul, a tradition which she has had and a faith which she
proclaims to all men from those Apostles." *Irenaeus, Against Heresies 3,1-3
(inter A.D. 180/199).*



"In this order, and by this succession, the ecclesiastical tradition from
the apostles, and the preaching of the truth, have come down to us. And this
is most abundant proof that there is one and the same vivifying faith, which
has been preserved in the Church from the Apostles until now, and handed in
truth." * Irenaeus, Against Heresies 3,3:3 (inter A.D. 180/199).*


"For us...having grown old in the Scriptures, preserving the Apostolic and
ecclesiastical correctness of doctrine, living a life according to the
Gospel, is led by the Lord to discover the proofs from the Law and the
prophets which he seeks." *Clement of Alexandria, Stromata 7,104 (c. A.D.
205).*


**

**"The Church's preaching has been handed down through an orderly succession
from the Apostles and remains in the Church until the present. That alone is
to be believed as the truth which in no way departs from ecclesiastical and
apostolic tradition." *Origen, First Principles 1,2 (c. A.D. 230).*

*
*

"But after him (the devil) and with him are all inventors of unlawful
heresies, who indeed refer to the Scriptures, but do not hold such opinions
as the saints have handed down, and receiving them as the traditions of men,
err, because they do not rightly know them nor their power." *Athanasius,
Festal Letter 2 (c. A.D. 350).** *


"Of the beliefs and practices whether generally accepted or enjoined which
are preserved in the Church some we possess derived from written teaching;
others we have delivered to us in a mystery by the Apostles by the tradition
of the Apostles; and both of these in relation to true religion have the
same force." *Basil, Holy Spirit 27 (c. A.D. 370).*


"While the unwritten traditions are so many and their bearing on 'the
mystery of godliness' is so important, can they refuse us a single word
which has come down to us from the Fathers;--which we found, derived from
untutored custom, abiding in unperverted churches;--a word for which
contributes in no small degree to the completeness of the force of the
mystery." *Basil, Holy Spirit 67 (c. A.D. 370). *


"In answer to the objection that the doxology in the form 'with the Spirit'
has no written authority, we maintain that if there is not other instance of
that which is unwritten, then this must not be received. But if the great
number of our mysteries are admitted into our constitution without written
authority, then, in company with many others, let us receive this one. For I
hold it apostolic to abide by the unwritten traditions. 'I praise you,' it
is said, 'that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances as I
have delivered them to you;' and 'Hold fast the traditions which ye have
been taught whether by word, or our Epistle.' One of these traditions is the
practice which is now before us, which they who ordained from the beginning,
rooted firmly in the churches, delivering it to their successors, and its
use through long custom advances pace by pace with time." *Basil, Holy
Spirit 71 (c. A.D. 370).*

*
*
"To be sure, although on this matter, we cannot quote a clear example taken
from the canonical Scriptures, at any rate, on this question, we are
following the true thought of Scriptures when we observe what has appeared
good to the universal Church which the authority of these same Scriptures
recommends to you." *Augustine, C. Cresconius I:33 (c. A.D. 390).*

*
*

"'So then, brethren, stand fast, and hold to the traditions which you were
taught, whether by word, or by our epistle of ours'. Hence it is manifest,
that they did not deliver all things by Epistle, but many things unwritten,
and in like manner both the one and the other are worthy of credit.
Therefore let us think the tradition of the Church also worthy of credit. It
is a tradition seek no farther." *John Chrysostom, Homilies on Second
Thessalonians (c. A.D. 392).*


"For in the Catholic Church, not to speak of the purest wisdom, to the
knowledge of which a few spiritual men attain in this life, so as to know
it, in the scantiest measure, indeed, because they are but men, still
without any uncertainty...The consent of peoples and nations keep me in
Church, so does her authority, inaugurated by miracles, nourished by hope,
enlarged by love, established by age. The succession of priests keeps me,
beginning from the very seat of the Apostle Peter, to whom the Lord, after
his resurrection, gave it in charge to feed his sheep, down to the present
episcopate� For my part, I should not believe the gospel except moved by the
authority of the Catholic Church. So when those on whose authority I have
consented to believe in the gospel tell me not to believe in Manicheus, how
can I but consent?" *Augustine, Epistle of Manichaeus 5,6 (A.D. 397).*
**

*
*

"For in the Catholic Church, not to speak of the purest wisdom, to the
knowledge of which a few spiritual men attain in this life, so as to know
it, in the scantiest measure, indeed, because they are but men, still
without any uncertainty...The consent of peoples and nations keep me in
Church, so does her authority, inaugurated by miracles, nourished by hope,
enlarged by love, established by age. The succession of priests keeps me,
beginning from the very seat of the Apostle Peter, to whom the Lord, after
his resurrection, gave it in charge to feed his sheep, down to the present
episcopate. For my part, I should not believe the gospel except moved by the
authority of the Catholic Church. So when those on whose authority I have
consented to believe in the gospel tell me not to believe in Manicheus, how
can I but consent?" *Augustine, Epistle of Manichaeus 5,6 (A.D. 397).***

"When anyone asks one of these heretics who presents arguments: Where are
the proofs of your teaching that I should leave behind the world-wide and
ancient faith of the Catholic Church? He will jump in before you have
finished with the question: 'It is written.' He follows up immediately with
thousands of texts and examples...' *Vincent of Lerins, Commonitory for the
Antiquity and Universality of the Catholic Faith 1,26 (A.D. 434).*


"Here perhaps, someone may ask: Since the canon of the Scripture is complete
and more than sufficient in itself, why is it necessary to add to it the
authority of ecclesiastical interpretation? As a matter of fact, [we must
answer] Holy Scripture, because of its depth, is not universally accepted in
one and the same sense. The same text is interpreted different by different
people, so that one may almost gain the impression that it can yield as many
different meanings as there are men. Novatian, for example, expounds a
passage in one way; Sabellius, in another; Donatus, in another. Arius, and
Eunomius, and Macedonius read it differently; so do Photinus, Apollinaris,
and Priscillian; in another way, Jovian, Pelagius, and Caelestius; finally
still another way, Nestorius. Thus, because of the great distortions caused
by various errors, it is, indeed, necessary that the trend of the
interpretation of the prophetic and apostolic writings be directed in
accordance with the rule of the ecclesiastical and Catholic meaning." *Vincent
of Lerins, Commonitory for the Antiquity and Universality of the Catholic
Faith 2 (A.D. 434).*


"This teaching has been handed down to us not only by the Apostles and
prophets but also by those who have interpreted their writings, Ignatius,
Eustathius, Athanasius, Basil, Gregory...and other lights of the world and
before them, by the holy Fathers gathered at Nicea whose confession of faith
we have kept intact, as the inheritance from a Father, while those who dare
to violate their teachings, we call corrupt and enemies of truth." *Theodoret
of Cyrus, Epistles 89 (c. A.D. 436).*


(see The Fathers of the Church <http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/> at
NewAdvent.org for a wider selection and more background information; and/or
use Google to find some other free on-line collections of the Church
Fathers' extant writings)



On 6/13/06, Ed Hurst <ehurst at asisaid.com> wrote:
>
> That is at least partially accurate. Emergents don't reject everything
> which preceded them, obviously. Emergent is more about the process than
> the results; what they reject is clinging to the methods of doing church
> which characterize previous generations. There is a distinct danger, as
> there must be every time we attempt to break from tradition without
> aiming to trash truth




How can a discussion which is about "methods of doing church" fail to
incorporate the Church Fathers? Sorry, I couldn't resist ...   ;-)

In Christ,

Michael Bradley, Jr.

--
My home on the Net ::
   http://www.michaelsbradleyjr.net/

IC XC NIKA
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://ofb.biz/pipermail/christiansource_ofb.biz/attachments/20060615/85dd39fb/attachment.htm>