The Gospel Truth

Tradition

Deuteronomy 32:1-7  †  Psalms 44:1  †  Psalms 78:2-3  †  Isaiah 59:21
Mark 7:1-13  †  Galatians 1:14  †  Colossians 2:8  †  1 Corinthians 11:23-26 & 15:3-8
2 Timothy 1:13-14 & 2:2  †  1 Corinthians 11:1-2 & 4:14-17  †  2 Thessalonians 2:13-3:7

Knowledge of God survived for many generations prior to the time the books of the Bible were actually inscribed, kept alive in the form of songs, prayers, and legendary stories* passed along by God’s chosen people from one generation to the next. Law, history, and literature were thus preserved by what is commonly referred to today as oral tradition.

The word tradition refers to delivery, the handing over of something from one person to another. The English can be easily traced to its Latin roots, traditio (trans-, “over”, and dare, “to give”). The Greek equivalent is παράδοσις (paradosis). This word is used often in Sacred Scripture to refer specifically to teachings, both Jewish and Christian. For example, Saint Mark wrote in his account that Jesus was confronted by the Jewish leaders because his followers broke with the teachings of the elders regarding ritual cleanliness, and he then rebuked them for they had placed more importance on the teachings of the elders than on the commandments of God. Saint Paul uses the word to refer not only to traditional Jewish teachings, whether they be from God or from man, but also to the teachings of astrologers, and to at least two traditional Christian teachings: the institution of the Eucharist and the Resurrection.

Saint Paul had much to say regarding the Christian tradition, making clear that the teachings passed down are to be held fast, followed and preserved. He instructed his disciple Timothy that the teachings he passed along to him should be guarded with care and entrusted only to trustworthy people that they may be used to teach others. And he praised the believers in Corinth and Thessalonica for keeping true to what he taught them, for as their father, he lived his life as an example for them.

Scripture

John 20:30-31  †  Luke 1:1-4
1 Timothy  †  2 Timothy  †  Titus  †  1 Peter  †  2 Peter

A man inscribes his thoughts so that they may be communicated, preserved, and used according to his purpose. Some wrote about the life of Jesus and the good news it brings to all of mankind, though they had different reasons for doing so. An evangelist, John recorded the acts of Jesus so that one who reads them may come to believe in him and have life. Luke wrote his account, a synthesis of many oral traditions — the testimonies of eyewitnesses passed down — so that his reader could determine with certainty that the teachings of the Church remained authentic in every place and age. Both of these narratives are collections of stories and teachings, oral traditions that have been recorded in written words.

Others wrote letters, not only to communicate the good news they had heard, but also to provide instruction and encouragement. Many of Paul’s letters, like the ones discussed above, were written to specific communities concerning important and timely topics relevant to them. Paul also wrote to men under his charge, such as Timothy and Titus, who we know were the επισκοποι (episkopoi: overseers, bishops) of Ephesus and Crete respectively according to Christian historical tradition that was eventually recorded by Eusebius in the Fourth Century. In contrast, two letters from Saint Peter were written that they may be circulated amongst many communities, a practice continued to this day by his successor in the form of Encyclicals.

Sacred Scripture

2 Timothy 3:10-17  †  2 Peter 1:19-21
2 Kings 22:1-23:30

In his second letter to him, Paul encouraged Timothy to continue doing those things that were in accordance with the teachings that had been passed on to him, not only because he received the teachings from trustworthy men, but also because they were in agreement with the Holy Scriptures that he had known since his youth. Those writings were given by God for the purpose of training his people so that they may be righteous in his sight and prepared to do good works. Likewise, it was clear to Peter that the writings of the Prophets were completely reliable, because they contained not the opinions of mere men, but the voice of God spoken through them.

What, then, makes a written text sacred? The answer is that the text can only be declared authentic by someone with the authority to speak on behalf of God. While the temple was being renovated by the command of King Josiah, a book was discovered that contained the Law of Moses, which many now believe was the Book of Deuteronomy. Upon hearing the words it contained, King Josiah knew that compliance with God’s will was vital to the Kingdom of Judah, but he had to know for certain that the book really did express the true will of God. He immediately sent trusted men to a prophetess to inquire as to the authenticity of the text. The prophetess confirmed that the book was indeed authentic and Josiah immediately reestablished the covenant between God and his chosen people.

Biblical Criticism

 
A full appreciation of Sacred Scripture requires understanding things about the writings that are not recorded in the writings themselves, and in particular, details regarding their development. All parts of the Old Testament — the Law, the histories, the books of poetry and wisdom, and the writings of the Prophets who spoke on behalf of God — are collections of writings that were edited to create larger works which we now refer to as books of the Bible. This process, known as redaction, was used so that the resultant texts would express in the best way possible the mind of God, to coalesce various revelations into a single testament of faith. Modern Bible scholars generally accept the theory that the first five books of the Bible were redacted in four distinct phases between 900 B.C. and 500 B.C.

These writings were often attributed to important figures in Salvation History. Jewish Tradition attributes the writing of the Law to Moses and almost half the Psalms to David, though insufficient literary evidence exists to support either claim. The Deuterocanonical book of Wisdom is attributed to Solomon despite that it was written in the style of the Hellenistic (Greek) Jews who lived centuries after his death. This practice is not limited to the writings found in the Old Testament. Just as Moses’ teachings are presented in the Book of Deuteronomy as sermons written in the first person, the teachings of the Apostles and their close associates are recorded in the accounts of the Good News of Christ — the Gospels. Such attribution compliments the redaction theory, and though some see it is a deceitful attempt to impute credentials on a text, the more proper view should be that it gives credit to the sources (or near sources) of the traditions encoded.

* The word legend is from Latin, legendus, that means “things to be read”. It does not imply that the content should not be taken as truth, as the connotation that legends are by definition fictitious is a more modern usage.

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