Holy Tradition: Holy Tradition supports the proper interpretation of the Bible
By Abbot Tryphon, November 24, 2019
Many evangelical protestants see Holy Tradition as standing in direct contrast to Scripture, as though Tradition is always relegated to “the traditions of men”. However, there are numerous references in Holy Scripture to Holy Tradition. For example:
“Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught (Luke 1:1-4).” It must be noted that in this instance, the oral word preceded the written word. hence becoming Holy Tradition.
In John 20:30-3, it is revealed, “Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book”, and in John 21:25, we read, “Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written”. One of my personal favorite passages regarding Holy Tradition is found in 2 Thessalonians 2:15, “So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.”
Holy Tradition is not apart from the Bible, but supports the proper interpretation of the Bible. Holy Tradition emanates from Christ Himself, and is expressed by the Apostles, the Holy Fathers, and the Church. The Fathers, in fact, are the very guardians of the Apostolic Tradition, for they, like the Apostles before them, are witnesses of a single Truth, which is the Truth of the God-man, Jesus Christ. Since Christ is one, unique, and indivisible, so also is the Church unique and indivisible. The Church is the incarnation of the incarnated God-man, Jesus Christ, and will continue through the ages, and even throughout all eternity.
With love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon
~Abbot Tryphon, The Morning Offering, https://blogs.ancientfaith.com/morningoffering/2019/11/holy-tradition-10/.
The Church Militant: The Orthodox Faith must be shown to be relevant for this age
By Abbot Tryphon, November 29, 2019
When a priest makes a concerted effort to relate to his parishioners, demonstrating a real interest in their lives, discovering what is important to them, and taking the time to actually instruct them in the Orthodox faith, there is a good likelihood they will remain pious Orthodox Christians for the rest of their lives. The priest cannot simply be a liturgical functionary without being one step removed from wizardry. The Divine Services have to be more than form and ritual, or the Orthodox faith will remain unknown to the people, and personal, sustaining faith, will not impact their lives.
We must not allow our people to use the Church as simply a vehicle for the preservation of ethnic culture and family tradition, or the Church will become irrelevant, and our people will ultimately depart from the faith. Furthermore, we priests must be willing to interact with the society at large, dialogue with the thinkers and political leaders of the day, and demonstrate that we actually believe the Church can bring healing to a nation that has gone astray.
The living faith of Orthodoxy must be shown to be relevant for this age, or we will have failed to bring the Gospel message into the modern world. The Orthodox Church must be an active witness to the teachings of Christ, militantly fighting against the dark forces that would destroy all the Christian roots of our culture, otherwise she will become an irrelevant relic of the past, and the West will be lost to Christ.
With love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon
~Abbot Tryphon, The Morning Offering, https://blogs.ancientfaith.com/morningoffering/2019/11/the-church-militant-2/
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