THE DEPOSIT OF FAITH

And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word
of God which you heard from us,you accepted it not as the word of men but
as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.
1 Thessalonians 2, 13

And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth,
the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him
with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit.
Ephesians 1, 13

Follow the pattern of the sound words which you have heard from me,
in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus; guard the truth that has
been entrusted to you by the Holy Spirit who dwells within us.
2 Timothy 1, 13-14

 

Sacred Tradition refers to the unwritten word of God, which is a source of divine revelation. In fact, even the written word of God, sacred Scripture, originates from this unwritten word of God. When we say "unwritten," we mean all the divine mysteries that the Holy Spirit has revealed to the Church over time. This is why Tradition, or God's unwritten word, is considered infallible. Scripture is also considered infallible because it comes from the Holy Spirit's inspiration and guidance, just like Tradition. Since Scripture comes from the initial unwritten word, it must be interpreted in light of Tradition. Scripture serves as an objective norm or confirmation of Tradition. Thus, both sources of divine revelation comprise two sides of the same coin and should not be separated or placed in opposition to each other. It's not an either/or proposition.

Tradition refers to the passing down of God's revealed word from the beginning, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. This includes all divine revelation from the dawn of human history until the end of the apostolic age, passed on from one generation of believers to the next, and safeguarded by the Church (the Rule of Faith) until Christ returns in glory (Mt 28:20). Jesus promised his apostles that he would pray to the Father and ask Him to send another Helper, the Holy Spirit or Paraclete, who would abide with them always. The Greek noun for "always" is αἰῶνα (aiōna). This means that the Holy Spirit will always be present in the Church throughout the Messianic age, from the time of Christ's ascension into heaven and Pentecost, until His glorious return at the end of this age.

 

 

Tradition can be seen as encompassing everything that is presented in Scripture, whether it is stated explicitly or implicitly. Since Scripture is not always clear, it is insufficient as the sole rule of faith. Therefore, Tradition often reveals what is lacking in Scripture but is still present as an expression of the Holy Spirit's message to the Church. The written word and the unwritten word of God complement each other and originate from the same divine Author, who guarantees their truth.

From the very beginning, the Church founded by Christ himself on Peter the rock and the Apostles has believed in the close relationship between Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition. The Church has always understood that these two mediums of divine revelation are closely bound together and correspond with one another towards the same goal, and that they both flow from the same source - the Holy Spirit. Therefore, the Church has never relied solely on sacred Scripture to gain certainty about divine truths. The apostles believed that their preaching was guided by the Holy Spirit, who protects the Church from error (Acts 15:27-28). Moreover, Paul wrote that the Church, not Scripture, is "the pillar (στῦλος) and foundation (ἑδραίωμα) of the truth" (1 Tim 3:15). The fullness of divine revelation transmitted by both mediums is infallibly supported by the Church as the rule of faith.

So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions
we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.
2 Thessalonians 2, 15

Referring to how Christian tradition was handed on, Vatican ll states: “It was done by the apostles who handed on, by the spoken word of their preaching, by the example they gave, by the institutions they established, what they had received – whether from the lips of Christ, from His way of life and His works, or whether they had learned it from the prompting of the Holy Spirit” (Constitution on Divine Revelation, ll, 7). The Church has always believed that God has been faithful in transmitting the written word, which is apparent by the Church's infallible ruling on which Biblical books and Epistles belonged to the canon of Scripture. Therefore, it is believed that God is also faithful to His Church in transmitting His unwritten word, which is declared by the Holy Spirit and preached (spoken) by the apostles and their anointed successors. This unwritten word manifests in greater fullness what has been revealed by God and committed to writing for communities acquainted with the oral tradition.

John Cardinal Henry Newman believed that Scripture and Tradition are not two separate sources of divine revelation but rather two modes of transmitting the same deposit of faith. He famously said, “Totum in scriptura, totum in traditione” which means “All is in Scripture, all is in Tradition.” According to Newman, these two mediums complement each other and together constitute a single expression of the word of God. Paul, the apostle, did not commit everything he preached to his letters; he preached both orally "or" through written letters.

 


As per the belief, every member of Christ's body, including the bishops and the laity, are anointed by the Holy Spirit. They cannot be deceived as promised by our Lord to his apostles. This feature of the Church is demonstrated in the supernatural appreciation of the faith by all believers. When they show universal consent in matters of faith and morals, this appreciation of faith (sensus fidei), aroused and sustained by the Spirit of truth, is evident. The entire people of God's household, guided by the Magisterium, receive not just the mere word of men but truly the word of God declared by the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 2:13). In this way, the faith is delivered once for all (cf. Lumen Gentium 12).

"What the Church and its pastors have always held as a matter of faith is considered to be part of the revelation. This is so because the Church is guided and assisted by the Holy Spirit and therefore, cannot be wrong in matters of faith. This is the unchanging belief of both the eastern and western branches of the Catholic Church" (Yves Congar, Tradition and Traditions: New York: Macmillan,1966). Isaiah's prophecy points towards the infallible and supernatural Church that Christ established on Peter, the rock, and the Apostles. The prophecy reads, "And a path and a way shall be there, and it shall be called the holy way: the unclean shall not pass over it, and this shall be unto you a straight way so that fools shall not err therein" (Isa 35:8). Similarly, in Acts 9:2, 22:4, 24:14, and 24:22, we see reference to this divine and unerring Church. Paul calls the Church "the way."

The word is near you, even in your mouth, and in your heart:
that is, the word of faith, which we preach.
Romans 10, 8

The Church was established as a historical reality on Pentecost, with the descent of the Holy Spirit. This allowed the apostles to receive a revelation, which could then be passed on to future generations under the guidance of the Paraclete. The Holy Spirit's presence guarantees the purity of faith in the Church - the "unblemished" body of Christ. Therefore, it is essential to maintain the seed that was planted by the apostles, and to increase knowledge and understanding of Divine mysteries through the inspiration and assistance of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8-9). The fullness of truth exists only within the Catholic Church, where Scripture and Tradition are united as mediums of divine revelation in the deposit of faith.

According to the 5th-century monk Vincent of Lerins, we should hold onto what has been believed everywhere, always, and by all. Tradition is not just a thing of the past, but it is ongoing and serves to help us better understand it in the present. The whole Church is like a timeless mystical body of Christ, and its main aim is not to restore the past but to recollect it in a better light of faith that transcends time. This memory is not just a matter of words, written or spoken, but of how they have been assimilated and expressed liturgically by all the faithful over the centuries and passed on.

Tradition is the ongoing living experience that is renewed over time, without being corrupted by it, and it presents divine truth as a gift from the Holy Spirit. Doctrines have evolved over time by enduring controversial times through the transmission of Tradition, with Scripture serving as the objective norm of the faith. The written word of God has helped the Church gain a deeper and more complete understanding of the Holy Spirit's proclamation regarding the mighty deeds of God in salvation history and the administration of His manifold grace in the sanctifying light of faith.

Dearly beloved, taking all care to write unto you concerning your common
salvation, I was under a necessity to write unto you: to beseech you to contend
earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints.
Jude 1, 3

 

Tradition is considered the work of God through which He reveals, in a more significant way, what has been shown and expressed in the Scriptures. As a result of the handing down of Tradition, hidden implications and ramifications in the inspired sacred writings become clearer. The Church's fundamental doctrines have developed over time with deep reflection and pondering of the heart, guided by the Holy Spirit. The word of God remains unaltered and authentic, but its understanding can grow and become clearer through the timeless Tradition, with the guarantee of the promised Paraclete. The apostles established the deposit of faith in the form of a seed, which has continued to grow and blossom from one mysterious aspect to another, forming an entire work of mosaic art pieced together one tile at a time. The article of faith's definition is a result of centuries of development of the substance of the apostles' preaching.

The Church has been referred to as a "mystery" by the apostles, meaning that it cannot be understood by reason alone, rather it is the kingdom of God in our midst (Eph 5:32). The power to interpret divine revelation and define dogma lies with the Universal Magisterium of the world's bishops in union with the Vicar of Christ. God's infinite wisdom, which is revealed through His written and unwritten word, is a hidden mystery for all ages that can only be made known more fully and with absolute certainty over time through the magisterial teaching authority of the one true Church founded by Christ on Peter and the Apostles (Mt 16:15-18; Eph 3:9-10). The Three Pillars of Faith are Scripture, Tradition, and Magisterium. None of these pillars can support the one true faith on its own, and the one true faith cannot be infallibly preserved and transmitted if one of the pillars is removed. The Holy Spirit operates in all three pillars, as divine truth is not relativistic, nor is it open for endless debate.

Early Sacred Tradition

“Since, therefore, the tradition from the apostles does thus exist in the Church, and
is permanent among us, let us revert to the Scriptural proof furnished by those
apostles who did also write the Gospel, in which they recorded the doctrine regarding
God, pointing out that our Lord Jesus Christ is the truth, and that no lie is in Him.”
St. Irenaeus,
Against Heresies 3,5,1
(inter A.D. 180-189)

 

“But in learning the Faith and in professing it, acquire and keep that only, which is now delivered
to thee by the Church, and which has been built up strongly out of all the Scriptures …
Take heed then, brethren, and hold fast the traditions ye now receive.”
St. Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechetical Lectures 5:12
(A.D. 350)

 

“But beyond these Scriptural sayings, let us look at the very tradition,
teaching, and faith of the Catholic Church from the beginning, which
the Lord gave, the apostles preached, and the Fathers kept.”
St. Athanasius of Alexandria
Four Letters to Serapion of Thumius 1:28
(A.D. 360)

 

“I have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.
When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth;
for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak,
and he will declare to you the things that are to come.”
John 16, 12-13

 

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