Apostolic Tradition and Apostolic Succession: Lesson 2

Apostolic Tradition and Apostolic Succession

We have found that the religious doctrines are based on the Bible and apostolic traditions. But how do we interpret Matthew 15:3 “Why do you also transgress the command of your God, because of your tradition?” Since Christ said this, it is obvious that He was not referring to something after His crucifixion and

resurrection. He was referring to the Jewish traditions prevalent at that time. During this time there were many Jewish rules, which were created and enforced by the Pharisees. After Babel, the Jews created an administrative body called The Great Synagogue, whose responsibility was to maintain the faith and to interpret. This body existed for almost 150 years and became extinct in BC 291. They made a total of 613

rules. Christ referred to these as burdens or elder’s traditions. St. Paul also criticizes tradition (Colo. 2:8) Yes, this is true. What he says is “Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit according to the tradition of men according to the basic principles of the world and not according to Christ.” It is obvious that he is referring to philosophy and not the apostolic tradition. “You are not redeemed from

your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;” Then why hold on to tradition? (1 Pet. 1:18) Here also he does not refer to apostolic traditions, but discusses the traditions mentioned in the previous question.

Can we justify tradition from the New Testament? Yes. The reasons are

discussed below:

• We have seen earlier what apostolic traditions are and how important they are.

• In Luke 1:1-4, Luke says that his writings are based on apostolic teachings (traditions) and not based on any written documents. He tells us that he accepted traditions, and compared and wrote them. Paul converted Luke, a physician and an artist, to Christianity. He later drew a picture of St. Mary and

this picture is still kept in the house of Mark (which is a monastery). (Ref Biblical Encyclopedia pages 624, and 684)

• In 2 Thess. 2:14-15, “To which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Yes, our gospels are not written). "Therefore brethren stand fast and hold the traditions, which you were, taught weather by word or our epistle." (All gospels were not written!).

• In 2 Tim 1:13 “Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus” and in 2 Timothy 2:2 “And things that you have heard from me among many witness commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others too.” (These ‘sound words’ of St.

Paul are not written).

• In Matthew 28:20, “…teaching them (the baptized people), to observe all I have commanded you”

• “Whoever listens to you (the apostles), listens to me. Whoever rejects you rejects me. And whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me”. (Luke 10:16).

• In Luke 10:16, “He who hears you hears me, he who rejects you rejects me and he who rejects me rejects Him who sent me”. Therefore if one does not consider what the apostles taught by saying that "it is not written or not in the Bible”, then their position is as in the above sentence.

• In Acts 20:20 Paul says, “… but proclaimed to you (i.e. people of Ephesus) and taught you publicly and from house to house “(He taught orally!)

• In 1 Thess. 5:12, “We beseech you, my brethren to respect those who labor among you and admonish you in our Lord and teach you”

• 1 Tim 5:17, “Let elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine.”

• “They devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles (doctrines) and to the communal life, to the breaking of the bread and to prayers” (Acts 2:42) These words that the believers listened to and heard from the apostles are called traditions.

Is tradition acceptable?

Certainly, it should be accepted because it came from the apostles. It is a poor argument to say that one should not believe in anything not written in the Bible. We believe in world history not because it is written in the Bible, but because the historians have recorded it. Jesus predicted that the Jerusalem temple would not be remaining (Later Titus destroyed it). The Jewish historian Josephus recorded this.

[Josephus has recorded that even the foundation stones were ploughed, thinking that there would be hidden gold under the foundation!] If we can believe him, we should also believe the works of prominent disciples of the 1st and 2nd century. St. Ignatius, and Polycarp, who learned from St. John, had written epistles. Shouldn’t we respect them? Shouldn’t we obey them?

Isn’t it fair that we refer to their teachings to understand what the church did during, and immediately after the apostolic times? Isn’t it childish to argue that those teachings (and practices) were irrelevant and to argue that teachings and interpretations by the people of the18th or 19th centuries are acceptable? (Remember that modern Christian communities do just that; for they reject traditions, and do not accept early teachings, but follow modern era teachings and interpretations!)

The teachings written by these early church fathers are called traditions.

The church has its own history. The book of Acts contains the initial history of the church, but history is not limited to the book of Acts. Many church leaders and advocates immediately after the apostles had recorded facts about the church. We should also accept this as history of the church.

“The Bible is only a part of the Holy Traditions of the church (2 Tess. 2:15). We must not fall a prey to those who want proof i.e. texts for all of the teachings of the church. Again remember, theology is based on the Bible, but not limited by the Bible. The Bible and Traditions together are the primary sources of Theology (Gala 1:8, Colo. 4:16, Heb 2:1). “The Bible is to teach, and the church is to interpret". “Tradition

is the continuing stream of the mind of the Church.”

“On many fundamental questions of faith, the Bible used by itself without the knowledge of the Traditions of the Church can lead to heresy. All of the early heretics used the Bible in one form or the other. The tradition of the Christian truth can be found in its fullness only in the church. How important were the church, the

priesthood, and the sacraments for the disciples of the Apostles. The denial of these realities and the dependence on the Bible alone can be a great error. The truth is experienced and known only by membership in the church, which has a responsible and proper apostolic ministry and a high tradition of the Christian Mysteries". (Faith of Our Fathers --16)

St. Irenaeus: “As I said before, the Church, having received this preaching and this faith, although she is disseminated throughout the world, yet guards it. As if she is occupied in one house. She likewise believes these things just as if she had but one soul and one and the same heart; and harmoniously proclaims them and

teaches them and hands down, as if she possessed but one mouth. Even though the languages of the world are diverse and nevertheless the authority of the tradition is one and the same." (192).

“Every church throughout this whole world received this tradition from the

apostles” (page 198)

“It is possible, then, for everyone in every church, who may wish to know the truth, to contemplate the tradition of the apostles which has been made known throughout the whole world…. For surely they (apostles) wished all those and their successors to be perfect and without reproach, to whom they handed on their authority” (209)

“All Churches agree that… it is in her that the faithful everywhere have maintained the apostolic tradition.”(211) “The true gnosis is the doctrine of apostles, and the ancient organization of the

Church throughout the whole world, and the manifestation of the body of Christ according to the succession of the bishops.” (243)
 Tertullian: “...all doctrine which agrees with apostolic Churches…. be regarded as truth.”(293) “Whenever it shall be clear that the truth of the Christian discipline and faith are present, there also will be found of the Scriptures and of their explanation and of all the Christian traditions.” (291)

So what are these traditions? Tertullian describes some of them below:

• Before baptism “in the church and under the Bishop we solemnly profess that we renounce the devil and his pomp’s and his angels.”

• Then we are baptized and from that day on for a whole week we abstain from the daily bath. (367)

• "The god-father takes the candidate into his protection for the purification of the soul"

• "After coming from baptism, we are thoroughly anointed with blessed unction, from the ancient discipline by which in the priesthood they were accustomed to be anointed with a horn of oil". (304)

• "We offer sacrifices for the dead on their birthday anniversaries. We regard it as unlawful to fast or to worship on our knees on the Lord’s Day. We rejoice in the same privilege from the Paschal day to Pentecost. At every forward step and movement, when coming in and going out, when putting on our clothes, when putting on our shoes, when bathing, when at table, when lighting lamps,

when reclining, when sitting, in all ordinary occupations of our lives, we furrow the forehead with sign of the cross.” (367)

St. Polycrates (AD196) “So also do I, Polycrates, the least of all among you, in accord with the tradition of my kindred, some of whom I have followed closely.” (190a) St. Hilary: The church, instituted by the Lord and confirmed by the apostles, is one for all men; but the frantic folly of diverse impious sects has cut them off from her. It cannot be denied that this tearing asunder of the faith has arisen from the defect of

poor intelligence, which twists what is read to conform the opinion, instead of adjusting the opinion to the meaning of what is read.” (865)

St. Augustine: “Each heretic says that the gospels are the basis and that he adheres to it. But they follow their own faults. They do not deny the gospels but do not understand the meaning.”

Now let us think if it is necessary to look at Christian History and if it’s enough to live according to what is said in the Bible alone. We have seen that the faith of the Church is based on apostolic doctrines and the Bible. The Church for its own use codified the Bible. We have also seen that the Bible supports the teachings of the Church. Some argue the other way because of the fact that they cannot show lineage from the apostles and Jesus Christ. It is like sneaking a copy of a family’s deed by a non-family member and after a long time the descendents of the duplicate deed holder abuses, insults, and teases the real deed holder’s descendants! Every country, society, or even organizations of people, have history. History is used to know how a community started and what they did and believed in. Jesus is a historical figure and what we see in the gospels is a narration of His life and teachings. The book of Acts is the history of the Church and we have seen in it how the apostles delegated authority to successors (in the epistles to Timothy and Titus). Every society has history. So why is history being denied for the Church? Some people deny it because they have no relation to the Church. By denying early Church history, they hope to blur the practices of the early church.

Apostolic Succession

We have already seen that Christ founded the church and that the Church is His. Ee commanded the apostles to go all over the world, preach, and baptize those who believed and to receive them to the Church. He gave power to the apostles to govern the Church, and commanded many important things the members of the Church should obey and observe. He taught them things pertaining to the kingdom of God. He opened their minds to understand the scriptures (Luke 24:45). He established the Eucharist after the Last Supper. He blessed the bread and wine and said, ‘this bread is My body and this wine is My blood, being shed for the remission of sins and for eternal life to all who eat and drink’. One should believe that:

(a) Jesus Christ is the Son of God and is God.

(b) He came to this world to offer salvation to humanity.

(c) He suffered on the cross, died, and ascended to heaven.

(d) He will come again for the final judgment, and therefore on should:

1) Be baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit, and

2) Participate in Eucharist after confession of sins and eat with firm belief that it

is the ‘body and blood of Jesus Christ’.

After the Last Supper, He gave His body and blood to the apostle and commanded them to perform this till the end of the world (for coming generations). The apostles also received from Christ the power to bind and loose (power to forgive or not to forgive sins). Some new church groups argue that those who believe in Christ, become disciples and that there is no distinction between the believers and apostles. This is wrong. If this was true every one is capable of forgiving sins (Jesus told the apostles that they could forgive sins). If this was the case, whose sins should they forgive, their own sins? (In that case, any one who sins can declare themselves as forgiven!) Is this what Christ meant? If each one can perform the Eucharist (breaking of the bread) to whom should he give it to?

Jesus Christ blessed the bread and wine and gave to the apostles and commanded them to do as he did and gave them the right to do. The apostles (or who ever appointed by them) themselves have to perform this and give it to the believers till the end of the world. So the above argument doesn’t make any sense. More over, after the resurrection, He gave them all power to do everything (John 20: 20-23). He also sent the Holy Spirit to the apostles after ascending to heaven. The apostles knew their special status. This is why St. Paul said, “We are the ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us” (2 Cori. 5:20). “We are God’s fellow workers” (1 Cori. 3: 9). The following powers were given to the apostles alone:

(1) To preach and baptize

(2) To forgive sins (Mat 16:19)

(3) To Offer Eucharist

So the apostles are the representatives or ambassadors of the Church (2 Cori. 5-20)

• They are fathers (1 Cori. 4;17)

• Stewards of God’s Mysteries (1 Cori 4;1)

• They have the power to punish ( 1 Cori 4;21)

• Command in the name of Lord (1 Cori 7:10, 14:37) “I give this instruction

(not I, but the Lord)”

• Make laws (Acts 15:1, 1 Cori 7;17)

• They are authorities (2 Cori 10:8)

• Christ speaks through them (2 Cori 13:3)

• Chosen and anointed (2 Cori 1:21-22)

• The mystery of God was revealed to them (1 Tess 2:7)

• Make rules for the church (1 Cori 11:34)

• Make rules for prayers (1 Cori 11:6)

• They are given the authority by the Lord (1 Tim 1:20, 2:8, 6:13, Titus 2:15, 2

Peter 1:3, 1 John 2;7)

• Key to kingdom of heaven is given to the apostles. (Mat 16;19)

• They are chosen and anointed (2 Cori 1:21-22)

The apostles were blessed at the time of ascension and received the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. All powers are vested in them and are to be exercised till the end of the world. But the apostles cannot live till that time; it is only logical that they appoint their successors to perform their duties. This is seen in the epistles to Timothy and Titus (1:5). This transfer of power from the apostles to their successors is called

apostolic succession.

During the apostolic time itself we can see that pastors or presbyters of the church were appointed. The apostles were the authority of the church and elders received their authority and power from the apostles (Acts 5:13, 8:16). St. Clement (AD 96) has documented that the apostles appointed successors before their death. St. Ignatius has written that “there is no church without three grades of priesthood, i.e. bishop, priest and deacon’

Therefore the true church of Christ should have a continuous chain of succession from the apostles. It should have the apostolic faith and observances, which is in the book of Acts, Epistles, and in the writings of the immediate successors of the Apostles like St. Clement, St. Ignatius, and others (Refer to the Faith of early church fathers). Tertullian has written that believers should know if they are going to a true church - each church should have a bishop who should show a continuous chain from the apostles and should believe everything as taught by the apostles.

Merely making a building and calling it a 'church', fellowship, or an assembly and attending there will not make it a church that the Lord Jesus Christ had established!

 Questions to test your knowledge

1. What was the tradition mentioned by Jesus in Matthew 15:3?

2. What was Luke before accepting Christianity?

3. Who converted Luke to Christianity?

4. Give two examples for the existence of apostolic tradition from New

Testament?

5. What type of Bible interpretations can probably lead to heresy?

6. Who is authorized to forgive sins after Jesus Christ?

7. Who was authorized to perform Eucharist?

8. Whom did the mystery of God revealed to by Jesus?

9. Who were the chosen and anointed people of Jesus?

10. Who had the power to preach and baptize?

11. Who had the power to forgive sins?

12. When did the Apostles receive Holy Spirit?

13. What is Apostolic Succession?

14. How should a true Church of Christ be?

15. Who has the power to command in the name of Lord?