Sacred Tradition forms the single deposit of faith together with Sacred Scripture.(Matthew 15:3: Why do you break the commandments of God for the sake of tradition?
Mark 7:8: You disregard God's commandment but cling to human tradition.
Colossians 2:8: See to it that no one captivates you with an empty seductive philosophy, according to human tradition, according to the elemental powers and not according to Christ.
Of course, if tradition is put in place of the Commandments or if tradition is not according to the will of Christ Our Lord and what He passed on through the apostles, then it has no authority in the Church. If, though, the traditions followed are those passed from the Lord to the apostles and through them passed onto the Church, or if the tradition is taken from Holy Scripture, it cannot be wrong and bears the authority of Christ Our Lord, and is sacred.
1 Corinthians 11:2: And hold fast to the traditions just as I handed them onto you.
2 Thessalonians 2:15: Therefore brothers, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught, either by an oral statement or by a letter of ours.
The apostles, who were companions of Our Lord as He walked the earth, learned a great amount from Him.
2 Peter 1:16: We did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of Our Lord Jesus Christ, but we have been eyewitnesses of His majesty.
Ephesians 3:5: As it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. So much in fact that not all was written down in Holy Scripture.
John 21:25 There are also many other things Jesus did ,but if these were to be described individually, I do not think the whole world would contain the books that would be written.
It is through the words and traditions the apostles passed on in the Holy Apostolic Church that we get insight and instruction about some of these other things which may not see directly visible in scripture.
Matthew 23:3: Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you.
What is Sacred Tradition?
In common language, "tradition" often means a custom or habit passed down through generations (e.g., a family Christmas tradition or custom). In Catholic theology, Sacred Tradition (with a capital 'T') has a much more profound meaning.
Sacred Tradition is the living and authentic transmission of the Word of God, entrusted by Christ to the Apostles and their successors, the bishops, through the Holy Spirit. It is the uninterrupted passing down of the teachings of Jesus Christ through preaching, teaching, worship, and practice under the guidance of the Church's Magisterium.
Saint Paul confirms that he passed on by word of mouth the divine message and tradition of Our Lord Jesus,
2 Timothy 1:13-14: Take as your norm the sound words that you heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Guard this rich trust with the help of the Holy Spirit.
1 Corinthians 15:3: For I handed onto you as of first importance what I also received, and that the Church, the faithful, should use this to teach others.
2 Timothy 2:2: And what you heard from me through many witnesses entrust to faithful people who will have the ability to teach others as well.
Faith for many will come from what they hear and what they are taught.
Rom 10:17: Thus faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes from the preaching of Christ.
Key aspects of Sacred Tradition include:
· Source: It originates from Jesus Christ himself, who taught the Apostles.
· Content: It encompasses the entirety of divine revelation—everything necessary for salvation. This includes truths that are implicit in Scripture or were preached by the Apostles but not explicitly written down.
· Medium: It is transmitted through many forms:
· The Church's liturgical worship (the Mass, the sacraments)
· Doctrinal definitions (e.g., the nature of the Trinity)
· Writings of the Church Fathers (early theologians and bishops)
· The lived faith and practice of Christians throughout history
· The teaching authority of the Church (the Magisterium)
· Agent: It is guided by the Holy Spirit, who ensures the Church remains faithful to the truth revealed by Christ.
In essence, Tradition is the living memory of the Church, guided by the Holy Spirit, that understands, interprets, and applies the Gospel to every generation.
2. The Relationship Between Scripture and Tradition: One Deposit of Faith
The Catholic Church does not see Scripture and Tradition as two separate sources of revelation. Instead, they are two distinct but inseparable modes of transmitting the one single "deposit of faith."
The Deposit of Faith (depositum fidei) is the body of saving truth entrusted by Christ to the Apostles and handed on by them to the whole Church.
The relationship is best understood through an analogy: Scripture and Tradition are like two streams flowing from the same spring (divine revelation), or two hands holding the same treasure (the deposit of faith).
How They Work Together:
a. Common Origin: Both flow from the same divine wellspring: the revelation of God in Jesus Christ. They "are bound closely together and communicate one with the other" (Second Vatican Council, Dei Verbum, 9).
b. Different Functions:
· Sacred Scripture is the inspired, written Word of God. It is "the speech of God as it is put down in writing under the breath of the Holy Spirit" (Dei Verbum, 9). It provides a fixed, unchanging textual witness.
· Sacred Tradition is the living interpretation and transmission of that Word. It ensures the Scripture is correctly understood and applied throughout history. Tradition preceded the writing of the New Testament (the Apostles preached before they wrote) and gave us the Bible by determining which books were inspired and belonged in the biblical canon.
c. Mutual Nourishment: They are not independent.
· Tradition helps us understand Scripture. Without the living Tradition of the Church, the Bible could be interpreted in countless contradictory ways (as seen in the thousands of denominations). Tradition provides the authoritative context for interpretation.
· Scripture authenticates and nourishes Tradition. Any authentic Tradition must be in harmony with the teachings of Scripture. It serves as a touchstone to ensure that Tradition remains faithful to its source.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church summarizes this beautifully:
"Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture, then, are bound closely together, and communicate one with the other. For both of them, flowing out from the same divine well-spring, come together in some fashion to form one thing, and move towards the same goal." (CCC, 80)
3. A Concrete Example: The Canon of the Bible
The most powerful example of Tradition's role is the Bible itself.
· The early Church had many Christian writings circulating. There was no "table of contents" given by God.
· It was through Sacred Tradition—the lived faith, worship, and teaching of the Apostolic churches—that the Church, guided by the Holy Spirit, discerned and defined which books were truly inspired and belonged in the canon (the official list of biblical books).
· This definitive list was formally declared by Church councils (e.g., Council of Rome in 382 AD, Council of Hippo in 393 AD) under the authority of the Magisterium.
· Therefore, without Sacred Tradition, we would not have the Bible as we know it. The book (Scripture) is a product of the Church's Tradition.
4. The Role of the Magisterium
The relationship between Scripture and Tradition cannot be understood without a third element: the Magisterium.
The Magisterium is the teaching authority of the Catholic Church, exercised by the Pope and the bishops in communion with him. Its role is not to invent new doctrine but to guard, preserve, and faithfully interpret the deposit of faith found in both Scripture and Tradition.
· The Deposit of Faith (contained in Scripture and Tradition) is the Treasure.
· The Magisterium is the Guardian appointed to protect and authentically explain that treasure.
The Magisterium is the servant of the Word of God, ensuring that it is handed on faithfully and without error.
Martin Luther, in 'An open letter to the Christian nobility of The German Nation' (1520), suggests that every person has the right to decide, "The power to test and judge what is correct or incorrect in matters of faith." "What squares with faith and what does not" and to Interpret Holy Scripture in their own way. "According to our interpretation of the Scriptures." In England William Tyndale, writer of 'The English Bible' also taught that every person can interpret the Bible in their own way.
St Peter reminds people that this is not so 2 Peter 1:20: There is no prophecy of scripture that is a matter of personal interpretation,
and of the dangers when this happens.
2 Peter 3:15-17: Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, also wrote to you, speaking of these things as he does in all his letters. In them there are some things hard to understand that the ignorant and unstable distort to their own destruction, just as they do the other scriptures. Therefore, beloved, since you are forewarned, be on your guard not to be led into the error of the unprincipled).
Concept Definition Role
Deposit of Faith The entire body of saving truth revealed by God in Christ. The Treasure itself.
Sacred Scripture The inspired, written record of God's revelation. The written witness to the treasure.
Sacred Tradition The living transmission of God's revelation through the Church. The living memory and interpreter of the treasure.
Magisterium The teaching office of the Church (Pope and Bishops). The authoritative guardian and teacher of the treasure.
In conclusion, for the Catholic Church, Scripture and Tradition are not "either/or “but” both/and." They form a single sacred deposit of the word of God, which is faithfully handed on and interpreted by the Magisterium for the salvation of all.