A Journey to Discover the Early Christian Church, Part II

Holy Tradition can be defined by stating that the historical New Testament Church has always believed in a tradition that includes the following four attributes:

Together these four attributes exist as “the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints, (Jude 1:3).” Each attribute is equally authoritative and not any one attribute can be separated from, contradicted, or assume primacy over the others. 

The New Testament texts were written in the context of the early life of the Church. These scriptures encompass both oral and written apostolic teaching (2 Thessalonians 2:15). The work of the Church Fathers in gathering the scriptures together in a canon that was authorized by the Church is inseparable from the authenticity of those scriptures. Clearly, these three aspects of Holy Tradition are inseparable from the Holy Bible.

Apostolic teaching is composed of that which the Lord Jesus Christ taught to His apostles. It was alluded to, as previously mentioned, in 1 Timothy 1:11, “according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God which was committed to my [Paul’s] trust.” This is reinforced further by these scriptures:

In addition to understanding that apostolic teaching came from the Lord Jesus, we must recognize that much of it was conveyed by the apostles orally. This is demonstrated by some of the scriptures shown previously (1 Cor. 11:23 and 1 Cor. 15:3), and other scriptures validate this:

The Didache, which was mentioned in the previous Session, can be added as evidence of apostolic oral teachings passed down as part of Holy Tradition. The Didache represents preserved oral apostolic doctrine and teachings which were circulated orally by the apostles to early churches throughout the first century Roman Empire in order to train Gentile converts. At first this collection of knowledge had no title. It was simply the oral instruction passed to believers subsequent to Jesus’ death yet prior to the New Testament writings. In time this collection of knowledge was written down and given a general title of, The Training [or Teaching] of the Lord through the Twelve Apostles to the Gentiles.

The Didache can be divided into five sections:

Oral teachings can be anticipated from the Didache writing. For example, new believers are instructed to honor “The one speaking to you the Word of God, (Didache 4:1),” and they are also said to tremble “at the words that [they] have heard, (Didache 3:8).”

The idea of oral tradition is not limited to the New Testament era. From the early time of Adam until the time of Abraham (and perhaps even to Mosaic times), history was passed down orally. Many have no difficulty in accrediting full authority to subsequent written renditions of this oral tradition found in the Old Testament while simultaneously doubting the same process in New Testament times. This is a logical fallacy and contradiction. 

If one does not accept oral traditions in the New Testament, then one cannot accept oral traditions in the Old Testament. To do so creates a logical contradiction: If one accepts the authority of subsequent written renditions of the oral tradition in the Old Testament, then one must (to be logically consistent) also accept the authority of subsequent written renditions of the oral traditions in the New Testament. 

Apostolic teaching was the primary form of teaching during the first several years of the Church. It is important to realize that there were no written New Testament documents during the early years. During these times it was the authority of the apostolic, verbal teachings that were entrusted to the church and passed on as the authoritative gospel. 

It is commonly understood that the first of the New Testament books was 1 Thessalonians written by Paul while in Corinth some time between AD 51-52. Now, if Jesus was born in about 3 B.C., that means his death was roughly A.D 29-30. The Church started at Pentecost the same year as Jesus' death and resurrection. So there was a timeframe of about 21 years when there were no physical writings of the apostles. It would take additional years for Paul's writings to be copied and transported to the various churches. During this time it was the verbal instructions of the apostles and of the overseers the apostles appointed that were authoritative. This is very important. It is important because the church has the authority of the Apostles' teachings in a verbal form before the church ever has a written text or epistle. Because verbal teachings were authoritative and since there are no Scriptures that say the written epistles supersede or replace the verbal teachings of the apostles and of the church, then the verbal instructions of the apostles and of the church overseers maintains its authority as 2 Thessalonians 2:15 declares. Such authority has remained from Pentecost down to the present day. 

Moreover, from the time of Jesus until the completion of the canonization of Scripture, which was a timeframe from AD 29 to AD 397, most Church instruction was passed orally. During this time in history most people were illiterate, and written texts were predominately owned by and held in the possession of the church and read orally during assemblies. If one does not trust such oral traditions, then one cannot trust the scriptures. This points to the requirement of those receiving oral tradition to adhere to it steadfastly as scripture authenticates:

The teachings, doctrines, sound words, and traditions mentioned in these scriptures are referring to the apostolic teachings delivered to the apostles by Jesus and taught by the apostles to their disciples and to the churches orally. Oral teaching came first while the written form came later. These are Jesus’ teachings and not the teachings developed by man or man-made traditions. In regards to man-made traditions Paul gives this warning:

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. (Colossians 2:8)

One example of a man-made tradition was given by Jesus in Mark 7:8, “For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men—the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do.” In contrast to this example it is shown how the Apostle Paul strove to obey traditions from Christ, 

Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and also took Titus with me. And I went up by revelation, and communicated to them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to those who were of reputation, lest by any means I might run, or had run, in vain...and when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that had been given to me, they gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. (Galatians 2:1-2, 9)

Faithfully holding to apostolic teaching requires being teachable and being held accountable as Paul held Peter accountable in Galatians 2:11, “Now when Peter had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed.”

These are examples of staying steadfast to apostolic faith and they remain truthful today as Paul instructs, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines. For it is good that the heart be established by grace, (Hebrews 13:8-9).”

Thus, Holy Tradition is to be passed down and delivered without alteration. This tradition includes:

This written and oral Holy Tradition from the first and second century, which predated a completed canonization of scriptures by several centuries, comprises apostolic teaching and cannot be separated from the other cohesive attributes of Holy Tradition. For to separate it would contradict scripture. 

It is essential that we can identify the church as that which was led by the apostles. The Church has never accepted false teachings or schismatic sects. Any deviation from apostolic and the Church Fathers’ teachings unmasks imposters. Additionally, any group that cannot be traced back to New Testament times cannot be considered to be the One Church established by the Son of God. 

The Church is one harmonious Body of Christ: “so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another, (Romans 12:5),” and “There is one body,” (Eph. 4:4). There is “one body” and “one church” rather than thousands of divergent sects that are in disagreement. The Church has never ceased to exist as Jesus stated, “on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it, (Matthew 16:18).” And Jesus promised, “I am with you always, even to the end of the age, (Matthew 28:20b).” 

Jesus established a physical church and not merely a spiritual church. Jesus lived in a physical world and chose physical people such as His disciples to compose His physical church. Jesus’ physical disciples are physical entities that collectively make up a physical gathering of Believers, who become, in turn, a physical Church. Indeed, together all Believers of the Church also create a spiritual collective; however, the physical cannot be separated from the physical nor the spiritual from the physical. It is One Church both physical and spiritual, as Jesus said.

Some contend that there was a time in church history during which the Church, that Jesus had established, temporarily ceased and then was reestablished by others several centuries later. One example is that the One True Church was lost and corrupted during and soon after the time of the conversion of the Roman Emperor Constantine. This conversion and time of apostasy began around AD 312. 

This idea of temporary ceasing, however, contradicts Jesus’ promise that “the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.” If the church would have gone astray so soon after the time of Jesus and His apostles, then it could be argued that Jesus' promise that “the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it” had failed. 

If one analyses and compares the writings of the Church Fathers before the conversion of Constantine with writings of Church Fathers after the period of Constantine, then one will discover that the teachings are the same and there is no change in teachings. The lack of evidence of change in early Church Father's doctrines or teachings before, during, and after the events of AD 312 prove that there is no corruption in doctrine or teachings during the time of Constantine. In other words, because of a lack of evidence, there never was an apostasy.

Early Church Fathers and witnesses of the Faith, as mentioned in the previous Session, who were before the time of Constantine include Polycarp of Smyrna and Ignatius of Antioch (both of whom were discipled by the Apostles) as well as Clement of Rome, Justin Martyr, and Irenaeus of Lyons. Some of the commonly known Church Fathers who were living and writing during and after the time of Constantine include Augustine of Hippo, John Chrysostom, Eusebius of Caesarea, Athanasius, Gregory of Nyssa, Cyril of Jerusalem, Basil the Great, Ambrose, and Gregory the Great. Writings of these Church Fathers are available free on the Internet as well as in multi-volume sets commonly known as the Ante Nicene Fathers set and the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers set. These Sets of writings can also be found at very affordable prices on common electronic reading devices. If the reader is interested in where to start, then a good starting point would be with Polycarp, Ignatius of Lyons, Clement of Rome, and Justin Martyr as these writings are shorter and show the beliefs and lifestyles of these early church witnesses of the Faith.