Roman Catholic theology is known for its emphasis on tradition, which is placed next to the scriptures as an equally authoritative source of revelation. The reformers correctly rejected this view and pointed to the single Scriptura as the only infallible authority of the Church. For tradition in the reformed faith? John Murray, a former professor of systematic theology at westminster Theological Seminary, once answered this question:
There is a reformed tradition. It is enshrined in reformed beliefs, theology, worship and practice. We believe that this is the purest presentation and expression of Apostolic Christianity. In this tradition we evolve; it is the flow by which we are carried; this is the point of view we value, encourage and promote. We can’t have it; guides our thinking and practice.
- “Retired Protestants.
- ” Murray said.
- “do not deny that there is a tradition to which all due deference must be given.
- “It is not the same as Scripture.
- But it comes from Scripture.
- This tradition and the community that forms “breathes in a certain environment.
- Is animated by a certain point of view [and] is characterized by a certain kind of life and practice”.
“Moreover,” Murray argued, “the fact of tradition and its influence that permeates everything in thought and life is undeniable. “
A colleague at the seminar once boasted: “I have never read any comments. I don’t trust human opinions. To which a skeptical Calvinist colleague replied, “What about you?do you trust your opinions?
Our inability to escape our own limits forces us to realize the need to recognize their dependence on others. Mutual dependence or interdependence should come as no surprise. We are members of a body, which is the Apostle Paul’s favorite metaphor for the church. We need each other (Romans 12: 4-8; 1 Corinthians 12: 12-31). ” Are they all teachers?”the Apostle asks (1 Corinthians 12:29). Of course not. Therefore, non-amos depend on the amos in the same way that non-administrators depend on directors and non-leaders depend on rulers (Romans 12:6-8). variety of gifts, the gifted depend on the gifted. God gave, some as apostles, evangelists, shepherds, teachers, but not all (Ephesians 4:11). These are endowed to give power to the saints, but others are not.
Read the Bible. Study it. Read the whole Bible, several chapters at once. Study intensely, word for word, prayer for prayer. However, don’t forget to consult the teachers God has given the church now and in the past. There’s a reason Calvin quotes Augustine on every page of his institutes. He felt compelled to do so, to show that what he taught was also what the beliefs, the first ecumenical councils, the pathological theologians and the best medieval theologians taught.
Biblical interpretation should never simply be a matter of “just me and my Bible. “Why? Because we can’t just trust ourselves, we’re not supposed to be self-sufficient. We must be taught by the teachers God gave to the church. That brings us back to Murray and tradition. Scripture is our only infallible authority in all matters of faith and practice. However, listen to the Apostle Paul’s arguments in 1 Corinthians 1. 2; 4,17; 11. 16 and 14. 33 What should we do with your appeals to what is taught everywhere?In every church, or the practice of “all churches. “Or with this 😕 However, if anyone wants to be contentious, do you know that we have no such custom, nor the churches of God?(11. 16).
Note on this point that the Apostle does not dispute only on the basis of apostolic authority, biblical precedent or the theological principle, on the contrary, calls catholicity, consensus. Apparently, conformity with the standard established between the churches is a worthy principle to appeal to as the Apostle Paul seeks to convince the rebels of Corinth of what constitutes correct belief and good order (14. 40). or the denomination does, we must take into account what the Church has believed and practiced historically.
The study of the Bible should take place in an ecclesiastical context, which extends to the apostles. We read the scriptures in the light of what the pastor properly ordained teaches, but also in the light of what the beliefs and counsels, denominations, and theologians of the (universal) and reformed Catholic tradition have taught. Many contemporary Christians barely hide their contempt for “traditional ways of doing things. “In contrast, does Paul urge the Corinthians to “keep” traditions as I have given them to you?(1 Corinthians 11. 2; 2. 15; 3. 6). He exhorts them to keep not only the “Message”, the “Good News”, the “Teaching”, the “Instruction”. or the “mandate,” but the “tradition. ” In the immediate context, Paul speaks of the infallible apostolic tradition we now know as the New Testament. However, there is a secondary application: those who came before us may make mistakes and have made mistakes, but it is prudent to give the benefit of doubt to the great men and women of God who have interpreted the Bible before us.
This tradition is the interpretive or exejective legacy of those who kept the faith reformed. I must read my Bible not in isolation, but rather by consultating this heritage, its teachers (living and deceased) and its implications for theology, ecclesiology, ethics, worship and worship. What did our ecclesiastical ancestors say about a particular scripture?What was your consensus on a particular doctrinal topic or a particular church practice?Humility forces us to be more than . . . just me and my Bible as it seeks to be faithful in our generation.