Church Matters: Retrieving the Great Tradition

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Chur ch Mat ter s : Ret r i ev i ng the Great Trad i t i on

3. The narrative of God is seen as a single unbroken story, a “majestic tapestry” with each ongoing generation representing its contribution to the whole, “We must not in any way violate the canon of the church” (Clement of Alexandria, c. 195 [cf. David W. Bercot, ed. A Dictionary of Early Christian Beliefs . Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1998, p. 147]).

4. The break of connection with the historic faith was taken to be the rule of inauthentic confession.

a. The Scriptures and the NT canon were historically determined : Our Bible was the decision of the Church to include certain texts and to exclude certain others .

b. The faith of Christ is rooted in the Judeo-Christian background.

c. The validity of church government is rooted in the connection to the apostles (i.e., a historical phenomenon): the logical argument – if you reject the legitimacy of the Church you endanger the authenticity of the text, for they are inseparably connected!

d. The legitimacy of traditions is rooted in the understanding of what was believed and practiced everywhere and by all (i.e., the Vincentian Rule).

When, however, the Gnostics are confused from the Scriptures, they turn round and accuse the same Scriptures as if they were not correct, nor of authority. They say that they are ambiguous, and that the truth cannot be extracted from them by those who are ignorant of tradition. . . . But, again, when we refer them to that tradition which originates from the apostles, . . . they object to tradition. ~ Irenaeus, c. 180 (cf. David W. Bercot, ed. A Dictionary of Early Christian Beliefs . Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1998, p. 599).