RCIA - Sacred Tradition and Scripture

RCIA - Sacred Tradition and Scripture The Catholic belief in Sacred Tradition and her understanding of Sacred Scripture are significant points of difference between Catholic and non-catholic Christians. As Catholics, we believe that God revealed himself in two ways: through Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture. This dual form of revelation was largely uncontested for the first 1500 years of the Church. Tradition is simply the handing down or passing along of information or beliefs from one generation to another. During biblical days this was an oral tradition. Stories were passed along orally from person to person and community to community. During those days very few could read or write and the preparation of written manuscripts was an expensive undertaking. Our Gospels were based on stories that were told for decades before being committed to the written word. Jesus died ~ 33 AD Paul earliest Christian writings late 50-60 s Mark 68-73 AD Matthew 80-90 AD (pre 70 100) Luke 85 (75-95) John 80-110 Paul s letters were written some 20-30 years after the death of Christ with our gospels being written even later. Our gospels were written based on sources that were derived from oral tradition in their perspective communities. Our sacred Christian tradition goes back to the teaching of the Apostles as they traveled from community to community. As Christians we view our tradition as a 1

continuation and fulfillment of the Jewish tradition. We inherited our faith in one God from the Jewish people so ours is a rich Judeo-Christian tradition. This belief in tradition came under assault in the early 16 th century. On the eve of All Saints Day in 1517 Martin Luther, a Catholic, Augustinian monk nailed his now famous 95 theses on the church door in Wittenberg, Germany. It was not Luther's initial intent to challenge the authority of the Church. Luther was scrupulous meaning overly sin conscious. He was deeply troubled by his perceived sinfulness and how it related to his salvation. He found comfort in Paul s statements concerning justification by faith and not works. While visiting Rome he witnessed the selling of indulgences to pay for the construction of St. Peter s Basilica. [An indulgence is "a way to reduce the amount of punishment one has to undergo for sins". It may reduce the temporal punishment after death, in the state or process of purification called Purgatory.] Luther s initial impetus was to protest the selling of indulgences, a practice which flew in the face of his newfound theology of justification by faith alone. One could not work or buy his way into heaven. Luther had come to realize that we could not be justified by our works. Luther s act occurred at a time of tension and instability. The Protestant revolution did not occur overnight. In fact, there had been attempts for reformation within the Catholic Church for many years. The discontent had many roots, but it had become a powder keg just waiting to explode. Luther provided the spark that resulted in an all-consuming blaze. 2

Nailing the theses on the church door was common practice in the university town of Wittenberg. Many students and faculty would gather to discuss and debate various issues. Luther possibly stepped over the line when he sent the 95 theses to the Pope which set a cascade of events in motion. The Pope commanded Luther to recant and he would not. With Luther, a line was drawn in the sand, and neither the Catholic Church nor Luther would give an inch. With time tensions escalated and Luther was excommunicated. Luther s differences with the Church were initially totally theological based on his beliefs on justification. But as his dispute with the Church intensified he became influenced by the political power brokers of his day who wanted to see the Catholic Church removed from a position of power. Luther eventually rejected the rich Catholic tradition especially the pope and authority of the Church. This left as his only authority the Bible alone. Thus was born the doctrine of Sola Scriptura, scripture alone. Sola scriptura: In the Bible is contained all we need for our salvation. The Bible alone is the sole rule of faith. This became the battle cry of Luther and Protestants for generations to come. As Catholics we have a different perspective. The Catholic Church believes, " The true rule of faith is Scripture and Tradition, as manifested in the living, teaching authority of the Catholic Church, to which were entrusted the oral teachings of Jesus and the Apostles plus the authority to interpret Scripture rightly. (CCC: Catechism of the Catholic Church) From this Sacred Tradition flow the Sacred Scriptures and the teaching authority of the Church. The teaching authority, referred to as the Magisterium, protects the Church from error and protects us from the misinterpretation of the Holy Scriptures. 3

This has been a source of divisiveness since the 16 th century. From a Catholic perspective, without a central authority to guide the church and correctly interpret scripture we have seen a progressive splintering of the Church. We presently have over 30,00 non-catholic Christian denominations. Let s talk first about the Sacred Scriptures, the Bible. As we discuss the scriptures we are going to speak of canons. A canon is a reed much like bamboo. It was used as a ruler or standard of measure. When we speak of the Canon of Scripture we are referring to a body of writings which constitute the rule or standard by which our lives ought to be governed and measured A canon is an authoritative, infallible, divinely inspired collection of books. Religious councils have approved these canons. The decisions over canons were not always easy and much conflict and disagreement existed. There was no canon of scripture in the early Church; there was no Bible. The Bible is the book of the Church; She is not the Church of the Bible. The Church preceded the Bible. It was the Church--her leadership, faithful people--guided by the authority of the Spirit of Truth which discovered the books inspired by God in their writing. The Church did not create the canon; she discerned the canon. It is important to remember that the Scriptures are fully human even though they are fully divine. Not a transcription. They did not descend from heaven in their full form. They were written by men in the language of their society and were influenced by their culture and community!!! 4

The Bible as we know it was first accepted as an official canon in the 4 th century 393 AD -Council of Hippo 397 AD clarified and supported by the Council of Carthage As you all know the Bible is divided into the Old Testament (Hebrew Scriptures) and the New Testament (Christian Scriptures) There is general agreement among all Christians that we have 27 books in the New Testament: Gospels Acts of the Apostles Letters or Epistles Book of Revelation However, when we get to the Hebrew Scriptures, the Old Testament, there is much disagreement. There is agreement by all on the 39 books referred to as the Protocanon or first canon The early Church and present day Catholics accepted an additional 7 books raising the number to 46. The additional 7 books are referred to as the Deuterocanon or second canon. Since Martin Luther and the Protestant reformation (16 th century) most Protestants accept 39 books as canonical. Jewish scripture also accepts 39 books. How and when the Jews determined their canon remains very controversial. The Jews felt the Christians were distorting and misusing the Hebrew Scriptures. They established criteria for canonicity 1. Religious Content 2. Was the book being used? 3. Was the book written in Hebrew 5

4. Was the book written before the time of Ezra (mid 5 th century) It is important to understand that the books of the Deuterocanon were accepted as part of the Bible dating back to the 4 th Century AD. They were not added by Catholics; they were rejected by Martin Luther (16 th century). As stated above, Catholics refer to these books as the Deuterocanon, or second canon. Protestants call the books the Apocrypha. This term has many meanings (hidden) but to Protestants the books of the Deuterocanon, the apocrypha, are not believed to be inspired by God. However, they are still felt to be useful for instructive purposes. The books of the Deuterocanon: Tobit Judith 1&2 Maccabees Wisdom Sirach Baruch Esther: additional 107 verses Daniel: stories of Susanna, Bel, and the Dragon Many reasons exist as to why these books were not accepted as canonical by Luther and Jews following the ascent of the Christian Church. This area of study remains very controversial and somewhat contentious. There has not been a unanimous decision on the Deuterocanon within the Catholic Church. The books of the Deuterocanon have been denied or doubted at one time or another by the Christian community. 6

Jerome did a scholarly translation of Bible into Latin à Vulgate (common language of the time). Jerome did not want to include the above books since they were not in the Jewish canon however he was compelled to do so by the Pope. The books were accepted by the Council of Trent in the late 16 th century. To understand the origin of the books of the Deuterocanon we must understand some basic biblical history. Following the Babylonian exile that occurred in the 6 th century BC, the Jewish people were dispersed throughout the Mediterranean world. This is referred to as the Diaspora. In the 3 rd century BC there were more Jews living in Alexandria, Egypt than were living in Palestine. It was during this time that a Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures was undertaken. In 2 nd century BC 70 scholars were called by God to translate the Jewish scriptures from Hebrew to Greek. Since the scriptures were inspired they could not simply be translated thus the call by God was necessary to accomplish this task. The number 70 is based on the number of nations in the OT This Greek translation is referred to as the Septuagint (based on the Latin septuaginta meaning seventy), often abbreviated by the Roman numerals LXX. The story of the Septuagint dates back to Alexandria, which was ruled at that time by the Ptolemys. Ptolemy II planned to build one of the greatest libraries in the world containing all of the great literary works. He invited 70 Hebrew scholars to translate their scriptures into Greek. 7

The story goes that the 70 Hebrew scholars were placed in 70 cloistered rooms and after 70 days emerged with identical translations that were in perfect conformity to the original texts. More recent scholars feel this is a myth. More than likely it took over a decade to complete the translations beginning with the law. It was felt that the Jews in Alexandria were afraid that their laws and scriptures as well as cultic rituals and religious services would be lost as their people became assimilated into the Greek culture and their language was lost. It was for this reason that the translation occurred. The point of all this: The 7 books of the Deuterocanon were part of the Septuagint. The Septuagint was widely used through-out the eastern Mediterranean and was also used in Palestine at the time of Jesus, along with the Palestinian scriptures written in Hebrew and Aramaic. The early Christians included the Septuagint in their canon because it was in wide usage by Christians and Jews alike. Development of the Hebrew Scripture Canon: 1000-50 BC: The Old Testament (hereafter "OT") books are written. C. 200 BC: Rabbis translate the OT from Hebrew to Greek, a translation called the "Septuagint" (abbreviation: "LXX"). The LXX includes 46 books. AD 30-100: Christians use the LXX as their scriptures. This upsets the Jews. C. AD 100: Jewish rabbis meet at the Council of Jamnia and decide to include in their canon only 39 books, since only these can be found in Hebrew. More recent scholarship disputes this claim 8

C. AD 400: Jerome translates the Bible from Hebrew and Greek into Latin (called the "Vulgate"). He knows that the Jews have only 39 books, and he wants to limit the OT to these; the 7 he would leave out (Tobit, Judith, 1 Maccabees, 2 Maccabees, Wisdom of Solomon, Sirach [or "Ecclesiasticus"], and Baruch--he calls "apocrypha," that is, "hidden books." But Pope Damasus wants all 46 traditionally-used books included in the OT, so the Vulgate has 46. AD 1536: Luther translates the Bible from Hebrew and Greek to German. He assumes that, since Jews wrote the Old Testament, theirs is the correct canon; he puts the extra 7 books in an appendix that he calls the "Apocrypha." AD 1546: The Catholic Council of Trent reaffirms the canonicity of all 46 books. The Hebrew Scriptures are divided into: Law Torah or Pentateuch Genesis Exodus Numbers Leviticus Deuteronomy Prophets Nebi im Isaiah Hosea Nahum Jeremiah Joel Habakkuk Lamentations Amos Zephaniah Baruch Obadiah Haggai Ezekiel Jonah Zechariah Daniel Micah Malachi 9

Writings Ketub im Historical Books Wisdom Books Because the Old and New Testament Scriptures are the Divinely revealed Word of God, Catholics venerate the Scriptures as they venerate the Lord's body. Our belief in the Sacred Tradition does not diminish our reverence and veneration of the scriptures. What do we mean by Sacred or Apostolic Tradition? With the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, the apostles were empowered to proclaim the gospel to the ends of the earth. At first, this message was not written down but was in the minds and hearts of Jesus disciples, especially the twelve. The Apostles were trained to understand and teach Jesus message as no others were, for Jesus had personally formed them for this task and had also sent the Holy Spirit to teach them and expand their understanding. So from the beginning of Christianity, the teaching of Jesus apostles was the most reliable source of truth about him. At first the teaching of the Apostles was passed on from word of mouth, from believer to believer, community to community. This passing on of the Good News of Jesus Christ by word of mouth is called oral tradition or apostolic tradition. Today when we say Tradition, many people think we are speaking of things like holy cards, the Latin Mass, nuns in habits, and fussy old priests telling you what you can t do. 10

But these are memories of culture, not faith; they are matters of custom and have nothing to do with Tradition Tradition is the living and lived faith of the Church. Tradition is living, not just history. It is Present and Past We need to distinguish between Tradition with a Big T and tradition with a little t. Sacred or apostolic tradition consists of the teachings that the apostles passed on orally through their preaching. These teachings largely (perhaps entirely) overlap with those contained in the scriptures but their mode of transmission is different, oral versus written. The process of sorting out T from t is ongoing, and involves the official teaching authority of the Church, theologians, and the lived experiences and wisdom of the Christian community itself. The term does not refer to legends or mythological accounts, nor does it encompass transitory customs or practices that may change, as circumstances warrant, such as styles of priestly dress, particular forms of devotion, or even liturgical rubrics. These are traditions with a little t To be Sacred Tradition it cannot be rejected or lost without an essential distortion of the Gospel. The Church doesn t hold any truth on the basis of scripture alone but she doesn t hold any truth on the basis of Tradition without scripture either You can t take one without the other. 11

Sacred Tradition is the only source of information about fundamentally important ideas like the Trinity, which isn t explicit in the Bible. With Vatican II (Second Vatican Council 1960 s) came the understanding that with the death of the last apostle the revelation given by Christ and the Holy Spirit is complete. Nothing can be added to the deposit of revelation and nothing can be taken away. But even though Tradition can t change, our knowledge of it can evolve. Our understanding of it grows steadily because Tradition unfolds as the Church faces new situations. Sacred tradition and Sacred Scripture form one sacred deposit of the Word of God, committed to the Church For both of them, flowing from the same divine wellspring, in a certain way merge into a unity and tend toward the same end. So although the Church recognizes 2 sources we see them as one directed toward one goal, the salvation of souls Dei Verbum, one of the many documents that emerged from Vatican II greatly shaped the way we look at Tradition and Scripture. Tradition takes the word of God entrusted by Christ and the Holy Spirit to the Apostles, and hands it on to their successors in its full purity, so that led by the light of the Spirit of truth, they may in proclaiming it preserve this word of God faithfully, explain it, and make it more widely known. It is clear, therefore, that sacred tradition, Sacred Scripture and the teaching authority of the Church are so linked and joined together that one 12

cannot stand without the others, and that all together and each in its own way under the action of the one Holy Spirit contribute effectively to the salvation of souls. Tradition comes before, during and after the writing of sacred scripture In the wider meaning of the word, Tradition refers to the whole process by which the Church hands on its faith to each new generation This handing on occurs through Preaching Teaching Bible Doctrines Devotions By what we are doing in RCIA we are carrying on the Tradition of the Church. SUMMARY God revealed himself to us through Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture Oral Tradition preceded the written scripture Tradition is the source of valuable information not specifically stated in scripture Divinely inspired canon does not mean God dictated His Word to the evangelists. Evangelists under divine guidance wrote the gospels nuanced by their own audience or community. Sacred Scripture is highly reverenced by Catholics. 13

Tradition is living and ongoing through the power of the Holy Spirit. As Catholics, we believe in Tradition, Sacred Scripture, and the Magisterium, all directed toward the salvation of souls. 14