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Is Tradition a Bad Word in Christianity?

Tradition is foundational to the heart and minds of those defending Christianity in the Patristic period. Two key figures and champions of tradition during this time were Irenaeus of Lyons and Ignatius of Antioch.

· 4 min read

Tradition derived from the apostles, of the very great, the very ancient, and universally known Church founded and organized at Rome by the two most glorious apostles, Peter and Paul; as also [by pointing out] the faith preached to men, which comes down to our time through the successions of the bishops. For it is a matter of necessity that every Church should agree with this Church, on account of its pre-eminent authority, that is, the faithful everywhere since the apostolical tradition has been preserved continuously by those [faithful men] who exist everywhere. (Iren., Adv. Haer. 3.3.2)

When it comes to Ignatius of Antioch, he highlights the role of tradition by explaining the importance of church leaders’ positions within the Church (Roberts, Donaldson, & Coxe, 1885). Ignatius, in all seven letters to the Churches, commands believers to obey the bishop, presbyters, and deacons (Ignatius, 1946). One of his most beautiful quotes regarding this topic is found in his letter to the Smyrnaeans (8.1). It reads,

You must all follow the lead of the bishop, as Jesus Christ followed that of the Father; follow the presbytery as you would the Apostles; reverence the deacons as you would God’s commandment. Let no one do anything touching the Church, apart from the bishop.

It is quite clear that Ignatius is teaching that the Church should submit and follow the role and office of the bishop. Ignatius, like Irenaeus, is trying to help people understand that apostolic succession is critical to the understanding of Christianity and to combat heresies formed by other pretenders of the faith. Suppose this type of tradition/apostolic succession is followed. In that case, the Church should have order and less division and be able to maintain the traditions that were handed down from the apostles.

Today, if you speak of the word tradition, it is almost looked upon as a bad word in the evangelical circle. Tradition seems to have a different meaning than it did a few thousand years ago, and people today relate it to the Catholic Church’s false doctrines. They also view this word meaning that people hold tradition in equal status or even sometimes elevate its importance over Scripture. In my opinion, this is not what the word tradition should mean in the modern era of Christianity. Instead, people need to take the time to learn and understand the true definition of this term and identify the value and importance that it has and played in the role of historical Christianity.

References

Irenaeus of Lyons. (1885). Irenaeus against Heresies. In A. Roberts, J. Donaldson, & A. C. Coxe (Eds.), The Apostolic Fathers with Justin Martyr and Irenaeus (Vol. 1). Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Company.

Roberts, A., Donaldson, J., & Coxe, A. C. (Eds.). (1885). The Apostolic Fathers with Justin Martyr and Irenaeus (Vol. 1). Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Company.

McGrath, A. E. (2013). Historical theology an introduction to the history of Christian thought. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell.

St. Clement of Rome and St. Ignatius of Antioch. (1946). The Epistles of St. Clement of Rome and St. Ignatius of Antioch. (J. Quasten & J. C. Plumpe, Eds., J. A. Kleist, Trans.) (1st ed.). New York; Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press.