What is proper relationship between Scripture and Holy Tradition?

Protestants the Orthodox have different views on the relationship between Holy Tradition and Scripture. While both recognize the authority and importance of Scripture in knowing the truth, agreeing they are  inspired by God, but written in human language, there are differences in how they approach the role of Holy Tradition.

Protestant view: They generally emphasize Scripture as the final and only authority in matters of faith and practice. They uphold the sufficiency and clarity of Scripture as the sole guide for Christian belief, salvation, and a Christian way of life.  

Orthodox Christian view: They see the New Testament as born out of Holy Tradition, which encompasses the living transmission of the faith of the Apostles. This includes not only the teachings, but also the way of life and worship of the early church. Holy Tradition serves as the foundation for understanding Scripture which is read and interpreted in the context of Tradition. 

Holy Tradition and Scripture are inseparable. Holy tradition does not contradict Scripture but is the basis for fully understanding it. Neglecting Holy Tradition, as seen in various Protestant churches, has led to the proliferation of many different  interpretations and denominations.  In contrast, the Orthodox Church views  Holy Tradition as fundamental to understanding Scripture. It serves as a unifying and stabilizing force for the commonality of belief, practices, and way of life among Orthodox communities worldwide. 

Oral teaching was the beginning. When Saint Paul and other Apostles brought the Gospel to the world, they conveyed it through oral teaching. The Lord entrusted the Apostles with oral teachings before His ascension. His teachings contained more than a set of intellectual beliefs, but included an entire way of life the early followers called “the Way” (Acts 9:2).

In those times oral teaching was the preferred way because you could not always trust written documents because you did not know the writer. Oral was preferred because you knew the teacher.

Holy Tradition is not only a compliment or addition to Scripture. Nor is it a set of antiquated customs mindlessly repeated, but is a shared belief and experience of a life in Christ known by the apostles and passed on the the early church followers. Instead, for  Orthodox Christians, Tradition is more than mere historical information. It cannot be separated from Scripture. Scripture is the expression of the Holy Tradition. It  does not stand over Scripture, nor does Scripture include the entirety of Holy Tradition. 

The agreement on the final canon of the New Testament took many years. It required a consensus of the entire Christian community. It was not until the fourth century that the majority of the Christian community recognized the 27 books that now comprise the New Testament as Scripture. This  consensus was then supported by the teachings of the early Church Fathers, the decisions of local and ecumenical councils, and the collective wisdom of the Church under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Through this process what became Scripture emerged from the early Church. However, what was written was never the sole basis of their worship, practice, or way of life. The practices and way of life were well established before there were any written documents.

Holy Tradition in comprehensive. It encompasses the form of worship rooted in the practices of the early Church. The hymns, prayers and liturgies used in Orthodox services contain truth and have been preserved from Apostolic times.  Today the liturgy of Saint John Chryssostom, dating back to the 4th century, is widely used in Orthodox worship.

Why was Tradition rejected in the 16th century Reformation? At that time there were practices in the Roman Church that some reformers, including Martin Luther, believed to be inconsistent with what they understood as Holy Tradition. They criticized certain doctrines, practices, and abuses within the Roman Church, such as indulgences, the sale of ecclesiastical offices, and the perceived deviation from biblical teachings. Advocating for a return to what they believed were the authentic teachings and practices of the early Church, the doctrine of “Sola Scriptura” emerged asserting that Scripture alone is the ultimate authority and sufficient guide for Christian belief and practice. This was seen as a means to guard against the potential abuses or deviations they perceived in the Roman Church at that time. The reformers aimed to highlight the clarity, sufficiency, and accessibility of Scripture, advocating for the individuals to have direct access to the Word of God. 

The Reformation itself was not a monolithic movement. Various Protestant traditions emerged with their own interpretations of the relationship between Scripture and tradition. The rejection of the integral view of Tradition and Scripture and the development of sola Scriptura were influenced by a combination of theological, historical, and ecclesiastical factors. As a result there are widely differing views on the role of Holy Tradition. 

For Orthodox Christians, Holy Tradition is seen as essential. It is necessary for  preserving the teachings and way of life that Jesus taught the Apostles, which were then passed down to the early followers and established the early Church. The reference to the “one, holy, apostolic church” in the Creed,  emphasizes the belief in the continuity of the apostolic Church through the ages. The Orthodox Church is the continuation of that apostolic Church. It upholds the teachings, practices, and spiritual life that have been handed down through Holy Tradition.  Holy Tradition is the guiding principle for understanding Scripture, maintaining commonality in belief, practices and way of life among Orthodox communities worldwide.