Understanding the Sources of our FaithFrom the Bible through the Early Councils

Background

Where’s the continuity? Old Covenant Jesus The Church

Luke: the Holy Spirit Old covenant

The Holy Spirit spoke through the prophets Continuing through John the Baptist

Jesus Conceived by the action of the Holy Spirit Anointed by the Holy Spirit (Messiah/Christ)

The Church Filled with and led by the Holy Spirit

throughout Acts of the Apostles

Old covenant: John …for he [John] will be great before the

Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb. (Luke 1:15)

Old covenant: Elizabeth And when Elizabeth heard the greeting

of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit… (Luke 1:41)

Old covenant: Zechariah And his father Zechariah was filled with

the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying… (Luke 1:67)

Old covenant: Simeon Now there was a man in Jerusalem,

whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. And he came in the Spirit into the temple (Luke 2:25-27)

Jesus: conception And the angel answered her, “The Holy

Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy— the Son of God. (Luke 1:35)

Jesus: baptism and temptation …and the Holy Spirit descended on him

in bodily form, like a dove…(Luke 3:22) And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit,

returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness (Luke 4:1)

Jesus: public ministry And Jesus returned in the power of the

Spirit to Galilee…(Luke 4:14) The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,

because he has anointed me…(Luke 4:18)

In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said… (Luke 10:21)

The Church for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that

very hour what you ought to say.” (Luke 12:12)

…until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. (Acts 1:2)

The Church (cont.) But you will receive power when the

Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. (Acts 1:8)

And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. (Acts 2:4)

The Church (cont.) Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit,

said to them [the rulers, elders, and scribes]…(Acts 4:8)

And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him. (Acts 5:32)

The Church (cont.) …and they chose Stephen, a man full of

faith and of the Holy Spirit (Acts 6:5) But they could not withstand the

wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking. (Acts 6:10)

But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. (Acts 7:55)

The Church (cont.) And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over

and join this chariot.” (Acts 8:29) the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip

away… (Acts 8:39)

The Church (cont.) And while Peter was pondering the

vision, the Spirit said to him…(Acts 10:19)

…the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. (Acts 10:44)

And the Spirit told me to go with them, making no distinction. (Acts 11:12)

The Church (cont.) Agabus stood up and foretold by the Spirit

that there would be a great famine over all the world (Acts 11:28)

While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” (Acts 13:2)

So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus. (Acts 13:4)

The Church (cont.) For it has seemed good to the Holy

Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements: (Acts 15:28)

And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. (Acts 16:6)

The Church (cont.) And when they had come up to Mysia,

they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. (Acts 16:7)

Now after these events Paul resolved in the Spirit to pass through Macedonia and Achaia and go to Jerusalem, saying, “After I have been there, I must also see Rome.” (Acts 19:21)

The Church (cont.) And now, behold, I am going to

Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me.… (Acts 20:22-23)

Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers (Acts 20:28)

The Church (cont.) And having sought out the disciples, we

stayed there for seven days. And through the Spirit they were telling Paul not to go on to Jerusalem. (Acts 21:4)

“Thus says the Holy Spirit, ‘This is how the Jews at Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.’” (Acts 21:11)

Authority

“Jesus is Lord” Jesus is the source of all authority

Jesus exercises his authority by means of the Holy Spirit Through the Apostles Through the Church

Through the Apostles Full remembrance

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. (John 14:26)

Through the Apostles (cont.) Full understanding

When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. (John 16:13)

Through the apostles (cont.) Full authority

Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me (Matt.10:40)

I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven" (Matthew 16:19)

Apostolic tradition What the apostles have “handed on” to us

Latin: tradere = “to hand on” => traditio

Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us. (2 Thessalonians 3:6)

Now I commend you because you remember me in everything and maintain the traditions even as I delivered them to you. (1 Corinthians 11:2)

For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread,…(1 Corinthians 11:23)

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures… (1 Corinthians 15:3-4)

Through the Church And behold, I am with you always, to the end

of the age (Matthew 28:20) Church as guardian of the apostolic tradition

O Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to you. (I Timothy 6:20)

…guard the good deposit entrusted to you. (2 Timothy 1:14)

Sources of the apostolic tradition Scripture “Great Tradition”

As authentic and reliable interpretation of scripture

Scripture For the apostles, in the memoirs

composed by them, which are called Gospels, have thus delivered unto us what was enjoined upon them (Justin Martyr, Apology, 66)

Great tradition The next generation The visible witness of the Church

Across time (apostolic succession) Across space (catholicity)

The next generation Polycarp not only was instructed by apostles

and conversed with many who had seen the Lord, but also was appointed by apostles in Asia as bishop of Smyrna. I also saw him in my childhood, for he lived a long time and passed away in extreme old age in glorious martyrdom. He continually taught the things he had learned from the apostles, the traditions of the church that alone are true. These facts are confirmed by all the churches of Asia and the successors of Polycarp to this day. (Irenaeus, Against Heresies, III.3.4)

I can even picture the place where the blessed Polycarp sat and conversed, his comings and goings, his character, his personal appearance, his discourses to the crowds, and how he reported his discussions with John and others who had seen the Lord. He recalled their very words, what they reported about the Lord and his miracles and his teachings – things that Polycarp had heard directly from eyewitnesses of the Word of life and reported in full harmony with Scripture. (Irenaeus of Lyons, Letter to Florinus)

Post-apostolic times This is true Knowledge: the teaching of the apostles, and

the ancient institution of the Church, spread throughout the entire world, and the distinctive mark of the body of Christ in accordance with the succession of bishops, to whom the apostles entrusted each local church, and the unfeigned preservation, coming down to us, of the scriptures, with a complete collection, allowing for neither addition nor subtraction; a reading without falsification and, in conformity with the scriptures, an interpretation that is legitimate, careful, without danger or blasphemy. (Irenaeus of Lyons, Against Heresies, IV.33.8)

“Vincentian Canon” Vincent of Lérins

“What has been believed everywhere, always, and by everyone” (Latin: Quod ubique, quod semper, quod ab omnibus) How the Church has understood the scriptures

Great Tradition: sources Liturgy

“How we pray is how we believe” (Latin: lex orandi lex credendi est)

General (ecumenical) councils Nicaea I (325) Constantinople (381) Ephesus (431) Chalcedon (451)

Preponderance of the early Church fathers

Great tradition: sources (cont.) Historic creeds

Apostles’ Creed Source = liturgy (baptismal creed)

Nicene Creed Source = general councils (Nicaea and

Constantinople) Athanasian Creed

Source = early Fathers Probably from a source other than Athanasius

Classic Anglican summary One canon [Bible] reduced to writing by

God himself, two testaments, three creeds, four general councils, five centuries, and the series of Fathers in that period – the centuries that is, before Constantine, and two after, determine the boundary of our faith. -- Bp. Lancelot Andrewes (1555-1626)

Scripture and Great TraditionPraxis

Canon of scriptureNew Testament

Background Practical problem

Challenge of heretical sects Danger of sacrilege (during persecutions)

Canon = Greek: “measuring stick”

First century Various books collected by individual

churches Several letters One or two Gospels

Second century General recognition

4 Gospels Acts, 13 letters of Paul, 1 Peter, and 1

John Disputed

Hebrews, James, 2 Peter, 2 John, 3 John, Jude, and Revelation

Occasionally accepted Letter of Barnabas, Shepherd of Hermas

Third and fourth centuries Third century

Gradual acceptance of disputed books and elimination of books that were only occasionally accepted

Fourth century Authoritative pronouncements (synods

ands local councils) St. Athanasius , “Festal Letter,” 367

First list of the 27 books of the New Testament

Underlying principles Apostolic origin Consistency with other scripture Reception

Use in Liturgy

Canon of ScriptureOld Testament

Process over time Hebrew Bible = TaNaKh Law (Torah)

Category closed c. 400 BC Prophets (Neviim)

Category closed c. 200 BC Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings, Isaiah,

Jeremiah, Ezekiel, The Twelve Writings Writings (Ketuvim)

Category still open in apostolic times

Two canons Reflect shift in Jewish population

Alexandria (Greek speaking) – c. 200 B.C. Septuagint (LXX) = Greek version of Jewish Bible

Palestinian (Hebrew) canon – Late 1st century Need

Transition to Rabbinic Judaism Rise of Christianity

Criteria used: Written in Hebrew or Aramaic Written no later than Ezra

Difference = “writings” Hebrew canon

Psalms, Proverbs, Job, Song of Songs, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, Esther, Daniel, Ezra/Nehemiah, Chronicles

LXX Hebrew canon + additional books found in

LXX Apocrypha/deuterocanonical books

Additional books Group 1

Additions to Esther Tobit Judith 1 Maccabees & 2 Maccabees Wisdom Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) Baruch (with Letter of Jeremiah) Additions to Daniel

Additional books (cont.) Group 2

1 Esdras & 2 Esdras The Prayer of Manasseh

Group 3 3 Maccabees & 4 Maccabees Psalm 151

Distinction Eastern Church

Not readily apparent to Greek speakers Their Bible is the LXX

Western Church Jerome makes clear distinction in Latin

Bible (Vulgate) Establish doctrine vs. edification

Distinction ultimately lost Issue raised at the time of the

Reformation

Divergent positions Orthodox and Roman Catholics

Scripture (Synod of Jerusalem/Council of Trent)

Protestants Reject entirely

Divergent views (cont.) Anglicans (following Jerome)

“And the other books (as Hierome saith) the Church doth read for example of life and instruction of manners; but yet doth it not apply them to establish any doctrine…” (39 Articles of Religion)

Readings included in lectionary “Here ends the reading”

Canticles included in Book of Common Prayer

General councilsDefining doctrine and establishing practice

Model – Jerusalem Council (Acts 15) The apostles and the elders were

gathered together to consider this matter… (v. 6)

For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us…(v. 28)

Clarifications Defining doctrine:

Articulating what is already understood Reception

Action validated by the recognition of the faithful

Nicaea I (325) and Constantinople (381)

What does it mean to say Jesus is God? Begotten not made

Jesus is uncreated Begotten before all ages

Jesus is eternal Of one being/substance with the Father

Jesus in not just like God, he is God Opposite of Arianism

Ephesus (431) and Chalcedon (451) What does it mean to say Jesus is both

God and man? Human and divine natures are inseparable

Therefore, Mary is not just the mother of Jesus, but the mother of God

Opposite of Nestorianism Human and divine natures remain distinct

The divine does not overwhelm the human Opposite of monophysitism

Summary

Continuity in the Holy Spirit Old Covenant Jesus The Church

Jesus is the source of authority Exercised through the Holy Spirit

Through the Apostles Remembrance Understanding Authority

Through the Church Scripture Great Tradition

As authentic and reliability interpretation of scripture

Great tradition Apostolic tradition The visible witness of the Church

Vincentian canon

Sources of great tradition Liturgy General councils Consensus of early Church fathers Historic creeds

Canon of scripture New Testament

Practical exercise of great tradition Old Testament

Alternatives Hebrew canon LXX

Anglican position Hebrew canon = establish doctrine LXX = edification

General councils Modeled on council in Acts Principles

Defining doctrine Reception

Key definitions What does it mean to say Jesus is God?

Uncreated/eternal/not simply like God What does it mean to say Jesus is both

God and man? Human and divine distinct Human and divine inseparable