The Catholic Church neither refers to tradition as legends or
mythological accounts, nor does it include transitory customs/practices which
may change, as situations merit, like styles of priestly dress, specific forms
of devotion to saints, or even liturgical
rubrics.
Sacred or apostolic tradition consists of the teachings that the
apostles passed on orally through their preaching. These teachings largely
overlap with those contained in in the Bible, but the method of their
transmission is distinct.
They have been entrusted to the Church. It is important that
Christians believe in and obey this tradition as well as the Bible (Luke
10:16). The precision of the faith has been given chiefly to the leaders of
the Church (Ephesians 3:5),
who, with Christ, form the foundation of the Church (Ephesians 2:20).
The Church has been guided by the Holy Spirit, Who protects this teaching from
corruption (John 14:25-26) , 16:13).
Paul illustrated tradition, " For I handed on to you as of
first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in
accordance with the scriptures; Therefore, whether it be I or they, so we
preach and so you believed."(1 Corinthians 15:3, 11).
The apostle praised those who obeyed Tradition, " I praise you because you
remember me in everything and hold fast to the traditions, just as I handed
them on to you." (1 Corinthians 11:2).
The first Christians "devoted themselves to the apostles’
teaching" (Acts 2:42) long
before there was a New Testament.
From the very start, the fullness of Christian teaching was found
not in a book but in the Church as the living personification of Jesus, our
Lord.
The teaching Church, with its oral, apostolic tradition, was
authoritative. Paul himself quotes from Jesus that was handed down orally
to him: "It is more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts 20:35).
This saying is not recorded in the Gospels and must have been
conveyed to Paul. Indeed, even the Gospels themselves are oral tradition which
has been written down (Luke 1:1–4). Further, Paul does not quote Jesus only. He
also quotes from early Christian hymns, as in (Ephesians 5:14).
These and other things have been given to Christians "through the Lord
Jesus" (1 Thesslonians 4:2).
Fundamentalists claim that Jesus condemned tradition quoting
" "And why do you break the commandment of God 3 for the sake of your
tradition?" (Matthew 15:3). Paul
cautioned, " See to it that no one captivate you with an empty, seductive
philosophy according to human tradition, according to the elemental powers of
the world 3 and not according to Christ." (Colossians 2:8).
However, these verses simply denounce flawed human traditions, not truths which
were passed on orally and entrusted to the Church by the apostles. These
concluding truths are part of what is established as apostolic tradition, which
is different from human traditions or customs.
For example, let’s try to cite Matthew 15:6-9,
which Fundamentalists and Evangelicals frequently quote to defend their stance:
"You have nullified the word of God for the sake of your tradition.
Hypocrites, well did Isaiah prophesy about you when he said: 'This people
honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; in vain do they
worship me, teaching as doctrines human precepts.”
From this verse, Jesus was not condemning all traditions but only
those that made God’s word void. Specifically, it was a matter of the Pharisees
counterfeiting the dedication of their goods to the Temple so they could evade
supporting their aged parents, which itself nullify the tradition to
"Honor your father and your mother" (Exodus 20:12).
Elsewhere, Jesus taught His followers to obey traditions that are
anchored to God’s commandments. " The scribes and the Pharisees have taken
their seat on the chair of Moses. Therefore, do and observe all things
whatsoever they tell you, but do not follow their example. For they preach but
they do not practice" (Matthew 23:2-3).
The term tradition in 1 Corinthians 11:2 and 2 Thessalonians 2:15
is used in a different sense, to describe what should be believed. Jesus
did not knock all traditions down but only flawed traditions, whether doctrines
or practices, that demoralize Christian truths.
So how does each community know which traditions are apostolic and
which are merely human -by listening to the magisterium or teaching authority
of Jesus’ Church. If the Church revealed to her flock the canon of Scripture,
it can also reveal the "canon of Tradition" by instituting which
traditions have been passed down from the apostles. After all, Jesus assured
that “the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.” (Matthew 16:18)
and the New Testament itself pronounces the Church to be "the pillar and
foundation of the truth" (1 Timothy 3:15).
Reference:
Source: What is Tradition?, http://www.catholic.com/tracts/scripture-and-tradition
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