Is there a difference between tradition and Sacred Tradition?

Question

Sometimes Christians speak past each other because of a different understanding of terminology. If one is to have a discussion with any understanding, one must be of the same accord on the definitions. It appears when one speaks of traditions; one may be speaking of two different things. When a Catholic Christian speaks of Traditions, he speaks of Sacred Traditions that .......http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-S6YMuFYyaa9ESBoW5DFwEjL_HhqA?p=87

Pastor Art, you just won the award for the least scholarly answer I have seen on one of my questions. You really don't know the difference between the traditions of the Pharisees and Sacred Traditions. So sad for one professing to be a man of God.

pbb2001,

Where are you in the Philippines. Are you a native of the Philippines. I am in Imus. Cavite.

Great answer.

Answer 1

The word tradition means "that which is handed on." Tradition is used in both positive and negative ways in the New Testament. Jesus attacked the human traditions that replaced the commandments of God and led to the Puritanism of the Pharisees:

Matthew 15:2ff: “Why do your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.” He answered and said to them, “Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? . . . Thus, you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition."

Both Paul and Peter pick up this usage:

Galatians 1:14: And I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my own nation, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers.
Colossians 2:8: Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.
1 Peter 1:17ff: And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear; knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.

Sacred tradition refers to the knowledge of the Gospel communicated by the preaching of Jesus and his apostles:

1 Corinthians 11:2: Now I praise you, brethren, that you remember me in all things and keep the traditions just as I delivered them to you.
2 Thessalonians 2:15: Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle.
2 Thessalonians 3:6: But we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly and not according to the tradition which he received from us.

It is important for Christians to recognize that only a small part of what Jesus taught made it into the Bible.

John 21:25: And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen.

Cheers,
Bruce

Answer 2

Tradition is like having turkey at Thanksgiving, but Sacred Tradition is the holy Word of God passed down by verbally by the Apostles through the bishops in Apostolic succession. It pre-dates the Bible and includes all the revelation about Christian faith that is not included in the Bible. The Bible itself refers to it 2 John 12, 3 John 13.

The Catholic Church has summarized Sacred Tradition in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

Answer 3

i'm jap Orthodox. In Orthodoxy we differentiate between custom (capital "T") and custom (decrease case "t.") Sacred scripture is self explanatory. Sacred custom are those Traditions practiced interior the Church that are supported, yet no longer explicitly ordered, by ability of scripture (alongside with teachings handed down by ability of apostolic succession.) mutually as custom is something practiced that is advantageous to the guy yet which has no beginning in the two scriptures or the different holy writings. a prepare is additionally something recommended by ability of the writings of the holy fathers that's no longer supported by ability of scripture. One occasion of custom (from a RC attitude) would desire to be the Orthodox meat rapid on Wednesday and Friday. One must be careful. The Holy Fathers have been fallible and one ought to take care to tell apart between custom (decrease case "t,") very own opinion and heresy.

Answer 4

In the Philippines, we have a saying, which translates:
"it's hard to wake up a person who is pretending to be asleep".

It makes perfect sense that: a person truly asleep will wake-up if we try to wake him/her up. But a person merely pretending to be asleep will never wake up!

What I notice with the rabid anti-catholics is: they can not seem to get even the best laid-out answers! They purposely say we pray TO saints, and the Virgin Mary, even when we have said, a gazillion times, that we ask them to pray FOR us, in much the same way they ask their family and friends to pray for them.

They purposely can not make the distinction between human traditions (closely related to culture of groups), with Sacred Tradition, which is simply the TEACHINGS we inherited, since apostolic times!

This 'pastor' Art fellow is no exception. And yes, how come NOT one among them has refuted anything in catholic.com? Have you heard of one?

Answer 5

One is balogna sliced thin and one is balogna sliced thick.

Jesus taught against tradition. See Mark chapter 7.

Pastor Art