“The Orthodox Church firmly believes that all Scripture is inspired by God. She is steadfastly committed to the authority of Scriptures as the normative record of God’s Self-revelation to mankind. She is equally committed to the principle that the text of the Scripture is not to be altered, either by addition or diminution (footnote: Let it be noted here that the Reformers removed the Greek books of the OT from their canon, bookds that had been considered Scripture from the earliest centuries of the Christian era). She recognizes that the Scriptures are a unique witness, inspired by God Himself, and must not be altered in order to “get in line with the times.”
“However, the Bible — its divine origin not withstanding — is still a book. It does not claim to be all-sufficient. The Scriptures (both Testaments) were produced within the context of God’s dealing with Israel (Old and New Israel). This context, this living relationship of God with His People, is nothing less than tradition. Apart from this tradition, holy tradition, the Bible loses its necessary point of reference. Treated as a “bare text,” it becomes enslaved to whatever tradition the reader happens to bring to bear upon it.
“The Protestant insistence on sola Scriptura is not so much erroneous as it is impossible. The divinely inspired writers of the Scriptures do not claim sole-sufficiency for their writings precisely because they wrote within a specific context and expected their writings to be read within that context — the living relationship of God with man in the Church.”
– Clark Carlton, The Way (Regina Orthodox Press, 1997; pp. 133-4)
Good words. I tend to solve the scripture/tradition question by saying that both are created simultaneously by the Holy Spirit and each is instrumentalized in the creation of the other.
Hey, Dan. Thanks. Hope you’re doing well. The Orthodox, as you likely know, typically explain “Tradition” as simply the “life of the Spirit in the Church.” As such, it includes everything…. The Bible, the Liturgy, the interpretation of Scripture, the Prayers, the Creed, etc. AS I was explaining to a friend last night, the Christian, Apostolic Faith is — to me, at least insofar as I can see it — a “package deal.” The different parts are not to be sold individually.