Church Tradition and the Authority of Scripture — What’s the Connection?

Rembrandt van Rijn (1606 – 1669), The Apostle Paul, c. 1657, oil on canvas, Widener Collection; image from Wikimedia Commons; {{PD-US}}.

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So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter. — 2 Thessalonians 2:15

Tradition, as the word is used in the Bible, means teaching that has been handed down over time from one generation to the next. How does tradition function in Christ’s church? What is the church’s tradition that is handed down?

The Bible is our sole and supreme authority in all matters of faith and worship.

No disconnection whatsoever exists between what the Bible teaches and the traditions to which the apostle Paul refers (“the traditions that you were taught by us”) in 2 Thessalonians 2:15. The Ligonier Ministries article “Standing on the Apostolic Tradition” makes the critically important point that the oral teaching of the apostles was also taught in Scripture:

In context, the traditions to which Paul refers are found in 2 Thessalonians 2:1–12, where Paul reminds his readers that what he says in writing is what he had told them face-to-face (v. 5). In other words, Paul did not tell the Thessalonians by mouth anything other than the traditions he puts into writing. There is no body of teaching that the Apostles wanted the church to have that can be found outside the Scriptures (see 2 Tim. 3:16–17).

Nothing is above the authority of Scripture. The Bible, God’s word (1 Thess. 2:13), is our sole and supreme authority in all matters of faith and worship. Yet, Scripture also reveals the importance of passing along the teaching of Scripture—handing down what the Bible teaches, especially the gospel of Christ Jesus.

Creeds and confessions summarize what the church believes the Bible teaches.

The church, from the beginning, has summarized God’s teaching in his word with creeds and confessions—concise written statements that summarize what the church believes the Bible teaches. They are written summaries reflecting Scriptural truths in order to help the church hold and pass on the Bible’s teaching.

Every church confesses what they believe, even those who don’t write it down or merely write it down in a few short statements. As soon as a church begins to profess in summary fashion what the Bible teaches, they have entered into the realm of creeds and confessions. The question is, how much do these statements reflect the teaching of Scripture and recognize the traditions handed down by the church in history?

Scripture, not tradition, is the final and supreme authority for Christ’s church.

Any tradition that departs from biblical teaching in any way, whether it be in regard to a specific doctrinal matter, the church service liturgy, or any other matter related to Christian doctrine and practice, must be corrected by Christ’s church.

We need to recognize Scripture alone as our sole authority while also recognizing the value and importance of historical creeds and confessions of Christ’s church that, while subordinate to Scripture, help us to grow in understanding of and love for God’s word.

Learn, stand firm, and hold to the biblical traditions handed down through the ages.

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For more on this topic, please see “Standing on the Apostolic Tradition” at ligonier.og.

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