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

BY DANIEL ROWLANDS | Tradition, as the word is used in the Bible, means teaching that has been handed down over time from one generation to the next. What's the church’s tradition that is handed down?

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

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…