Are there family traditions that you do with your family? Traditions are something we repeat not because it is written down in a book but we do it because we follow what our family has done before us, what are grandparents and the people before them have done. Well did you know that our Coptic Orthodox Church has Traditions that we repeat because these Traditions were done from the very beginning, starting with Adam, a very, very, very long time ago. God told our fathers to do many things and He trusted them to tell their children to do the same thing and that they also told their children to obey. Our faithful Church continues these Traditions even until today; Traditions are what make our Church so special and strong. “And teach them to your children and your grandchildren” (Deuteronomy 4:9) Who taught you how to do the Sign of the Cross; it does not tell us how to do the sign of the cross in the Holy Bible. We were taught by the people before us, our fathers the apostles, then they taught our great grandparents parents who in turn taught our grandparents, then our grandparents taught our parents, then our parents taught us. This is Tradition!
St. Jude the apostle mentioned in his epistle about the dispute between Archangel Michel and Satan regarding Moses body. That story was never mentioned in the Old Testament. St. Jude knew about it from the tradition. St. John the apostle wrote in his letter “having many things to write to you I did not wish to do so with paper and ink; but I hope to come to you and speak face to face, that our joy may be full.” 2 John St. Paul commanded that tradition should be preserved: “Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle.” 2 Thessalonians 2:15 “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.”2 Thessalonians 3:6 “Now I praise you brethren that you remember me in all things and keep the traditions as I delivered them to you”1 Corinthians 11:2 Our Lord Jesus Christ said “The time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe in the Gospel” Mark 1:15. There was no written Gospel but there was the preaching of the good news which represents the oral gospel that was handed over from one to the other. Note: The church stayed for almost 20 years after the Resurrection of Christ without a written Gospel. The believers were relying on the oral Gospel (good news). The Holy Spirit preserved these oral Gospels without distortion until the time they were written. +++ Sound Traditions should fulfill the following+++ 1- Not to contradict with The Holy Bible. 2- Not to contradict with other church tradition. 3- To be acceptable to the general teachings of the church. The Holy Bible does not tell us everything. If the Holy Bible mentioned everything that our Lord Jesus Christ did or said it would be too big. The people who wrote the books of the Holy Bible chose only some of the things our Lord Jesus Christ did. Even though not everything is written we know enough to believe “that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God” (John 20:31). +++ The resources of the Holy Traditions are+++ 1- The teachings and canons of our fathers the apostles. 2- The canons of the church councils. 3- The rituals of the church. Tradition keeps our faith strong and it is passed on from our parents to us and one day you will tell your children the Tradition of our Coptic Orthodox Church, making you a part of our Church’s Tradition!
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