For Protestants, the word “tradition” can have a particularly negative connotation. It reminds them of the Roman Catholic Church, where tradition is considered as binding as Scriptures and references to it are often accompanied by unsubstantiated claims of secret, unwritten apostolic authority. But Protestants have a tradition too, and many of the biblical doctrines that seem evident to us are so precisely because our Christian predecessors have prayerfully examined, discussed, and summarized them in creeds and confessions.
While we don’t want to put this tradition on the same level as Scriptures, ignoring it may be dangerous and may cause people to make uninformed decisions, relying on feelings or impressions. Without a basic understanding of the long debates that have marked our church history, there is a temptation to reinvent the theological wheel, which, in the words of Dr. W. Robert Godfrey, “seldom comes out round.” Read More»
Simonetta Carr | “3 Reasons People Ignore Church History (But Shouldn’t)” | November 18, 2019
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