Discover Orthodox Christianity: Scripture, Saints, and Holy Tradition
Class 2: What is Holy Tradition, how does Scripture fit in, and what are a few of the key beliefs within Orthodox Christian Tradition?
This is the second of a 5 part series on the basics of Orthodox Christianity, presented at Saint Mark Greek Orthodox Church in Boca Raton, Florida. For part 1, click here. For part 3, click here. For part 4, click here.
The Orthodox Christian faith is built upon a robust Tradition, with Sacred Scripture playing a pivotal role. But to understand Scripture properly, we must first understand its place within the broader context of Holy Tradition. The Bible itself is a product of the Church's life and teaching, carefully compiled and preserved through centuries of faithful transmission.
The Bible is, as Dr. George Francis Cronk explains, “the divinely inspired and authentic record of God's revelation of Himself, and of His will for mankind.” Yet this sacred text contains various genres of writing—from historical accounts and letters, to poetry and prophecy. Understanding these different styles is crucial, but more important is recognizing that proper interpretation happens within the Church herself.
Indeed, it was the Church that wrote and compiled the Bible. As we see in Acts 8, when an Ethiopian official struggled to understand Isaiah's prophecy, St. Phillip was sent to guide him in the Apostolic interpretation. It’s telling that Phillip asks, “Do you understand what you are reading?” and the Ethopian man responds, “How can I unless someone guides me?” This pattern continues today, as we read Scripture within the community of faith that produced it, guided by what St. Paul called "the pillar and foundation of the truth" (1 Tim. 3:15).
The development of Scripture itself demonstrates how it emerges from Tradition. The Old Testament, written in Hebrew and later translated into Greek in the Septuagint, came to us through centuries of faithful transmission. The New Testament developed gradually, with the Gospels being written decades after Christ's resurrection, preserving the oral tradition that had been carefully maintained in the Church. It wasn't until St. Athanasius's Easter letter of AD 367 that we see the current 27 books of the New Testament officially listed together—and it wasn’t until the 6th century that Revelation was universally received. (For more on this, check out Father Stephen de Young’s book, The Whole Counsel of God, available from Ancient Faith Ministries.)
This brings us to a crucial point: the Church existed and flourished before the New Testament was compiled. How? Through Holy Tradition, the same Tradition that would eventually produce the Biblical canon. Scripture, therefore, while central to our faith, is part of something larger—the living Tradition of the Church.
[Note: This article is a summary of the class recorded above. The class itself is about 65 minutes, and then Metropolitan Sevastianos takes questions for 45 minutes from our catechumens, inquirers, and several of our Faithful.]
This living Tradition manifests itself in many ways. Consider the Early Church Fathers and the Saints of the ages, those holy men and women who serve as torchbearers of the faith. They are not simply historical figures but living witnesses who continue to inspire and intercede for us. As the letter to the Hebrews tells us, we are “surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses” (12:1). Their relics, sanctified by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, continue to be channels of God's grace, just as the apostles' garments were in the early Church (e.g., Acts 19:12).
Perhaps the most profound example of our Tradition is our relationship with the Theotokos, the Virgin Mary. We honor her not merely as Christ's mother but as the Panagia—the All-Holy One—who represents humanity’s finest offering to God. This veneration, which we call “proskinisis,” is distinct from the worship (“latreia”) reserved for God alone. Through her intercession, as at the Wedding at Cana, we continue to seek her maternal guidance and protection.
This is why in the early church, they prayed:
Beneath thy compassion,
We take refuge, O Mother of God:
do not despise our petitions in time of trouble,
but rescue us from dangers,
only pure one, only blessed one.
Our Tradition is also deeply physical, rooted in Christ’s incarnation which forever sanctified matter itself. This is why we venerate icons, use incense in worship, and receive the Holy Eucharist. Our worship engages all the senses because we are both physical and spiritual beings, called to worship God with our whole selves.
This fullness of Tradition, passed down through generations, continues to transform believers into saints today. As St. Paul wrote to the Thessalonians, we are to “stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter” (2 Thess. 2:15). This living heritage encompasses Scripture, worship, the witness of the Saints, and the guidance of the Church—all working together to lead us toward salvation in Christ.
Today, we stand as inheritors of this rich tradition, called to preserve and pass it on to future generations. It is not merely a collection of ancient customs but a living reality that continues to shape and transform lives, leading us ever closer to Jesus Christ, our Lord God and Savior.