In this article , I want to take a look at several citations from the writings of Athanasius used often by Roman Catholic apologists to allege that he held to the Roman Catholic view on things concerning Scripture, tradition, and the nature of the Church's authority as well as provide some material from his writings which show his real views concerning Scripture and tradition.
Letter 59
"For what is so manifestly shown to be evil, it is not necessary to waste time in exposing further, lest contentious persons think the matter doubtful. It is enough merely to answer such things as follows: we are content with the fact that this is not the teaching of the Catholic Church, nor did the fathers hold this" (https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/2806059.htm)
It is that last sentence (underlined in italics) which Catholics put special focus on here. They insist that this argues against the formal sufficiency of Scripture. However, when we pay attention to the wider context of the letter, a different picture emerges than what is argued by Roman Catholic apologists:
"I thought that all vain talk of all heretics, many as they may be, had been stopped by the Synod which was held at Nicaea. For the Faith there confessed by the Fathers according to the divine Scriptures is enough by itself at once to overthrow all impiety, and to establish the religious belief in Christ." (Letter 59, Section 1)
Athanasius seems to say that the rule which guided the Fathers at Nicaea was Scripture.
In the sentence immediately after the part quoted by Roman Catholics (which is provided above), Athanasius says this:
"But lest the 'inventors of evil things Romans 1:30 ' make entire silence on our part a pretext for shamelessness, it will be well to mention a few points from Holy Scripture, in case they may even thus be put to shame, and cease from these foul devices." (Letter 59, Section 3)
How does Athanasius "put the heretics to shame"? Not by quoting a council, or anything like that. Rather he quotes Scripture. This is the obvious reason why sections 5-8 are filled with Athanasius' exegesis of biblical texts.
I would also point what the Alexandrian father says in section 10 of the same letter:
"For this reason they also will henceforth keep silence, who once said that He who proceeded from Mary is not very Christ, or Lord, or God. For if He were not God in the Body, how came He, upon proceeding from Mary, straightway to be called 'Emmanuel, which is being interpreted God with us Matthew 1:23?' Why again, if the Word was not in the flesh, did Paul write to the Romans 'of whom is Christ after the flesh, Who is above all God blessed forever. Amen Romans 9:5?' Let them therefore confess, even they who previously denied that the Crucified was God, that they have erred; for the divine Scriptures bid them, and especially Thomas, who, after seeing upon Him the print of the nails, cried out 'My Lord and my God John 20:28!' For the Son, being God, and Lord of glory 1 Corinthians 2:8, was in the Body which was ingloriously nailed and dishonoured; but the Body, while it suffered, being pierced on the tree, and water and blood flowed from its side, yet because it was a temple of the Word was filled full of the Godhead. For this reason it was that the sun, seeing its creator suffering in His outraged body, withdrew its rays and darkened the earth. But the body itself being of mortal nature, beyond its own nature rose again by reason of the Word which was in it; and it has ceased from natural corruption, and, having put on the Word which is above man, has become incorruptible" (Letter 59, Section 10)
Athanasius recognizes Scripture as the ultimate authority and rule of faith when he says "the divine Scriptures bid them". Once Scripture says something, it is a settled matter in the mind of Athanasius.
Synodal Letter to the Bishops of Africa, section 2
"But the word of the Lord which came through the ecumenical Synod at Nicæa, abides forever." (https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/2819.htm)
Yet again, the context of everything Athanasius says in this letter is absolutely crucial here. Notice what he says in section 4:
"And again, if a man were to examine and compare the great synod itself [Nicaea], and those held by these people, he would discover the piety of the one and the folly of the others. They who assembled at Nicæa did so not after being deposed: and secondly, they confessed that the Son was of the Essence of the Father. But the others, after being deposed again and again, and once more at Ariminum itself, ventured to write that it ought not to be said that the Son had Essence or Subsistence. This enables us to see, brethren, that they of Nicæa breathe the spirit of Scripture, in that God says in Exodus Exodus 3:14, 'I am that I am,' and through Jeremiah, 'Who is in His substance and has seen His word;' and just below, 'if they had stood in My subsistence and heard My words:' now subsistence is essence, and means nothing else but very being, which Jeremiah calls existence, in the words, 'and they heard not the voice of existence.' For subsistence, and essence, is existence: for it is, or in other words exists. This Paul also perceiving wrote to the Hebrews, 'who being the brightness of his glory, and the express Image of his subsistence Hebrews 1:3.' But the others, who think they know the Scriptures and call themselves wise, and do not choose to speak of subsistence in God (for thus they wrote at Ariminum and at other synods of theirs), were surely with justice deposed, saying as they did, like the fool did in his heart , 'God is not.' And again the fathers taught at Nicæa that the Son and Word is not a creature, nor made, having read 'all things were made through Him John 1:3,' and 'in Him were all things created, and consist Colossians 1:16;' while these men, Arians rather than Christians, in their other synods have ventured to call Him a creature, and one of the things that are made, things of which He Himself is the Artificer and Maker. For if 'through Him all things were made' and He too is a creature, He would be the creator of Himself. And how can what is being created create? Or He that is creating be created?" (section 4)
Athanasius essentially invites a person to test the council of Nicaea as well as the Arian councils by the standard of Scripture. Yet again, he is not so Catholic, is he?
-De Decretis 4
"For, what our Fathers have delivered, this is truly doctrine; and this is truly the token of doctors, to confess the same thing with each other, and to vary neither from themselves nor from their fathers; whereas they who have not this character are to be called not true doctors but evil. Thus the Greeks, as not witnessing to the same doctrines, but quarrelling one with another, have no truth of teaching; but the holy and veritable heralds of the truth agree together, and do not differ. For though they lived in different times, yet they one and all tend the same way, being prophets of the one God, and preaching the same Word harmoniously." (https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/2809.htm)
It might be useful to also provide the version from the EWTN website:
'For, what OUR FATHERS have delivered, THIS IS TRULY DOCTRINE; and this is truly the TOKEN of doctors, to CONFESS THE SAME THING with each other, and to vary NEITHER from themselves nor from their FATHERS...Thus the Greeks, as not witnessing to the SAME doctrines, but quarreling one with another, have no truth of teaching; but the holy and veritable HERALDS of TRUTH AGREE TOGETHER, and do not differ..preaching the same Word harmoniously
(http://www.ewtn.com/library/SCRIPTUR/TRAD.TXT)
When Athanasius speaks about "the holy and veritable heralds of truth...preaching the same Word harmoniously", he is actually not talking about the fathers at the Nicaea. There are several things which prove this: 1) He speaks about the fathers "living in different times", whereas Nicaea (and the entire Arian controversy) took place in one period of time, i.e. the 4th century AD. 2) Athanasius calls them "prophets of the One God". Who then, is Athanasius talking about here? The answer is given in the very next section in the treatise:
"And thus what Moses taught, that Abraham observed; and what Abraham observed, that Noah and Enoch acknowledged, discriminating pure from impure, and becoming acceptable to God. For Abel too in this way witnessed, knowing what he had learned from Adam, who himself had learned from that Lord, who said, when He came at the end of the ages for the abolishment of sin, I give no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment, which you have heard from the beginning 1 John 2:7 .
Wherefore also the blessed Apostle Paul, who had learned it from Him, when describing ecclesiastical functions, forbade that deacons, not to say bishops, should be double-tongued 1 Timothy 3:8; and in his rebuke of the Galatians, he made a broad declaration, If anyone preach any other Gospel unto you than that you have received, let him be anathema, as I have said, so say I again. If even we, or an Angel from heaven should preach unto you any other Gospel than that you have received, let him be anathema Galatians 1:8-9
We can clearly see that the "fathers" who are "agreeing with one another" refer to the patriarchs, prophets, and apostles throughout biblical history.
Festal Letter 2
"For not only in outward form did those wicked men dissemble, putting on as the Lord says sheep's clothing, and appearing like whited sepulchres; but they took those divine words in their mouth, while they inwardly cherished evil intentions. And the first to put on this appearance was the serpent, the inventor of wickedness from the beginning — the devil — who, in disguise, conversed with Eve, and immediately deceived her. But after him and with him are all inventors of unlawful heresies, who indeed refer to the Scriptures, but do not hold such opinions as the saints have handed down, and receiving them as the traditions of men, err, because they do not rightly know them nor their Matthew 22:29 power. Therefore Paul justly praises the Corinthians 1 Corinthians 11:2, because their opinions were in accordance with his traditions. And the Lord most righteously reproved the Jews, saying, 'Wherefore do you also transgress the commandments of God on account of your traditions Matthew 15:3.' For they changed the commandments they received from God after their own understanding, preferring to observe the traditions of men. And about these, a little after, the blessed Paul again gave directions to the Galatians who were in danger thereof, writing to them, 'If any man preach to you anything else than that you have received, let him be accursed Galatians 1:9."
The basic claim of RC apologists when citing this passage is to insist that the phrase "such opinions as the saints have handed down" refers to some form of oral tradition. That is not the case when we look at both the preceding and following sections in this letter.
What I will do is provide each section and brief commentary on both.
Here is the preceding section (section 5):
"Oh! My brethren, how shall we admire the loving-kindness of the Saviour? With what power, and with what a trumpet should a man cry out, exalting these His benefits! That not only should we bear His image, but should receive from Him an example and pattern of heavenly conversation; that as He has begun, we should go on, that suffering, we should not threaten, being reviled, we should not revile again, but should bless them that curse, and in everything commit ourselves to God who judges righteously. For those who are thus disposed, and fashion themselves according to the Gospel, will be partakers of Christ, and imitators of apostolic conversation, on account of which they shall be deemed worthy of that praise from him, with which he praised the Corinthians, when he said, 'I praise you that in everything you are mindful of me 1 Corinthians 11:2.' Afterwards, because there were men who used his words, but chose to hear them as suited their lusts, and dared to pervert them, as the followers of Hymenæus and Alexander, and before them the Sadducees, who as he said, 'having made shipwreck of faith,' scoffed at the mystery of the resurrection, he immediately proceeded to say, 'And as I have delivered to you traditions, hold them fast.' That means, indeed, that we should think not otherwise than as the teacher [Paul]has delivered." (https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/2806002.htm)
As is the case with section 7 (which we'll examine in a moment), the "saints" Athanasius speaks of in section 6 refer to people from and who handed down Scripture.
I think that Turretin Fan gives a good explanation of this issue in his article on these things:
"Instead, the "opinions" Athanasius has in mind is simply the Scriptures themselves taken in their correct meaning. Likewise the "them" that the heretics receive as "traditions of men" are the Scriptures, not oral traditions. Athanasius is saying that the heretics do not know the Scriptures nor the power of the Scriptures. Therefore, instead of following the text and meaning of the Scriptures they prefer to follow the traditions of men." (https://turretinfan.blogspot.com/2014/03/did-athanasius-say-tradition-plus.html)
Next, we will look at section 7 of Athanasius' letter, which will provide us with further context:
"For there is no fellowship whatever between the words of the saints and the fancies of human invention; for the saints are the ministers of the truth, preaching the kingdom of heaven, but those who are borne in the opposite direction have nothing better than to eat, and think their end is that they shall cease to be, and they say, 'Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die Isaiah 22:13.' Therefore blessed Luke reproves the inventions of men, and hands down the narrations of the saints, saying in the beginning of the Gospel, 'Since many have presumed to write narrations of those events of which we are assured, as those who from the beginning were witnesses and ministers of the Word have delivered to us; it has seemed good to me also, who have adhered to them all from the first, to write correctly in order to you, O excellent Theophilus, that you may know the truth concerning the things in which you have been instructed Luke 1:1.' For as each of the saints has received, that they impart without alteration, for the confirmation of the doctrine of the mysteries. Of these the (divine) word would have us disciples, and these should of right be our teachers, and to them only is it necessary to give heed, for of them only is 'the word faithful and worthy of all acceptation 1 Timothy 1:15;' these not being disciples because they heard from others, but being eye-witnesses and ministers of the Word, that which they had heard from Him have they handed down." (section 7)
There are several things to notice in this paragraph:
-Athanasius refers to the Gospel of Luke, thus giving insight as to what means by "saints" in this specific context.
-He says it is "necessary to them only to give heed" (referring to those who gave us Scripture).
Athanasius seems to give off the impression of him holding to sola Scriptura (or something at least similar to it) in this quote from one of his letters:
"These [Scriptures] are fountains of salvation, that they who thirst may be satisfied with the living words they contain. In these alone is proclaimed the doctrine of godliness. Let no man add to these, neither let him take ought from these. For concerning these the Lord put to shame the Sadducees, and said, 'You err, not knowing the Scriptures.' And He reproved the Jews, saying, 'Search the Scriptures, for these are they that testify of Me Matthew 22:29; John 5:39." (Festal Letter 39, section 6)
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