Dec 21, 2021

Theodoret on Scripture and Tradition [Part 1]

 


Lets take a look at the passages from Theodoret used by Roman Catholic apologists to assert that he did not hold to the formal sufficiency of Scripture and sola scriptura:


Letter 89

"So have I learned not only from the apostles and prophets but also from the interpreters of their writings, Ignatius, Eustathius, Athanasius, Basil, Gregory, John, and the rest of the lights of the world; and before these from the holy Fathers in council at Nicæa, whose confession of the faith I preserve in its integrity, like an ancestral inheritance, styling corrupt and enemies of the truth all who dare to transgress its decrees. I invoke your greatness, now that you have heard from me in these terms, to shut the mouths of my calumniators. It is in my opinion wholly unreasonable to accept as true what is charged against men in their absence; rather is it lawful and right that those who wish to appear as prosecutors should accuse the defendants in their presence, and endeavour to convict them face to face. Under these conditions the judges will without difficulty be able to arrive at the truth." (https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/2707089.htm)


This does not necessarily contradict sola scriptura. All he is saying is that he learned the faith from other sources outside of Scripture. He isn't saying that he viewed those sources as infallible ones. In the next article, it will be shown that Theodoret considered Scripture alone to be the infallible rule of faith. 


Letter 84

"I hope then that your piety will deign, if there really are any, though I cannot believe it, who disobey the apostolic doctrines to close their mouths, to rebuke them as the laws of the Church require, and teach them to follow the footsteps of the holy Fathers and preserve undefiled the faith laid down at Nicæa in Bithynia by the holy and blessed Fathers, as summing up the teaching of Evangelists and Apostles." (https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/2707084.htm)


This time, the refutation is perhaps in the quote itself. Theodoret isn't viewing Nicaea itself as infallible. Rather he is speaking of the faith delivered there. He also says to follow them "as summing the teaching of Evangelists and Apostles", which is an obvious reference to the NT writers.


Letter 151


"This is the confession of the faith of the Church; this is the doctrine taught by evangelists and apostles. For this faith, by God's grace I will not refuse to undergo many deaths. This faith we have striven to convey to them that now err and stray, again and again challenging them to discussion, and eager to show them the truth, but without success....The slander of the libellers that represent me as worshipping two sons is refuted by the plain facts of the case. I teach all persons who come to holy Baptism the faith put forth at Nicæa...This is the doctrine delivered to us by the divine prophets; this is the doctrine of the company of the holy apostles; this is the doctrine of the great saints of the East and of the West....In a word I assert that I follow the divine oracles and at the same time all these saints. By the grace of the spirit they dived into the depths of God-inspired scripture and both themselves perceived its mind, and made it plain to all that are willing to learn. Difference in tongue has wrought no difference in doctrine, for they were channels of the grace of the divine spirit, using the stream from one and the same fount."


This is similar to the quote above, where "the refutation is in the quote itself."

1) Notice that Theodoret follows the saints due to their insight into the study of Scripture

2) The sentence at the end describing the other fathers of Theodoret's time ("channels of the grace of the divine spirit, using the stream from one and the same fount" [a probable reference to Scripture]) at least implies that ultimately he follows them as he sees them following Scripture, thus pointing back to Scripture ("divine spirit...one and the same fount") as the ultimate authority and rule of faith. 

3) The doctrine which he is upholding is that which is "delivered to us by the divine prophets" and is "the doctrine of the company of the holy apostles".

















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