What is the responsibility of the clergy and the laity in preserving holy tradition and its continuity?

First: Tradition and Councils . In the first century, the apostles assembled together in Jerusalem (Acts 15) to examine the problem of how to accept the Gentiles into the new faith and to come to an ecclesial decision in keeping with the mind of Christ. So, it is the responsibility of the fathers of the Church to assemble in local or ecumenical councils to study the needs of the present Church and to preserve its traditional life in new circumstances. In doing so, they do not give individual opinions, but collective opinions. They assemble under the guidance of the Holy Spirit in one mind to fulfil the needs of their flock. For example, they must study how to present the teaching of the Church and its dogmas to the

263 J. N .D. Kelly, Early Christian Doctrines , 4th ed. (London: Adam & Charles Black, 1968): pp. 48–49.

modern person and how to strengthen their people against every heresy or materialistic philosophy. They also discuss pastoral needs, evangelistic activity, and the Church’s ecumenical role. In other words, it is the fathers’ responsibility to preserve the Church’s life of tradition as an active life producing spiritual effects.

Second: Tradition and the Writings of the Fathers . Next to the Church councils, the writings of the Church Fathers are one of the essential sources that preserve the Church’s tradition. J. N. D. Kelly gives many examples of “the appeal to the Fathers” in the early Church to affirm traditional beliefs and doctrines:²⁶⁴

• a. Writing to the Egyptian monks in defense of the blessed Virgin’s claim to be called “Mother of God,” St. Cyril of Alexandria counseled²⁶⁵ them to follow in the steps of the holy Fathers, since it was they who had preserved the faith handed down from the apostles and taught Christians to believe aright. Again, he was prepared to affirm²⁶⁶ that the correct doctrine of the Holy Trinity had been expounded by “the wisdom of the holy Fathers.” As against Nestorius, he appealed²⁶⁷ to “the holy catholic Church and the venerable Fathers themselves,” claiming that the Holy Spirit spoke in them. For the more formal justification of his Christological position, he prepared elaborate arguments from patristic quotations, inserting them in his controversial writings²⁶⁸ and producing them at the council of Ephesus.²⁶⁹ St. Cyril states, “I am a lover of sound doctrines, treading in the religious footsteps of the Fathers.”²⁷⁰

• b. Theodoret, the Antiochene Father, speaks²⁷¹ of the orthodox faith as having been transmitted to us, not only by the apostles and prophets, but also by those who interpreted their teachings. These include Ignatius, Eustathius, Athanasius, Basil, Gregory, John Chrysostom , and other luminaries of the world as well as the holy Fathers who assembled before them at Nicaea. He added that any who deviated from their collective teaching must be labeled as an enemy of the truth. Elsewhere,²⁷² he explained that the Holy Spirit inspired the Fathers to make clear the more difficult passages of the Scriptures.

It is worth noting that according to our Orthodox Church no single Father can alone comprehend the Truth in its fullness — only the Church as a whole can do this.

264 J. N .D. Kelly, Early Christian Doctrines , 4th ed. (London: Adam & Charles Black, 1968): pp. 48, 49.

265 St. Cyril of Alexandria, Letters 1.4–9 Cyril to Monks in Egypt (FOTC 76:15–16; PG 77:12, 13).

266 St. Cyril of Alexandria, Commentary on the Gospel of St. John, Volume 2 , trans. Thomas Randell (Library of the Fathers, 48, 1885), 9.1: p. 265 (PG 74:216).

267 St. Cyril of Alexandria, Five Tomes Against Nestorius (Oxford: James Parker & Co., 1881), 4.2: p. 131.

268 Cf. De Recta Fide etc . ed. P. E. Pusey, (Leipzig: T. O. Weigel, 1877), (PG 76:1212f, 316 f).

269 E. Schwartz, Acta Conciliorum Oecumenicorum I.I: 7: pp. 89ff.

270 Johannes Quasten, Patrology, Volume III (Christian Classics, 1983): p. 136.

271 Theodoret of Cyrus, Epistle 89 To Florentius the Patrician (NPNF II/3:283). 272 Theodoret of Cyrus, Epistle 151 To the Monks etc. (NPNF II/3:325ff; PG 83:1440).