The more we learned about the Catholic Church, the more we appreciated her rich History and the treasure of our Apostolic Tradition. We began to learn what the early Church Fathers believed and taught in the first and second century. Lo and behold they believed and taught by oral Tradition the same Doctrines the Church believes today. As the Fathers wrote against Heresies, these doctrines were more fully developed. What a valiant battle the early Church fought through their writings against these heretics.
We only had a smattering of information about the Church Fathers in the beginning of our Catholic reading. Since that time, we acquired a computer, discovered the internet and the vast world of information available online. If you haven't discovered the New Advent site and if you are searching for the truth of the Christian Faith, check this out.
It's interesting to note that as arguments against certain doctrines arose among the heretics, it became necessary for the Church to more fully develop those doctrines, so they could be more clearly understood. Until they were challenged by dissenters, the Church had no need to clarify the Truths that all true believer's held. They were not inventing new doctrines (as some claim) but declaring in a formal statement what was already held to be True.
As we learned and studied the Oral Tradition along with the written Tradition, the scriptures came alive to us in a new way. Our former belief in Sola Scriptura melted away as we read with new eyes the words of St. Paul: "....hold fast the traditions which you have been taught, whether by word or our epistle". ( 2Thess. 2:15).
We know that the oral tradition is what Jesus himself taught his Disciples and sent them out to teach. It had to be taught orally since not many in that day knew how to read. Education was only available to those who could afford it. Also, there were no Bibles in the first and second centuries. The Canonicity of the present Scriptures was held by the fourth century, but was not defined until 1546 at the Council of Trent. You can check this out for yourself here under the heading: III. Origin
We only had a smattering of information about the Church Fathers in the beginning of our Catholic reading. Since that time, we acquired a computer, discovered the internet and the vast world of information available online. If you haven't discovered the New Advent site and if you are searching for the truth of the Christian Faith, check this out.
It's interesting to note that as arguments against certain doctrines arose among the heretics, it became necessary for the Church to more fully develop those doctrines, so they could be more clearly understood. Until they were challenged by dissenters, the Church had no need to clarify the Truths that all true believer's held. They were not inventing new doctrines (as some claim) but declaring in a formal statement what was already held to be True.
As we learned and studied the Oral Tradition along with the written Tradition, the scriptures came alive to us in a new way. Our former belief in Sola Scriptura melted away as we read with new eyes the words of St. Paul: "....hold fast the traditions which you have been taught, whether by word or our epistle". ( 2Thess. 2:15).
We know that the oral tradition is what Jesus himself taught his Disciples and sent them out to teach. It had to be taught orally since not many in that day knew how to read. Education was only available to those who could afford it. Also, there were no Bibles in the first and second centuries. The Canonicity of the present Scriptures was held by the fourth century, but was not defined until 1546 at the Council of Trent. You can check this out for yourself here under the heading: III. Origin
