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Scripture and tradition

In short
  • S07.1 Scripture the supreme and sufficient norm of doctrine, read within the apostolic rule of faith; unwritten customs honoured (Basil) but not a second source of doctrine (medium–high)
  • S07.2 Split: Hebrew canon plus books ‘read’ (Athanasius, Cyril) vs. wider canon (Augustine, Carthage) (medium)
  • S07.3 Interpretation within the apostolic churches’ rule of faith and their councils; no single infallible office (medium)

From the study it came from: Largely agree: Scripture supreme, interpreted in the church; neither measure supports a second co-equal source of doctrine or an infallible single office.

Two separate measures, shown side by side; neither is combined with the other (confidence-weighted, out of 4; counts show how many of this doctrine's 3 questions each rests on; ⚠ marks coverage more than 10 points below the median, a less certain rank). This doctrine is second-order (tier weight 2). How scoring works · Scripture and tradition · Glossary · Every score with its citation

Closeness to Scripture

1 Anglican3/3 cells 100% 3/3 q
2 Presbyterian3/3 cells 100% 3/3 q
3 General Baptist3/3 cells 100% 3/3 q
4 Lutheran3/3 cells 94% 3/3 q
5 Reformed Baptist3/3 cells 92% 3/3 q
6 Anabaptist3/3 cells 75% 3/3 q
7 Oriental Orthodox⚠ 2/3 cells · low coverage 67% 2/3 q
8 Orthodox3/3 cells 58% 3/3 q
9 Catholic3/3 cells 50% 3/3 q

Closeness to the fathers

1 Orthodox3/3 cells 93% 3/3 q
2 Anglican3/3 cells 93% 3/3 q
3 General Baptist3/3 cells 85% 3/3 q
4 Oriental Orthodox⚠ 2/3 cells · low coverage 81% 2/3 q
5 Lutheran3/3 cells 75% 3/3 q
6 Presbyterian3/3 cells 75% 3/3 q
7 Catholic3/3 cells 67% 3/3 q
8 Reformed Baptist3/3 cells 67% 3/3 q
9 Anabaptist3/3 cells 57% 3/3 q
Charts: closeness to the fathers by question, and timeline
Closeness to the fathers, by question (0–4). Hatched = not assessed in the category file. Click a question for its verdict.
01234Catholic · S07.1: 3/4 — Trent IV: Scripture and traditions received 'with an equal affection of piety'; Basil supports honouring tradition, but co-equality goes beyond the evidence3Orthodox · S07.1: 4/4 — Dositheus 2: the Church's witness 'not of inferior authority' to Scripture; matches Basil's 'same force' but lacks biblical warrant4Oriental Orthodox · S07.1: 4/4 — Scripture within the tradition of the three councils (Nerses Shnorhali, *I Confess with Faith*: 'Instructed by the holy Doctors'); Shenouda III, *Comparative Theology*: 'The criterion by which we validate the accuracy of Tradition is the important condition that it complies with the Holy Bible' (verified). The earlier inferred 'co-equality' is dropped: the text makes Scripture the test of tradition4Lutheran · S07.1: 3/4 — Scripture the norming norm; confessions normed by it; little room for the rule-of-faith role Irenaeus gives the churches3Anglican · S07.1: 4/4 — Art. VI: 'whatsoever is not read therein, nor may be proved thereby, is not to be required'; Art. VIII receives the creeds; Art. XX: the Church 'a witness and a keeper of holy Writ'4Presbyterian · S07.1: 3/4 — WCF I.6: 'nothing at any time is to be added, whether by new revelations of the Spirit, or traditions of men'3Reformed Baptist · S07.1: 3/4 — 1689 1.1: 'the only sufficient, certain, and infallible rule'3General Baptist · S07.1: 4/4 — Orthodox Creed 37 (OCR-verified): Scripture's authority 'dependeth not upon the Authority of any Man'; art. 38 receives the three creeds4Anabaptist · S07.1: 2/4 — Dordrecht V: nothing may be added to Christ's New Testament; no creeds or rule of faith received; New Testament priority strains the OT's place2S07.1conf. medium–highCatholic · S07.2: 3/4 — Trent IV: wider canon defined3Orthodox · S07.2: 3/4 — Wider canon (Jerusalem 1672); anagignoskomena distinction survives in practice3Oriental Orthodox · S07.2: 2/4 — Ethiopian Church: the 'narrower' 81-book canon counts as 'equally fully canonical' Enoch, Jubilees, 1 Esdras, the Ezra Apocalypse, Judith, Tobit, Wisdom, Sirach, Baruch and 1–2 Maccabees (R. W. Cowley, *Ostkirchliche Studien* 23 (1974) 318–323, verified via the online reprint); wider than any patristic list2Lutheran · S07.2: 3/4 — Apocrypha printed and read, not held equal: Luther Bible (1534) section title 'Apocrypha. Das sind Bücher, so der heiligen Schrift nicht gleich gehalten, und doch nützlich und gut zu lesen sind' (verified, Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek)3Anglican · S07.2: 3/4 — Art. VI: the other books 'the Church doth read for example of life ... but yet doth it not apply them to establish any doctrine', Athanasius's two tiers exactly3Presbyterian · S07.2: 3/4 — WCF I.3: Apocrypha 'no otherwise to be approved, or made use of, than other human writings'3Reformed Baptist · S07.2: 3/4 — 1689 1.3: same as WCF3General Baptist · S07.2: 3/4 — Orthodox Creed 37 lists the 66 books of the Protestant canon (verified, fresh OCR of the 1679 printing)3Anabaptist · S07.2: 3/4 — Dordrecht II cites 4 Esdras 3:7 alongside Scripture3S07.2conf. mediumCatholic · S07.3: 2/4 — Vatican I: papal definitions infallible 'of themselves'; beyond the rule-of-faith model2Orthodox · S07.3: 4/4 — Councils received by the church as the voice of the fathers4Oriental Orthodox · S07.3: not assessedLutheran · S07.3: 3/4 — Confessions as a norm normed by Scripture3Anglican · S07.3: 4/4 — Art. XX: the Church 'hath authority in Controversies of Faith' but may not 'expound one place of Scripture, that it be repugnant to another'; Art. XXI councils 'may err'4Presbyterian · S07.3: 3/4 — WCF XXXI.4: synods 'may err; and many have erred'3Reformed Baptist · S07.3: 2/4 — 1689 26: congregational; associations advise but have no jurisdiction, which fits Acts 15 less well2General Baptist · S07.3: 3/4 — Orthodox Creed 39 (General Councils and Assemblies: 'lawful power to Hear, and Determine'; verified, fresh OCR)3Anabaptist · S07.3: 2/4 — Congregational discernment only; no councils2S07.3conf. medium
CatholicOrthodoxOriental OrthodoxLutheranAnglicanPresbyterianReformed BaptistGeneral BaptistAnabaptistnot assessed
When the cited witnesses spoke (approximate dates) and where later traditions fixed their positions. Filled dot = consensus question; hollow orange = a question on which the fathers varied. Each item links to its source note or post-750 note.
1002003004005006007001000125015001700post-750 (compressed)Irenaeus (c. 180) · S07.1Irenaeusc. 180 · S07.1Irenaeus (c. 180) · S07.3Irenaeusc. 180 · S07.3Tertullian (c. 205) · S07.3Tertullianc. 205 · S07.3Athanasius (c. 335) · S07.1Athanasiusc. 335 · S07.1Athanasius (c. 335) · S07.2Athanasiusc. 335 · S07.2Cyril of Jerusalem (c. 350) · S07.1Cyril of Jerusalemc. 350 · S07.1Cyril of Jerusalem (c. 350) · S07.2Cyril of Jerusalemc. 350 · S07.2Basil (c. 370) · S07.1Basilc. 370 · S07.1Augustine (c. 415) · S07.2Augustinec. 415 · S07.2Vincent of Lérins (c. 434) · S07.1Vincent of Lérinsc. 434 · S07.1Vincent of Lérins (c. 434) · S07.3Vincent of Lérinsc. 434 · S07.3Formula of Concord (1577) · LutheranFormula of Concord1577 · LutheranWestminster Confession (1646) · PresbyterianWestminster Confession1646 · PresbyterianWestminster Confession (1646) · Reformed BaptistWestminster Confession1646 · Reformed BaptistConfession of Dositheus (1672) · OrthodoxConfession of Dositheus1672 · Orthodox
  1. c. 180 Irenaeus S07.1
  2. c. 180 Irenaeus S07.3
  3. c. 205 Tertullian S07.3
  4. c. 335 Athanasius S07.1
  5. c. 335 Athanasius S07.2 · fathers varied
  6. c. 350 Cyril of Jerusalem S07.1
  7. c. 350 Cyril of Jerusalem S07.2 · fathers varied
  8. c. 370 Basil S07.1
  9. c. 415 Augustine S07.2 · fathers varied
  10. c. 434 Vincent of Lérins S07.1
  11. c. 434 Vincent of Lérins S07.3
  12. 1577 Formula of Concord Lutheran
  13. 1646 Westminster Confession Presbyterian
  14. 1646 Westminster Confession Reformed Baptist
  15. 1672 Confession of Dositheus Orthodox

S7 · Scripture and tradition

Sola scriptura, or Scripture with tradition and magisterium; canon.

Tier: Second-order (scoring weight 2). How the tiers were set: theological triage. Site structure: structure.

Questions

  • S07.1 Supreme and sufficient norm (was scripture-and-tradition/C1)
  • S07.2 Canon (was scripture-and-tradition/C2)
  • S07.3 Rule of faith and interpretation (was scripture-and-tradition/C3)

Verdicts and trace

S07.1 · Supreme and sufficient norm

QuestionVerdictConfidenceReasoningKey sourcesScripture (benchmark)
S07.1Scripture the supreme and sufficient norm of doctrine, read within the apostolic rule of faith; unwritten customs honoured (Basil) but not a second source of doctrineMed–highS07.1.1 · S07.1.3 weighingirenaeus-sct-s1 · athanasius-sct-s1 · cyril-of-jerusalem-sct-s1 · basil-sct-s1 · vincent-of-lerins-sct-s1S07.1.4: medium-high

S07.2 · Canon

QuestionVerdictConfidenceReasoningKey sourcesScripture (benchmark)
S07.2Split: Hebrew canon plus books ‘read’ (Athanasius, Cyril) vs. wider canon (Augustine, Carthage)MediumS07.2.1 · S07.2.3 weighingathanasius-sct-s3 · cyril-of-jerusalem-sct-s2 · augustine-sct-s1S07.2.4: low-medium

S07.3 · Rule of faith and interpretation

QuestionVerdictConfidenceReasoningKey sourcesScripture (benchmark)
S07.3Interpretation within the apostolic churches’ rule of faith and their councils; no single infallible officeMediumS07.3.1 · S07.3.3 weighingirenaeus-sct-s3 · tertullian-sct-s1 · vincent-of-lerins-sct-s2S07.3.4: medium

Post-750 development

Which of this doctrine’s questions each tradition stays closest to, or departs from. Each row links to the tradition’s notes.

TraditionClosest to the fathers onDeparts or sharpens on
Catholicpartly S07.1; partly S07.2; S07.3partly S07.3
OrthodoxS07.1; partly S07.2; S07.3—
Oriental OrthodoxS07.1; partly S07.2; S07.3—
Lutheranpartly S07.1; partly S07.2; partly S07.3—
AnglicanS07.1; partly S07.2; S07.3—
Presbyterianpartly S07.1; partly S07.2; partly S07.3—
Reformed Baptistpartly S07.1; partly S07.2; S07.3partly S07.3
General BaptistS07.1; partly S07.2; partly S07.3—
AnabaptistS07.1; partly S07.2; S07.3partly S07.1; partly S07.3

Origin

Plan, overall verdict and verification status of the former scripture-and-tradition category (shared with the other doctrines that came from it)

Scripture and tradition: canon and authority

Method and conventions: docs/conventions.md. Reasoning: scripture-and-tradition reasoning. Traditions’ sources: confessional sources.

1. Plan

Questions: C1 is Scripture the supreme norm, or co-equal with unwritten tradition?; C2 the Old Testament canon (Hebrew canon or the wider canon); C3 who interprets Scripture: rule of faith, councils, an infallible office? Scripture: 2 Tim 3:15–17; 2 Thess 2:15; Jude 3; Acts 15; Acts 17:11; Gal 1:8; Luke 24:44; Rom 3:2. Fathers: Irenaeus, Against Heresies III.1–4; Tertullian, Prescription; Athanasius, Festal Letter 39; Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechesis 4; Basil, On the Holy Spirit 27; Augustine, Christian Doctrine II.8; Vincent of Lérins, Commonitory 2. Traditions: Trent IV and Vatican I (Catholic); Dositheus 2 (Orthodox); Formula of Concord Epitome (Lutheran); Articles VI, XX and XXI (Anglican); WCF I (Presbyterian); 1689 ch. 1; Orthodox Creed 37–39; Dordrecht V. Developmental questions: none.

2. Verdicts and trace

Weighed under the source-proximity principle: Scripture first, then the father tiers T1–T4.

3. Post-750 development

4. Overall verdict

C1: the fathers treat Scripture as the supreme and sufficient norm, read within the apostolic rule of faith. On Scripture, the traditions that make it the only norm of doctrine while receiving the creeds (Anglican, General Baptist) fit both measures best. C2 is split in the fathers, and Scripture’s evidence leans toward the Hebrew canon. C3: interpretation within the churches’ rule and councils; papal infallibility lacks early support.

5. Verification status

Trent IV, Dositheus 2, Vatican I, WCF I.3/I.6/XXXI.4 and the Formula of Concord wording are quoted from standard editions but were not rechecked in this pass (WCF I.10 and 1689 1.1 were). Orthodox Creed 37’s book list and art. 39 are verified by fresh OCR of the 1679 printing (EEBO scan, archive.org).