Divine Revelation "By Word of Mouth" (2 Thess 2:15): Handing On

Catholic Christians believe the revealed Word of God is handed on as Paul noted "by word of mouth" in the constant faith of the community of believers, the Church.

The Bible repeatedly affirms the process of handing on the revelation--paradosis, or tradition.

The Bible, the written Word of God, does not claim that it is the only source of revelation. It does name those faithful people who are chosen to hand on the Word of God by word of mouth: episcopoi, presbyteroi, diaconoi.

The Bible offers a decision-making model for determining and handling truth and refuting error--the Conciliar Model of Acts 15: "It is the decision of the Holy Spirit and ours too."

The Catholic Church has faithfully followed that model from Nicaea to Vatican II.

The faithful people entrusted to hand on the Word of God are found among the Apostolic Fathers (1st and 2nd centuries), the Post-Apostolic Fathers (2nd to 8th centuries), and the Doctors of the Church.

The latest expression of the constant faith of the Church, handed on by faithful people in direct succession from the Apostolic Church is found in the documents of Second Vatican Council.

Chapter Table of Contents

• Paradosis: Handing On Divine Revelation
• The Biblical Model for Handing On Truth and Refuting Error: Acts 15, The Council of Jerusalem
• Acts 15 Model: General or Ecumenical Councils of the Church Universal
• General Councils of the Church
  • Jerusalem (Acts 15:2)
  • Nicea I
  • Constantinople I
  • Ephesus
  • Chalcedon
  • Constantinople II
  • Constantinople III
  • Nicaea II
  • Constantinople IV
  • Lateran I
  • Lateran II
  • Lateran III
  • Lateran IV
  • Lyons I
  • Lyons II
  • Vienne
  • Constance
  • Florence
  • Lateran V
  • Trent
  • Vatican I
  • Vatican II
• Apostolic Fathers of the Church
  • Clement I, St. (Clement of Rome)
  • Ignatius of Antioch, St.
  • Polycarp of Symrna, St.
  • Unknown Author of the Didache
  • Barnabas
  • Papias of Hierapolis
  • Hermas
• Post-Apostolic Fathers of the Church
  • Justin (Martyr), St.
  • Irenaeus, St.
  • Clement of Alexandria
  • Tertullian
  • Origen
  • Cyprian, St.
  • Athanasius, St.
  • Cyril of Jerusalem
  • Basil, St.
  • Gregory of Nazianzus, St.
  • Gregory of Nyssa, St.
  • Ambrose, St.
  • Jerome, St.
  • John Chrysostom, St.
  • Augustine, St.
  • Cyril of Alexandria, St.
  • Gregory I, St. ("The Great")
  • John Damascene, St.
• Doctors of the Church
  • Ephrem The Syrian, St.
  • Athanasius, St.
  • Cyril of Jerusalem, St.
  • Basil, St. (the Great)
  • Gregory of Nazianzus, St.
  • Ambrose, St.
  • Jerome, St.
  • John Chrysostom, St.
  • Hilary of Poitiers, St.
  • Augustine, St.
  • Cyril of Alexandria, St.
  • Peter Chrysologus, St.
  • Leo The Great, St.
  • Gregory I, St.
  • Isidore of Seville, St.
  • Bede The Venerable, St.
  • John Damascene, St.
  • Peter Damien, St.
  • Anselm, St.
  • Bernard of Clairvaux, St.
  • Anthony of Padua, St.
  • Albert The Great, St.
  • Bonaventure, St.
  • Thomas Aquinas, St.
  • Catherine of Siena, St.
  • Theresa of Avila, St.
  • Peter Canisius, St.
  • Robert Bellarmine, St.
  • Lawrence of Brindisi, St.
  • John of the Cross, St.
  • Francis De Sales, St.
  • Alfonsus Liguori, St.
• Handing On Divine Revelation: Vatican Council II

Last Updated: January 3, 1997