Warner/Jackson Debate on Tradition as Religious Authority

 
 
 Proposition: 
 Both Scripture and Oral Tradition are authoritative for the Church in matters of doctrine.
 
 Affirm:  Matt Warner
 Deny: George A. Jackson
 
 George:
 In Matt's first Affirmative he misquotes the agreed proposition.  
 
 Matt writes
 Matt's first Affirmation 
 
 Both Scripture and oral Tradition are authoritative for the Church in matters of doctrine. 
 Affirm: Matt Warner
 Deny: George A. Jackson
 
 George: 
 What I agreed to was the following proposition: 
 
 Both Scripture and oral Tradition are equally authoritative for the Church in matters of doctrine. 
 
 Affirmed: Matt Warner
 Denied: George A. Jackson
  
 As one can plainly see the word "equally" is missing from the stated proposition. This is positive 
 proof that man is not a reliable source to carry a message even when it is written down. So why 
 would God in His wisdom rely on uninspired man to past His word down through the ages, mouth 
 to mouth? 
 
 Matt:
 Let me define some terms in my affirmative.  Scripture: the inspired books of the Old and New 
 Testaments as accepted by the Church.  Oral Tradition: the teachings of the Apostles which were 
 not recorded or explicitly recorded in the books of the New Testament.  Authoritative: the 
 standard, source, and authority from which the Church derives its teachings. 
 
 George: 
 I would only add `true and dependable` to Authoritative.  
 
 Matt:
 To begin, let me say that I believe that the Scriptures are inspired of God and are authoritative in 
 the Church for matters of doctrine. They are the very words of God, and they deserve our utmost 
 reverence and obedience. But, this does not mean that they are the only authority for the Church 
 in matters of doctrine.
 
 George: 
 This is what Matt must prove: that the written Scriptures are not the "only authority for the Church 
 in matters of doctrine, today.
 
 Matt:
  The Apostles handed on their teachings in two ways - orally (Tradition) and written (Scripture). 
 Both ways are inspired of the Holy Spirit, and thus, are authoritative.
 
 George:
 I have no argument with this statement, but notice it was the inspired apostle who "handed on 
 their teachings"
 
 Matt:
 First, let me point out that the Scriptures themselves do not teach that they are the only authority 
 for the Church in matters of doctrine.
 
 George:
 This is a statement that could be made of many things the Scriptures do not teach. It is only a 
 `straw-man` with no real meaning.
 
 Matt;
 Scripture says of itself that it is inspired, helpful, holy, everlasting, sure, etc., but nowhere does is 
 teach that it is our only authority.
 
 George:
 This is the same statement worded different with the same results. I could make the statement: 
 `The Scripture do not teach they are the only word of God. ` The point should be; what does the 
 Scripture teach, not what they do not teach.  
 
 Matt:
 So to believe that the Scriptures are our only authority is to believe something that is not supported 
 by the Scriptures themselves.
 
 George:
 Again, we have the same argument. Why should God state that His word is not the only word?
  
 Matt;
 This is the biggest problem with the belief that the Scriptures alone are our only authority,
 
 George:
 The problem is not with the Scriptures in what they do not teach, but in man's teachings and 
 beliefs of what the Scripture no not teach.
 
 Matt:
 For the belief itself fails its own test and must be rejected by its own standard.
 
 George:
 Belief fails when it comes not from Scripture, but the mind of man, for therein is the standard that 
 fails the test. 
                 
 Matt;
 We see in the Scriptures that the Christians in the Bible followed both the oral and written 
 teachings of the Apostles, and considered both to be authoritative in matters of doctrine.
 
 George: 
 We again, have no disagreement with this statement. But again notice it is the inspired apostles of 
 Christ that the oral and written teachings came from. Notice also where Matt gets his information 
 from! The written Scriptures! 
 
 Matt:
 Biblical scholars and historians will affirm that the first books of the New Testament were not 
 written until at least twenty years after the resurrection of Christ. This means that for at least the 
 first two decades of the Church, the teachings of the Christian Faith were faithfully passed on 
 orally from person to person.
 
 George:
 I will not totally agree with the statement: "the first books of the New Testament were not written 
 until at least twenty years after the resurrection of Christ." But nevertheless I will not disagree that 
 "the teachings of the Christian Faith were faithfully passed on orally from person to person. As 
 long as I can add that these people were under the direction and guidance of the Holy Spirit.
  
 Matt: 
 But then, through time some of the Apostles and their companions began to put down into writing 
 many of their teachings. But did these writings supersede the oral teachings of the Apostles? No, 
 not at all. In fact, the Apostle Paul writes to the Thessalonians, "So then, brethren, stand firm and 
 hold to the traditions which you were taught by us, either by word of mouth [oral] or by letter 
 [written]" (2 Thess. 2:15). He tells them to remain faithful to both his oral and written teachings.
 
 George:
 I have no argument with this too. But again, note what Paul says "brethren, stand firm and hold to 
 the traditions which you were taught by us,"  
  
 Matt:               
 Now, some will say that it is true that the Christians in the Bible followed both the oral and written 
 teachings of the Apostles, but that after the completion of the canon, and after the death of the 
 Apostles, the Church only followed the Scriptures alone.
 
 George:
 You can add me to that list! 
 
 Note: Matt from here starts quoting historical evidence from uninspired men and sources outside 
 the Scripture which I will not debate. Nor could I debate. It is up to Matt to prove His affirmative 
 proposition, not someone else. And hope everyone can see that Matt is debating that oral Tradition 
 is as authoritative as the written word today in the church as it was during the lives of the inspired 
 apostles of the Lord.  
 
 By His Grace
 George