The Tradition in the Church after Tertullian

Abstract

Tertullian, a former convert in controversy with the Gnostic heretics, is a man who is passionate about truth. For him, the truth is in the origin, and the truth of the origin is transmitted by the tradition. As a Christian, he is interested in the tradition of the Church; In it he discovers different sections: God, Christ, Apostles, Church. Apostolicity (of origin and doctrine) is the specific note of its ecclesiology. Tradition carries, as a flow, a doctrine, some truths, which are summarized in the so-called rule of faith. Integrated in this doctrine (and subjected to it) is the Scripture; The heretics use it abundantly in the controversy, but after having manipulated the text and interpret it at its discretion; Therefore, the best tactic against them is to exclude them from their use by proving that Scripture does not belong to them.