Oral Tradition and Scripture

In the early Church there were many letters written which are not contained in what were call the Bible.   A scholar called Eusebius, who lived in the 5th century, commented on the many letters of the Early Church.    One prolific writer was Ignatius of Antioch who was a contemporary of the Apostles.   Eusebius was a great admirer of Ignatius and listed his many work   "Ignatius" he said "was still a famed name after Peter to succeed to the bishopric of Antioch"   He was taken from Asia under Roman guard to eventually be thrown to the lions in Rome, a death that Ignatius looked forward to with almost relish.    Ignatius on his way he strengthened the Christians in the places he past through with his preaching on holding fast to the Apostolic Tradition against the heresies spring up.   He wrote letters to the Church in Ephesus when he was in Smyrnia.  He also wrote a letter to Rome.  Later on his journey he wrote from Troas to the Church in Philadelphia.  He wrote another to Polycarp in Antioch, exhorting him to take care of the flock there like a true shepherd.  

In his letter to Smyrnia Ignatius writes "I know and believe that even after the Resurrection he was in the flesh.  When he came to Peter and his companions he said 'Take hold, touch me and see that I am not a bodiless spirit'  And they touched him at once and believed'   This was given to him by the Apostles and could well have been in the scripture of the Bible.

Eusebius favoured the letter of Clement to the Corinthians but claims that another letter which is claimed as Clement's is dubious since it was never mentioned by the Early Church.  Now that was the difficulty facing the Church.  There were so many writings and the faithful were beginning to ask which of them could be trusted to contain the truth.

In the sixth century the bishops of the Church met at three important councils, two at Carthage and one at Hippo.   It was at these Councils the question of what could be trusted and not trusted in the writings available that was discussed.   Eventually they chose the present Canon of Scripture as being spiritually  uplifting for the faithful and totally reliable.   However this meant that many good letters like those of Ignatius and Clement were gradually ignored.   But there is no doubt that such letters have a place in our Catholic Tradition.    Let it be noted that it was the Catholic Church who first put forward that the Bible was the Word of God based on the authority given the Church by the Holy Spirit.  The Church does not get its authority from Scripture rather scripture gets it authority from the Catholic Church.