The whole history of the Protestant church—seen in the hundreds of confessions and catechisms produced by Lutherans and the Reformed alike—witnesses to the power and usefulness of Scripture and calls churches to be reformed according to the Scriptures.
In 1546, the Council of Trent, a Roman Catholic gathering that met soon after Martin Luther’s death, issued two decrees regarding sacred Scripture. The first decree cursed those who did not receive the Scriptures. It also cursed those who “deliberately condemn” the church’s traditions. The second decree forbade twisted readings of “sacred Scripture” in doctrinal or moral matters. The council also condemned interpretations of “sacred Scripture contrary to . . . holy mother Church” or “contrary to the unanimous consent of the fathers,” and explained that it is the task of the church “to judge of the true sense and interpretation of the holy Scriptures.”
The two decrees are cluttered with complicating clauses and awkward phrases. There is a reason for this: the bishops at the council disagreed about the relationship between Scripture and the traditions of the church used to interpret Scripture, and they argued about how to come to some kind of compromise. Of those willing to vote on the subject, thirty-three members thought that Scripture and tradition are “equal” in authority, eleven thought they are “similar” but not “equal” in authority, and three thought that the council should require only that traditions be shown respect. The language of equal authority of Scripture and tradition was dropped.
In another compromise, the council made yet another distinction: thirty-eight members wanted the council to condemn those who did not receive either the Scriptures or tradition. But thirty-three members wanted a softer position. They were willing to condemn those who did not receive Scripture, but with respect to tradition, the bishops would only condemn people who self-consciously condemned the church’s traditions. Here the minority party won the vote, as the majority party was unwilling to ignore the concerns of their colleagues.
I tell this story because it is surprising to hear that any members of the Council of Trent made points that every Reformer could affirm (and that I think every Protestant Christian should affirm). After all, every Reformer could agree that Scripture must not be manipulated to say what we want. The Bible is God’s Word: we are to be shaped by it; it is not to be shaped by us. The Reformers could also agree with the tiny minority of voters at the Council of Trent: the traditions of the church—certainly the writings and earliest practices of the church—deserve respect. Yes, there have been false teachers in the history of the church. But there is also a history of useful teaching in the church that affirms and supports the teaching of Scripture. There is much to learn from those who have gone before us.
