The other day a friend sent me a message. The question was a simple one, “I’m curious, whenever you read patristic or medieval quotes that seem to contradict Sola Fide, how do you handle it?” It was a great question – first, because it means he is diving deep into the writings of the church beyond the past 100 years, and second, because he is thinking about what he’s reading.
Reading his message, I said “… we recognize the difference between the Norma Normans and Norma Normata. Do you know what that means?” He didn’t. The truth is I wasn’t terribly surprised, because these two Latin phrases are not the most well-known. Yet, despite that fact, they are simple and incredibly practical for understanding how we approach the relationship between God’s Word and Tradition, Confessions and Creeds.
What Do These Terms Mean?
So, let’s start at the very beginning with the basics, and define our terms:
- Norma Normans means “the norm that norms.” This is the Bible, God’s inerrant Word. It’s the ultimate standard for everything we that we believe and everything that we do.
- Norma Normata means “the norm that is normed.” This refers to things like our creeds, confessions, and traditions. These are important, valuable tools – tools that can help guide us in faith and our understanding but their authority is always subject to Scripture.
If I were to think of an example to explain how these two link together, I would probably explain it this way: the Scriptures are like the Sun. It is the source of light and life. It illuminates everything and allows us to see clearly. Our Creeds, Confessions and traditions are like the Moon. They reflect the light of the Sun, and help us guide us in the dark.
Obviously, the Moon is not the Sun. It doesn’t generate it’s own light. Yet, its reflection is very helpful, especially when the night is particularly dark, and everything seems unclear around us. The Moon can never outshine the sun, and without the reflection of the Sun it is dim, perhaps even unseeable to the naked eye. So we always need the Sun, the true source of light.
Why Does This Distinction Matter?
Now, some of you might be wondering why does any of this matter? Isn’t it enough to just read the Bible and love Jesus? I hear that all the time. We don’t need these theological terms or distinctions. We don’t need theology, we just need Jesus.
But, ultimately, there is no escaping theology and there is no escaping tradition, and the way we approach the relationship between Scripture and tradition shapes how we live out our faith.
On one hand, if we place too much authority on tradition, we can end up adding burdens that Scripture doesn’t command or venturing away from the clear teaching of the Word with manmade ideas that cloud the light of the Word. On the other hand, if we just throw out all tradition we risk losing the wisdom of generations of Christians who’ve wrestled with the same questions we’re asking today. If we toss away our Creeds and Confessions, we remove the guard rails that keep us within due bounds. This allows for ancient heresies and novel innovations to take us away from those orthodox teachings that have been debated and discussed for centuries and be guided by whatever direction we feel like going at any given time.
Scripture itself gives us a model for this balance. Paul writes in 2 Timothy 3:16 that “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.” The first part show us the Norma Normans. It’s God’s voice, direct and authoritative. The second part affirms that we need tools, teaching, correction, training, that aligh with the truth. That is the Norma Normata.
We see this practicality in history. The early church leaned on summaries of biblical truth – what we now call The Three Ecumenical Creeds to teach, protect and unify believers. For example, the Apostles’ Creed, the Nicene Creed and the Athanasian Creed are not Scripture, but they are a faithful summary of what Scripture teaches. Those who faithfully confess them can be considered a part of the orthodox Christian Faith. They are Norma Normata and they points us back to God’s Word and helps us stay anchored in truth even as dangerous heresies and the tides of this World try to take us off course.
Jesus, Scripture, and Tradition
If you want to see this balance in action, you can see it in the teachings of our precious Savior. Jesus often clashed with and challenged the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law because they elevated human traditions above God’s commands. In Mark 7:6-8, He quotes Isaiah, saying, “This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.”
Throughout the Gospels we see that the Pharisees had create these various different traditions that so often overshadowed the Word of God, and the clear teachings of Scripture. Jesus’ response was to clear put call that out. However, Jesus didn’t reject all tradition. He celebrated the Passover and worshipped in the synagogue, he observed Channukah, all of which are rich with tradition, because these practices were rooted in God’s commands and were glorifying His Heavenly Father.
Similarly, the apostles used tools like creeds to clarify and spread the gospel. In 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, Paul gives a clear summary: “Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.”
Paul states from the outset what he is doing here. He wasn’t creating some new doctrine; he was passing on the truth of Scripture in a clear, concise and unmistakable way. All of this shows us that faithful tradition can help us better understand and live out God’s Word.
How Does This Play Out in Our Lives?
So what does that mean? I mean, it’s all well and good as a theological concept, or a theological idea, but what does that mean for us?
Well, understanding the roles of Norma Normans and Norma Normata helps us navigate faith in practical ways.
- Before All Else: Scripture. God’s Word is, and always has to be, our foundation. Everything we believe and do needs to be measured against it.
- Creeds, Confessions and Tradition are not Bad Words. Tradition, creeds and Confessions are like road signs – they guide us and help us stay on course. But they’re only helpful when they align with Scripture. When they do they serve as guard rails that prevent us from swerving off the road into a ditch somewhere. Use them, understand them, respect them, but always ensure what is being taught is in line with the Word of God.
- Stay Humble. Let’s be honest, none of us can figure out the Christian life on our own. I am a pastor, I spent years in school, learning, and yet I know, for as much as I have learned, I can’t do it myself. Lean on the wisdom of the church catholic and the saints who’ve gone before, but always be mindful and always let the Bible have the final say.
This balance keeps us grounded and keeps us on course. What’s more is it saves us time and energy to live out our faith, because we’re not try to reinvent the wheel every time we open our Bibles, but we’re also not blindly following human ideas. Scripture leads, tradition, creeds and confessions support.
Why It Matters for Us
At the end of the day the distinction between Norma Normans and Norma Normata helps us keep to first things first, and properly prioritize. God’s Word is our primary and ultimate guide, and faithful, biblically based traditions help us stay anchored in its truth.
Jesus Himself prayed, “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth” (Jn 17:17). That should be our prayer also, that God’s truth shapes and sanctifies us as we are guided by Scripture and we look to the great cloud of witnesses, and the testimony and the works of the saints that came before us.
When we hold these two in their proper place, we are given an incredible gift as we find a faith that is rooted, vibrant, and alive. Scripture leads the way, and tradition walks alongside us, pointing us back to the unchanging truth of God’s Word.
So, maybe spend some time in the Confessions or the Fathers, study the Creeds and how they arose, and, as you do, take a moment to appreciate how these traditions connect us to a much larger story – the story of God’s unshakable truth passed down through the ages.
If you have any questions you would like me to answer, please feel free to send them to me in the Contact Page, or through my Facebook Page.
