[Greek] παράδοσις (paradosis), [Latin] traditio: a handing down, tradition, transmission, delivery, teaching; Mt.15:2-3,6, Mk.7:3,5,8-9,13, 1Cor.11:2, Gal.1:14, 2Thess.2:15, 2Thess.3:6
Background information:
Greek Hellenism: This term means transmission, handing down, bequeathing, tradition, and what is handed down.
Plato’s Philebus 16c: “The ancients handed down the tradition that all the things which ever said to exist are sprung from one.”
Xenophon’s Cyropaedia 8.6.17: “He has the proper official appointed to receive the letters that were delivered to and to forward them on.”
Euripides’ Orestes 64: “Hermione was entrusted to my mother’s keeping.”
Plato’s Laws 803a: “We have next to discuss the question of the teaching and imparting of these subjects.”
Verb [Greek] παραδίδωμι (paradidōmi): to betray, to entrust, to bring forth, to abandon
Old Testament: The Greek verb paradidomi means to give (to be given), to cause, to put, to place, to produce, to allow, and to appoint. The more nuanced meanings include to marry (to be taken in marriage), to slander (to take abuse) to have sexual relations (to take advantage), to avenge, to sit, (to take a seat), to give retribution, and to be stubborn (to turn the back).
New Testament: This term means tradition and teachings. Several scriptural examples are very instructive.
Scripture:
Mt.15:2: Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders (not washing their hands before meals)?
Mt.15:3: Jesus scolds the Pharisees and scribes for breaking God’s commandment for the sake of their ‘tradition’.
1Cor.11:2: Hold fast to the traditions, just as I [Paul] handed them on to you
Gal.1:14: I [Paul] was even more a zealot (persecuting Christians) for my ancestral traditions
Col.2:8: “See to it that no one captivates you with empty, seductive philosophies according to human tradition
2Thess.3:6: We instruct you to shun anyone who conducts himself in a disorderly way not according to the tradition you received from us
Early Christianity: The Traditores referred to those bishops and Christians who willingly turned over their scriptures and betrayed their fellow Christians to the Roman authorities under the threat of persecution. The Lapsi were apostates who had lapsed or had fallen away from their faith, only to return to it later. The gospel message (Christianity) was transmitted by word of mouth. These oral traditions were handed over and delivered from one generation to the next.
Etymology: The Greek noun paradosis refers to the dosis (gift) given along side (para-). Paradosis is the giving of a gift. The Latin verb tradere means to hand over, to deliver, and to surrender. The Latin traditore (traitor) is one who delivers.
Perspectives on Tradition:
“We must fight the great error of modern times. The solution of this, as of all other problems, lie in the Church and in Her teachings.” Pope St. Pius X
“The Catholic tradition maintains that the objective norms governing right action are accessible to reason, prescinding from the content of revelation.” Pope Benedict XVI”
“Our future is our past.” Archbishop Lefebvre
Prophecy of Our Lady of Good Success: More and more people have been speculating that Archbishop Lefebvre could be very instrumental in fulfilling the final prophecy about the future moral restoration of the Church. In recent months there has been increasing mention of both this archbishop and prophecy. Coincidence?
Conclusion:
Tradition, betray, trade, treason, traitor, dose, dosage
In the Old Testament, it was interesting to discover the more nuanced meanings of this term.
The Pharisees and scribes were more concerned about what goes into the body (purification rituals). However, Jesus states that whatever come from inside (words and motivations) is what becomes profane.
In the New Testament era, the existing scriptures mentioned were the Old Testament. (The canon of the New Testament was not yet determined.)
Jesus points out that the Pharisees and scribes are hypocrites only paying lip service to God.
Paul was responding to the problems in liturgical assemblies in Corinth: women not veiled, improprieties in the celebration of community meals, sacrilege, and idolatry.
Paul was warning about pagan influences, worldly forms of religion, and humanistic philosophies.
Paul was warning that others may get a distorted view of tradition.
Update: Catholics see that Pope Francis continually sow seeds of confusion, ambiguity, and silence and complicity to modernist influences. (There continues to be tension between the faithful and this Modernist pope.)
Many bishops and cardinals are betraying their fidelity to tradition by accommodating the secular culture. (These bishops and cardinals are acting as if they are under the threat of this modern culture.)
Humanistic philosophies and religions: Modernism, environmentalism, wokeism, transgenderism (changing genders), gay marriage, multiple genders, CRT, racial equity justice, abortion, globalism, nationalism
Although well intended, Vatican II’s efforts to respond to the culture has turned into a disaster. (This has resulted in loss of vocations, church “reforms”, church abuses, church sacrilege, declining Catholic identification, poor Mass attendance, and poor catechesis, etc).
Some say that Vatican II may have been sabotaged by Pope Paul VI’s “gate keeper” Archbishop Bugnini’s efforts to “Protestantize” Vatican II.
Pope Francis has a distorted view that one cannot have both the Traditional Latin Mass and the Novus Order Mass. Pope Francis wants to remove the TLM. (It is as if Pope Francis wants to continue what Vatican II is actually causing.)
The younger generation have been flocking to the Traditional Latin Mass because of its silence, reverence, and tradition.
So many people are just fed up, unsettled, and disenfranchised with all this modernism, synodality, confusion, hostility toward traditional ways, toleration, false compassion, “inclusivity”, and openness to heretical teachings. At the end of the day, the shepherd sets the tone for his flock. We need to go back to Tradition!
When we choose our next pope: Look to Africa! Catholicism is growing in Africa!