The Apostles recorded in their Epistles

[Mary Naeem]

Pope Shenouda III





The Apostles recorded in their Epistles things they received through Tradition
(a) We have previously mentioned some of them and now we shall add what Jude the Apostle mentioned in his Epistle regarding the dispute between Archangel Michael and Satan about the body of Moses. He said: "Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, ‘The Lord rebuke you!’ " (Jude 9). None of this was mentioned in the Old Testament, so Jude probably knew it through Tradition.
(b) When the Apostle Paul was describing the fear of the people on receiving the Law, he said: "And so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, 'I am exceedingly afraid and trembling' " (Heb.12:21). This phrase attributed to Moses was not recorded either in the Book of Exodus or Deuteronomy. So probably the Apostle Paul knew it through Tradition.
(c) We also add what is mentioned in the Book of Revelation about Balaam's perversion, the details of which are not recorded in the Book of Numbers (Num.24: 25). In the Book of Revelation, it is written: "...because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality" (Rev.2: 14). In the Book of Numbers it is mentioned that the people did that but not that it was Balaam's doctrine. So probably St. John the Visionary who wrote the Book of Revelation knew it through Tradition.
Also on the subject of Balaam is what the Apostle Peter mentioned: "They have forsaken the right way and gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness" (2Pet.2: 15), and also what the Apostle Jude mentioned: "...they have gone in the way of Cain, have run greedily in the error o Balaam for profit, and perished in the rebellion of Korah" (Jude 11).
(e) Likewise, St. Jude spoke about Enoch's prophecy which is not mentioned in the Old Testament. He said: "Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, 'Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, to execute judgement on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him"' (Jude 14,15). The source of this prophecy must have been Tradition.
(f) We notice that the commandment of circumcision was entrusted to our Father Abraham by God (Gen.17) and commanded to people through entrustment before the existence of a written Law commanding it.