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Is Roman Catholicism Right About Tradition? - Part 2

Dr. W. Robert Godfrey joins Pastor Chris Gordon in part 2 of a conversation about "tradition" — from the Bible's own positive use of the word to Rome's claims of an unwritten apostolic deposit — and why every tradition, Protestant or Catholic, must ultimately answer to Scripture.

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Summary

Published

Sep 2, 2026

Hosted By

Pastor Chris Gordon

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Show Notes

How should Reformed Christians think about their own traditions, using the history of Sunday as the Christian Sabbath as a case study in testing inherited practice against the Bible rather than simply defending or discarding it? The episode closes on a hopeful note, reflecting on the substantial doctrinal agreement shared across Bible-believing Protestants and a call to return to patient, expository engagement with Scripture rather than chasing theological controversy.

Chapters:
0:00 - Introduction
1:07 - Oberman's Three Uses of "Tradition"
2:17 - Newman's "Acorn to Oak Tree" and Evolving Tradition
4:09 - Jesus, the Pharisees, and Tradition in Matthew 15
6:31 - Rome's Argument for an Earthly Head of the Church
8:27 - 2 Thessalonians and the Apostolic "Restrainer"
13:39 - Paul's Oral and Written Tradition in 2 Thessalonians 3
15:35 - Dangers of Tradition Among Evangelicals
16:25 - Case Study: Sunday as the Christian Sabbath
20:39 - Jesus' Temptation and the True Appeal to Scripture
22:12 - Common Ground Among Bible-Believing Protestants
24:19 - Closing Thoughts: Tradition, Fatigue, and Returning to the Word

Guest Information:
Dr. W. Robert Godfrey
Chairman of Ligonier Ministries, Professor Emeritus at Westminster Seminary California. He also earned a Master of Arts degree in Historical Theology; his thesis was on Faustus Socinus.
Ligonier Ministries: https://www.ligonier.org

Mentions:
Heiko Oberman, Reformation historian
John Henry Newman, "Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine"
Council of Trent
First Vatican Council
Gerhardus Vos
Huldrych Zwingli and the Marburg Colloquy
Westminster Larger Catechism
Heidelberg Catechism
1 Corinthians 10–11
Matthew 15
Matthew 4:7 / Psalm 91 (temptation of Christ)
2 Thessalonians 1–3
Ephesians 1

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