So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter.

   - 2 Thessalonians 2.15

Why should you uphold anything other than the catholic faith if you are true Christians on both sides? For I cannot understand for what reason a Christian can strive about the faith with a Christian; for whatever has been said by the orthodox Christian, who rightly glorifies God, the other will reply Amen, because he also loves and believes alike.

  - Columbanus, Letter to Pope Boniface, Irish, 7th century

Don’t miss the importance of Columbanus’ remark. He was thrusting himself into the midst of a dispute between disagreeing parties of Christians, one side of which was represented by the Pope and his bishops. He clearly intended to remind both sides in the squabble that there is a standard that governs all the Body of Christ, whether in Rome or elsewhere, and that standard is the catholic faith – the orthodox teaching articulated by the apostles, then passed down through their disciples and the fathers of the Church to Columbanus’ day. 

A “magisterium of the Holy Spirit” (J. I. Packer) presides over the teaching and transmission of orthodox and catholic Christian faith. Nobody should consider himself to be above the orthodox tradition, and anyone who refuses to acknowledge and submit to that tradition can scarcely call himself a Christian. For example, for someone to claim to be a Christian and to deny the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead flies in the face of the orthodox and catholic tradition, which the Spirit has illuminated and kept in the Church from the beginning. The more we know about this tradition, the less likely we will be to stray from it.

Here is some wise advice for our day, when many believers have but little regard for matters of Church history or sound doctrine. The faith of Christ that many hold today would not be acknowledged as anything other than a form of “near Christianity” by the likes of Columbanus and the fathers of the Church.

What about us? How certain are we that our most treasured convictions and beliefs line up well with the orthodox tradition, the teaching of the apostles? The true unity of the Church, as well as her right and proper mission, must be grounded in a body of beliefs – to be lived, to be proclaimed – that can be seen to be the same as what all believers in all times and places have always held to be true.

We are not Christian because we claim to be, feel like we are, or because we really, really want to be. We are Christian if we are catholic and orthodox in our belief and practice. Period.

Only true belief “rightly glorifies God.” Hold fast to true belief, though all the world oppose you.

Psalm 85.7-9 (Lyons: “O Worship the King”)
Lord, show us Your love; restore us, we pray!
And help us to hear the words that You say.
Speak peace to Your people; in truth let us stand.
We fear You; let glory and grace fill our land.

Lord, give us perseverance in sound doctrine, and help us to give faithful testimony to You, today and every day. Adapted from Patrick, Confession