What is “The Reformed Tradition”?

 Christianity is a religious tradition that has been marked by change and controversy.

Historically, it finds its origins in Second TempleJudaism, and has a continuity with certain theological trajectories that can be found in it. However, Christianity is not Judaism and this is not to argue that it should backtrack into what can best be described as the cocoon from which the butterfly of Christ’s gospel would emerge and go forth.

But this does not mean that Christianity, at least in the experience of human institutions that arose to preserve and move in the mission of Christ, a mission that is expressed in the heavenly chorus of Revelation 5:9-10 (ESV),

“Worthy are you to take the scroll 

and to open its seals, 

  for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God 

from every tribe and language and people and nation, 

  and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, 

and they shall reign on the earth.” 

There is no doubt that error, abuses, and misunderstandings have permeated Christ’s holy church and that has led to faction and division. These are simple historical facts that must be accepted. 

Some who are “ignorant and unstable” (2 Peter 3:16) see this tendency towards fracturing as a sign of falsehood and in doing so are led astray into unbelief and abandon the faith, while others, still unbelieving but professing so, use it for their own benefit.

The Reformation, which is often seen to be founded on the German scholar Martin Luther, is something that Christ’s church has been doing from the beginning. Luther’s awakening was merely a switch to get the train that is the faith back onto the right track. However he was not alone in his endeavor and many men such as Calvin, Zwingli, Tyndale, Turretin, Owen, Edwards, and many more whose names we will never know both before and after the ones we might recognize have  proclaimed  the name of the only One who can save.

That being said, the truly Reformed tradition is the one that continues to return to the source of Christ and bring out the eternal truths. It recognizes its place in history and conforms itself to Christ consciously rather that being conformed to the world (Rom. 12:1-2).

The Reformed tradition is one of active thought, determined purpose, and  an obedient heart. 

Here, is not an end, but a beginning.

Ecclesia semper reformanda est