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How do you convince a non-denominational person of the importance of tradition along with the Holy Bible? The Holy Book of Romans 10:9 is the verse used against the practice of traditional teaching and worship.

Faith cannot be built on only one verse from the entire Holy Bible. "That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved" (Rom 10:9). Following just this verse means rejecting the Church Mysteries as well. This is not what the Holy Bible teaches. What does a non-denominational person think of these verses about believing: "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven" (Mt 7:21); "Even the demons believe; and tremble!" (James 2:19).

Consider this verse "Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling" (Phil 2:12). What work could the apostle be talking about if we have already believed, confessed and are saved? Do these people accept the Eucharist as a way to eternal Life? "Then Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day" (Jn 6:53-54).

Regarding tradition, examine the coming verses written by the same St. Paul who

1. Praised the Corinthians for keeping the tradition: "Now I praise you, brethren, that you remember me in all things and keep the traditions just as I delivered them to you" (1 Corinthians 11:2).
  



2. Encouraged people to hold onto the tradition: "Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle" (2 Thessalonians 2:15).




3. Commanded us all to keep away from the one who does not follow the tradition: "But we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that you withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly and not according to the tradition which he received from us" (2 Thessalonians 3:6).

The Holy Bible is full of verses referring to the teachings of our Lord and the apostles that are not written in the Holy Bible "And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen" (John 21:25); "to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God"(Acts 1:3). (See also John 20:30-3; Phil 4:9; 2 Tim 2:2; 2 John 1:12; 3 John 1:14)

Two good books you can read are "Comparative Theology" and "Salvation in the Orthodox Faith" both by His Holiness Pope Shenouda in which His Holiness explains the differences between our Orthodox faith and the other denominations. Also there is a book about "Tradition" written by Fr. Tadros Malaty.