Rule of Faith
A compass for reading Scripture rightly — the apostles' teaching summed up in a phrase
The Rule of Faith is the summary of apostolic teaching that guides the right interpretation of Scripture. Early Fathers such as Irenaeus and Tertullian appealed to it as the framework handed down from the apostles, by which the Church could distinguish faithful readings of the biblical text from distortions. It functioned as a shared confession of the faith's essentials, anchoring interpretation in the Church's living tradition.
How it traveled
- Dialogue with TryphoRome · 165explains
- Against Heresies: Book IIILyons · 202explains
- Against Heresies: Book ILyons · 202explains
- The Prescription Against Heretics.— · 220explains
- The Church History of EusebiusCaesarea · 339explains
- Against the Arians. (Orationes contra Arianos IV.)Alexandria · 373explains
- The LettersCaesarea (Cappadocia) · 379explains
- The Catechetical Lectures of S. CyrilJerusalem · 386explains
- A Commentary on the Acts of the ApostlesConstantinople (Istanbul) · 407explains
- The Homilies of St. John ChrysostomConstantinople (Istanbul) · 407explains
- The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on the Gospel of St. JohnConstantinople (Istanbul) · 407explains
- The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Paul's Epistle to the RomansConstantinople (Istanbul) · 407explains
- Homilies on First CorinthiansConstantinople (Istanbul) · 407explains
- The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Timothy, Titus, and PhilemonConstantinople (Istanbul) · 407explains
- The Commentary and Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Galatians and EphesiansConstantinople (Istanbul) · 407explains
- The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Philippians, Colossians, and ThessaloniansConstantinople (Istanbul) · 407explains
- The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on the Epistle to the HebrewsConstantinople (Istanbul) · 407explains
- Jerome's Apology for Himself Against the Books of RufinusAquileia · 411explains
- The Letters of St. JeromeBethlehem · 420explains
- Expositions on the Book of PsalmsHippo Regius · 430explains
- Reply to Faustus the ManichæanHippo Regius · 430explains
- On Christian DoctrineHippo Regius · 430explains
- The Harmony of the GospelsHippo Regius · 430explains
- Letters of St. AugustinHippo Regius · 430explains
- City of GodHippo Regius · 430explains
- Lectures or Tractates on the Gospel According to St. JohnHippo Regius · 430explains
- The ConfessionsHippo Regius · 430explains
- The Ecclesiastical History of Socrates ScholasticusConstantinople (Istanbul) · 439explains
- The Commonitory of Vincent of Lérins, For the Antiquity and Universality of the Catholic Faith Against the Profane Novelties of All HeresiesLérins · 445explains
- The Ecclesiastical History, Dialogues, and Letters of TheodoretCyrrhus · 458explains
- The Letters and Sermons of Leo the GreatRome · 461explains
- The Book of Pastoral Rule, and Selected Epistles, of Gregory the GreatRome · 604explains
- Selected Epistles of Gregory the GreatRome · 604explains
- Commentary on GalatiansWittenberg · 1546explains
- Book Fourth. of the Holy Catholic ChurchGeneva · 1564explains
- Book First. of the Knowledge of God the CreatorGeneva · 1564explains
- Book Second. of the Knowledge of God the Redeemer, in Christ, as First Manifested to the Fathers, Under the Law, and Thereafter to Us Under the GospelGeneva · 1564explains
- A Treatise Concerning Religious Affections, in Three PartsNorthampton, Massachusetts · 1758explains
- Inquiry Concerning Qualification for CommunionNorthampton, Massachusetts · 1758explains
- Thoughts on the Revival of Religion in New EnglandNorthampton, Massachusetts · 1758explains
Key passages(20)
Bible, Church, Tradition: An Eastern Orthodox View · Georges Florovsky
Tradition and Traditions · Yves Congar
A Treatise of Novatian Concerning the Trinity. · Novatian
Chapter IX. Argument.—Further, that the Same Rule of Truth Teaches Us to Believe, After the Father, Also in the Son of God, Jesus Christ Our Lord God, Being the Same that Was Promised in the Old Testa
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Against Heresies: Book III · Irenaeus of Lyons
1. It is within the power of all, therefore, in every Church, who may wish to see the truth, to contemplate clearly the tradition of the apostles manifested throughout the whole world; and we are in a
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1. Receive, my children, the Rule of Faith, which is called the Symbol (or Creed Symbolum Codex Rom. x. 10
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On the Veiling of Virgins. · Tertullian: Part Fourth
III. On the Veiling of Virgins. [Translated by the Rev. S. Thelwall.] ———————————— Chapter I.—Truth Rather to Be Appealed to Than Custom, and Truth Progressive in Its Developments. Having already
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The Commonitory of Vincent of Lérins, For the Antiquity and Universality of the Catholic Faith Against the Profane Novelties of All Heresies · Vincent of Lérins
A General Rule for distinguishing the Truth of the Catholic Faith from the Falsehood of Heretical Pravity. [4.] I have often then inquired earnestly and attentively of very many men eminent for sanct
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The Commonitory of Vincent of Lérins, For the Antiquity and Universality of the Catholic Faith Against the Profane Novelties of All Heresies · Vincent of Lérins
Exposition of St. Paul’s Words.—1 Tim. vi. 20. [51.] Such being the case, when I think over these things, and revolve them in my mind again and again, I cannot sufficiently wonder at the madness of c
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The Commonitory of Vincent of Lérins, For the Antiquity and Universality of the Catholic Faith Against the Profane Novelties of All Heresies · Vincent of Lérins
What Rule is to be observed in the Interpretation of Scripture. [70.] But it will be said, If the words, the sentiments, the promises of Scripture, are appealed to by the Devil and his disciples, of
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The Prescription Against Heretics. · Anti-marcion
Chapter XXI.—All Doctrine True Which Comes Through the Church from the Apostles, Who Were Taught by God Through Christ. All Opinion Which Has No Such Divine Origin and Apostolic Tradition to Show, is
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The Prescription Against Heretics. · Anti-marcion
Chapter XIX.—Appeal, in Discussion of Heresy, Lies Not to the Scriptures. The Scriptures Belong Only to Those Who Have the Rule of Faith. Our appeal, therefore, must not be made to the Scriptures; no
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The Prescription Against Heretics. · Anti-marcion
Chapter XXII.—Attempt to Invalidate This Rule of Faith Rebutted. The Apostles Safe Transmitters of the Truth. Sufficiently Taught at First, and Faithful in the Transmission. But inasmuch as the proof
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The Prescription Against Heretics. · Anti-marcion
Elucidations. ———————————— I. (Prescription, Chap. I., p. 243, Supra.) In adopting this expression from the Roman Law, Tertullian has simply puzzled beginners to get at his idea. Nor do they learn
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The Prescription Against Heretics. · Anti-marcion
Chapter XXXVII.—Heretics Not Being Christians, But Rather Perverters of Christ’s Teaching, May Not Claim the Christian Scriptures. These are a Deposit, Committed to and Carefully Kept by the Church.
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The Prescription Against Heretics. · Anti-marcion
Chapter XIII.—Summary of the Creed, or Rule of Faith. No Questions Ever Raised About It by Believers. Heretics Encourage and Perpetuate Thought Independent of Christ’s Teaching. Now, with regard to t
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Origen De Principiis. ———————————— Preface. 1. All who believe and are assured that grace and truth were obtained through Jesus Christ, and who know Christ to be the truth, agreeably to His own dec
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Against the Arians. (Orationes contra Arianos IV.) · Athanasius of Alexandria
Discourse II. ———————————— Chapter XIV.—Texts explained; Fourthly, Hebrews iii. 2 Introduction; the Regula Fidei counter to an Arian sense of the text; which is not supported by the word ‘servant,’
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A Commentary on the Apostles' Creed · Rufinus of Aquileia
3. I Believe in God the Father Almighty. But before I begin to discuss the meaning of the words, I think it well to mention that in different Churches some additions are found in this article. This i
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A Commentary on the Apostles' Creed · Rufinus of Aquileia
2. Our forefathers have handed down to us the tradition, that, after the Lord’s ascension, when, through the coming of the Holy Ghost, tongues of flame had settled upon each of the Apostles, that they
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Against Heresies: Book III · Irenaeus of Lyons
1. We have learned from none others the plan of our salvation, than from those through whom the Gospel has come down to us, which they did at one time proclaim in public, and, at a later period, by th
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Modern teachers who discuss this idea
Modern and living teachers whose books take up Rule of Faith. These works are still in copyright, so we can’t show the text here — each links out to the book.
- Yves CongarTradition and Traditions(1960)View on Amazon→
- Georges FlorovskyBible, Church, Tradition: An Eastern Orthodox View(1972)View on Amazon→