Tradition can be powerful.
We learn beliefs from our parents.
We inherit religious practices from previous generations.
We become accustomed to the way our congregation has always done things.
Sometimes a religious practice has existed for so long that no one remembers why it began.
Eventually, people may assume:
“WE HAVE ALWAYS DONE IT THIS WAY, SO IT MUST BE RIGHT.”
But Scripture raises an important question:
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN HUMAN TRADITION AND THE WORD OF GOD DO NOT AGREE?
Jesus addressed that very problem.
THE PHARISEES QUESTIONED JESUS ABOUT TRADITION
The scribes and Pharisees asked Jesus:
“Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.”
(Matthew 15:2, KJV)
Notice their concern:
THE TRADITION OF THE ELDERS.
Their question was not:
“Why are your disciples disobeying God?”
Their question concerned a religious tradition that had developed among men.
Jesus answered with a question of His own:
“Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?”
(Matthew 15:3, KJV)
That completely changed the issue.
They were concerned about:
MAN’S TRADITION.
Jesus was concerned about:
GOD’S COMMANDMENT.
TRADITION CAN MAKE GOD’S COMMANDMENT OF NONE EFFECT
Jesus gave an example involving the command to honor one’s father and mother.
Then He said:
“Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.”
(Matthew 15:6, KJV)
Think carefully about that statement.
They had:
A RELIGIOUS TRADITION
But that tradition had become so important that it interfered with obedience to:
THE COMMANDMENT OF GOD.
The problem was not merely that they had a tradition.
The problem was that their tradition had been elevated above God’s revealed will.
THE COMMANDMENT OF GOD
↓
HUMAN TRADITION DEVELOPED
↓
TRADITION CONFLICTED WITH GOD’S COMMANDMENT
↓
TRADITION WAS FOLLOWED
↓
GOD’S COMMANDMENT WAS MADE OF NONE EFFECT
That is a serious warning.
WORSHIP CAN BE VAIN
Jesus continued:
“But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.”
(Matthew 15:9, KJV)
Notice something important.
These people were:
WORSHIPPING.
They were religious.
They believed they were honoring God.
Yet Jesus said their worship was:
VAIN.
Why?
Because they were:
“TEACHING FOR DOCTRINES THE COMMANDMENTS OF MEN.”
Therefore, sincerity alone cannot make worship acceptable.
Religious history cannot make worship acceptable.
Long-standing tradition cannot make worship acceptable.
The question must always be:
WHAT HAS GOD AUTHORIZED?
JESUS DISTINGUISHED GOD’S COMMANDMENT FROM MEN’S TRADITION
Mark records the same confrontation.
Jesus said:
“Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.”
(Mark 7:9, KJV)
Notice the contrast:
THE COMMANDMENT OF GOD
versus
YOUR OWN TRADITION.
Then Jesus said:
“Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered…”
(Mark 7:13, KJV)
A tradition can become so deeply rooted that people defend the tradition even when Scripture contradicts it.
That danger did not disappear with the Pharisees.
PAUL WARNED ABOUT THE TRADITIONS OF MEN
Paul wrote:
“Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.”
(Colossians 2:8, KJV)
Notice the two directions:
AFTER THE TRADITION OF MEN
or:
AFTER CHRIST.
Those are not necessarily the same thing.
A teaching can be:
OLD
POPULAR
SINCERE
RELIGIOUS
WIDELY ACCEPTED
and still be:
“NOT AFTER CHRIST.”
NOT EVERY TRADITION IS WRONG
The Bible does not teach that the mere existence of a tradition automatically makes it sinful.
Paul told the Thessalonians:
“Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.”
(2 Thessalonians 2:15, KJV)
What made those traditions different?
They came through inspired apostolic teaching.
Therefore, the real question is not:
“IS IT A TRADITION?”
The question is:
“WHERE DID IT COME FROM?”
APOSTOLIC TEACHING
↓
REVEALED BY CHRIST
↓
TO BE HELD FAST
HUMAN RELIGIOUS TRADITION
↓
WITHOUT DIVINE AUTHORITY
↓
CANNOT OVERRIDE GOD’S WORD
WE MUST TEST WHAT WE HAVE BEEN TAUGHT
Many people sincerely practice what they learned growing up.
But sincerity does not remove our responsibility to examine what we have been taught.
The people of Berea were praised because:
“These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.”
(Acts 17:11, KJV)
Notice:
THEY HEARD TEACHING
↓
THEY RECEIVED IT WITH READINESS
↓
THEY SEARCHED THE SCRIPTURES
↓
THEY TESTED WHETHER IT WAS TRUE
They did not say:
“Our parents believed something different.”
They did not say:
“Our religious leaders have always taught something else.”
They searched:
THE SCRIPTURES.
THAT MUST BE OUR STANDARD.
THE BIBLICAL PATTERN
WE HEAR A RELIGIOUS TEACHING
↓
WE DO NOT ACCEPT IT MERELY BECAUSE IT IS OLD
↓
WE DO NOT ACCEPT IT MERELY BECAUSE IT IS POPULAR
↓
WE DO NOT ACCEPT IT MERELY BECAUSE OUR FAMILY BELIEVES IT
↓
WE DO NOT ACCEPT IT MERELY BECAUSE A PREACHER TEACHES IT
↓
WE SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES
Acts 17:11
↓
WE COMPARE THE TEACHING WITH GOD’S WORD
↓
WE HOLD FAST WHAT IS TRUE
↓
WE REJECT WHAT CONFLICTS WITH SCRIPTURE
That is the pattern.
This examination must begin with ourselves.
It is easy to identify traditions in someone else’s religion.
The harder question is:
WHAT ABOUT OUR OWN?
Have we ever asked why we believe what we believe?
Have we ever opened the Bible and examined our worship?
Our doctrine?
Our understanding of salvation?
Our church organization?
Our religious terminology?
Our practices?
Our traditions?
The question is not:
“HOW LONG HAVE WE DONE THIS?”
The question is:
“WHERE IS IT AUTHORIZED IN GOD’S WORD?”
Jesus warned:
“Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.”
(Mark 7:9, KJV)
That warning should cause every one of us to examine ourselves.
Don’t accept this conclusion merely because it is written here.
Open your Bible.
Read Matthew 15.
Read Mark 7.
Read Acts 17.
Read Colossians 2.
Read 2 Thessalonians 2.
Compare Scripture with Scripture.
Then ask:
IF SOMETHING I HAVE ALWAYS BELIEVED CONFLICTS WITH GOD’S WORD, WHICH ONE AM I WILLING TO CHANGE?
Our responsibility is not to change Scripture to preserve our traditions.
Our responsibility is to change our traditions whenever necessary to follow Scripture.
“Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.”
(1 Thessalonians 5:21, KJV)
ALLOW SCRIPTURE TO INTERPRET SCRIPTURE.
The Biblical Pattern
Biblical Studies & Books by Kevin L. Walker
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The Biblical Pattern 