NOT ALL TRADITIONS ARE CREATED EQUAL (2)

Victor M. Eskew

 

          Last week we began a brief study of traditions.  We defined a tradition as a teaching, a precept, a practice, or a belief that is passed from one generation to another.  The word “tradition” is a Bible term.  The Greek word translated tradition is found 14 times in the New Testament.  It is translated “tradition” eleven times.  It is translated “traditions” two times.  It is also translated “ordinances” one time.

          We noted that the Bible places traditions into four different categories:  1) the traditions of the inspired writers of the Old Testament, 2) the inspired traditions revealed in the pages of the New Testament by the apostles and prophets, 3) the traditions of the Jewish leaders that were elevated to a holy, authoritative status, and 4) the traditions of men.  In our previous article we examined the first two groups of traditions.  In this article, we will examine the last two groups.

          Let’s begin by looking at the uninspired traditions of the Jewish leaders of Jesus’ day.  The Jews had been given the Law by Moses.  They knew it was a divine covenant.  Thus, they sought to faithfully carry out the Law.  Some things that had to be done were specifically stated in the Law.  There were other things that had to be carried out but the specifics were not revealed.  They things that were done to assist in carrying out the Law were practiced over a long period of time.  They were done the same way year-in and year-out.  In the course of time, these things become traditions.  Oftentimes, they become so set in stone that if they were violated, individuals believe that God’s Word has been violated.  In Judaism, these additions became known as “the traditions of the elders.”

          An important concept taught to the Jews was that they were supposed to be a purified people.  They had divine laws that specified the things that were clean and unclean.  In addition to the statutes of the Law of Moses, the Jews practiced other acts of cleanliness.  Mark 7:3-4, reveals some of the traditions of the elders to which the Jewish leaders subscribed.  “For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands oft, eat not, holding the traditions of the elders.  And when they come from the market, except they wash, they eat not.  And many other things there be, which they have received to hold, as the washing of cups, and pots, brazen vessels, and of tables.”  Over time, the traditions not authorized in God’s covenant were exalted to a position of authority.  If these traditions were violated, the Jewish leaders would call the individual into question.  This happened to Jesus’ disciples on several occasions.  “Then came together unto him the Pharisees, and certain of the scribes, which came from Jerusalem.  And when they saw some of his disciples eat bread with defiled, that is to say, with unwashed hands, they found fault” (Mark 7:1-2).  On this occasion, the Pharisees approached Jesus about the violation.  “Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands? (Mark 7:5).

          The tradition of hand washing was not evil in and of itself.  In fact, science has proven that washing hands is extremely beneficial to one’s health.  The problem that existed among the Pharisees is that they made the tradition into law.  Mark 7:2 ends with these words:  “They found fault.”  Man-made traditions and divinely inspired laws do not carry the same weight.  Divine laws when violated involve one in sin.  When man-made traditions are violated, however, no sin is committed.  Yes, some who love the traditions will be angered and upset if the traditions are transgressed, but there is no iniquity committed when a man-made tradition is not honored.  The point is simple.  Divine traditions and man-made traditions are not equal.

          There was another problem involved with the traditions of the elders supported by the Jewish leaders of Jesus’ day.  When Jesus was confronted about the failure of His disciples to wash their hands, He took advantage of exposing this second problem.  Jesus sets for the problem three times in the discussion with the Pharisees recorded in Mark 7:8-13.  “For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men…” (v. 8).  “Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition” (v. 9).  “Making the word of God of none effect through through your tradition” (v. 13).  The problem was that the traditions of the elders sometimes conflicted with God’s law.  When this happened, the Jews accepted the man-made tradition and set aside the divine injuctions.  Jesus did not just make a charge.  He also backed it with evidence.  “For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death:  but ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whosoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free.  And ye suffer him no more to do aught for his father or his mother” (Mark 7:10-12).  The Jewish leaders were wily individuals.  They allowed the children of needy parents to loan their money to the temple for a period of time.  As long as it was “Corban, that is to say, a gift,” they did not have to support their parents in their old age.  This violated God’s law of honoring one’s father and one’s mother.  According to the Christ this was not the only example He could have given to prove  they were violating  the Law with their traditions.  His words were:  “…and many such like things ye do.” (Mark 7:13).  The reason they did this is because their hearts were far from God (Mark 7:6).  These types of practices caused their worship to be vain because they were “teaching for doctrines the commandments of men” (Mark 7:7).

          There are some men today who carry on the practices of those Jewish leaders.  They elevate the traditions of men to a place equal or above the New Testament of Jesus Christ.  Paul warned the Colossians about these traditions in Colossians 2:8.  “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.”  There are several religions in our world that are established upon the traditions of men instead of the divine Word of God.  Some of these religions claim to honor the Bible, but when it conflicts with their man-made traditions, God’s Word is quickly cast aside.  There are other religions that do not honor the Word of God at all.  The entirety of the religion is based upon teachings and documents that originated in the minds of sinful, ignorant, and unwise men.  These religious groups do not care what God’s Word has to say.  They quote their fleshly, mortal men as if they were quoting Jesus Christ.  The words of Jesus apply to them just as they applied to the Jewish leaders of His day.  “Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.  But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men” (Matt. 15:7-9).

          The only place for those interested in the salvation of their souls to start is with the New Testament of Jesus Christ.  The New Testament is the only law sanctified by the blood of Christ.  It is the only binding law revealed by the Holy Spirit of God.  Some two thousand years ago, Jesus stood on the Mount of Olives and gave a commission to His apostles.  That commission was based upon the fact that Jesus had been given all power in heaven and in earth (Matt. 28:18).  That which was to be taken to the lost world was the gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ.  “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15).  At the time, those men had the gospel given to them by the Spirit of God (2 Pet. 1:20-21).  Paul put it in these words:  “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels…” (2 Cor. 4:7).  Eventually, it was put in written form (2 Thess. 2:15).  When Jude wrote his epistle to those first century Christians, he affirmed that “the faith” was “once delivered unto the saints” (Jude 3).  The words “once delivered” means “once for all time, once never to be delivered again.”  We have that divine tradition in the pages of the New Testament of Jesus Christ.  All men should ready, study, and live by those teachings alone.  Jesus said:  “…the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day” (John 12:48).