Tradition

Tradition can be a sticky subject. Many people are instantly opposed to anything traditional. Others are enamored with traditions. The Bible speaks of traditions that are both good, and of those that are evil. Let us consult the scriptures, given by God, to understand how we should view tradition.

Some traditions are expressly good. These are those things which have their origin with God, and which God has made binding. That is, God made them and God expects us to follow them. II Thessalonians 2:13-15 tells us that this tradition is the gospel, which was taught by the apostles in both written form and verbal form. (II Corinthians 10:7-11 illustrates that what they said they also wrote, and the other way around. It wasn't two separate teachings, but the same things taught two ways.) We see in II Thessalonians 3:6-12 that this tradition taught by Christ and the apostles involved the manner of life in which we are to live. I Thessalonians 4:1-8 and I Corinthians 11:23 show us that what the apostles taught was not separate of what the Lord taught, nor was it of their own creation. Rather, they taught the traditions which they were commanded to teach by God. They were fulfilling the commandment given to them by Christ in Matthew 28:18-20:
And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
For this reason, we accept what the apostles wrote and taught regarding the Lord's will. It is not a matter of “This is just what Paul thought,” or “Well, that's just Peter's view of it.” Their instruction comes from the Lord.

Next we note that some things are indifferent to the Lord. There are some things (but not everything!) in which we have some freedom and liberty to do as we choose. For example, there is no verse in scripture which tells us what color to paint our walls or carpet our floors. There are some things which are left up to us. And occasionally, we form traditions we follow around these sorts of things. These traditions are things which man originated, but which we do not force on others. Often these are a matter of convenience (for example, we assemble at 9:45 on Sunday mornings because that is a convenient time, as opposed to a different time each week.) Romans 14:1-13 deals with these things. At the same time, we must remember I Peter 2:13-17 and not misuse our liberty. We must remember that Christ, and His will, always comes first.

Next, we turn our eyes to tradition which God finds displeasing in the extreme. When man originates something and then makes it binding on others, it is an evil tradition. This generally takes two forms. One is replacing one of God's traditions with a man-made tradition. The other is adding a man-made tradition to God's tradition. In Matthew 15:1-13, Christ expressly condemns this sort of tradition. In Galatians 1:13-17, Paul writes of the religious traditions he followed earlier in his life, which caused him to persecute the church. Colossians 2:8-10 warns against being cheated by man by traditions. Titus 1:10-16 warns against following fables and commandments of men. I Peter 1:13-21 addresses aimless conduct taught by tradition. We must be careful not to add or replace any part of what God has said in the scriptures. When we do so, we oppose Christ. Likewise, we must careful not to adhere to such man-made doctrines, lest we lose our soul.

The last sort of tradition is also one that is evil. It occurs when God has established something, and decreed that man should follow in it, yet men obey only our of rote habit, and not out of devotion fervent obedience to God. This was a problem in the days of Isaiah, as shown in Isaiah 29:13-14 and Isaiah 1:11-20. The people at that time were keeping the laws given to them by God. But they held no meaning for the people. They simply followed them by habit and without thought. We must be careful to never follow God in such a way! Indeed, the Bible teaches that He finds such obedience to be just as repugnant as disobedience.

Let us follow the traditions as given to us in the scriptures by God! Let us turn away from such man-made doctrines as imperil our soul. Let us strive to follow the Lord wholeheartedly.