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| INSPIRED WRITINGS
VERSUS HUMAN TRADITION |
#207
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In today’s world, believers in Christ sometimes disagree
about the standard of authority for the church. Throughout the
years, many ideas and innovations of men have become a part of
our thinking, and even a part of our customs. Whenever these
traditions and doctrines of men have differed from those in the
Bible, religious division has followed. There will always be
some who will stay with the written word as their only standard
of authority. However, others have come to consider human
traditions, accumulated through the years, to be of equal
authority with the Holy Scriptures. Even if human traditions can
be shown to be directly opposed to Scriptural doctrine, many
still maintain its authority -- holding human traditions in
greater regard than the Sacred Writings. Let us examine the
scriptures to see what God has said about this issue.
In the Old Testament story, the “Written Word” played an
important part in the plans of God. When Jehovah gave directives
to Moses which He wanted the people to remember, how did He have
them preserved? He would say, “Write this in a book as a
memorial” (Exodus 17:14); or, “I will give you the stone tablets
with the law and the commandment which I have written for their
instruction” (Exodus 24:12; 34:1). It was important to God that
His covenant with Israel be preserved exactly as He had given
it. He was looking to the future, to a day when Israel would
have a king. Jehovah desired that each king would “read it all
the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his
God, by carefully observing all the words of this law and these
statutes” (Deuteronomy 17:19). Jehovah intended the Sacred
Writings to be a “witness” against Israel (Deuteronomy 31:26),
and that Israel would “Meditate on it day and night,” so that
they would “be careful to do according to all that is written in
it” (Joshua 1:8). Whenever Israel forgot about God’s ways and
drifted into disobedience, King Josiah discovered the “book,”
and used it to turn the nation back to truth (II Chronicles
34:31). The prophesies of Isaiah and Jeremiah and Habakkuk
needed to be remembered, so Jehovah commanded them to record
their inspired words in written form, “that it may serve in the
time to come as a witness forever” (Isaiah 30:8; Jeremiah 25:13;
30:2; 36:2,17-18, 28; Habakkuk 2:2). The words of inspired
messengers of the Old Testament were preserved in writing so
people could REMEMBER the will of God and how He dealt with His
people. Countless times the expression “it is written” was used
to recall the instructions of Jehovah. Paul said, “Whatever was
written in earlier times was written for our instruction, that
through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we
might have hope” (Romans 15:4). And even our Lord Jesus
continually referred to Scripture in His daily teaching and
refuting of the errors of His day.
In fact, Jesus provides our clearest teaching about God’s
view toward man’s traditions. For 1500 years, the children of
Israel had toiled over the Scriptures. They had studied them,
debated them, and written volumes of commentaries about them. As
the centuries rolled by, they seemed to regard the writings of
their rabbis and scholars with equal respect as the original
inspired writings. Some of God’s teachings had been diluted and
many, many additions and innovations had been added to the
“Sacred Writings.” Jesus and His disciples did not regard these
traditions of men and Jesus taught against them (as in Matthew
12:1-12). The gospel writer, Mark, explained some of these
customs in Mark 7:3-4. He said, “For the Pharisees and all the
Jews do not eat unless they carefully wash their hands, thus
observing the traditions of the elders ... and there are many
other things which they have received in order to observe, such
as the washing of cups and pitchers and copper pots.” Jesus was
confronted by these religious leaders. They would say, “Why do
Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders
...?” To this Jesus replied, “Rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you
hypocrites, as it is written, ‘This people honors Me with their
lips, but their heart is far away from Me. But in vain do they
worship Me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.’
Neglecting the commandment of God,” Jesus said, “you hold to the
tradition of men ... you nicely set aside the commandment of God
in order to keep your tradition ... invalidating the word of God
by your tradition which you have handed down ....” (Mark
7:1-13).
Did Jesus believe that traditions of men were of equal
authority with the “Sacred Writings”? Did God desire the Jews in
Jesus’ day to be governed by the writings of the prophets or to
be governed by their traditional interpretation of those
writings? Jesus said that God will not accept our worship if we
observe the traditions of men. He said our worship would be “in
vain”; that is, useless, for nothing, as though it were never
done. Do you think it is possible today for creedal doctrines
and denominational traditions to be different from the teachings
of the apostles? If so, should we continue in those things? Paul
said, “Stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were
taught ... from us” (II Thessalonians 2:15). He said, “... keep
aloof from every brother who leads an unruly life and not
according to the tradition which you received from us” (II
Thessalonians 3:6). He said, “... learn not to exceed what is
written ...” (I Corinthians 4:6). If our goal is to be disciples
of Jesus, then we must abide in His Word (John 8:31). God has
gone to great lengths to confirm and preserve the words of His
New Covenant with mankind. Every generation must be turned back
to “The Book” which defines its terms. If our traditional
doctrines and practices are different from the Scriptures, then
they must be abandoned.
| Bible
Probe |
INSPIRED
WRITINGS VERSUS HUMAN TRADITION |
207
|
1. Throughout the history of the church, whenever traditions
and doctrines of men have differed from those in the Bible,
______________ ______________ has followed.
2. What was Paul’s prescription to keep this from happening? (I
Corinthians 4:6)
3. Did God preserve the laws and writings of Moses through oral
tradition or written words?
(Exodus 17:14; Exodus 24:12; 34:1)
4. How would a written record of Moses’ laws benefit future
kings of Israel? (Deut 17:19)
5. What did King Josiah use to turn the nation back to God’s
truth? (II Chronicles 34:31)
6. Why were the prophecies of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Habakkuk
preserved in written form?
(Isaiah 30:8; Jeremiah 25:13; 30:2; 36:2,17-18,28; Habakkuk
2:2)
7. What did Jesus say about the traditions of men in Mark 7,
verses 8, 9, & 13?
8. Whose traditions did Paul say we should “hold to”? (II
Thessalonians 2:15)
9. What should be our reaction to any “brother” who does not?
(II Thessalonians 3:6)
10. Is it possible today for creedal doctrines and
denominational traditions to differ from those in the inspired
writings?
If so, what should we do about it?
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Your Bible questions answered here.