The RICHES OF
GRACE
hath appeared to all men. Titus 2:11
Robert
W. Reed
December
2017
Traditions
"Therefore,
brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught,
whether by word, or our epistle." II
Thessalonians 2:15
+ Biblical
Traditions +
What does
the word Traditions bring to mind for most people? We mostly think of
religious traditions, whether good or bad. There are also cultural or family
traditions, which can be good or bad. There are traditions we must reject, and
there are traditions we must embrace. Again, my goal is to look at Biblical Traditions,
in which we are to believe and practice, in contrast to unbiblical traditions,
in which, we are to abhor. May we who are Christians know the difference
between Holy Traditions and unholy traditions. Our
desire should be to please God in all things. Amen.
"Now we command you, brethren, in the name of
our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that
walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us." II Thessalonians 3:6
This
article will consider the meaning of the word Traditions, and the traditions of
men, and the Apostolic Traditions.
The Meaning of the Word Traditions
The word traditions
can refer to a teaching whether good or bad. It occurs fourteen times in the
New Testament. It does not appear once in the Old Testament. The Lord Jesus
uses the word eight times in a negative way. The Apostle Paul used the word
five times, both in a negative and positive way, and Peter uses it once in a
negative way. The first use of the word is by our Lord Jesus in Matthew
15:2-3, "Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the
elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread. But he answered and
said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your
tradition?" The word tradition
is used in the sense of a teaching that is handed down or delivered from one
person or a group to another, whether it is bad or good. The Latin root of this
word is trado (to deliver). Trado is the act of delivering into the hands of
another. It is a teaching or practice given over to someone else.
In I Corinthians
11:2, the same Greek word paradosis is translated ordinances. This is
apostolic ordinances to be kept and observed, for it is the transmission of
God's law. The context of I Corinthians 11 is speaking of worship. In verses
3-16 is the issue of praying or prophesying, that is, conduct in modesty,
and verses 17-34, the issue is the Lord's Supper, that is, conduct
in charity. In verses 2 and 23, the apostle speaks of the ordinances which he delivered to the church. He is speaking
of the instruction he gave them, which were the commandments of God. To
disregard them is to ignore God Himself.
The word ordinance is used in many other places in Holy Scripture
(Luke 1:6; Psalm 99:6-7; Malachi 3:7; Exodus 12:14, 24). The Lord God
takes great pleasure in those who keep His ordinances.
The Traditions of Men
The traditions of men
are any teaching of man that is placed on the same level of authority as the
Word of God. In Matthew 7:1-9,
the Lord Jesus rebukes the Scribes and Pharisees who transgressed the commandments
of God by keeping the tradition of men. In Galatians 1:24, before Paul's
conversion, he was zealous of the traditions of his fathers. In Colossians
2:8, the traditions of men is used in a broader sense that includes all
human teachings and not just the Jewish traditions. The context of verses 8-10
warns us of the doctrines of men. In I Peter 1:18, we see the vain
conversation received by the fathers, "Forasmuch as ye know that ye
were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain
conversation received by tradition from your fathers."
The Apostolic Traditions
Apostolic
traditions are divine revelations given to the apostles and handed down to the
church to be cherished. The church that holds Biblical traditions today is held
in contempt, as old-fashioned, out of date, and needs to catch up with the
times. Some may refer to it as a traditional church.
In II Thessalonians
2:15, the word traditions (plural) refers to Christian Doctrine in
general whereby we are saved, "Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and
hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our
epistle." According to verses 1-2, the church had been taught
some bad doctrine about the coming of Christ, and the apostle corrects it and
confronts the believers. In verses 12-17, there is one final charge
given about apostasy. In verse 15, they are told to stand fast and hold
the traditions which they had been taught. The word hold
has the idea of to guard, keep, secure, or cling to. Again, these traditions
refer to Christian Doctrine that is to be embraced and kept by every believer.
May we love and hold dear the traditions of God given to us in Holy Scriptures.
In II Thessalonians
3:6, the word tradition speaks of our practice, conduct or behavior,
"Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not
after the tradition which he received of us." According to verses
4-15, some were not working for their daily bread. We do not know why they
were not working unless they thought the Lord was returning soon for verse
10 says, "For even when we were with you, this we commanded you,
that if any would not work, neither should he eat." Again, the
instructions here are for our daily conduct as Christians.
Biblical
traditions, whether doctrine or practice, are to be embraced and cherished by
the believer. In Jude 1-3, we are told to keep the faith once
delivered to the saints, "Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and
brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved
in Jesus Christ, and called: Mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be
multiplied. Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common
salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye
should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the
saints." In Acts 2:42, we are
to continue in the apostles doctrine, "And they continued stedfastly
in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in
prayers." And according to I Corinthians 16:13 we are to stand
fast in the faith, and Ephesians 6:14 says we are to stand with our
loins girt with the truth. II Timothy 1:13 tells us that we are to hold
fast to sound doctrine and in II Timothy 4:3, we are given the warning
that the time will come when some will not endure sound doctrine. The doctrine
of Christ is to be believed and obeyed.
Conclusion
Sacred traditions are
things handed down by the Lord through the apostolic preaching and writing. It
is the body of doctrinal truth based on the authority of God's Word. Jesus
Christ is the Chief Cornerstone. Let us build upon that foundation (Ephesians
2:19-22). The Bible speaks of timeless apostolic traditions. Please
understand that obedience, holiness, and standards are not legalism. There are
no non-essentials in the Word of God. There is no unnecessary doctrine.
Biblical traditions are to be kept, loved, and guarded. May this be our heart's
desire. Amen.
"Now I
praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the
ordinances, as I delivered them to you." I Corinthians 11:2
"And they
said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy
house." Acts 16:31
December 2017
Victory Baptist
Church
Pastor Robert W. Reed
14473 Bellingrath Road
P.O. Box 257
Coden, Alabama 36523