Traditions of Men

We have reached Mark vii in our Home Fellowship Bible Study. There is actually quite a bit packed into this chapter. You have more on the Pharisees, the idea that what comes out of a man is what defiles him, casting out a demon based on the answer to a question, the Jew-Gentile issue, and healing a man in a yet another different way. The first matter I am concerned with is in verses 5-9:

And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, "Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition (παραδοσιν, paradosin) of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?" And he said to them, "Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, 'This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.' You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men." And he said to them, "You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition!"

Traditions are powerful and deceptive creatures. They are extremely difficult to track down if you are not careful. While we all may carry certain biases and presuppositions, for example, which we bring into an interpretation of Scripture, a tradition is something altogether different. A tradition is a teaching or practice based on "how it's always been." A tradition is passed along over the years, changing little by little. These traditions seep into your theology and make camp. When outsiders try and get rid of the squatters, they hear the dogmatic, "Uh Uh. This is how it is."

Christ gave the Pharisees an example of what they were doing. He said

For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother'; and, 'Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.' But you say, 'If a man tells his father or his mother, Whatever you would have gained from me is Corban' (that is, given to God)-- then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother, thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And many such things you do. (vv. 10-13)

This practice allowed for the money to be used by the giver of the gift--that wonderful follower of God, who gave such a humble and thoughtful gift--and never reach the father or mother in need. This tradition, and a vile one at that, trumped the commandment of God. Over the centuries, as the tradition built up and kept being perpetuated, whether orally or written, later generations simply assumed the authority of the teaching. While a tradition may have started with Scripture--like all myths began with some truth--time and people (who are unwilling to go back and check the origin and validity of the tradition) cause the tradition to get out of control.

There is no difference with what is going on in today's Christendom. Traditions, regardless of the source and how they get there, can dominate our theology and practice. For example, the idea of the rapture of believers before (or during) the tribulation. This "doctrine" was created in the 19th century, but for whatever reason caught on with the majority early on and has become the dominant eschatalogical theory today. Ask a pre-tribber to find the rapture in Scripture and receive empty responses and eisegesis to no end. I used to believe a rapture absolutely because of what I was taught by others. They were taught by others also, and so forth. Another similar example is the altar call or coming forward to pray the sinner's prayer to receive salvation. Again, this is entirely based on tradition, not Scripture.

One of the complaints non-Reformed "apologists" have against Calvinists is in that title: Calvinist. I have heard several arguments from non-Reformed people that include, "They call themselves Calvinists. They choose to follow John Calvin. I will follow Christ. I'm not a Calvinist, or an Arminian. I'm a Christian." What they will say is that we Calvinists are the one's following tradition. Call yourself a Calvinist, you ipso facto follow the traditions of men. Besides the absurdity, this is far too common. What do we Calvinists say? They are the ones following the traditions of men. So, we have a constant battle. Of course I believe the Calvinist side to be correct in this debate, but that could just be my traditions talking for me.

This does not only apply to Roman Catholicism. The RCC openly embraces and instructs the fact that tradition is on par with our Bible as Scripture. Sadly, the majority of Christendom is blind and unwilling to search themselves out, and be rid of squating traditions. It's much easier to learn from a Pastor, especially if they've written a book with a fancy title, and have "Ph.D." after their name. "They know what they're talking about. Look; he even has the Greek and Hebrew!" Traditions are blinding. We need to search the Scriptures, and test everything we see and hear, but only hold on to the good (cf. 1 Thes. v.21; Ac. xvii.11).

Jesus brought the Pharisees face to face with the commandment of God, and held their traditions up to God's light of truth. Their traditions failed; that's the easy part. The hard part is deciding what to do next, when you know your traditions cannot stand by the light of truth.