Reference: Tradition
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Col 2:8; Tit 1:14, a doctrine, sentiment, or custom not found in the Bible, but transmitted orally from generation to generation from some presumed inspired authority. In patriarchal times, much that was valuable and obligatory was thus preserved. But tradition has long been superseded by the successive and completed revelations of God's will which form the inspired Scriptures, the only perfect and sufficient rule of belief and practice. With this, even before the time of the Savior, Isa 8:20, all traditions were to be compared, as being of no value if they conflicted with it, added to it, or took from it, Re 22:19. The Jews had numerous unwritten traditions, which they affirmed to have been delivered to Moses on Mount Sinai, and by him transmitted to Joshua, the judges, and the prophets. After their wars with the Romans under Adrian and Severus, in view of their increasing dispersion over the earth, the Jews desired to secure their traditions by committing them to writing. Accordingly Rabbi Judah "the Holy," composed the Mishna, or second law, the most ancient collection of the Hebrew traditions, about A. D. 190-220. To this text two commentaries were afterwards added: the Gemara of Jerusalem, probably about A. D. 370; and the Gemara of Babylon, A. D. 500; forming, with the Mishna, the Talmud of Jerusalem and that of Babylon. The contents of these voluminous works poorly remunerate the student of the laborious task of reading them. Our Savior severely censured the adherents of such legendary follies in his own day, and reproached them with preferring the traditions of the elders to the law of God itself, and superstitiously adhering to vain observances while they neglected the most important duties, Mt 15:1-20; Mr 7:1-13. The traditions of the Romish church, with less apology than the ancient Jews had before the New Testament was written, are still more in conflict with the word of God, and still more deserving of the Savior's condemnation.
In 2Th 2:15; 3:6, "tradition" means inspired instructions from the lips of those who received them from God, and were authorized to dispense them in his name. These apostolic sayings were obligatory only on those who received them as inspired directly from the apostles. Had any of them come down to our times, the only means of endorsing them must be by showing their agreement with the word of God, since inspiration and miracles have ceased.
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Then the scribes and Pharisees, who are from Jerusalem, come to Jesus, saying, Wherefore do thy disciples transgress the traditions of the elders? for they do not wash their hands when they eat bread. read more. And responding He said to them; Wherefore do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? For God commanded saying, Honor thy father and mother: and, He that speaketh evil of father or mother, let him die with death. But you say, Whosoever may say to father or mother, It is a gift, whatsoever you may be profited by me; and he shall no longer honor his father or his mother. You made void the commandment of God by your tradition. Ye hypocrites, beautifully did Isaiah prophesy concerning you, saying, This people honor me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. But in vain they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men. And calling the multitude to Him, He said to them, Hear and understand: That if which cometh into the mouth does not defile the man; but that which cometh out from the mouth, that defiles the man. Then His disciples having come to Him say, Do you not know that the Pharisees hearing your word, were offended? And He responding said, Every plant which my heavenly Father did not plant, shall be rooted up. Let them alone: the blind are leaders of the blind: if the blind may lead the blind, both will fall into the ditch. Peter responding said to Him, Explain unto us the parable. And Jesus said, Are you indeed still without understanding? Do you know that everything entering into the mouth goes into the stomach, and is cast out into excrement? But those things going out from the mouth come forth from the heart; and these pollute the man. For out of the heart proceed evil reasonings, murders, fornications, adulteries, thefts, false testimonies, blasphemies. These are the things which defile the man: but to eat bread with unwashed hands does not defile the man.
And the Pharisees and certain ones of the scribes, having come from Jerusalem, gather to Him. And seeing certain ones of His disciples eating bread with defiled, that is, unwashed hands. read more. For the Pharisees and all the Jews, unless they diligently wash their hands, do not eat, holding the tradition of the elders. And from the forum, unless they may baptize themselves, they do not eat: and many other things which they have received to hold, the baptism of cups, and pots, and brazen vessels, and couches. Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, Wherefore do not thy disciples walk according to the tradition of the elders: but they eat bread with unwashed hands? And responding He said to them, Beautifully did Isaiah prophesy concerning you hypocrites, as has been written, This people honor me with lips, but their heart is far from me. In vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For having left the commandment of God, you are holding the tradition of men. And He said to them, Truly, you make void the commandment of God, that you may hold your own tradition. For Moses said, Honor thy father and thy mother; and let the one speaking evil of father and mother die the death. But you say, If a man may say to father or mother, Corban, that is a gift, whatsoever you may be profited by me; and you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother; making void the word of God by your tradition, which you have given: and you do many such similar things.
See that no one shall be deceiving you through philosophy and empty delusion, according to the tradition of men, according to the elements of the world, and not according to Christ,
Then therefore, brethren, stand, and hold fast the traditions which you have been taught, whether by word, or by our epistle:
And we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw from every brother who walks about disorderly, and not according to the teaching they received from us.
not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men turning away from the truth.
and if any one may take from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take his part from the tree of life, and from the holy city, from the things which are written in this book.
Easton
any kind of teaching, written or spoken, handed down from generation to generation. In Mr 7:3,9,13; Col 2:8, this word refers to the arbitrary interpretations of the Jews. In 2Th 2:15; 3:6, it is used in a good sense. Peter (1Pe 1:18) uses this word with reference to the degenerate Judaism of the "strangers scattered" whom he addresses (comp. Ac 15:10; Mt 15:2-6; Ga 1:14).
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Wherefore do thy disciples transgress the traditions of the elders? for they do not wash their hands when they eat bread. And responding He said to them; Wherefore do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? read more. For God commanded saying, Honor thy father and mother: and, He that speaketh evil of father or mother, let him die with death. But you say, Whosoever may say to father or mother, It is a gift, whatsoever you may be profited by me; and he shall no longer honor his father or his mother. You made void the commandment of God by your tradition.
For the Pharisees and all the Jews, unless they diligently wash their hands, do not eat, holding the tradition of the elders.
And He said to them, Truly, you make void the commandment of God, that you may hold your own tradition.
making void the word of God by your tradition, which you have given: and you do many such similar things.
Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke on the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?
and I was prominent in Judaism above many comrades in my race, being exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers.
See that no one shall be deceiving you through philosophy and empty delusion, according to the tradition of men, according to the elements of the world, and not according to Christ,
Then therefore, brethren, stand, and hold fast the traditions which you have been taught, whether by word, or by our epistle:
And we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw from every brother who walks about disorderly, and not according to the teaching they received from us.
knowing that you have been redeemed from your depraved character transmitted from your ancestors, not by corruptible things, silver or gold,
Fausets
Greek paradosis, instructions "delivered" (1Co 15:3) as inspired, whether orally or in writing, by the apostles (2Th 2:15; 3:6,10). The only oral tradition designed by God to be obligatory on the church in all ages was soon committed to writing in the apostolic age, and recognized as inspired by the churches then having the gift of discerning spirits. Only in three passages (1Co 11:2 margin; 2Th 2:15; 3:6) has tradition a good sense; in ten a bad sense, man's uninspired tradition (Mt 15:2-3,6; Mr 7:3,5,8-9,13; Ga 1:14; Col 2:8). Jesus charges the Jews with "making the commandment of God of none effect through your tradition." Hilary the deacon says, "a surfeit to carnal sense is human tradition."
Tradition clogs heavenly perceptions. Paradosis is one of the only two nouns in 2,000 in the Greek Testament which numerically equals 666, the mark of the beast (Re 13:18). Tradition is the grand corrupter of doctrine, as "wealth" (euporia; Ac 19:25, the other equivalent of 666) is of practice. Only those words of the apostles for which they claim inspiration (their words afterward embodied in canonical writing) are inspired, not their every spoken word, e.g. Peter's dissimulation (Ga 2:11-14). Oral inspiration was needed until the canon of the written word was completed. The apostles' and evangelists' inspiration is attested by their miracles; their New Testament Scriptures had the additional test without which even miracles would be inconclusive (De 13:1-6), accordance with the existing Old Testament revelation (Ac 17:11).
When the canon was complete the infallibility was transferred from living men's inspired sayings to the written word, now the sole unerring guide, interpreted by the Holy Spirit; comparison of Scripture with Scripture being the best commentary (1Co 2:12-16; 1Jo 2:20,27; Joh 1:33; 3:34; 15:26; 16:13-14). The most ancient and universal tradition is the all-sufficiency of Scripture for salvation, "that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works" (2Ti 3:15-17). The apostles never appeal to human tradition, always to Scripture (Ac 15:2,15-17; 17:11; 24:14; 1Co 15:3-4). If tradition must be followed, then we ought to follow that oldest tradition which casts away all tradition not in, or provable by, Scripture.
We receive the Christian Lord's day and infant baptism not on the inherent authority of the fathers, but on their testimony as witnesses of facts which give force to the infiltrations of Scripture. Tradition can authenticate a fact, but not establish a doctrine. Paul's tradition in 2Th 2:15 is inspired, and only continued oral in part until the Scripture canon was completed by John; altogether different from Rome's supplementary oral tradition professing to complete the word which is complete, and which we are forbidden to add to, on penalty of God's plagues written therein (Re 22:18). By adding human tradition Rome becomes parent of antichrist. How remarkable it is that from this very chapter (2Th 2:15), denouncing antichrist, she draws her argument for tradition which fosters antichristianity. Because the apostles' oral word, whenever they claim inspiration, was as trustworthy as the written word, it does not follow that the oral word of those neither apostles nor inspired is as trustworthy as the written word of those who were apostles or inspired.
No tradition of the apostles except their written word can be proved genuine on certain evidence. The danger of even a genuine oral tradition (which scarcely any of the so-called traditions are) is illustrated in the "saying" that went abroad among the brethren that John should not die, though Jesus had not said this, but "if I will that he tarry until I come, what is that to thee?" (Joh 21:22-23). We are no more bound to accept the fathers' interpretation (which by the way is the reverse of unanimous; but even suppose it were so) of Scripture, because we accept the New Testament canon on their testimony, than to accept the Jews' interpretation of the Old Testament because we accept the Old Testament canon on their testimony; if we were, we should be as bound to reject Jesus, with the Jews, as to reject primitive Scripture Christianity with the apostate church.
See the Church of England Articles 6, 8, 20, 22-34, on the due and the undue place of tradition in the church. What were once universal traditions (e.g. the epistles for centuries ascribed to 11 popes, from Anacletus, A.D. 101, to Victor I, A.D. 192, now universally admitted to be spurious) are no longer so regarded. Whately likened tradition to the Russian game a number sit in a circle, the first reads a short story in the ear of his next neighbour, he repeats it orally to the next, and so on; the last writes it as it, reaches him; the amusement is, when read and compared with the original story it is found wholly metamorphosed, and hardly recognizable as the same story.
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Wherefore do thy disciples transgress the traditions of the elders? for they do not wash their hands when they eat bread. And responding He said to them; Wherefore do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition?
You made void the commandment of God by your tradition.
For the Pharisees and all the Jews, unless they diligently wash their hands, do not eat, holding the tradition of the elders.
Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, Wherefore do not thy disciples walk according to the tradition of the elders: but they eat bread with unwashed hands?
For having left the commandment of God, you are holding the tradition of men. And He said to them, Truly, you make void the commandment of God, that you may hold your own tradition.
making void the word of God by your tradition, which you have given: and you do many such similar things.
And I did not know Him, but the One having sent me to baptize with water, He said to me, On whom you may see the Spirit descending and remaining on Him, He is the one baptizing with the Holy Ghost.
For whom God sent speaketh the words of God: for He does not give His spirit by measure.
When the Comforter, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, may come, He will witness concerning me,
But when He, the Spirit of truth, may come, He will guide you in all truth: for He will not speak from Himself; but so many things as He hears, He will speak: and will proclaim to you the things which are coming. He will glorify me: because He will receive from mine, and proclaim them unto you.
And Jesus says to him, If I wish him to tarry until I come, what is that to thee? Then that word went out to the brethren that that disciple does not die. And Jesus did not say to him, that he does not die; but, If I wish him to tarry until I come.
And there being no small contention and disputation to Paul and Barnabas against them, they delegated Paul and Barnabas, and certain others of them, to go up to the apostles and elders in Jerusalem concerning this question.
And to this corresponds the words of the prophet; as has been written, After these things I will return, and will build again the throne of David, which has fallen down; and will build again the ruins of the same, and will set it up again: read more. in order that the residue of men may seek out the Lord, even all the Gentiles, on whom my name has been called upon them, says the Lord, who doeth these things
but these were more noble than those in Thessalonica, who received the word with all enthusiasm, searching the scriptures daily, if these things are so.
but these were more noble than those in Thessalonica, who received the word with all enthusiasm, searching the scriptures daily, if these things are so.
whom having assembled and the laborers about such things, he said, Men, you know that it is from this work that prosperity is to us:
But I confess this to you, that according to the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of our fathers, believing all things which have been written in the law and in the prophets:
But we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God; in order that we may know the things which have been graciously given unto us from God. Which things indeed we speak, not in the teachable words of human wisdom, but in the teachable words of the Spirit, expounding spiritual things to spiritual people. read more. But the intellectual man receives not the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness unto him; and he is not able to know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But the spiritual man discerns all things, and is himself discerned by no one. For who knows the mind of the Lord, who shall give him counsel? But we have the mind of Christ.
But I praise you because you remember me in all things, and hold fast the commandments, as I delivered them unto you.
For I delivered unto you in the first place that which I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
and I was prominent in Judaism above many comrades in my race, being exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers.
And when Cephas came into Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to blame. For before certain ones came from James, he was eating along with the Gentiles: but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision. read more. And the rest of the Jews also reciprocated with him; so that even Barnabas was led away by their dissimulation. But when I saw that they are not walking uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in the presence of all, If you being a Jew are living like the Gentiles and not like the Jews, how do you compel the Gentiles to judaize?
See that no one shall be deceiving you through philosophy and empty delusion, according to the tradition of men, according to the elements of the world, and not according to Christ,
Then therefore, brethren, stand, and hold fast the traditions which you have been taught, whether by word, or by our epistle:
Then therefore, brethren, stand, and hold fast the traditions which you have been taught, whether by word, or by our epistle:
Then therefore, brethren, stand, and hold fast the traditions which you have been taught, whether by word, or by our epistle:
Then therefore, brethren, stand, and hold fast the traditions which you have been taught, whether by word, or by our epistle:
And we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw from every brother who walks about disorderly, and not according to the teaching they received from us.
And we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw from every brother who walks about disorderly, and not according to the teaching they received from us.
For indeed when we were with you, we proclaimed this to you, that if any one does not wish to work, let him not eat.
and that from an infant thou hast known the holy scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is God-breathed and profitable unto teaching, unto conviction, unto correction, unto instruction which is in righteousness: read more. in order that the man of God may be perfect, having been thoroughly perfected unto every good work.
Here is wisdom. Let the one having understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man. And his is, Six hundred and sixty-six.
I testify to every one hearing the words of the prophecy of this book. If any one may add to these things, God will add unto him the plagues which are written in this book:
Hastings
Morish
?????????. This may be described as that which is handed down as oral teaching. It may be from God, as in 2Th 2:15; 3:6; and 1Co 11:2 (where it is translated 'ordinance'), instruction handed down before the word of God was complete. Or it may be from man, as was the tradition of the elders of Israel, which was strongly denounced by the Lord, and declared to be a subverting of the commandments of God. Mt 15:2-6; Mr 7:3-13; Ga 1:14. In Col 2:8 it is the mere teaching of the moralists, of which much has survived to the present day. What man institutes, man holds to most tenaciously.
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Wherefore do thy disciples transgress the traditions of the elders? for they do not wash their hands when they eat bread. And responding He said to them; Wherefore do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? read more. For God commanded saying, Honor thy father and mother: and, He that speaketh evil of father or mother, let him die with death. But you say, Whosoever may say to father or mother, It is a gift, whatsoever you may be profited by me; and he shall no longer honor his father or his mother. You made void the commandment of God by your tradition.
For the Pharisees and all the Jews, unless they diligently wash their hands, do not eat, holding the tradition of the elders. And from the forum, unless they may baptize themselves, they do not eat: and many other things which they have received to hold, the baptism of cups, and pots, and brazen vessels, and couches. read more. Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, Wherefore do not thy disciples walk according to the tradition of the elders: but they eat bread with unwashed hands? And responding He said to them, Beautifully did Isaiah prophesy concerning you hypocrites, as has been written, This people honor me with lips, but their heart is far from me. In vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For having left the commandment of God, you are holding the tradition of men. And He said to them, Truly, you make void the commandment of God, that you may hold your own tradition. For Moses said, Honor thy father and thy mother; and let the one speaking evil of father and mother die the death. But you say, If a man may say to father or mother, Corban, that is a gift, whatsoever you may be profited by me; and you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother; making void the word of God by your tradition, which you have given: and you do many such similar things.
But I praise you because you remember me in all things, and hold fast the commandments, as I delivered them unto you.
and I was prominent in Judaism above many comrades in my race, being exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers.
See that no one shall be deceiving you through philosophy and empty delusion, according to the tradition of men, according to the elements of the world, and not according to Christ,
Then therefore, brethren, stand, and hold fast the traditions which you have been taught, whether by word, or by our epistle:
And we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw from every brother who walks about disorderly, and not according to the teaching they received from us.
Watsons
TRADITION. See CABBALA.