Reference: Tradition
American
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 But tradition has long been superseded by the successive and completed revelations of God's will which form the inspired Scriptures, the only perfect and sufficient rule of belief and practice.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 came the scribes and Pharisees from Jerusalem, saying, Why do your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders, for they wash not their hands when they eat bread? read more. And he answered and said to them, Why do you transgress the command of God by your tradition? For God said, Honor your father and mother; and he that reviles father or mother, let him surely die. But you say, Whoever says to his father or mother what you might be profited with by me is a gift, then he shall not honor his father or his mother; and you have made the law of God of no effect by your tradition. Hypocrites, well did Isaiah prophecy of you, saying; This people honors me with the lips, but their heart is far from me. But in vain do they worship me, teaching teachings and commandments of men. And having called the multitude, he said, Hear and understand. Not that which enters into the mouth, defiles the man; but that which proceeds out of the mouth that defiles the man. Then the disciples came to him, and said to him, Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this word? And he answered and said, Every plant which my heavenly Father has not planted, shall be rooted up. Let them go; they are blind guides of the blind. But if the blind lead the blind, they will both fall into the pit. And Peter answered and said to him, Explain the parable to us. And he said, Are you so entirely without understanding? Do you not understand that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach, and is cast out on the earth? But the things which proceed from the mouth come from the heart, and these defile the man. For from the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false testimonies, blasphemies: these are the things which defile the man; but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile the man.
AND the Pharisees and some of the scribes having come from Jerusalem came together to him,
1-2 pint measures], and brass vessels, and beds. and seeing some of his disciples eat bread with defiled, that is, unwashed hands, [they found fault]. read more. For the Pharisees and all the Jews eat not unless they wash their hands with the fist, holding the tradition of the elders. And from a market, unless they baptize they eat not; and there are many other [customs] which they have received to hold; baptisms, of cups and sextuses [ And the Pharisees and scribes asked, Why do not your disciples conform to the tradition of the elders; but eat bread with defiled hands? And he said to them, Well did Isaiah prophecy of you, hypocrites, as it is written; This people honors me with the lips, but their heart is far from me; but in vain do they worship me, teaching for teachings the commandments of men; for leaving the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men. And he said to them, Well do you reject the commandment of God, to keep your tradition; for Moses said, Honor your father and your mother, and, He that reviles father or mother, let him surely die. But you say, If a man says to his father or mother, It is a corban, which is a gift, by whatever you might be profited by me, [he shall be free]; and suffer him no longer to do any thing for his father or his mother; making the word of God of no effect by your tradition which you have delivered; and many such things you do.
See that no one leads you off as a prey through philosophy and vain deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the rudiments of the world, and not according to Christ,
Therefore, brothers, stand firm, and hold the traditions which you have been taught, whether by word or by our epistle;
And we charge you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly and not according to the tradition which you received from us.
not attending to Jewish myths, and commandments of men who subvert the truth.
and if any one takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the tree of life, and the holy city, described 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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Why do your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders, for they wash not their hands when they eat bread? And he answered and said to them, Why do you transgress the command of God by your tradition? read more. For God said, Honor your father and mother; and he that reviles father or mother, let him surely die. But you say, Whoever says to his father or mother what you might be profited with by me is a gift, then he shall not honor his father or his mother; and you have made the law of God of no effect by your tradition.
For the Pharisees and all the Jews eat not unless they wash their hands with the fist, holding the tradition of the elders.
And he said to them, Well do you reject the commandment of God, to keep your tradition;
making the word of God of no effect by your tradition which you have delivered; and many such things you do.
Now, therefore, why do you try God, to put on the necks of the disciples a yoke which neither our fathers nor we could bear?
and was a proficient in Judaism beyond many of my age among my people, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers.
See that no one leads you off as a prey through philosophy and vain deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the rudiments of the world, and not according to Christ,
Therefore, brothers, stand firm, and hold the traditions which you have been taught, whether by word or by our epistle;
And we charge you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly and not according to the tradition which you received from us.
knowing that you were not redeemed from your vain mode of life received by tradition from your fathers, with destructible 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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Why do your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders, for they wash not their hands when they eat bread? And he answered and said to them, Why do you transgress the command of God by your tradition?
then he shall not honor his father or his mother; and you have made the law of God of no effect by your tradition.
For the Pharisees and all the Jews eat not unless they wash their hands with the fist, holding the tradition of the elders.
And the Pharisees and scribes asked, Why do not your disciples conform to the tradition of the elders; but eat bread with defiled hands?
for leaving the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men. And he said to them, Well do you reject the commandment of God, to keep your tradition;
making the word of God of no effect by your tradition which you have delivered; and many such things you do.
And I knew him not, but he that sent me to baptize with water, he said to me, On whom you see the Spirit descend and remain on him, this is he that baptizes with the Holy Spirit.
For he whom God has sent speaks the words of God; for God gives not the Spirit by measure.
But when the Comforter has come, whom I will send you from the Father, the Spirit of truth which proceeds from the Father, he shall testify of me;
but when he, the Spirit of truth has come, he will lead you in all the truth; for he will not speak of himself, but he will speak whatever he shall hear, and tell you things to come. He shall glorify me, because he shall receive from me and tell you.
Jesus said to him, If I wish him to continue till I come, what is that to you? follow me. The report then went out among the brothers that this disciple would not die; but Jesus said not to him, He shall not die; but, If I wish him to continue till I come, what is that to you?
There being therefore no little dissension and disputation of Paul and Barnabas with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas and some others of them should go up to the apostles and elders at Jerusalem, concerning this question.
And with this agree the words of the prophets, as it is written, After this will I return and build up the tabernacle of David which had fallen down, and rebuild its ruins, and set it up, read more. that the rest of men may seek the Lord, even all the nations on whom my name has been called, says the Lord who does these things,
but these were more noble than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with all readiness, examining the Scriptures daily [to see] if these things were so.
but these were more noble than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with all readiness, examining the Scriptures daily [to see] if these things were so.
assembling them together and laborers of like employments, said, Men, you know that our prosperity is derived from this employment,
But this I confess to you, that in the way which they call a heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers; believing all things written in the law and the prophets,
And we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God, that we may know the things given us by God, which we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. read more. But the natural man receives not the [things] of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot know them, for they are spiritually discerned. But the spiritual man discerns all things, and is himself perceived by no one. For who has known the mind of the Lord, who shall instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.
I COMMEND you, brothers, that you have remembered all my [instructions], and that you retain the traditions as I delivered them to you.
For I delivered to you at first, what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
and was a proficient in Judaism beyond many of my age among my people, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers.
But when Peter came to Antioch I opposed him to his face, because he was to blame. For before some came from James he eat with the gentiles; but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself; fearing those of the circumcision; read more. and the other Jews also dissembled with him, so that Barnabas was carried away with their dissimulation. But when I saw that they walked not correctly, according to the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter before all, If you being a Jew live after the manner of the gentiles, and not after the manner of the Jews, why do you compel the gentiles to practise Judaism?
See that no one leads you off as a prey through philosophy and vain deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the rudiments of the world, and not according to Christ,
Therefore, brothers, stand firm, and hold the traditions which you have been taught, whether by word or by our epistle;
Therefore, brothers, stand firm, and hold the traditions which you have been taught, whether by word or by our epistle;
Therefore, brothers, stand firm, and hold the traditions which you have been taught, whether by word or by our epistle;
Therefore, brothers, stand firm, and hold the traditions which you have been taught, whether by word or by our epistle;
And we charge you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly and not according to the tradition which you received from us.
And we charge you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly and not according to the tradition which you received from us.
For when we were with you, we gave you this charge, that if any one will not work, neither let him eat.
and that from a child you have known the sacred Scriptures, which can make you wise to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is divinely inspired and is profitable for instruction, for conviction, for correction, for education in righteousnes, read more. that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly fitted for every good work.
Here is wisdom. Let him that has a mind count the number of the beast; for the number is man's. And his number is six hundred and sixty-six.
I testify to every one that hears the words of the prophecy of this book. If any one adds to them, God shall add to him the plagues 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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Why do your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders, for they wash not their hands when they eat bread? And he answered and said to them, Why do you transgress the command of God by your tradition? read more. For God said, Honor your father and mother; and he that reviles father or mother, let him surely die. But you say, Whoever says to his father or mother what you might be profited with by me is a gift, then he shall not honor his father or his mother; and you have made the law of God of no effect by your tradition.
For the Pharisees and all the Jews eat not unless they wash their hands with the fist, holding the tradition of the elders. And from a market, unless they baptize they eat not; and there are many other [customs] which they have received to hold; baptisms, of cups and sextuses [ read more. And the Pharisees and scribes asked, Why do not your disciples conform to the tradition of the elders; but eat bread with defiled hands? And he said to them, Well did Isaiah prophecy of you, hypocrites, as it is written; This people honors me with the lips, but their heart is far from me; but in vain do they worship me, teaching for teachings the commandments of men; for leaving the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men. And he said to them, Well do you reject the commandment of God, to keep your tradition; for Moses said, Honor your father and your mother, and, He that reviles father or mother, let him surely die. But you say, If a man says to his father or mother, It is a corban, which is a gift, by whatever you might be profited by me, [he shall be free]; and suffer him no longer to do any thing for his father or his mother; making the word of God of no effect by your tradition which you have delivered; and many such things you do.
I COMMEND you, brothers, that you have remembered all my [instructions], and that you retain the traditions as I delivered them to you.
and was a proficient in Judaism beyond many of my age among my people, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers.
See that no one leads you off as a prey through philosophy and vain deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the rudiments of the world, and not according to Christ,
Therefore, brothers, stand firm, and hold the traditions which you have been taught, whether by word or by our epistle;
And we charge you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly and not according to the tradition which you received from us.
Watsons
TRADITION. See CABBALA.