24 Bible Verses about Traditions

For the Pharisees and all the Jews, unless they wash their hands to the wrist, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders. And coming from the market, unless they have washed, they never eat. And there are many other things which they have by tradition received to observe, as the washings of cups, and pots, and vessels of brass, and couches.

And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem, according to the custom of the feast.

Then they took the body, and bound it with swathes together with the aromatics, as the custom is with the Jews to bury.

Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and hold fast the injunctions as I delivered them unto you.

Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.

And the things which thou hast heard of me before many witnesses, these commit to faithful men, who shall be qualified to teach others also.

For I received of the Lord what also I delivered to you, That the Lord Jesus, in the night in which he was betrayed, took a loaf:

built up on the foundation of apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;

Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and firmly hold the injunctions delivered to you, as ye have been taught, whether by our discourse, or by letter.

Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to withdraw yourselves from every brother who walketh disorderly, and not according to the injunction which he hath received from us.

And he answering said to them, And why do you transgress the command of God, by your tradition? For God commanded, saying "Honour thy father and thy mother:" and, He that curseth father or mother, let him surely die. But ye say, If any man declare to his father or mother, This is a [devoted] gift, which else might have been employed by me for thy advantage;read more.
then he shall not with it honour his father and mother: so have ye vacated the command of God by your tradition.

And he said to them, Strangely do ye make void the command of God, that ye may observe your tradition. For Moses said, "Honour thy father and thy mother:" and "he that curseth father or mother, let him assuredly be put to death." But ye affirm, If a man say to his father or mother, it is Corban (that is, a gift), which otherwise might have been advantageous to thee from me;read more.
then ye permit him no more to do any thing for his father, or his mother; abrogating the word of God by the tradition, which ye have transmitted down; and many such like things ye do.

Beware that no man make a prey of you by means of philosophy and vain delusion, after the tradition of men, after the principles of the world, and not after Christ:

If then ye have been dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye dogmatically taught, eat not, nor talk, nor touch, (all which things tend to corruption by abuse) according to the injunctions and doctrines of men?

This testimony is true. For which cause rebuke them with severity, that they may be sound in the faith; not attending to Jewish fables, and injunctions of men, who have turned away from the truth.

And the disciples of John and of the Pharisees kept fasts; and they came and said to him, Wherefore do the disciples of John, and of the Pharisees, fast? but thy disciples keep no fast. And Jesus said to them, Can the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? as long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days.read more.
And no man seweth on a patch of cloth undressed upon an old garment: but if otherwise, the new piece supplied taketh away from the old, and the rent is made worse. And no man putteth new wine into old bottles; but if otherwise, the new wine will burst the bottles, and the wine will be spilt, and the bottles destroyed: but new wine must be put into new bottles.

Then came unto him disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees keep many fasts, but thy disciples fast not? And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber weep, whilst the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then will they fast. But no man ingrafts a patch of undressed cloth into an old garment, for the piece supplied taketh from the garment, and the rent becomes worse.read more.
Nor do they put new wine into old bottles: but if they do, the bottles burst, and the wine is spilt, and the bottles are destroyed: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved.

Then said they unto him, Why do the disciples of John observe frequent fasts, and make prayers; but thine are eating and drinking? And he said unto them, Can you make the children of the bridechamber fast, as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, then shall they fast in those days.read more.
Then he spake a parable unto them, No man putteth a patch of new cloth on an old garment; but if otherwise, both the new makes a rent, and the patch from the new is not of a piece with the old. And no man putteth new wine into old bottles; for if he doth, the new wine will burst the bottles, and it will itself be spilled, and the bottles be destroyed. But new wine should be put into new bottles; then both are preserved. And no man drinking old wine, immediately desires new: for he saith, The old is better.

knowing that ye have not been redeemed out of your vain manner of life, derived traditionally from your fathers, by the corruptible things, silver and gold, but by the precious blood of Christ, as the unblemished and spotless lamb:

Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread?

Then the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, Why do not thy disciples walk conformable to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?

But when Peter came to Antioch I withstood him to his face, because he was blameable. For before certain persons came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles, but when they were come, he withdrew, and separated himself, fearing those of the circumcision. And the other Jews were guilty of the same dissimulation with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy.read more.
But when I saw that they walked not directly according to the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest as the Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to judaize? We who are Jews by descent, and not sinners sprung from Gentiles, knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by faith in Christ, and not by works of the law; because by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

But now after having known God, or rather being known of God, how turn ye back again to those weak and beggarly elements, to which again a second time ye desire to be in bondage? Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. I am afraid for you, lest haply I have bestowed on you labour in vain.