31 Bible Verses about Traditions

Now this was the custom in former time in Israel concerning redeeming and concerning exchanging, to confirm all things: a man took off his sandal, and gave it to his neighbor; and this was the way of attestation in Israel.

Jeremiah lamented for Josiah: and all the singing men and singing women spoke of Josiah in their lamentations to this day; and they made them an ordinance in Israel: and behold, they are written in the lamentations.

Sigh, but not aloud, make no mourning for the dead; bind your headdress on you, and put your shoes on your feet, and do not cover your lips, and do not eat men's bread."

(For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, do not eat unless they wash their hands and forearms, holding to the tradition of the elders. They do not eat when they come from the marketplace, unless they wash, and there are many other things, which they have received to hold to: washings of cups, pitchers, copper vessels, and dining couches.)

When he was twelve years old, they went up according to the custom of the feast,

So they took the body of Jesus, and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, according to Jewish burial practice.

Now I praise you, that you remember me in all things, and hold firm the traditions, even as I delivered them to you.

but test all things; hold firmly that which is good.

The things which you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit the same to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.

Only take heed to yourself, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things which your eyes saw, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life; but make them known to your children and your children's children; the day that you stood before the LORD your God in Horeb, when the LORD said to me, "Assemble me the people, and I will make them hear my words, that they may learn to fear me all the days that they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children."

These words, which I command you this day, shall be on your heart; and you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise up.

You shall teach them your children, talking of them, when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise up.

For I received from the Lord that which also I delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night in which he was betrayed took bread.

being built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the chief cornerstone;

So then, brothers, stand firm, and hold the traditions which you were taught by us, whether by word, or by letter.

Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw yourselves from every brother who walks in rebellion, and not after the tradition which they received from us.

And he answered them, "Why do you also disobey the commandment of God because of your tradition? For God said, 'Honor your father and your mother,' and, 'He who speaks evil of father or mother, let him be put to death.' But you say, 'Whoever may tell his father or his mother, "Whatever help you might otherwise have gotten from me is a gift devoted to God,"read more.
he shall not honor his father or mother.' You have made the word of God void because of your tradition.

He said to them, "Full well do you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition. For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother;' and, 'He who speaks evil of father or mother, let him be put to death.' But you say, 'If a man tells his father or his mother, "Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban, that is to say, given to God;"'read more.
then you no longer allow him to do anything for his father or his mother, making void the word of God by your tradition, which you have handed down. You do many things like this."

Be careful that you do not let anyone rob you through his philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the elements of the world, and not after Christ.

For the statutes of Omri are kept, and all the works of the house of Ahab. You walk in their counsels, that I may make you a ruin, and her inhabitants a hissing; And you will bear the reproach of my people."

If you died with Christ from the elements of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to ordinances, "Do not handle, nor taste, nor touch" (all of which perish with use), according to the precepts and doctrines of men?

This testimony is true. For this cause, reprove them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, not paying attention to Jewish myths and commandments of men who turn away from the truth.

And John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting, and they came and asked him, "Why do the disciples of John and those of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?" And Jesus said to them, "Can the groomsmen 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 will be taken away from them, and then will they fast in those days.read more.
No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, or else the patch shrinks and the new tears away from the old, and a worse hole is made. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins, or else the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost, and the skins will be destroyed; but they put new wine into fresh wineskins."

Then John's disciples came to him, saying, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast?" And Jesus said to them, "Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast. And no one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch would tear away from the garment, and a worse hole is made.read more.
Neither do people put new wine into old wineskins, or else the skins would burst, and the wine be spilled, and the skins ruined. No, they put new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved."

They said to him, "The disciples of John often fast and pray, likewise also the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours eat and drink." He said to them, "Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast, while the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them. Then they will fast in those days."read more.
He also told a parable to them. "No one having torn a piece from a new garment puts it on an old garment, or else he will tear the new, and also the piece from the new will not match the old. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins, or else the new wine will burst the skins, and it will be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed. But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins. No man having drunk old wine desires new, for he says, 'The old is good.'"

knowing that you were redeemed, not with corruptible things, with silver or gold, from the useless way of life handed down from your fathers, but with precious blood, as of a faultless and pure lamb, namely Christ;

"Why do your disciples disobey the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread."

The Pharisees and the scribes asked him, "Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat their bread with unwashed hands?"

But when Cephas came to Antioch, I resisted him to his face, because he stood condemned. For before some people came from James, he ate with the Gentiles. But when they came, he drew back and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision. And the rest of the Jewish believers joined him in his hypocrisy; so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy.read more.
But when I saw that they did not walk uprightly according to the truth of the Good News, I said to Cephas before them all, "If you, being a Jew, live as the Gentiles do, and not as the Jews do, how can you compel the Gentiles to live as the Jews do? "We, being Jews by birth, and not Gentile sinners, yet knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, even we believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the law, because no flesh will be justified by the works of the law.

But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, why do you turn back again to the weak and miserable elemental principles, to which you desire to be in bondage all over again? You observe days, months, seasons, and years. I am afraid for you, that I might have wasted my labor for you.