31 Bible Verses about Traditions

It was the custom for the seller to take off his sandal and give to the buyer to settle a sale or exchange of property. By doing this, Israelites showed that the matter was settled.

Then Jeremiah chanted a lament for Josiah. All the male and female singers speak about Josiah in their lamentations (dirges) to this day. They made them an ordinance in Israel. They are also written in the Lamentations.

Groan silently; make no mourning for the dead. Bind on your turban and put your shoes on your feet. Do not cover your mustache and do not eat the bread of men.

(For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, do not eat until they wash their hands. They practice the tradition of the elders.) When they come from the marketplace they wash themselves before they eat. They follow many other rules. They wash their cups, and brass pots, and other vessels.

When he was twelve years old they went to the feast of the Passover, as was their custom.

They prepared the body of Jesus for burial. They bound it in linen cloths with spices. This was the custom of the Jews.

Now I praise you, brothers, because you remember me in all things, and carefully follow the teachings (precepts) (doctrine) just as I delivered them to you.

Prove all things; hold fast to what is good.

What you have heard from me through many witnesses entrust to faithful people who will be able to teach others as well.

Be on your guard! Make sure you do not forget, as long as you live, what you have seen with your own eyes. Teach them to your children and your grandchildren. Do you remember the day you stood in the presence of Jehovah your God at Mount Sinai (Horeb)? He said to me: 'assemble the people. I want them to hear what I have to say, so that they will learn to obey me as long as they live. Then they will teach their children to do the same.'

These words that I command you this day must be in your heart. Carefully teach them to your sons. Talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way. Speak about them when you lie down, and when you rise up.

Teach them to your children! Talk about them in your home and away. Speak of them when you lie down or get up.

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

You are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets. Christ Jesus is the chief corner stone.

So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the precepts (Greek: paradosis: traditions of doctrines, teachings handed down) you were taught by word of mouth or by letter from us.

Our friends, we command you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to keep away from all believers who walk disorderly and who do not follow the instructions that we gave them.

His answer to them was in the form of a question: Why do you go against the word of God in favor of your tradition? God said, 'Honor your father and mother.' 'He who says evil of father or mother will be put to death.' You teach that a man should tell his father or mother that what he has that could help them, is given to God.read more.
You say there is no need for him to give honor to his father. You have invalidated the word of God because of your tradition!

You totally reject the commandment of God that you may keep your tradition. Moses said: 'Honor your father and your mother. He also said: 'He that speaks evil of father or mother must die.' But you say: 'If a man says to his father or his mother that which would benefit you is a gift to God,read more.
he no longer has to do anything for his father or mother.' You make the word of God invalid by your tradition.

See to it that no one enslaves you by means of philosophy and worthless deceit of human wisdom according to tradition of men. It is according to the elementary principles of the world, and not from Christ.

The statutes of Omri and the works of the house of Ahab are observed. You walk in their counsels. I will make you desolation! The inhabitants will be hissed. You will bear the reproach of my people.

If you died with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to ordinances: Do not handle. Do not taste. Do not touch. These are 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 giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men who turn away from the truth.

John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. They came to him and asked: Why do John's disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast but your disciples do not? Jesus replied: Will the friends of a newly married man practice fasting while he is with them? As long as they have him with them they will not go without food. But the days will come when the husband will be taken away from them. Then they will fast.read more.
No man puts a patch of new cloth on an old coat. The new, by pulling away from the old, makes a worse hole. No man puts new wine into old wineskins. The skins will burst and the wine and the skins will be wasted. New wine has to be put into new wine skins.

The disciples of John asked: Why do your disciples not fast? They frequently fasted, and so did the Pharisees. Jesus replied: Should the wedding guests mourn and also celebrate with the groom? The days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them. Then they will fast. Why patch an old garment with cloth that has not been shrunk? The patch shrinks and pulls away from the old cloth leaving a big hole.read more.
Neither do men put new wine in old wineskins. The skins burst and the wine is lost. They put new wine in fresh wineskins, and both are preserved.

They said: The disciples of John fast often and make supplications. So do the disciples of the Pharisees. But yours eat and drink. Jesus replied: Could you make the sons of the bride-chamber fast while the bridegroom is with them? The days will come and when the bridegroom will be taken away from them. Then they will fast.read more.
He told an illustration to them: No one takes a piece of cloth from a new garment and puts it on an old garment. Otherwise he will tear the new. Also the new will not match the old. No one puts new wine in old wine skins. The new wine will burst the old skins and spill the wine. But new wine must be put into fresh wine skins. After drinking old wine no one desires the new for the old is better.

Know that you were redeemed from your futile way of life inherited from your fathers. [The redemption] was not with corruptible things like silver or gold, but with precious blood, as of a lamb without spot, even the blood of Christ.

They questioned him: Why do your disciples go against the teaching of the fathers? They eat food with unwashed hands.

The Pharisees and the scribes asked: Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders. Instead they eat their bread with defiled hands?

When Cephas came to Antioch, I openly resisted him because he was completely wrong. He ate with the people of the nations until some men James sent arrived. When they arrived, he drew back and separated himself. He feared those who were of the circumcised people. The rest of the Jews were hypocrites with him, so much that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy.read more.
I saw that they did not walk uprightly according to the truth of the good news. Therefore I said to Cephas, in front of them all: If you, being a Jew, live as the nations do and not as the Jews, why do you compel the people of the nations to live like the Jews? We are Jews by birth, and not sinners from the nations. Yet we know that a man is not righteous by the works of the law, but through faith in Jesus Christ. We believed on Christ Jesus, that we might be righteous by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the law. The works of the law justify no one.

Now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how is it that you turn back again to the weak and poor fundamental things? Do you want to slave for them all over again? You observe days and months, seasons and years. I fear for you, that I have labored for you to no purpose (and failed).