Tradition And Commandments

(Kent Heaton)

The importance of washing the hands before eating is impressed upon the minds of many children as they grow up. It is a healthy exercise that will keep down the possibility of germs infecting the body. While this has been found to be a most wholesome pattern to teach our children, the Jews of Jesus' day had taken hand washing to a higher level of requirement.

"Then the Pharisees and some of the scribes came together to Him, having come from Jerusalem. Now when they saw some of His disciples eat bread with defiled, that is, with unwashed hands, they found fault. For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands in a special way, holding the tradition of the elders. When they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other things which they have received and hold, like the washing of cups, pitchers, copper vessels, and couches. Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, 'Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?'" (Mark 7:1-5)

The washing of hands is a good thing to do. Those who came to Jesus made a good and wholesome act into a commandment of God. Traditions are good to have and many societies have different traditions they practice. We have a tradition of celebrating the fourth day of July as a day of independence. This tradition is not held so closely in England as they were the subject of our independence.

Families have traditions they follow that are good and wholesome as a part of their lineage. Traditions are those stories handed down from generation to generation as long-established customs. Many of these traditions have the same effect as the unwritten law. The trouble with tradition is only when it seeks to lay aside the commandment of God.

What the Jews had done in Jesus' day was to establish traditions handed down by their forefathers and imposed them as the law of God. Jesus goes directly to the heart of the problem with traditions and the law of God. "And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men -- the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do. And He said to them, 'All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.'" (Mark 7:7-9)

Jesus condemned the Jews for teaching their traditions as "doctrine." Taking a custom established by men and imposing this as "doctrine" is the same as "laying aside the commandment of God." Traditions that are viewed in relationship with God's will make the word of God of no effect. Man cannot dictate where God has not!

Traditions are much like the idea we hear when someone says, "That is the way we have always done it." While the action itself is a good thing, to suggest that it is the will of God is vain. An illustration of this would be the services conducted on the first day of the week.

For over four decades, I have practiced going to a Bible class on Sunday morning followed by an hour of worship. During the evening another hour of worship would be conducted. The command to assemble on the first day of the week is clear. (Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 16:1,2; Hebrews 10:25-31) The frequency of assembling on the first day of the week is in the mind of man.

At some time in our history, men began meeting for three hours on Sunday. We still follow that pattern - a tradition. The tradition is good and works for the needs of the brethren. However, if the local church decided to meet at 2:00pm for two hours of worship - and that is all the service on the first day of the week - it falls within the will of God as acceptable. If the local congregation decided to meet four times on Sunday, again it would fall within the will of God as acceptable.

The number of times we meet on Sunday is based upon tradition. The necessity to meet on the first day of the week is a command of God. If we impose a three hour time frame on Sunday as "sound doctrine," we have set aside the law of God to impose our own law.

In every aspect of our lives as Christians, we must be careful to establish all things upon the word of God. Many times traditions fall into play and find themselves a part of our lives. As long as the tradition does not set aside or change the law of God, it is acceptable.

Traditions are helpful to establish continuity. A pattern of how to fulfill the will of God is needed and traditions can give a sense of direction in how to carry out that command. We are commanded to sing and so we do in our worship. The tradition may call for two songs, a prayer, another song, the Supper, a time for giving, another song followed by the sermon with a song of invitation to conclude the service.

The command to sing is fulfilled in the tradition. If the worship service had one song or ten songs (which may break a tradition), it is still acceptable to God. The command must be fulfilled and the tradition must not set aside the law.

In our daily lives we have the command to pray. If we pray four times a day or twenty times a day, it may be based upon our own tradition or practice. To impose a number of times required to pray is to set aside the law of God.

The apostle Paul exhorted the brethren at Colosse to not allow anyone to deceive them into practicing things according to the tradition of men. "Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ." (Colossians 2:8) The danger is to appeal to human traditions over the word of God.

Traditions must be viewed in relationship to God's will. The actions we take as a collective body and as individuals must be tempered by the will of God and not by the traditions of men. To follow in a pattern held for many years is not destructive unless the tradition becomes established law.

"Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, and not holding fast to the Head, from whom all the body, nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, grows with the increase that is from God. Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations -- Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle, which all concern things which perish with the using-- according to the commandments and doctrines of men? These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh." (Colossians 2:18-23)

The comparison of traditions and the commandments of God is found in holding fast to the Head - Jesus Christ. Our reward can be lost when we make the word of God of no effect with man-made traditions bound as the law of God. "If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth." (Colossians 3:1,2)

Jesus reminded the multitudes in Mark 7 that "There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are the things that defile a man. If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!" (Mark 7:15,16) The heart must be right before God in true worship. Those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and truth. (John 4:23)