Tosheng’s Weblog

We have been looking at what several religious groups teach and last week we began to look at the Roman Catholic Church -

Catholicism and traditions:

The questions we will be asking and trying to answer are:

1. What do traditions have to do with the scriptures
2. When they contradict which one has more authority over our life

The Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 82 states:

“The Church, …, does not derive her certainty about all revealed truths from the holy scriptures alone. Both scripture and Tradition must be accepted and honoured with equal sentiments of devotion and reverence”

So what they are stating that although something is not taught within the bible, if traditions teach it then it is acceptable.

Why no tradition but only the word:

“1 Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, 2 “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat.” 3 He answered them, “And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?”(Matt 15:1-3)

Here the Lord Jesus says why are they breaking the commandment of God because of their traditions, it is evident that when traditions and Gods command conflict then tradition must be put aside, or else we are placing traditions above the command of God.

“3 (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands, holding to the tradition of the elders, 4 and when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other traditions that they observe, such as the washing of cups and pots and copper vessels and dining couches. 5 And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?” 6 And he said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written,“‘This people honors me with their lips,but their heart is far from me;7 in vain do they worship me,teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’8 You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.”9 And he said to them, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition!”(Mk 7:3-9)

This is the same as above but there is more verse 6 and 7 specifically shows that when we put traditions ahead of Gods commands, Gods word, we are worshipping God in vain, if our teachings to men is based upon traditions then our worship is vain, i.e. it is empty it has no profit, it is unacceptable to God, we may point to miracles, we may point to wonders, but if all these are mere traditions then all is mere vanity (Matt. 7:21). Don’t be mesmerized by the way they portray these traditions, Jesus says they had a fine way a fanciful way it seemed logical, it seemed emotional, but because it is mere tradition and not based on the word it should be rejected, for it will only lead to vanity.

“See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.”(Col 2:8)

Here Paul the apostle says don’t be taken captive, i.e. don’t be overcome, don’t be bamboozled into things, don’t allow anyone to trick you to holding unto human traditions that have not Christ as the root or source or as the aim and goal. If Christ is not honoured then the tradition should be discarded. Jesus is meant to be honoured glorified in all we do, He said even when the Spirit comes He will glorify me (Jn 16:14), any tradition that has not its source in Christ is vain.

“So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter.”(II Thess 2:15)

So what of the traditions that Paul spoke about here, first we have not said that traditions are wrong, as long as the traditions does the following

1. It does not contradict Gods word
2. It is according to Christ – i.e. it is to The glory of the Lord Jesus, and it is sourced from the Lord.
3. It is based on Scripture, we don’t want to just proclaim any truth that truth must be based on God’s word.

So to our two questions above, if the tradition does not contradict the word, is from the word and honours Christ then it is fine.