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Tradition

Handed down from generation to generation, tradition is what binds one generation to the next, and connects the current generation to the former. The world of Christianity has its traditions, and for those of us who consider ourselves to be first century apostolic Christians, who reject the traditions of modern Christianity, can it be that we also develop traditions based on our understanding? Jesus warned of confusing tradition with commandments.

Matthew 15:1-9
Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying, Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread. But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death. But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition. Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

Jesus warned that it is possible to develop traditions based on our understanding rather than what is commanded. The common, or traditional, viewpoint is that the scribes and Pharisees deliberately set out to teach commandments that they definitely knew were not what was commanded by God. Could it be that in the efforts of the scribes and Pharisees to teach the scriptures that they taught according to their understanding, and that they considered their understanding to be correct? Believing that our understanding is correct and in complete harmony with God is an attitude displayed by one of the churches of Revelation.

Revelation 3:14-22
And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

The common, or traditional, viewpoint of the Church of the Laodiceans is that they had physical material wealth. Yet the Bible shows they were naked. Could it be that the Church of the Laodiceans were in their own mind spiritually rich and in need of nothing, based on the belief that their understanding of the scriptures was in complete harmony with God? There is one way to be in harmony with God.

Colossians 2:8-10
Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:

It is in Christ we are completed. We are not completed by the traditions of men. We are not even completed by our understanding of the scriptures. It is in Christ we are completed, as we allow ourselves to be led by the Holy Spirit.

All verses are from the King James Version.
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