Christian Tradition

Morning Bible Study Lesson

"Jeremiah composed laments for Josiah, and to this day all the men and women singers commemorate Josiah in the laments. These became a tradition in Israel and are written in the Laments." (II Chronicles 35: 25 NIV)

Tradition is defined as:

"an inherited, established, or customary pattern of thought, action, or behavior (as a religious practice or a social custom)" or "body of beliefs or stories relating to the past that are commonly accepted as historical." It involves "the handing down of information, beliefs, and customs by word of mouth or by example from one generation to another without written instruction," and represents "cultural continuity in social attitudes, customs, and institutions."

It is a word closely connected with the word "heritage" and with the word "custom."

Heritage is defined as - "possession, property, inheritance,- property that descends to an heir - something transmitted by or acquired from a predecessor." Heritage is a word closely associated with the word "legacy," which is defined as:

1 : a gift by will especially of money or other personal property :

2 : something transmitted by or received from an ancestor or predecessor or from the past

"Custom" is defined as - "long-established practice considered as unwritten law" and is associated with the word "accustom." A custom is the result of habit or common practice, what people are "used" to. "Common law" is generally based upon custom, or upon what is normal and customary.

"Tradition" does not have to be "oral" to be tradition. Traditions may be codified or they may not be.

Christianity is itself a tradition. Within the Christian tradition are traditions, such as the Catholic or Protestant.

The body of customs and traditions of a group form a part of the group's heritage. Property may be intellectual as well as material, and so a group's beliefs, laws, and institutions are part of its heritage or property.

Thus, within the Christian "tradition" there are long-standing beliefs and practices, most of which have been written or codified into the New Testament. Such practices as weekly or regular meetings, of the rites of baptism and the Lord's Supper, of singing psalms, are part of that ancient tradition. The things that Christians now believe and practice are things that have been believed and practiced for thousands of years and connects them with Christians of primitive times.

"Therefore shall ye keep mine ordinance, that ye commit not any one of these abominable customs, which were committed before you, and that ye defile not yourselves therein: I am the LORD your God." (Leviticus 18: 30 KJV)

Here God seems to set the word "ordinance" over against the word "tradition." His ways or "ordinances," more than mere traditions. Notice also how there are good and bad customs, some customs and traditions being "abominable." To involve oneself in these customs and traditions is to bring him defilement before the Lord and his law. His ordinance gave rise to the practice, to the custom and tradition, and not vice versa.

"You have observed the statutes of Omri and all the practices of Ahab's house, and you have followed their traditions. Therefore I will give you over to ruin and your people to derision; you will bear the scorn of the nations." (Micah 6: 16 NIV)

Here we have mention of some of these specific "abominable customs" which the Lord condemns. The "statutes of Omri" were the supposed written oracles of this god, while the "traditions" of the "house of Ahab" were a sect or discipline within the Omric cult. Here Lord God condemns all pagan traditions and religions, as he does elsewhere. Following the heathenish and pagan customs and traditions of the Gentile nations brings ruin.

"Hear ye the word which the LORD speaketh unto you, O house of Israel: Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them. For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not. They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good." (Jeremiah 10: 1-5 KJV)

Some Christians believe these verses condemn many aspects of Christmas, Easter, and other heathen or pagan "holidays" (or "holy days"). Some feel the Christmas tree is here condemned. They certainly do condemn the Christian participating in pagan ritual and custom and belief.

"Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers." (I Peter 1: 18 NIV)

Sin is a human tradition. It is man's "custom" to sin and to rebel against God and his holy laws. It certainly is something he has been doing regularly and for a long time!

"Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil." (Jeremiah 13: 23 KJV)

"Accustomed" means to be taught, to learn, or to be discipled. It speaks of "habit," that which is part of his daily normal behavior. It is now, in a sense, "normal" for man to sin, although in reality it is an abnormality.

"a wild donkey accustomed to the desert, sniffing the wind in her craving—in her heat who can restrain her?" (Jeremiah 2: 24 NIV)

Again, both the donkey's nature, habit, custom, and wilderness environment, are all "normal" and "customary" to him. So too with depraved and lost souls. They too follow an evil tradition of sin, being "accustomed" to it.

"But not everyone knows this. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat such food they think of it as having been sacrificed to an idol, and since their conscience is weak, it is defiled." (I Corinthians 8: 7 NIV)

Here are people who are "accustomed" to a life of idolatry. It is their custom and tradition to deny the "only Lord God."

"And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law." (Luke 2: 27 KJV)

"And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast." (Luke 2: 42 KJV)

"And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read." (Luke 4: 16 KJV)

Jesus kept Jewish and social customs that were good and acceptable to God and his word. Some of these customs he was obliged to do, in fulfillment of the law, while others were simply a common practice done by choice and without obligation.

"Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don't wash their hands before they eat!" Jesus replied, "And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition?" (Matthew 15: 2, 3 NIV)

"you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition." (Vs. 6)

"(The Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they give their hands a ceremonial washing, holding to the tradition of the elders. When they come from the marketplace they do not eat unless they wash. And they observe many other traditions, such as the washing of cups, pitchers and kettles. So the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus, "Why don't your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders instead of eating their food with 'unclean' hands?" (Mark 7: 3-5 NIV)

Jesus had no reservations about condemning the unprofitable and insidious traditions of men, traditions designed to circumvent obedience to the laws of God. If our customs and traditions "nullify" the word of God, contradicting it, then they are "vain" and "worthless," and such as will bring eternal ruin to the soul that observes them.

"For we have heard him say, that this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place, and shall change the customs which Moses delivered us." (Acts 6: 14 KJV)

To some extent this was true. There was indeed a change of the law, some abolishing of the terms of the Old Covenant, and the instituting of a New Covenant and law. Moses did give customs and begin traditions by the will of God. These Old Covenant customs and traditions were designed to teach the people about God and the way of salvation, and to prepare them for the New Covenant and law of Christ.

"I was advancing in Judaism beyond many Jews of my own age and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers." (Galatians 1: 14 NIV)

Thus Paul speaks of the "traditions" of the patriarchs, some of which were codified in the writings of Moses and others and some of which were the "traditions of men," of the "elders" of Israel, and had no divine authority, and many of which were evil and sinful.

"And brought them to the magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city, And teach customs, which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being Romans. And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them." (Acts 16: 20-22 KJV)

The Christians did teach and observe certain practices, customs, or traditions as part of their religion and service to God, some of which were strictly voluntary with the individual, and others which were divinely commanded by God through the apostles. Many of these Christian practices were indeed contrary to the Roman, Greek, and other pagan customs.

"And it came to pass, that after three days Paul called the chief of the Jews together: and when they were come together, he said unto them, Men and brethren, though I have committed nothing against the people, or customs of our fathers, yet was I delivered prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans." (Acts 28: 17 KJV)

Here Paul condemns no tradition that God gave through Moses and the prophets. He is not condemning believing Jews from keeping their national customs which are not pagan and abominable.

"See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ." (Colossians 2: 8 NIV)

These words of Paul allude once again to man's tradition and custom in sin and the sinful life, and in delusion and falsehood.

"Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle." (II Thessalonians 2: 15 NIV)

"Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us." (3: 6)

"I praise you for remembering me in everything and for holding to the teachings (traditions), just as I passed them on to you...But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God." (I Corinthians 11: 2, 16 NIV)

Thus, there is appropriately what we call "apostolic tradition," or the "Christian tradition." It is both a written and oral tradition. It is also a tradition or custom of behavior and practice. These traditions are to be "kept" and "observed" by Christians under the New Covenant. It is a tradition of obedience to Christ and his word, of a custom of doing those things that were done by the apostles and early Christians. It is a tradition in godly living.

Friend, what customs and traditions are you observing? Are they vain, abominable, and evil, or are they godly and Christian?