September 10, 2006

Cawson Street Church of Christ

Hopewell, Virginia

Mural Worthey

 

Common Religious Mistakes--#4

 

Introduction: “Exalting Traditions over Truth”

a.     Last Sunday we discussed the common mistake in religion to confuse tradition with truth and exalting traditions over truth.

b.     Traditions are not evil in themselves.  They exist in all societies, families and churches.  Paul wrote, “Stand fast and hold the traditions which you have been taught, whether by word or our epistle.”  (2 Thess. 2:15.)  Christian traditions are good.

c.      Traditions simply refer to that which has been handed down, including the Christian faith.

d.     Traditions can be neutral (optional/indifferent), good or evil, depending on what they are and how they are used.

 

Examples of Traditions

 

Last Sunday, I gave several examples of traditions illustrating how they can be good, evil or indifferent.  It is really important that we distinguish between traditions and eternal truth.  If we cannot or do not, we might end up contending for our traditions, rather than the Faith once for all delivered to the saints. (Jude 3)

 

Indifferent traditions.  Many traditions are indifferent; that is, they just do not matter whether we do them or not.  The Jews had been given many traditions which were handed down from God on Mount Sinai to Moses.  It is understandable that the Jews would have a difficult time parting from long-held practices.  When Christianity came, the types and shadows of the Law were fulfilled.  It became unnecessary to continue to practice them.  The apostle Paul continued to keep the Jewish feast days in Jerusalem.  It was not wrong for him to do so.  Paul said, “I must by all means keep this feast that comes in Jerusalem.”  (Acts 18:21.)  He made a vow, perhaps the Nazarite vow, in Acts 21.

 

Paul discussed several indifferent practices in Romans 14.  They are: Jewish dietary laws—refusal to eat certain meats that were called unclean, keeping holy days like the New Moon and the Sabbath, and drinks.  Paul declared, “The Kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.”  (Rom. 14:17.)

 

Physical circumcision was no longer necessary.  Under Christ, this tradition is indifferent.  “For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a faith which works by love.”  (Gal. 5:6.)  Why did Paul circumcise Timothy (Acts 16:3) and refuse to allow the Jews to circumcise Titus?  There are two parts to that answer: 1) Because circumcision is indifferent in the first place; it did not matter one way or the other.  2) He refused to allow the circumcision of Titus because the Judaizers were demanding it.  They thought that it was essential.  Titus was a Greek; Timothy had a Jewish mother but his father was Greek.  (Gal. 2:3, Acts 16:1.)  Paul always answered clearly on indifferent matters.  He wrote, “Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God.”  (1 Cor. 7:19.)

 

National celebrations like Christmas and Easter are innocent traditions, though they are often connected to Christianity.  It is indifferent whether we participate in them or not.  If you count them as holy days, as long as you count them unto the Lord, it matters not.  We have no right to bind them upon fellow Christians; they have no right to refuse us the right to practice them.

 

How we give is an indifferent matter.  It does not matter if we pass by the table and place the contribution under a table cloth, or if we pass the plate.  Some churches place a box in the foyer and members put their envelopes in the box.  How it is done physically does not matter.  It does matter how we do it spiritually.  Paul wrote that we should give cheerfully, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.

It does not matter where you enjoy the Christian agape meal.  Having a fellowship hall or eating on picnic tables is not the issue.  But it does matter whether you celebrate the agape meal.  It is a long-standing tradition dating back to the first century.  It has continued without interruption for generations.  Jude wrote that the false teachers were “spots in their feasts of charity (there it is, the agape meal), when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear.”  (Jude 12.)

 

Having Sunday Schools.  Having a “Sunday School” is a tradition.  In some churches of Christ, they reject this tradition.  The history of Sunday Schools is interesting.  It did not originate in the New Testament.  The origin of modern Sunday Schools is by Robert Raikes of Gloucester, England, in 1783.  They were first organized to assist children and adults in the community who were not educated.  Remember that the public school system in America was only begun in the mid-1800s.  Alexander Campbell promoted public school education in the legislature in Richmond in 1829-30, but it was defeated.  About 30 years later, the proposal was adopted in Virginia.  Before then, most education was from home schools.

 

Part of the education on Sunday evenings was a study of the Bible.  Later, this became the central focus and was moved to the morning as a part of the worship assembly.

 

Is it sinful to have Sunday School just because it was not a part of the practice of the first century church?  No, no more so than using buses to bring in children and adults for worship.  They did not use buses, or the radio/TV for preaching.  There is nothing inherently wrong with the practice.  It is always good to study the Bible.  God commands that we teach our children His Word.  Parents are primarily responsible for teaching their children, but it is not wrong if we seek the help of others in that task.  (Deut. 6 & Eph. 6)  It is unfortunate that we have divided over this innocent practice. 

 

Evil Traditions.  The Jews set aside the commandment to honor their father and their mother.  They established a tradition of calling their money, corban, or a gift.  It was dedicated to God; so, they could not use it to support their parents in their old age.  This is an evil tradition.  Last Sunday, I said that I did not know of anything like that in our religious practice.  But refusing to help orphans and widows out of the church treasury is calloused and wrong.  It is something closely akin to what the Jews did.  Jesus said, “If you salute your brethren only, what do you more than others?  The publicans do the same.”  (Matt. 5:47.)

 

Any human tradition becomes wrong when we make it a matter of law or command from God, when we seek our justification by keeping our own traditions, when we bind matters upon others that God has not bound, or when we make God’s commands of none effect by them.

 

Good Traditions.  There are many good traditions.  All truly Christian traditions are good; like having Gospel singings, Gospel meetings, having a good fellowship meal by eating on the grounds, conducting Vacation Bible Schools for children, enjoying Area Wide Fellowship Gospel Meetings, etc.  Likewise, there are many good family traditions that celebrate important events in our lives.  Some have special places that they go annually for vacations.

 

Traditions are good if they honor God and serve our fellowman.  They are good if they edify and lift us up; if we participate in them freely and willingly.

 

Danger: Traditions Can Become Sacred

 

One of the great dangers of human traditions, even innocent ones, is that once they are begun they are difficult to ever change.  They become sacred due to the long-standing practice.  Someone will think that it is God’s will after awhile.  The following story titled “The Calf Path” illustrates this point.  If they are counted sacred, then some will defend the practice of the traditions vigorously and contentiously.

The Calf Path

 

One day through the primeval wood

A calf walked home as good calves should

But made a trail all bent askew

A crooked trail as all calved do

 

Since then three hundred years have fled

And I infer the calf is dead

But still he left behind his trail