Ministers Message
Daily Bread #620 - "Traditions vs. Biblical Commands"
6 He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. 7 Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. 8 For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. Mark 7:6-8
Textual Insight:
The scribes and the Pharisees asked Jesus why his disciples didn't keep the traditions of the elders as it related to hand washing. The Lord's response is a reminder that traditions can lead to hypocritical behavior. While traditions aren't inherently wrong, they are not the same as God given commands. Every God-given command has a scripture attached to it; traditions don't! We are free to implement practices that help us to live godly lives; however, those traditions are not binding on others and should not be substituted for or confused with biblical commands. If we do anything (either in worship service or in our daily lives) that is not prohibited in the bible but lacks scriptural support, it is a tradition. We should be careful not to attempt to bind those things on others.
Sincerely,
Christopher Threatt