Mark 7:9 - 13
"9 He said to them, All too well you reject the
commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.
10 For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘He
who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’
11 But you say, ‘If a man says to his father or mother, Whatever
profit you might have received from me is Corban––’ (that is, a
gift to God),
12 then you no longer let him do anything for his father or his
mother,
13 making the word of God of no effect through your tradition
which you have handed down. And many such things you do."
NKJV.
Colossians 2:4 - 7
"4 Now this I say lest anyone should deceive you with persuasive
words.
5 For though I am absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in spirit,
rejoicing to see your good order and the steadfastness of your faith
in Christ.
6 As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in
Him,
7 rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you
have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving. 8 Beware
lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit,
according to the tradition of men, according to the basic
principles of the world, and not according to Christ."
NKJV
Tradition is often used in religion to sustain a particular
doctrinal system. The Roman Catholic church considers the
traditions of the church as doctrine. The Eastern Orthodox
church uses tradition as an integral part of their system of
worship. Most reformed denominations teach the traditions
of the reformers as doctrine. Most non Christian religions
of the world are based on tradition. The Jews who lived during
Jesus' first advent also used tradition as doctrine. Traditions
develop over generations and become ingrained into religion. One
generation will practice what they learn from the older generation.
Are traditions good or evil? It depends upon the tradition and
how it is used. It is good to eat a traditional meal at
Thanksgiving or Christmas. It is good to wash your hands
frequently to prevent the spread of disease. It is good to wash
your body and your clothes. There are many traditions which are
good but not religious. Religious traditions are usually not
good. Good traditions do not change the word of God through man
created methods
of interpretation. Religious traditions which alter the
plainly written word of God are evil. Evil religious traditions
deny and distort the plainly written word of God.
Jesus told those who practiced tradition in Mark 7 that they
rejected God's word so they could practice their tradition. Much
has changed in 2000 years but not the rejection of the plainly written
word of God. Mankind still uses deceptive traditions to support
religion. The objective of tradition is to conform the worship
of God to benefit the desires of the flesh and the mind both of which
are full of sin.
Paul references these desires in Ephesians 2:1 - 3, "And you He
made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you
once walked according to the course of this world, according to the
prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons
of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in
the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the
flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as
the others." NKJV. Notice that such desires were
while the Ephesians were living "according to the prince of the
power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of
disobedience" or while they were dead in sin and servants of
Satan, before their salvation. Notice also these desires
originated from two places, the flesh and the mind. The flesh is
concerned with biological urges of the body which the Ephesians
practiced in their worship. Ephesus was religiously
diverse. A goddess named Artemis (Acts chapter 19) was widely
worshiped. Several ancient religions practiced a tradition of
religious prostitution. Jeremiah 17:9 "The heart is deceitful
above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?"
NKJV.
God has simplified worship of himself in the new covenant. The
only remaining priest is Jesus who is our high priest. Each
believer is now a priest. "To Him who loved us and washed us
from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to
His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever.
Amen." Revelation 1:5 - 6, NKJV. The priests and
sacrifices of the old covenant are gone. The rituals and
practices of the old covenant are gone. The new covenant has now
written God's law on our heart. "This is the covenant that I
will make with them after those days, says the LORD: I will put My
laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,"
Hebrews 10:16, NKJV. Now we have a new heart, a new covenant and
a constant helper, the Holy Spirit all within to guard, help and guide
us. Professional priests with their rituals are no longer needed
and have been laid aside by God himself.
Man looks on the outward appearance but God looks on the heart,
1 Samuel 16:7. Man rejects the word of God and looks on the
outward appearance as he seeks to worship God. Therefore man has
replaced true worship with traditions which make worship ritualized
and formal in nature. Formal worship relies upon a professional
clergy with attendant rituals which supposedly give credence for their
need. So the tradition of special clothing (robes, etc.),
burning of incense, priests who purportedly can give absolution
from sin if penance is done and many other traditions are added to
fill the void left when God's plainly written word is rejected.
How do you worship God? Does your worship consist of traditions
in the form of rituals dressed in formality? Flee from those who
use formality and tradition to replace God's plainly written word.
John 4:23 -24, "But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true
worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the
Father is seeking such to worship Him. 24 "God is Spirit, and those
who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." NKJV