The scribes and Pharisees asked Jesus, “Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread” (Matt. 15:2). The word translated “tradition” means something handed down or transmitted in the way of teaching. Traditions may be good or bad. Divine traditions must be observed to be pleasing to God (2 Thess. 2:15); however, man-made traditions which are at odds with or take precedence over the Bible must be abandoned. Jesus defined tradition in this context as “teaching for doctrines the commandments of men” (Matt. 15:9). He replied to the scribes and Pharisees by asking, “Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?” (Matt. 15:3.)
The sect of the Pharisees arose during the second century B.C., when Antiochus Epiphanes, a Seleucid ruler, tried to force Greek culture on the Jews. While some gave in to this influence, others—known as the Chasidim (“pious ones”)—intensified their efforts to preserve their heritage. Jewish rabbis espoused that Moses instituted an oral tradition to accompany the written law. The Mishnah is a compilation of these traditions in which extreme rules regarding the Sabbath and ceremonial cleanness abound. An entire tractate in the Mishnah entitled Yadaim (“Hands”) discusses rules for washing hands and details sources by which one’s hands become unclean. These rituals touch on everything from the amount of water to the appropriate kind of water and vessels to be used.
Jesus was often at odds with the Pharisees because He went by what was clearly written in the Scriptures without allowing these oral traditions to direct the lives of His disciples. When the disciples did not follow the oral traditions regarding the Sabbath, Jesus would point the Pharisees to the Scriptures and ask, “Have ye not read…?” (Matt. 12:3, 5.) Jesus expected the Pharisees to arrive at the correct meaning and application of Scripture without the “aid” of the oral traditions of the fathers (Matt. 12:2; Hos. 6:6). To combat their tradition of Corban, Jesus did not give a list of oral tradition passed down by rabbis throughout the centuries. He went back to what God commanded in His word: “Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death” (Matt. 15:4; Mark 7:10; Ex. 20:12; 21:17; Deut. 5:16).
The Bible is all-sufficient for guiding us in the ways which please God (2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Pet. 1:3). Jesus promised the apostles that the Holy Spirit would guide them into all truth (John 16:13). The apostles initially delivered the inspired teaching orally (Acts 2:42), but then put the teaching down in written form known as the scriptures (2 Pet. 3:16). We, as the church, the household of God, stand on this teaching: “And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone” (Eph. 2:20).
Paul said, “Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle” (2 Thess. 2:15). Paul’s two epistles to the Thessalonians are among his earliest writings (A.D. 51-52). Paul had been in Thessalonica to deliver some of the instructions orally (Acts 17:1-9; 1 Thes. 3:4). He wrote two epistles to give them further instruction, but he did not contradict his previous oral teaching. He taught the same “traditions”—the same body of truth—whether in person or by letter. The context shows it was the truth (2 Thess. 2:13), that is, the gospel by which God calls people to salvation (2 Thess. 2:14). In 2 Thessalonians 2:15, Paul was commanding them to stand fast in the faith of the gospel as he often did with his converts (1 Cor. 16:13; Gal. 5:1; Phil. 1:27; 4:1; 1 Thess. 3:8). Today, we are to stand firm in the same faith. Jude 3 states, “Beloved, while I was giving all diligence to write unto you of our common salvation, I was constrained to write unto you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered unto the saints.” (ASV.)
Different churches today claim to be the original church. Both Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox claim apostolic succession and cite uninspired writers from the centuries that followed the apostles as the basis for their “correct” interpretation and application of the scriptures. They claim that their tradition enhances their ability to interpret scripture, but it is not difficult to see that they contradict the Bible when it says a bishop must be the husband of one wife and have faithful children to demonstrate that he can take care of the church of God (1 Tim. 3:2-5; Titus 1:6). Archbishops are nowhere found in the scriptures, yet these churches have them. While Paul in a sense could be called a spiritual father to the Corinthians because he introduced them to the gospel (1 Cor. 4:15), he did not go around with the title of “Father” to exalt himself because Jesus rebuked such practices among the Pharisees (Matt. 23:9). Yet, these churches give this title to members of their special priest class, which stands in stark contrast to the priesthood of all Christians clearly taught in the New Testament (1 Pet. 2:5, 9). Infant baptism and other practices of theirs are nowhere found in the New Testament. How can infants believe the gospel (Mark 16:16), repent of sins (Luke 24:47; Acts 2:38), confess Jesus Christ as Lord (Rom. 10:9-13), and make the answer of a good conscience toward God (1 Pet. 3:21) to obey from the heart in baptism that form of doctrine delivered unto them (Rom. 6:17)?
When Jesus confronted the claims of oral tradition, He pointed to what was written in the scriptures. We must do the same today. Don’t be fooled into thinking that you cannot know the will of God without a church council telling you what the Bible is and what it means. The apostle Paul wrote, “when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ” (Eph. 3:4). In this last age of time, many will depart from the faith (1 Tim. 4:1-3). Paul said that even among the elders/bishops some would arise speaking perverse things to draw away disciples after them (Acts 20:17, 28-30). The remedy is to go back to the scriptures (2 Tim. 3:16) and to preach the word of God (2 Tim. 4:2).
–Mark Day