IRREVERENT REVERENCE

"Then the Lord said, 'Because this people draw near with their words and honor Me with their lip service, but they remove their hearts far from Me, and their reverence for Me consists of tradition learned by rote, therefore behold, I will once again deal marvelously with this people, wondrously marvelous; and the wisdom of their wise men will perish, and the discernment of their discerning men will be concealed'.” ~ Isaiah 29:13-14

Jesus quoted this in Matt. 15, referring to "vain worship". It was vain because of error in doctrine; the doctrine was not what the Lord and the apostles taught, but traditions and commandments "of men".

If "traditions" are not what one can find taught by the apostles, the traditions are wrong, and need to be exposed for the error that they promote.

Be prepared, for you will be charged with "judging" and have to deal with Matthew 7:1, "judge not that ye be not judged".

What response can be given? Matthew 7:2-4.

If those who charge "don't judge" have a greater desire to be right than "corrected", they will examine their own words, "don't judge" in view of the entire text (Matt. 7:2-4); if not, they want to be "right", they will give up the tradition, on the basis that they are not the same as the traditions delivered by the apostles.

The apostle Paul serves as an example of giving up traditions that were in error, and following the traditions delivered to the apostles by the Lord.

He once held to the "traditions" of his ancestors (Gal. 1:14 - "And profited in the Jews' religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers."

But when Jesus appeared to him and told him that he was wrong, he gave those traditions up and began to preach the "commandments of the Lord" (1 Cor. 14:37).

This change was readily visible, for it was said by those who knew him in Gal. 1:23 - "he which persecuted us in times past now preacheth the faith which once he destroyed."

Later, even Paul told Christians, "Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle." ~ 2 Thess. 2:15

What of the traditions you follow? Are they what the apostles delivered, or merely what your ancestors practiced? Can they be supported by scripture?

1/14/2019

rdb