During the 400 years between the Old & New Testaments, the Jews became divided into various sects. Two of these sects that we often read of in the gospels are the Pharisees & the Sadducees. Jesus warned against their teaching (leaven) because of a most crucial reason. It would cause all who believed in it to be lost. In Matt.23:15, Jesus not only called the Pharisees ‘children of hell’, but he said that those who believed & practiced their teachings would become twice as much a ‘child of hell’ as themselves. Jesus said in Matt. 16:6, 11-12, to watch & beware of their teaching. In Matt. 15, Jesus taught that for the sake of these ‘traditions’, they broke the “commandment of God” (v. 3). This was because those traditions were contrary to what the Law of Moses taught (vss. 4-6). Jesus said in v. 6 that they “made void the word of God.” In v. 9, Jesus said that their worship was “in vain” because what they taught as their doctrines were the “traditions” instead of the Law of Moses. They sought to bind these "commandments of men" upon the multitudes rather than what the Law of Moses taught.
When Jesus’ disciples were observed not keeping these ‘traditions’, the Pharisees and scribes asked Jesus “…why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat” (v. 2). The ‘traditions of the elders’ here mentioned consisted of laws and regulations orally transmitted from Moses and the prophets. On account of the supposition that these traditions originated with inspired men, they were regarded as equal in authority with the written word. Mark 7:3-4 lists some of these ‘traditions’ herein referred.
We learn from this, what constitutes a doctrine that is only a ‘commandment’ of man. IT IS ANY DOCTRINE THAT IS BASED UPON A 'SUPPOSITION' THAT IT IS 'INSPIRED'; YET 'REGARDED AS EQUAL IN AUTHORITY WITH THE WRITTEN WORD'.
These oral traditions of the elders were NOT a part of the written law (of Moses), yet were regarded as equal in authority with it by the scribes & Pharisees. Such ‘commandments of men’ are NOT founded on the written word. They “make void the word of God” (Matt. 15:6), because they teach CONTRARY to that which is written and inspired. Moses had commanded, “You shall not add to the word which I am commanding you, nor take away from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord you God which I command you” (Deut. 4:2). This oral ‘tradition’ of the elders “added to” the written word.
Is this being done today? If so, would not the commandment of God be broken, the written word made ‘void’ & worship be ‘in vain’?
There are a number of supposed, inspired doctrines that are in reality only “commandments of men” yet they are likewise regarded as equal in authority with the written word by those who teach and practice them.
Today, one cannot become a member of any existing denominational church without submitting to that particular denomination’s ‘statements of faith’. You will not be accepted into their ‘fellowship’ without submitting to their particular commandments, whether by ‘vote’, ‘letter’, or by ‘baptism’ as their statement of faith so reads.
Protestant denominations were founded on just such writings. These ‘statements of faith’ or ‘creeds’ are NOT a part of the inspired word of God, yet they, are the criteria for acceptance into their fellowship. They are held up as authoritative as the Bible. The strange thing about these creeds is that they don’t agree with one another!
For example, the Methodist Discipline, p. 410, reads: “let every adult person, and the parents of every child to be baptized, have the choice of sprinkling, pouring, or immersion.”
On the other hand, the Hiscox manual for the Baptist denomination says on p. 20, Note 8: “Baptism is an immersion…”
- Are these statements not contradictory?
- Are both doctrines revealed in the Bible?
- Why does the Methodist creed state that there is a choice and the Baptist creed state that it is ONLY ‘by immersion’?
These ‘creeds’ clearly illustrate and define the differences of belief between each denomination. They are also indisputable evidence of division. They, at best can only serve to ‘proselyte’ an individual much as did the scribes & Pharisees of Matt. 23 by their teaching of commandments of men.
Obedience to the gospel, not these “commandments of men”, will result in salvation and produce a standard by which all can be ‘one’ in the sense that Jesus meant in His prayer in John 17:20-21.
Creeds promote a ‘unity in diversity’. Is this how Jesus & His Father are ‘one’?
The Bible states that God wants all men to be saved & to “come to a knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim. 2:4). CAN TRUTH NOT BE KNOWN WITHOUT A DENOMINATIONAL CREED? Furthermore, which creed is right? Can they all be right and accurate and yet contradictory?
Albert Barnes, a Presbyterian, attributed the existence denominations to “uninspired confessions of faith” as follows: ‘The multiplication of tests, and the enlargement of creeds and confessions of faith. The consequence is that every new doctrine that is incorporated into a creed gives cause for those to separate who cannot accord with it’. WAS HE WRONG IN HIS STATEMENT?
It is possible to: “corrupt the word of God” (2 Cor. 2:17); to “pervert the gospel of Christ” Gal. 1:6-9; to “wrest the scriptures” (2 Peter 3:16); and to “handle the word of God deceitfully” (2 Cor. 4:2).
Any doctrine taught today must match what was taught through the Holy Spirit by revelation. The Holy Spirit guided the apostles into all truth.
How did they teach salvation? That is how preachers must teach it today.
If preachers teach it the way it was taught by the apostles, we will not only be correct, we will be united in the sense that Jesus meant in John 17:20-21.
Paul said in 1 Cor. 4:6, “…that you may learn by us not to go beyond what is written…”
The apostle John wrote in 2 John 1:9-10, “Everyone who…does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.”
Remember, Jesus not only called the Pharisees ‘children of hell’, He also said that those who believed & practiced their teachings would become twice as much a ‘child of hell’ as they.
Creeds only make a proselyte “two-fold more a child of hell” than the teacher of the creed.
copyright 2011When Jesus’ disciples were observed not keeping these ‘traditions’, the Pharisees and scribes asked Jesus “…why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat” (v. 2). The ‘traditions of the elders’ here mentioned consisted of laws and regulations orally transmitted from Moses and the prophets. On account of the supposition that these traditions originated with inspired men, they were regarded as equal in authority with the written word. Mark 7:3-4 lists some of these ‘traditions’ herein referred.
We learn from this, what constitutes a doctrine that is only a ‘commandment’ of man. IT IS ANY DOCTRINE THAT IS BASED UPON A 'SUPPOSITION' THAT IT IS 'INSPIRED'; YET 'REGARDED AS EQUAL IN AUTHORITY WITH THE WRITTEN WORD'.
These oral traditions of the elders were NOT a part of the written law (of Moses), yet were regarded as equal in authority with it by the scribes & Pharisees. Such ‘commandments of men’ are NOT founded on the written word. They “make void the word of God” (Matt. 15:6), because they teach CONTRARY to that which is written and inspired. Moses had commanded, “You shall not add to the word which I am commanding you, nor take away from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord you God which I command you” (Deut. 4:2). This oral ‘tradition’ of the elders “added to” the written word.
Is this being done today? If so, would not the commandment of God be broken, the written word made ‘void’ & worship be ‘in vain’?
There are a number of supposed, inspired doctrines that are in reality only “commandments of men” yet they are likewise regarded as equal in authority with the written word by those who teach and practice them.
Today, one cannot become a member of any existing denominational church without submitting to that particular denomination’s ‘statements of faith’. You will not be accepted into their ‘fellowship’ without submitting to their particular commandments, whether by ‘vote’, ‘letter’, or by ‘baptism’ as their statement of faith so reads.
Protestant denominations were founded on just such writings. These ‘statements of faith’ or ‘creeds’ are NOT a part of the inspired word of God, yet they, are the criteria for acceptance into their fellowship. They are held up as authoritative as the Bible. The strange thing about these creeds is that they don’t agree with one another!
For example, the Methodist Discipline, p. 410, reads: “let every adult person, and the parents of every child to be baptized, have the choice of sprinkling, pouring, or immersion.”
On the other hand, the Hiscox manual for the Baptist denomination says on p. 20, Note 8: “Baptism is an immersion…”
- Are these statements not contradictory?
- Are both doctrines revealed in the Bible?
- Why does the Methodist creed state that there is a choice and the Baptist creed state that it is ONLY ‘by immersion’?
These ‘creeds’ clearly illustrate and define the differences of belief between each denomination. They are also indisputable evidence of division. They, at best can only serve to ‘proselyte’ an individual much as did the scribes & Pharisees of Matt. 23 by their teaching of commandments of men.
Obedience to the gospel, not these “commandments of men”, will result in salvation and produce a standard by which all can be ‘one’ in the sense that Jesus meant in His prayer in John 17:20-21.
Creeds promote a ‘unity in diversity’. Is this how Jesus & His Father are ‘one’?
The Bible states that God wants all men to be saved & to “come to a knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim. 2:4). CAN TRUTH NOT BE KNOWN WITHOUT A DENOMINATIONAL CREED? Furthermore, which creed is right? Can they all be right and accurate and yet contradictory?
Albert Barnes, a Presbyterian, attributed the existence denominations to “uninspired confessions of faith” as follows: ‘The multiplication of tests, and the enlargement of creeds and confessions of faith. The consequence is that every new doctrine that is incorporated into a creed gives cause for those to separate who cannot accord with it’. WAS HE WRONG IN HIS STATEMENT?
It is possible to: “corrupt the word of God” (2 Cor. 2:17); to “pervert the gospel of Christ” Gal. 1:6-9; to “wrest the scriptures” (2 Peter 3:16); and to “handle the word of God deceitfully” (2 Cor. 4:2).
Any doctrine taught today must match what was taught through the Holy Spirit by revelation. The Holy Spirit guided the apostles into all truth.
How did they teach salvation? That is how preachers must teach it today.
If preachers teach it the way it was taught by the apostles, we will not only be correct, we will be united in the sense that Jesus meant in John 17:20-21.
Paul said in 1 Cor. 4:6, “…that you may learn by us not to go beyond what is written…”
The apostle John wrote in 2 John 1:9-10, “Everyone who…does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.”
Remember, Jesus not only called the Pharisees ‘children of hell’, He also said that those who believed & practiced their teachings would become twice as much a ‘child of hell’ as they.
Creeds only make a proselyte “two-fold more a child of hell” than the teacher of the creed.
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