MAN'S TRADITIONS.
??
WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES IT MAKE??
"Every
word of God is pure: He is a shield unto them that put their trust in Him. Add
thou not unto His words, lest He reprove thee, and thou be found a liar"
(Prov. 30:56).
Maybe
your experience was much like mine and my wife's, when we were young we
followed in our parents religious footsteps. I was brought up in the Baptist
religion, the church I attended was called "Bible Baptist Church." My
wife was in a Lutheran Church, called St Paul's Lutheran, both are Sunday
keeping churches.
When
being called, one of the first things we wanted to know was which day really
was the Sabbath day. For me Saturday was a day you worked on or go have fun,
like motorcycle riding, going to the boat races, etc etc. Not a day you would
go to church services on. So Saturday Sabbath was one of the first things Joyce
and I wanted to see evidence of !
Our study found out the Catholic Church was the
villain responsible for changing the weekly Sabbath, God's 4th Commandment. The
one we are told to remember! They changed, it from Saturday to Sunday in 3643
A.D. at the Counsel of Laodica in Rome. During that same century the Catholic
Counsel replaced Passover with Easter and the Hebrew calendar rules for
postponements were put in print by Hillel the II. Both causing syncretism to be
practiced in their doctrine.
We are told, in more than one place in God's word,
you shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take anything from it,
that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command
you" (Deut. 4:2 (NKJ).
Whatever God executes is perfect. To add to God's
perfection or to subtract from it is looked upon as a tradition of man. The
word "paradosis," Strong's number 3862, when translated into English
is "tradition." Its origin is Latin, taken from the word
"trader," like deliverer or betrayer, specifically Jewish traditional
law. Its numerical value is "666." You can read about that in our
booklet "Postponements Another Mystery of the Ages" on page 30 in our
first printing and page 29 in our new printing.
We are surrounded in this world with religions that
practice syncretism and traditional laws that changes God's original laws and
doctrines. For example, think about one of the largest member church in the
world. When the reformer Martin Luther, began to challenge the Catholic Church
for their spiritual authority on many of its practices, a council was convened
in 1546. In that meeting it was declared, that traditions should be regarded as
divine authority and on equal basis with the scripture.
The Catholic Dictionary on
page 41 & 42 writes, "It is an article of faith from a decree of the
Vatican council that tradition is a source of theological teaching distinct
from Scripture, and that it is infallible. It is therefore to be received with
the same internal assent of scripture, for it is the word of God." The
Catholic Catechism for Adults on page 11 writes: Do you have to believe in
tradition? Yes, because it is the word of God and has equal authority with the
Bible." Many of these traditions which were introduced by the Catholic
Church are still believed and are also practiced by Protestant Churches today.
Martin Luther also is the most extreme example in
history of being a Jew lover who turned into being a Jew – hater, when the Jews
refused to convert to his ideology.
The word tradition is found 13 times in
the New Testament, but only three times does it carry a favorable connotation.
In all of the other passages It incurs the disfavor of Christ and His apostles.
In the three verses, where the term "tradition" is used favorably it
is clearly evident that the writer was talking about something which he and the
other inspired individual had taught from God's inspired word.
In 1 Cor. 11 where we first see Paul using the term
"tradition" in the right way, "Now I praise you, brethren, that
you remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances [3862 tradition]; as I
delivered them to you"(1 Cor 11:2). The word "ordinances" [3862]
in that verse literally means, traditions principles and instructions given to
us from God's literal word. The idea of being handed down orally from one
generation to another is not in this meaning. The other two example are found
in 2 Thess. "Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions
[things already delivered] which you have been taught, whether by word, or our
epistle" (2 Thess. 2: 15). God's inspired written word is the boundary we
are to stay within.
Paul continues with this thought in 2 Thess.3:4,
"And we have confidence in the Lord concerning you, both that you do and
will do the things we command you. Verse 6, "Now we command you, brethren,
in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw yourselves from every
brother that walks disorderly, and not after the tradition [3862] which he
received of us."
Paul and the other apostles did not involve
themselves in syncretism – mixing mans traditions with God's doctrines! These
scriptures are crystal clear, Paul is not talking about keeping man's oral
traditions handed down over the years, by word of mouth."
There was a time, we are told in Gal 1, that Paul
was very strict in following the traditions of Judaism! We read of that in
Gal.1:1314, "For you have heard of my conversation in time past in the
Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the Church of God, and
wasted it: and profited in the Jews' religion above many my equals in mine own
nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers."
Paul's eagerness to persecute God's churches
exceeded that of other Jews at that time. It was an obsession with him, as the
preaching of the gospel later became. He had not been satisfied with disturbing
God's church, he was out to destroy it. Proving that is revealed in Acts 8:3,
"As for Saul [Paul] he made havoc of the church, entering into every
house, and haling [dragging] men and women and committed them to prison."
When Paul was called by God and learned the truth,
he denounced the Jews traditions and turned to keeping fully God's word.
Continuing with Paul's calling, Gal 1 tells us "But when it pleased God,
who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by His grace, to reveal
His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the heathen; immediately I
conferred not with flesh and blood: neither went I up to Jerusalem to them
which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto
Damascus" (Gal 1:1517). Notice verses 1112, "But I certify you,
brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I
neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of
Jesus Christ."
Paul warned inverses 8 9, in the strongest
possible language against any traditions that man might add to God's word.
"But though we, or an angel from Heaven, preach any other gospel unto you
than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said
before, so say I now again, if any man preach any Other gospel unto you than
that you have received, let him be Accursed."
Who was Paul speaking of? Did he have someone in
mind? "Yes" Paul taught the thoughts of Christ on this traditional
subject. Notice Matt 16, "Then Jesus said unto them, [His disciples] take
heed and Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. And they
reasoned among themselves, Verse 12, Then understood they how that He bade them
to not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine [the teachings] of
the Pharisees and of the Sadducees" (Matt 16: 67,12) .
Paul
speaks out again on this subject in Col 2: 8. He is ready to deal directly with
the specific error that had threatened the church in the Lycus Valley, where
Colosse was situated. "Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy
and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the World,
and not after Christ" (Col 2:8).
The
wares of false teachers, like the doctrines of the Pharisees and Sadducees
should always be compared with Christ's doctrines. God’s word is always the
authority we must follow. We should understand our Creator and sustainer, is
the measuring rod of all true knowledge.
Man’s added traditions, are not of God’s doctrines.
We can learn a lot from Christ’ life and teachings on how we should view mans
traditions. I believe having the knowledge of God's calendar has given us some
insight on God's disregard for mans traditions.
Jesus our Lord and Christ, totally did not practice
the traditions of men that Judaism's traditions were and are today! In the book
of Mark chapter 3, we find a story about another tradition the Pharisees
condemned Christ about. Is it alright to ask for healing on the Sabbath? We
find Christ's opinion in Mark 3:1 5, "And He entered again into the
synagogue; and there was a man there which had a withered hand. And they
watched Him, whether He would heal him on the Sabbath day; that they might
accuse Him. And He saith unto the man which had the withered hand, stand forth.
And He saith unto them, [the Pharisees] is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath
days, or to do evil? To save life, or to kill? But they held their peace. And
when He had looked round about on them with anger, (Jesus Christ knew,
according to Judaism's traditions healing was a type of work and was therefore
wrong to do on the Sabbath). "Being grieved for the hardness of their
hearts, He saith unto the man, stretch forth your hand. And he stretched it
out: and his hand was restored whole as the other."
Looking at another healing test case in Luke 13, we
read, "Now He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. And
behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was
bent over and could in no way raise herself up. But when Jesus saw her, He
called her to Him and said to her, "Woman, you are loosed from your
infirmity." And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made
straight, and glorified God. But the ruler of the synagogue answered with
indignation, because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath; and he said to the crowd,
"There are six days on which men ought to work; therefore come and be
healed on them, and not on the Sabbath day." The Lord then answered him
and said, "hypocrite! Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox
or donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it? So ought not this
woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound for eighteen years, be
loosed from his bond on the Sabbath?" And when He said these things, all
His adversaries were put to shame; and all the multitude rejoiced for all the
glorious things that were done by Him" (Luke 13:1017 NKJ). Verse 15
testified that Christ reproved the Pharisees and the other Jewish leaders
hypocrisy. He reminded them that they don’t hesitate to loose an ox or a donkey
from its pen on the Sabbath day in order to let them drink water. It seems
strange that the Pharisees never stopped to think that seeing these miraculous
healing's was of such unusual nature that anyone who had that power would not
be revered, and not condemned.
Stories like that bring our attention to the
Pharisees hypocrisy and their insincerity. They thought it was wrong for Him to
perform that miracle of healing on the Sabbath, but not wrong for them to plan
His destruction on the Sabbath day.
The wares of false teachers like the doctrine's of
the Pharisees and Sadducees should always be compared with Christ's doctrines.
We should understand our Creator and sustainer, is the measuring rod of all
true knowledge.
People today become offended when God’s truth does
not agree with their traditional beliefs. We find that example written in our
history book the Bible where Christ condemned the Pharisees. "Why do you
also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? "But in vain
they do worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. Notice what
His disciples told Him in verse 12, "Then came His disciples, and said
unto Him, know you that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this
saying?" (Matt 15:3,9,12).
Many of mans traditions are not merely an addition
to God’s written word, but were and are a substitution for what was inspired by
God to be written down for our learning. I say again, we can learn from Christ
life and His teachings, about how we should view mans traditions?
We can read more of Christ disciples that brought
word to Him that the Pharisees were offended by His denunciation of them.
"But He answered and said, every plant, which My heavenly Father has not
planted, shall be rooted up. Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the
blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch"
(Matt. 15:1314). Christ is saying these Pharisees profess to be authorities in
spiritual matters, but are blind to the truth and spiritual realities just as
were the people they were leading.
This same dilemma is what we witness going on today.
Only God can remove peoples blindness of the postponements found in their
traditional Hebrew Calendar. There has been dozens of impressive articles that
have been written in an effort to substantiate Satan's deep rooted postponement
traditional rules that have infiltrated God's church. Satan has found a
weakness in the church and he took advantage of that weakness.
I
don't know if you have noticed when studying the Hebrew Calendar issue, that
most baptized Churches of God members have never questioned why the Hebrew
calendar they follow calls their festivals holidays and not Holy Days? This
should be a clue to whose calendar the Churches of God are keeping! Another
clue is, why don't the Churches of God keep all of the13 Hebrew calendar holidays?
Seeing they strongly support Hillel II’s calendar and say the Jews have the
authority to postpone God’s annual Sabbath for a preparation day?
I
ask can we afford to compromise with God's appointed times? Webster's New
Twentieth Century Dictionary, defines the word "compromise," (1) a
settlement in which each side gives up some demands or makes concessions; (2)
something midway between different things; (3) to surrender or give up one's
interest or principles. So I ask again? Can we, God's called out ones
compromise with the Jewish traditional laws that Christ condemned over and over
again in the Bible?
God
inspired Peter to write, "Knowing this first that no prophecy of the
scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time
by the will of man: But holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy
Spirit" (2 Peter 1:2021).
There is tons of evidence to prove that the Jewish
Hebrew Calendar is of a private interpretation and it came through a practicing
Pharisee named Hillel the second, 359 years after Christ died! Something we
should recognize is, Hillel the 2nd never accepted Christ
as his Messiah, therefore he never received the gift of God's Holy Spirit. So
why would we keep their holiday dates, for God's Holy Day dates that are His
appointed set apart time?
The Jewish Hebrew Calendar that intercalates
postponement rules are of their own private interpretation. We just read out of
God's word that private interpretation is wrong!
Looking now at another phrase used in the Bible,
that condemns Hillel the second, as a liar and a denier that Jesus is the
Christ? "Who is a liar but he that denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is
antiChrist, that denies the Father and the Son" (1 John 2:22). And in
John 10: 30 Christ said, "I and My Father are One." Meaning of one
mind and thought.
Thinking
on another side note, of what Christ said to the practicing Pharisaical
antichrist, Notice John 8:44, "You are of your father the devil, and the
lusts of your father you will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and
abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie,
he speaks of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it."
The
meaning of antichrist in Greek is, (1) "A person not believing the
Messiah;" (2) a adversary of the Messiah; (3) the opponent of the Messiah.
We find those meaning in Strong's # 500.
Another understanding we in the Church of God, In
Truth know well, is what Paul told Titus when ordaining elders. "This
witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the
faith; Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn
from the truth" (Titus 1:13 14). Chapter 2 and verse 1 Titus says,
"But speak you the things which become sound doctrine."
Does the Bible warn us of a time when the called
will not endure hearing sound doctrine? "For the time will come when they
will not endure sound Doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to
themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears
from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables [false facts]" (2 Tim
4:34). Postponing God's Holy Days is not teaching God's sound doctrine.
Observe with me 1 John 2:18, "Little children,
it is the last time [last hour]: and as you have heard that antiChrist shall
come, even now are there Many antiChrist’s; whereby we know that it is the
last time." It is remarkable that in the last hours in which we are
living, is characterized by the existence of many called denying God's Holy appointed
times.
Another
verse that speaks of the antiChrist is found in 2 John 1:7, "For many
deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come
in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antiChrist. John identifies all
deceivers like Hillel the second, as being ultimately represented by the great
deceiver and anti Christ, Satan!
The last verse we will look at on the antiChrist is
1 John 4:3, "And every spirit that confesses not that Jesus Christ is come
in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of AntiChrist, where of
you have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the
world."
It
should be clear, the antiChrist are identified as those who are opposed to
Christ and His teachings!
Hillel
the 2nd’ Hebrew Calendar replaces God's word the Bible for instruction on which
days are set apart for God's annual Sabbath Holy Days.
Reading
from the last book in God’s word, turn to Revelation 3: starting in verse 8,
this is the message to the Philadelphia church. "I know your works:
behold, I have set before you an open door, and no man can shut it: for you
have a little strength, And have kept My word, and have not denied My name.
Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews,
and are not [who are these? those that follow the traditions of Judaism] do
lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before your feet, and to know
that I have loved you. Because you have kept the word of My patience, I also
will keep you from the hour of temptation, [period of world wide testing] which
shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. Behold, I
come quickly: hold that fast which you have, that No man take their crown"
(Rev 3:811).
Participating
in keeping the postponements and following syncretism could cause a person to
lose their crown!!!
Let's
stay alert and not let that happen!!
James
Russell