The Bible and Tradition

Introduction

Tonight I am going to be preaching on the doctrine of Sola Scriptura which means the bible alone is our authority for faith and practice. But in order to do that we are going to look at the relationship between the bible and tradition. We say we are a conservative church. What does it mean to be conservative? It means we are conserving something or preserving something. Well what is it we are preserving? A traditional understanding of the role of scripture in the Church.

One of the most often rehashed arguments of the Catholic church against the doctrine of Sola Scriptura is that it makes every man their own pope. They argue that divorcing ourselves from the authority of tradition has lead to the many different denominations within evangelicalism today. According to David Barretts, World Christian Encyclopedia there are approximately 40,000 protestant denominations; so maybe there is some validity to their argument. American Individualism married well with this type of thinking but it abused its spouse. What the Catholics have observed is a real problem in Christianity. Splinter groups and heresy exists everywhere.

I am personally acquainted with someone who has taken elements of Seventh Day Adventism, Fundamental Baptist doctrine, Hebrews roots teaching and pantheism to mix together into their own form of Christianity. This type of cultic thinking is the result of that rugged individualism in America taking advantage of our belief in Sola Scriptura. So how should we think about the relationship between Scripture and Tradition.

The Various Relationships between Scripture and Tradition (Oberman)

Tradition I- Interpretation of scripture is guided by tradition but subject to scripture (Must obey)

Tradition II- Tradition and Scripture are two equal forms of revelation and authority in the Church (Ought to obey)

Tradition 0- Tradition may be consulted as fallible historical witness, but it carries no binding or normative authority; Scripture alone governs faith and practice. (May obey)

I think there ought to be a fourth category of those who rebel against any tradition or the input of others.

How does the bible speak about tradition?

There is a Tradition Passed Down from the Apostles that is Binding on the Believer

2 Thessalonians 3:6 “Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us.”

a. The apostles example vs 7-9

b. The apostles teaching vs 10

2 Thessalonians 2:15 “Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.”

traditions= the teachings of the apostles either in person or written down

1 Corinthians 11:2 “Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances, as I delivered them to you.”

ordinances= traditions- that which is handed down- here it refers to his teachings on head coverings and the lord’s supper in chapter 11.

2 Timothy 3:14 “But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;”

identifies the tradition as the scriptures that had been taught to him as a child.

But what is this tradition and where is it found today? Each of these passages links the tradition with the teaching, practice and writtings of the Apostles. We have previously shown that the Apostles were temporary; so the question we need to ask is where this tradition can be found? The Catholic church claims they have preserved it in their doctrine through the pope but they have drastically changed doctrine over the years. This tradition can only infallibly be found in the scriptures themselves.

Tradition is Always Subordinate to Scripture

A second principle that we see in the bible is that tradition even if it were to come from an apostle is still to be examined on the basis of scripture. In Galatians, Paul was concerned about legalistic Jews who had come in a corrupted the faith of the church teaching that circumcision was necessary for salvation or that to be godly, the Christian had to keep the law. He begins his epistle with a warning.

Galatians 1:8–9 “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 ye have received, let him be accursed.”

Notice that even his own authority and teaching was subject to scripture. There is no room in Christianity for pastors to demand that their people adopt what they say just because they say it. Everything must go back to scripture. No one is beyond questioning on the basis of the bible.

A second example that was praised was the Berean Jews. These unsaved Jews at the time heard Paul preaching and eagerly listened, but they took everything back to the bible to see if those things were so. Again even Paul’s preaching was subordinate to the scriptures. Acts 17:11 “These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.”

We must Beware of Elevating Tradition above Jesus Christ

Whenever tradition is condemned it is a specific type of tradition called the tradition of men. There is a philosophy, teaching that is passed down from generation to generation that is based only on the wisdom of the world. In Colossians 2:8 “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.” Paul was concerned that their walk would be ruined by the traditions of men.

I want to spend the rest of our time in:

Mark 7:6–13 “He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition. For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death: But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free. And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother; Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.”

Tradition can be a mask for heartless worship- There are a lot of trappings in Christianity like singing three songs, opening prayer, passing offering plates, door to door visitation that can become traditions of men. We can get side tracked with practicing cultural Christianity but our heart is far from God. Tradition masks a heartless worship.

Traditions of men threaten to take the place of scripture- If tradition of men and scripture are at odds, something is going to have to go. We can either preach the word of God or we can preach the traditions of men, but both cannot be our authority.

Holding the traditions as our authority draws us away from the commandments of God- Traditions not only mask our heartless worship and can take the place of scripture in our lives, but it can draw us away from listening to God’s authority. Someone or something else is telling us what to do other than the word.

Tradition can lead us to reject God’s word.- When the two are opposed to one another, we end up choosing to reject God’s word. In this passage, their traditions excused their disobedience. Our society has traditions like this “I was born this way,” “Gender isn’t something you are born with” “Everyone today is doing it”

Tradition makes the word of God valueless to people and erases its effect. The word of God can’t have the effect it was designed to have in our heart because tradition crowds it out.

Conclusion

The relationship of the believer to scripture and tradition is that scripture is our only real authority over what we believe and do. The bible teaches that every believer is a priest before God. It strongly emphasizes individual sole liberty. We are encouraged to be like the Bereans who took everything to scripture.

But the error we must avoid is thinking that all that matters is what I think and I believe. We must avoid the arrogance that throws out the thinking of Christianity over the past 2000 years in favor of our own interpretations.

2 Peter 1:20 “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.” The meaning of this verse is that scripture did not derive from any one individual, but the principle is clear. In sometimes overemphasizing what we think is faithful Sola SCriptura, we have made ourselves the authority and not scripture at all. The bible says the church is the pillar and ground of truth. This does not mean that the Church creates truth, but it upholds truth, preserves truth and defends truth. Throughout the epistles, Paul gave the church the authority to discipline a heretic and false teacher. All of these show a stronger role of the community of believers in defending doctrine than the rugged individualistic view of Scripture and Tradition would push.

One principle has helped me, “If no other Christian has ever proposed or believed the doctrines I believe, I ought to step back and reevaluate.” This isn’t majority rule on what I believe, but it also is not thumbing my nose at the rest of Christianity. So the relationship between scripture and tradition is not equal authority, nor is it secondary authority, but also tradition should not be thrown out and ignored. Proverbs 12:15 “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: But he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.”

My concern tonight is not that you will be sucked into Catholicism or even reformed thinking. What I see more than not is this rugged individualism that throws off all concern for what others are saying. Let me give you a couple practical examples of how this shows up:

A man studies his bible and comes to a new conclusion that he has never heard before. He is so excited about it that he goes about teaching as many people as he can never considering whether he is right or not.

A pastor sits down to study for his messages. He has his bible in front of him and that is all that matters. Most of the time he is correct, but every now and then, his congregation thinks something is off. He makes the outrageous claim that the good Samaritan was Adam and the robbers were the world powers. The donkey was christ’s body and the inn was the church. They are perplexed to find where this interpretation came from though it sounds interesting.

When we divorce ourselves from the community of the church in our thinking, practice, preaching, study and application, we will often find ourselves coming up with new and novel things that the bible never taught. The self correction isn’t to submit to Catholic authority, nor to give deference to reformed tradition. The solution is to live in humble community with the church and walk in the Spirit.