What does Paul mean by traditions in 1 Cor 11
What does Paul mean by traditions in 1 Cor 11.2?
Now I praise you because you remember me in everything and hold firmly to the traditions, just as I delivered them to you. [1]
Is this perhaps a can call to observe the old law as Rabbi Daniel teaches.
The greek for tradition is παραδοσις paradosis and it can mean
Definition by BDAG:
1. handing over of someone to authorities, surrender, arrest or
2. The content of instruction that has been handed down, tradition.
① handing over of someone to authorities, surrender, arrest
② the content of instruction that has been handed down, tradition, of teachings, commandments, narratives et al.,
[2]
[3]Arndt, W., Danker, F. W., & Bauer, W. (2000). A Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament and other early Christian literature. "Based on Walter Bauer's Griechisch-deutsches Wr̲terbuch zu den Schriften des Neuen Testaments und der frhchristlichen [sic] Literatur, sixth edition, ed. Kurt Aland and Barbara Aland, with Viktor Reichmann and on previous English editions by W.F. Arndt, F.W. Gingrich, and F.W. Danker." (3rd ed.) (763). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
So this definition (#2) does not rule out Jewish tradition.
But lets look at the list of uses in NT for that word.
It occurs 14 times in the NT
Always in the gospels it is a bad thing and refers to how the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees had expanded the law and made it a huge burden (Matt 23.3)
Matthew 15:2 “Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.”
Mark 7:5 The Pharisees and the scribes asked Him, “Why do Your disciples not walk according to the atradition of the elders, but eat their bread with bimpure hands?”
Matthew 15:6 he is not to honor his father or his mother1.’ And by this you invalidated the word of God for the sake of your tradition.
Mark 7:9 He was also saying to them, “You are experts at setting aside the commandment of God in order to keep your atradition.
Mark 7:13 thus invalidating the word of God by your atradition which you have handed down; and you do many things such as that.”
Mark 7:8 “Neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men.”
In Jesus use of the word, it appears that this tradition is a bad thing.
But how about Paul's use of the word:
Colossians 2:8 See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.
Galatians 1:14 and I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries among my countrymen, being more extremely zealous for my ancestral traditions.
Here we have a mixed bag. In Col 2.8 it is clearly a bad thing - "empty deception", "tradition of men". In Gal 1.14 it looks like Paul is refering to the traditions of the Torah/MIshnah and perhaps even the expanded traditions in the Talmud. He may be consider it a good or neutral thing. It is hard to tell because Paul is describing himself before his conversion. Also note that Paul qualifies this traditional with the word "ancestral traditions".
But other times Paul uses traditions in a good way encouraging his readers to follow it:
2 Thessalonians 3:6 Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from every brother who leads an unruly life and not according to the tradition which you received from us.
Here Paul speaks of a tradition that they have passed on. Is this the Torah or something else?
1 Co 11:2 " Now I praise you, brethren, that you remember me in all things and keep the traditions just as I delivered them to you."
Perhaps this begins to unravel the mystery. These traditions are the ones delivered to the Corithians by Paul. If this was the Torah, why would he not call attention to the traditions delived by Moses? Why does he highlight that he delivered them? And don't forget the definition "intructions that has been handed down".
Or consider
2 Th 2:15 "So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught, whether by word of mouth or by letter from us."
These are good traditions/instructions that Paul has either told them in person or written to them in his letters. Surely this cannot be the Torah tradition.
----