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Our Final Authority

“Then he said, ‘You reject God’s laws in order to hold on to your own traditions.  For instance, Moses gave you this law from God: ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and ‘Anyone who speaks evil of father or mother must be put to death.’  But you say it is all right for people to say to their parents, ‘Sorry, I can’t help you.  For I have vowed to give to God what I could have given to you.’  You let them disregard their needy parents.  As such, you break the law of God in order to protect your own tradition.  And this is only one example.  There are many, many others’” – Mark 7:9-14 (NLT).

The Pharisees continually rejected God’s laws written in his word to hold on to their traditions.  It was a way of life for them - - so much so, that they didn’t even realize or care that they were doing it.

Some religious circles do the same today.  They set aside God’s written word to hold on to the tradition of their denomination or church.  They’ve been doing it so long that it is a way of life for them and could never be challenged or changed.

I remember speaking to a pastor once who practiced infant baptism.  I shared several scriptures with him that showed him that baptism was immersion in water of believers, not a sprinkling of innocent babies who could not yet consciously believe in God (See Acts 2:39; Romans 6:3-4).

I’ll never forget his response.  He said, “Steve you know more scripture than I’ll ever know.  But I will bow to the church before it bows to me.”  In other words, he had discovered a new, Biblical truth that he could share with his church authorities, but he wouldn’t do it.  Instead, he would bow to their traditions rather than ask them to bow to any truth he might have just discovered.  He would continue to teach his church’s traditions regarding baptism even though they contradicted God’s own word.  He was a good man, but he made the mistake of the Pharisees: he regarded human tradition as more authoritative than God’s word.

Jesus said that making this mistake made the Pharisees hypocrites.  It does the same for us.  When we elevate human tradition over scripture, or man-made priorities of God-ordained ones, we become hypocrites.  Why?  Because we are claiming to follow God while simultaneously ignoring his word. 

Jesus said, “You are my disciples if you keep obeying my teachings.  And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” - John 8:31-32 (NLT).  Truth always sets us free, though sometimes we have to pay an emotional price for embracing it.  It is tough to recognize that a spiritual leader we respect or group to which we belong has denied God’s word in favor of human tradition.  It is even tougher to confront them with the truth, and tougher still to part company with them if the issue calls for such a move.  Nevertheless, we must determine to honor God above humans, and his word above traditions, lest we become Pharisees.

God’s view about homosexuality; marriage; discipline of children; divorce; addictions; dating;  sexuality; money; leadership; how to respond to the Good News to become a Christian and much more are all found in the Bible.  We must read and embrace it - - even if this means forsaking long-held traditions in order to be in agreement with God on the matter.

Here are three simple suggestions about how to make sure we don’t reject God’s laws in order to hold on to human tradition.  First, read your Bible regularly.  You cannot know whether or not a tradition is contradicting God’s word if you don’t know what’s in God’s Word.  So read it often, especially the New Testament.  Don’t just read what some famous author or teacher says.  Read the Bible. 

Second, ask questions of your leaders and teachers.  God has not called you to be a blind follower.  So learn to ask others to show you scriptures that say what they are teaching.  If they can’t, keep asking questions!  Become a little more skeptical!  They may be teaching the truth but just don’t know where to find the supporting scriptures.  On the other hand, they may be teaching error or tradition instead of God’s word. 

Third, learn to test all teaching with God’s word.  Don’t take anyone’s word for anything.  Don’t believe it’s in the Bible just because someone says it is.  I’ve heard many people articulate a traditional or popular point of view with so much emotion and conviction that I felt almost certain their view was found in God’s word.  But when I opened my Bible to start checking it out, guess what?  It wasn’t there.  Learn to test all teaching with God’s Word.  This is not wrong or rude.  It is prudent and wise.  In fact, it is noble.  Acts 17:11 says that the Christians in Berea were more noble because “they searched the Scriptures day after day to check up on Paul and Silas, to see if they were really teaching the truth” - Acts 17:11b (NLT).   

One final note: always love people more than doctrines.  We must embrace truth, but we should never deliberately destroy people while we’re doing it.  God loves people more than flawless teaching.  Even if a person is elevating tradition over scripture, God still loves them.  Never forget that. 

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