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Bro. Turner:
 To
what extent should "traditions" govern our present
study and practice? Should they be given ANY place?
Reply:
"Tradition"
(2 Thes. 3:6) refers to teachings passed down by inspired men (2
Thes. 2:15); hence, not all "traditions" are bad. I
assume, however, that the querist refers to concepts and
practices having no higher authority than "usage" or
long time acceptance by men, without divine authority. Should
things "we've always done" for 30, 50 or 150 years,
govern or affect our study and practice today?
They
will do so! It is practically impossible to be completely
objective for we "see" things through glasses of
experience. But knowing this, we should draw conclusions with
caution. Does God's word really say this, or am I reading into
the text traditional concepts or practices? If we believe the
scriptures are the "last word" of truth, we will do
all possible to read with an open mind, hungry for pure truth
uncolored by human traditions. A genuine believer and true
disciple of Christ may be measured by his devotion to such
truth.
Does
this mean past studies should be ignored? No! While
overconfidence in past studies may blind us to some truth it is
rank egotism to think we are the only honest truth-seekers, or
that others have not been as capable or more so in finding
truth. We profit greatly by cumulative studies and conclusions,
and "new" (?) views must be regarded with great
suspicion. But all of
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man's conclusions are subject to review in the light of God's word, and truth will
shine more brightly under such investigation. Traditions should
not govern Bible study, and should be respected only as previous
efforts to find truth are respected.
Traditional
practices (of human origin) may represent previous concepts of
truth, and are included in the above. But they may also be no
more than previous methods of doing something, being begun not
as a matter of faith but of judgment or expediency.
Unfortunately, long usage may clothe the practice with
"authority" in the eyes of some, when in reality they
do not even represent serious Bible study. The cloth spread over
the Lords Supper to keep out flies may become "the Lord's
sacred shroud." When a practice is questioned conscientious
saints and serious students will simply check the scriptures to
see if it is truly authorized. These people have no great
problem with traditions. But blind followers, sectarians (in
"the church"), and those having little Bible
knowledge, have no sound base and may be tradition bound.
It
should also be stated that practices are not wrong because they
are traditional. Long usage may prove it best to do a thing in a
certain way — with no claim made for "authority." A
new way may disrupt an otherwise well established and orderly
worship, with no compensating advantage. Anything, done long
enough, will take on a certain "traditional" aspect;
and uniformity among brethren in this tradition may serve to
unite them. We should, however, make clear distinctions in mere
custom and things of "the faith."
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