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Hold Fast the Traditions

Hold Fast the Traditions. Knowing when to change and when to stay the same. Traditions in the church. Many hold in contempt and want to abandon all traditions … “tradition” is bad ... “Church of Christ traditions” must go (baptism for salvation, male leadership, acappella singing, M-D-R)

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Hold Fast the Traditions

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  1. Hold Fast the Traditions Knowing when to change and when to stay the same

  2. Traditions in the church • Many hold in contempt and want to abandon all traditions … “tradition” is bad ... “Church of Christ traditions” must go (baptism for salvation, male leadership, acappella singing, M-D-R) • “Tradition” is something that is old and bad • Many churches now have a “traditional” service and a “contemporary” service • Others hold onto the past – good or bad – and resist all change (“This is the way we’ve always done it…”)

  3. What is tradition? • “Tradition” (Gr. paradosis) means “a teaching or practice that is passed down, handed down, delivered, orally or in writing” • Two classes of “tradition” are stated in scripture, thesource being different • “Tradition” may be apostolic (1 Cor. 11:2; 2 Thess. 2:15; 2 Thess. 3:6) • “Tradition” may be from men (Mt. 15:2-3,6; Mk. 7:3,5,8,9,13; Gal. 1:14; Col. 2:8)

  4. Apostolic traditions • Apostolic tradition comes from God; inspiration (1 Cor. 11:23; 15:3; 2 Pet. 2:21) • Apostolic tradition must be kept today (1 Cor. 11:2; 2 Thess. 2:15; 2 Thess. 3:6) • Apostolic tradition forms a pattern that must be kept • Things such as the work, worship, organization of the local church; plan of salvation; are apostolic traditions that must not be changed • The pattern must not be changed (Rom. 6:17; 2 Tim. 1:13; Jude 3)

  5. Human traditions • Human traditions come from man, not God; uninspired; they may need to be discarded; they may need to be changed (Mt. 15:2-3,6; Mk. 7:3,5,8,9,13; Gal. 1:14 [comp. 1 Pet. 1:18]; Col. 2:8) • Some human traditions set aside the word of God • Some human traditions are made the word of God • Some human traditions violate the word of God • Some human traditions help carry out the word of God (“expediency”)

  6. Three Abuses of Tradition Turning tradition into God’s law (Mt. 15:1-2) Local church arrangements are bound on all Christians Rejecting God’s law for tradition (Mt. 15:3-6) Baptism is rejected as “traditional” for faith only Reducing God’s law to tradition (2 Thess. 3:6) Acappella singing is abandoned as “traditional”

  7. Why are we changing it? • Are we changing to avoid being “traditional”? • Are we changing to “improve” worship? • Are we changing for the sake of change? • - no Sunday pm service • - change the sign • - remove the invitation • - unstructured worship Remember, what you change to will one day be “traditional”!

  8. Christians and traditions • Christians must know when to change and when to stay the same • Christians must discern between apostolic tradition and human tradition: know what God says versus what man says (note Mt. 15:3-4) • Just because a practice is old does not mean that it should be abandoned • Human traditions are not transformed into truth/law by time, zeal or numbers • Tradition that violates God’s word is sinful, hypocritical, vain and misleading (Mt. 15:3,7-9,14)

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