Reformed Teaching & Tradition

[Trips]

Anyone who has spoken at length with Roman Catholic's will have come across their adherence to tradition. Tradition, they claim, is the oral teaching of the apostles, those lesson not recorded in scripture but passed down orally from generation to generation. Did you now though, that our Lord and saviour condemns the practice of elevating such tradition to a place of vital importance in our faith.

In Mark 7:5 Jesus is asked "Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?" What is this tradition of the elders that the Pharisees appeal to? Well, it is the unwritten law of God, that Moses apparently received on Mt Sinai. It was reputed to have been given to the elders orally by God, and then passed down. From these tradition the Jews formed the Talmud or 'doctrine.' The Talmud had two main parts;

1) The Mishnah which is basically a repetition of the scriptural law
2) The Gemara which is the supplement.

These laws were constantly being added to, as new traditions were discovered. Indeed they were held in such veneration that one common saying was 'The law is like salt, the mishnah like pepper the gemara like balmy spice.'

Now if all this sounds very familiar, it should, for this is exactly what Catholicism has done with its traditions. The Lord Jesus Christ though cuts through this, Mark 7:6 "He answered and said to them, "Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: 'This people honours Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. 7 And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.' 8 "For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men -- the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do.""

We are grateful to those who have gone before, they have left us a rich heritage of Christian wisdom. We have confessions to express and defend our faith. Yet they remain nothing more then tradition, when we elevate them to the level of scripture we err, when we justify them by believing that because they are old they must be right we are in danger, when we believe these things to oral tradition not handed down in written form we deny the canon of scripture which is complete and we make a mockery of God's revelation.

I've heard the same said regarding many reformed teachings, that they are teachings passed down through tradition and through the church fathers, but not from scripture. I've seen arguments over and over that can sight the cannons of dort but are void of scriptural support. Makes one wonder if contending for Christ is as important to some as is contending for a theological label....

In all fairness, I've often seen Arminians claim the support of tradition as well, it's not a one way street.

[Nomad]

I've heard the same said regarding many reformed teachings, that they are teachings passed down through tradition and through the church fathers, but not from scripture. I've seen arguments over and over that can sight the cannons of dort but are void of scriptural support.

I've been a Calvinist for more than 20 years now and I've never heard such a thing. How about an example?

[Reformed Baptist]

I've heard the same said regarding many reformed teachings, that they are teachings passed down through tradition and through the church fathers, but not from scripture. I've seen arguments over and over that can sight the cannons of dort but are void of scriptural support. Makes one wonder if contending for Christ is as important to some as is contending for a theological label....

In all fairness, I've often seen Arminians claim the support of tradition as well, it's not a one way street.

'trips

There is a vast difference between demonstrating that we understood these texts as they have always been understood, and actually relying on tradition, now I do not want to divert this thread onto another Arminain/ Calvinist debate rather I would like to talk about Catholic oral tradition. So can I suggest you start another thread if you are serious about talking about this, For I am fully prepared to go through scripture with you brother, and if you prefer I will not quote a signle 'theologian'

[Nomad]

You're right RB. Maybe Scott can split this thread. I'm still having trouble with mod controls.

[T. Scott Morgan]

Like magic!

[Reformed Baptist]

thanks guys