Is There Room For Human Tradition in God’s Church?

There is within the church an evident and growing division that identifies Christians as conservatives and liberals. Conservatives are stereotyped as Christians who hate all change and are determined not to adapt or consider other perspectives besides their own. Liberals are often stereotyped as people who seek change whether it is needed or not or people who stray from the truth towards denominational teachings. With these divisions, questions arise. Are these divisions biblical? Does human tradition have its place in the church? What about change? Must we be defined either as conservatives or liberals?

Not All Tradition is Good

Very few people actually match either of the two definitions above verbatim, but there are Christians who take tradition and change to an unbiblical level. To explain why tradition is not always a good thing, I’d like to give an example. Some congregations in our brotherhood believe that it is sinful to have a fellowship hall in a church building. The problem with this doctrine (teaching) is that it has bound where God has not bound. Does the Bible give any instruction about church facilities? No. Holding onto man made traditions and equating them God’s doctrine are not good traditions.

Not All Change Is Good

Like tradition, there are also changes in the brotherhood that seem to be helpful to the church but turn out to be unbiblical and sinful as well. Take the growing acceptance and promotion of women preachers in the church. While it may not seem to hurt anybody, it defies the authority of the scriptures and blurs the lines between the God given roles of men and women. Changes that contradict the Bible’s teachings are not good changes.

Ask Yourself…

Obviously, we must realize that changes do happen in the church (i.e. hiring an outreach/youth minister) and some traditions should be kept (i.e. passing collection/communion plates). But how do we gauge what needs to be kept and what needs to change? Here are some questions to help your church decide.

1. Is it contrary to the Bible?

This question is important for both change and tradition. The doctrine we teach as having biblical authority must be either explicitly or implicitly instructed by God’s word. Anything that is not instructed in these ways is either an opinion or defiant of God’s will. Let’s consider some examples of traditions and changes that defy God..

Example #1(Contrary tradition): In Matthew 15:1-9 we see the Pharisees contradicting God’s teachings for the sake of tradition. Seeing this, Jesus, in the words of Isaiah, said their hearts were far from God and their worship was vain.

Example #2 (Contrary change): Colossians 3:16 and Ephesians 5:19 instruct the church to worship God through singing. Additionally, there are 9 places in the New Testament that deal with musical worship, all of which reflect the act of singing. The New Testament explicitly commands singing. These commands and examples also imply that other kinds of musical worship are not authorized/accepted by the New Testament. Therefore we cannot say that God approves of any other musical worship (i.e. clapping, instruments, etc.) other than singing.

2. Is it becoming a stumbling block?

If a church matter is not a matter of biblical authority either implicitly or explicitly, we must then consider whether it is or will cause problems in the church. Romans 14:13-19 talks about not letting preferences divide the body of Christ. Instead we must be understanding and considerate for one another aiming to bring peace, unity, and collective spiritual growth for church members.

3. Why are you trying to change it/keep it?

If you are seeking change for the sake of change or because you see other churches doing it, consider how the change will benefit your church? If you’re fighting for a tradition, why do you want to keep it? Is it because you’re comfortable with it or is it because keeping it is the most expedient way to fulfill a certain purpose? Regardless of the matter, much forethought needs to take place. What is the purpose of change/tradition? How will you go about changing things? Is it necessary to change things or keep them? Is the change/tradition helpful?

The Heart of the Matter

Everything that is done in the church, every problem, every intention, every program, and every preference addressed must be handled with a pure heart. The heart behind change and tradition must not prideful, arrogant, or promoted by selfish-ambition. Just because things seem right to you doesn’t mean that its right for the church or even right concerning God’s will. As Christians, we ought not to seek to be conservatives or liberals. Instead we should seek to be bible believing, doctrinally authorized Christians who accept other methods and programs when they are more expedient and helpful to the church. Always aim to bring peace and growth when considering change and tradition, remembering above all to do so in prayer, truth, and love.

Yours in Christ,

Zack