"traditions"

[AVBibleBeliever]

 2Thess 2:15 Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.

 

And in  2Thess 3:6 ¶ Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us.

 

I have read and re-read Paul's Writtings trying to figure out which traditions he taught in this Epistle.  I still am trying to figure it out but apparently Paul taught some traditions and he gives a command by inspiration to stand fast and hold the traditions which he taught.

 

This is a good a place as any for us to search the scriptures and see what Traditions Paul taught and we are commanded to Stand fast and Hold.

 

Tradition is found only 11 times in the scriptures and Traditions are found only 2 times in Scriptures and they are all in the NT.  Interestingly enough is that Jesus described the tradition of the elders as the Washing of cups and eating without washing their hands.  But surely this is not what Paul was speaking of?
 

Edited July 9, 2014 by AVBibleBeliever

[Ukulelemike]

Tradition, per Websters 1828: (those that apply to the context)

 

  2. The delivery of opinions,doctrines, practices,rites and customs from father to son, or from ancestors to posterity; the transmission of any opinions or practice from forefathers to descendants by oral communication, without written memorials. Thus children derive their vernacular language chiefly from tradition. Most of our early notions are received by tradition from our parents.

 

3. That which is handed down from age to age by oral communication. The Jews pay great regard to tradition in matters of religion, as do the Romanists. Protestants reject the authority of tradition in sacred things, and rely only on the written word. Traditions may be good or bad, true or false.

 

  So a tradition is something handed down, through generations, or from person to person. Some can be true, some false, not necessarily man-made. So Paul handed down true doctrines of God as traditions, things to be adhered to.

[AVBibleBeliever]

Uke, Does Webster's identify what the traditions were that Paul taught?

 

The Bible is a document that was handed down from generation to generation.

 

Your statement may be true but no where in the NT does it say that Paul handed down "true Doctrine" of God as tradition.  The word doctrine as defined in the Bible is teaching and he said he taught traditions.  But are traditions the same as "true doctrine"?

Edited July 9, 2014 by AVBibleBeliever

[AVBibleBeliever]

also the term "true doctrines" is not found anywhere in the Bible and the one place where  the "Doctrine of God" is found is here  Titus 2:10 Not purloining, but shewing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things.

 

OBviously Paul used Doctrine and Tradition and it cleary shows that the two are different.  Remember, "things that are different are not the same" James Knox

 

For Clarity it would have been more ingenuous to quote all of the the Webster's meaning rather than just the two you quoted without the scriptures that are in the Webster's 1828, and the YOUR Addition of the words to Webster's 1828 "(those that apply to the context)".  Parenthetical statements are meant to clarify a statement but Webster did not have this one in the original Webster's 1828 Dict as you imposed it.

 

 

TRADI'TION, n. L. traditio, from trado, to deliver.

1. Delivery; the act of delivering into the hands of another.

A deed takes effect only from the tradition or delivery.

The sale of a movable is completed by simple tradition.

 

2. The delivery of opinions,doctrines, practices,rites and customs from father to son, or from ancestors to posterity; the transmission of any opinions or practice from forefathers to descendants by oral communication, without written memorials. Thus children derive their vernacular language chiefly from tradition. Most of our early notions are received by tradition from our parents.

 

3. That which is handed down from age to age by oral communication. The Jews pay great regard to tradition in matters of religion, as do the Romanists. Protestants reject the authority of tradition in sacred things, and rely only on the written word. Traditions may be good or bad, true or false.

Stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word or our epistle. 2 Thess. 2.

Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your traditions? Matt. 15.

 

It is clear by Webster that a tradition is more than just the "true doctrines of God".

 

Doctrine is found 50 times in scripture and only 5 of those are in the OT.

 

Doctrines is found 5 times in the NT only.  two in the gospels, two in Paul's Epistles, and once in the Book of Hebrews.

Edited July 9, 2014 by AVBibleBeliever

[HappyChristian]

How interesting that you would post this, AVBB! This is the reading from today's Days of Praise.  Days of Praise is put out by the Institute for Creation Research, which is a KJB organization.  Anyway, it's something that I've been ruminating on since I read it this morning and had been thinking of posting about it. 

 

“Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold to the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.” (2 Thessalonians 2:15)

Liberals commonly question the authority of the Scriptures on the assumption that they were based on ancient traditions.

However, the word “traditions” itself as used here conveys no such idea. It means simply “that which has been delivered.” Paul used the same word in defining the gospel. “For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3). Paul did not add or subtract anything to what he had received directly from God. “For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ” (Galatians 1:12).

He was making the same claim to the Christians at Thessalonica. He had first taught them “by word” when he preached there in person (Acts 17:1-4), then later by “our epistle” in his first letter. Now, in his follow-up letter to them, he was reminding them that, in both instances, he (as an apostle) had communicated to them only those things he had directly received from God by divine revelation. Therefore, it was indeed vital that they should “stand fast, and hold” these great truths “which ye have been taught.” Paul was asserting that God had directly communicated, through him, the new truths which He wanted them to have.

Before the New Testament was written, much had to be conveyed verbally to the early church, through the apostles and prophets. Later, the portions of those teachings that were of permanent application were inscripturated (compare Acts 17:3 with 1 Corinthians 15:3-4). The end result of this marvelous process was the inerrant Bible we have today, and it is this completed revelation of God that we must hold fast. HMM

 

[AVBibleBeliever]

what is even more amazing is that I don't read the "day's of praise" or have any publication of theirs in my home.

 

It was placed on my heart yesterday and I thought I would share it as I was looking at the Bible to determine what were the traditions Paul taught especially as it seems he was pointing to the Second Epistle to the Thessalonians as containing those Traditions.

[Ukulelemike]

Paul taught the word of God-the doctrines of the Lord as they were delivered to him by revelation. Thus, the 'traditions' that he would encourage them to follow must be those doctrines of the Lord. Why he chose the word 'tradition' over 'doctrine' in this case is perhaps a good question to pose, but I suspect Paul would not demand they hold to traditions that were anything other than the doctrines of the Lord.

 

And excuse me if I used the term 'true doctrines' trying to clarify them away from what people might normally consider a 'tradition' to be, ie, a tradtion of men. The Bible mentions doctrines of God and doctrines of devils-it shouldn't take much discernment, particularly considering the context of this discussion, what I meant when I used such a term.

 

My reasoning in not including the first definition of 'tradition' here is that it doesn't fit the context. ie, Paul delivered traditions to them-so he traditioned the traditions to them? That one clearly didn't fit the context of the meaning in the verses you gave, while the second two would. That I included the definiton numbers of 2 and 3, AND mentioned that I was only including the ones that fit the context, wasn't at all disingenuous-to remove them and pretend the first didn't exist would be disingenuous. Just didn't see the point in including it-waste of space.

 

As for the 'traditions', or the practices delivered by Paul to them, it would include such as:

 

1Thes 4:1-6:

   "Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more.

   For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus.

   For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:

   That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour;

   Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God:

That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified" 

 

And other traditions or doctrines, or mentioned here, commandments, that Paul taught the Thessalonian church in the epistles to them, as well as anything they learned from Him in other epistles that had been passed to them from other churches, or taught to them by word of mouth when He taught them in person.

 

No reason to only concern ourselves with just the second epistle-I would believe all his teachings would be under consideration. Notice paul says in 2:15, 'whether by word or our epistle" he sent them two epistles, and he also includes word, hence, oral teaching.

[No Nicolaitans]

Here's a definition of the word "tradition" from the year 1604...

 

tradition, a deliuering from one to another.

 

Now you see why the King James translators used it.    Paul was telling them to hold to what he had delivered to them in word or by the epistle...which was the word of God delivered to him.

 

Source - http://www.library.utoronto.ca/utel/ret/cawdrey/cawdrey0.html#t

 

Edited to add...the "traditions" were his words preached (which we don't know what all he preached to them in person) and the epistle. If you try to nail down a certain few "traditions" (using the wrong definition), you'll exclude WAY too much. He was referring to God's word.

Edited July 10, 2014 by No Nicolaitans

[lettheredeemedsayso]

The context of the verses cited here "tradition" is referring to the teaching that God has taught them. In other verses where it refers to the "traditions of men" which is an entirely different context.

[Alimantado]

I think one important tradition that pertains to Online Baptist is logging on and seeing Lettheredeemedsayso posting! Welcome back!

 

   

[AVBibleBeliever]

oops see below

Edited July 25, 2014 by AVBibleBeliever

[Alimantado]

based on what Bible Proof?

 

I need a Bible proof to justify saying that I'm pleased to see an old-time forum member? Ok, John 13:34-35.

[HappyChristian]

I think one important tradition that pertains to Online Baptist is logging on and seeing Lettheredeemedsayso posting! Welcome back!

 

   

  For sure, Carl!  It's great to see you back, lettheredeemedsayso!

[AVBibleBeliever]

I need a Bible proof to justify saying that I'm pleased to see an old-time forum member? Ok, John 13:34-35.

my bad I quoted the wrong post.

[AVBibleBeliever]

The context of the verses cited here "tradition" is referring to the teaching that God has taught them. In other verses where it refers to the "traditions of men" which is an entirely different context.

based on what Bible Proof can you show that tradition is truly speaking of the teaching of God and not that of men?

Edited July 25, 2014 by AVBibleBeliever