Traditions and the Conditions of the Heart

Jesus often ran afoul of the religious leaders over the matter of keeping traditions; plucking heads of grain on the Sabbath, healing on the Sabbath, or eating with unwashed hands. Tradition is not necessarily a bad thing, but when it has more authority than the Word of God then it is wrong. Colossians 2:8 warns us against man-made traditions, but we should heed the traditions given by God and handed down to His people (1 Cor. 11:2; 2 Thes. 2:15; 2 Tim. 2:2). Apostolic teaching (God’s Word) is to be passed on to succeeding generations without addition or alteration.