ANSWERS IN THE BIBLE TO PROBLEMS IN THE CHURCH.  # 18.

PROBLEMS ABOUT CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS.

[Editor's note:  As you know, we have been studying for quite some time now
on different themes under the above heading.  We have been using a study
outline tht we used in Nigeria, West Africa.  This study book was
compiled by brother Jim Massey that worked for four years among the people
of the eastern part of Nigeria.  I
have adapted it to our study through this bulletin.  My comments have been
set off by brackets [ ].  As you have
seen, there are many, many problems that arise among the brethren.  We now
come to the problem of customs
and traditions.  You might think that there are not such customs and
traditions that would affect the church here
in the USA, but if you will look about you some Sunday and observe the
strict adherence to the rigid formality of
two songs, a prayer, another song, the sermon, invitation song, a song
before the Lord's Supper (which some-
times is one certain song and no other, one certain quotation of one certain
passage of scripture and no other)
the supper is served, collection taken, a closing song followed by a closing
prayer.  In some places, and I once
preached in such a place when I first started out as a young preacher, the
above schedule, certain song, and
certain scripture passage quoted, etc. was followed scrupulously.  One man
always took care of the table at
the Lord's Supper and a certain song was led and a certain scripture passage
was quoted.  One time in a
business meeting, we didn't have elders, I suggested that we should give
others an opportunity to preside at
the table and maybe use some other songs and scriptures that would serve
just as well as the ones that had been used ever since I had started working
with them.  You would have thought I was a heretic by suggesting
such, especially in the eyes of the man who was leading the cut and dried
formula that was being used.  The
other brethren agreed that such changes might be good and that others should
be used.  The older man that
had been doing the presiding for many years refused to do it any more if
changes were made.  Yes, we get so
wed to certain formulas sometimes that we conclude that this is the only way
and that this order is laid out in
scripture as far as the order of worship is concerned.  But in this study, I
am going to give you some insight into
some of the customs and traditions known in Nigeria that could become
problems in the church]

WHAT ARE CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS?  Customs are the usual manner of doing
things or the habitual
practices of a people.  Traditions are beliefs and practices handed down
from generation to generation.  Trad-
itions are customs so long continued as to be respected as laws.

HOW ARE CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS DANGEROUS?  Jesus condemned the worship of
the Pharisees
and Scribes because they followed customs and traditions in worship (Mk.
7:1-13).  He said that they laid aside the commandment of God that they
might keep their own traditions.  Whenever people hold customs and
traditions as sacred in religion, they make void the Word of God as did the
Jews (vs 13).  Or whenever people
keep a tribal or village custom which violates the Word of God, their custom
or tradition causes them to sin.

DO MEN'S CUSTOMS HAVE ANY AUTHORITY IN RELIGION?  One of the greatest
mistakes in religion is to
think that customs and traditions have authority in religious matters.  The
Jews in Jesus' day had many traditional practices which they kept as if they
were God's law.  When Jesus and His disciples did not do those
things, the Scribes and Pharisees asked Jesus why His disciples broke the
tradition of their elders (Mt. 15:2).
Jesus then asked, "Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by you
tradition?" (vs. 3).  He showed
them that they had kept practices handed down my tradition as if they were
binding.  They taught the command-
ments of men "for doctrine", that is, they taught them as if they were
authoritative in the sight of God.  This made their worship vain or
worthless (vs. 9).  These men were blind leaders leading blind followers
into the
ditch (vs. 14).  This is strong language to show that men's customs and
traditions must not be followed as authority in religion.  Just because a
thing has been practiced by many people for many generations does not
mean that it is from God.

WHAT MUST BE DONE IF A VILLAGE OR TRIBAL CUSTOM CAUSES A COMMANDMENT OF GOD
TO
BE VIOLATED?  Jesus and His apostles often had to teach contrary to accepted
and respected customs.
Jesus plainly told the Samaritan woman that the worship which her fathers
practiced was ignorant and false
(Jno. 4:20-23).  The apostles were continually accused and persecuted
because they stood for God's truth
against conflicting customs and traditions (Acts 6:14; 21:21).  Saul of
Tarsus was very zealous for the traditions
of his fathers (Gal. 1:14).  But by holding to these customs of the Jews'
religion he was persecuting and wasting
the church of God (vs. 13).  Christians must obey God rather than men (Acts
5:29).  When a conflict comes,
tradition must be violated rather than violating God's Word.  We must always
be ready to examine by the Bible
practices and beliefs which we have held strongly for many years.  We must
be open minded about customs
of our ancestors and our people.  Let no tradition be considered sacred or
binding religiously, and let no other
custom cause God's Word to be violated.

WHAT ARE SOME NIGERIAN CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS ABOUT BIRTH?  Many pagan
customs have
been kept by some present-day Nigerian parents and even by some brethren.
Female circumcision causes
great trouble after the young girl grows up to be a mother.  Children ar
often named during a religious naming
ceremony.  Sacrifices are often offered to the god of the land or the god of
yams for bringing the child.  Some
parents believe that a baby is a reincarnated spirit and consult a ju-ju
priest as to where it came from.  Any
custom which is done as a religious practice is wrong, for all religious
practices must come from the New
Testament.  Any custom which is bad for ones health adn may endanger ones
life (such as female circumcision
) must be rejected, since the Christian's body is the temple of the Holy
Spirit (1 Cor. 3:16,17).  All tribal and
ancestral customs should be examined in the light of the Scriptures (1 Thes.
5:21).  Hold fast that which is good
and abstain from every appearance of evil (vs. 22).  [Any custom or
tradition that interferes with serving God,
should be abandoned].  [Brethren, this is the final installment of this
series on Answers in the Bible.  I trust that
the series has been helpful to you.  With regard to customs and traditions,
I have preached the gospel and taught in many countries of the world and
have come into contact with many different customs and traditions.
It has always been my philosophy that I do not go to these countries to make
Americans out of them that follow
all the American ways of doing things, but to try to make Christians out of
them.  And as long as their customs
and/or traditions do not violate the law of God as found in the New
Testament, then I have no problem with such.  I even try to blend in to the
way they do things in order to be able to teach them more effectively.]
- Jim Sasser