1. The Religion of Jesus: Scripture, not Tradition Mark 7:1-13 05/13/2007 Dr. Dane Boyles

2. The Religion of Jesus: Scripture, not Tradition  Introduction “By what authority are you doing these things? And who gave you authority to do this? (Mark 12:28). You’d better have an authority that is higher than yourself, something that shows you have a right to do what you are doing.

3. The Religion of Jesus: Scripture, not Tradition For a lot of people in our society, religion has become a matter of personal preference rather than a matter of God’s revelation. `“What you believe isn’t nearly as important as the fact that you believe in something.” (The modern day lie.) By what authority do you believe what you believe and teach what you teach?

4. The Religion of Jesus: Scripture, not Tradition Is everything just a matter of opinion or is there some standard against which every church and every Christian should be judged? The issue is not whether churches try to follow the teachings of the Bible; but whether they follow the teachings of the Bible alone.

5. The Religion of Jesus: Scripture, not Tradition There are a lot of things done in the name of God which God has not requested or commanded. It’s not enough to say, “That’s the way we’ve always done things.” “I was raised to believe this way.”

6. The Religion of Jesus: Scripture, not Tradition There was a group in New Testament times which was as fond of tradition as many churches are today. The Pharisees.

7. The Religion of Jesus: Scripture, not Tradition 1 The Pharisees and some of the teachers of the law who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus and 2 saw some of his disciples eating food with hands that were “unclean,” that is, unwashed. (Mark 7:1-2, NIV)

8. The Religion of Jesus: Scripture, not Tradition 3 (The Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they give their hands a ceremonial washing, holding to the tradition of the elders. 4 When they come from the marketplace they do not eat unless they wash. And they observe many other traditions, such as the washing of cups, pitchers and kettles.) (Mark 7:3-4, NIV)

9. The Religion of Jesus: Scripture, not Tradition 5 So the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus, “Why don’t your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders instead of eating their food with ‘unclean’ hands?” (Mark 7:5)

10. The Religion of Jesus: Scripture, not Tradition  The Pharisees and their View of Scripture. The Sadducees went wrong because they took away from Scripture. The Pharisees went wrong because they added to it.

11. The Religion of Jesus: Scripture, not Tradition The Pharisees said, “The Scriptures are water; the [traditions], wine; but the [traditions about the traditions], spiced wine.”

12. The Religion of Jesus: Scripture, not Tradition  The “Authority” Question. Two issues at stake in this passage:  What makes one “unclean” in God’s eyes (7:1-5, 14-23).  The role of tradition in religious life (7:6-13). Jesus teaches three principles about tradition.

13. The Religion of Jesus: Scripture, not Tradition 1. Scripture is divine, tradition is not. 6 He replied, “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: “‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. (Mark 7:6, NIV)

14. The Religion of Jesus: Scripture, not Tradition 7 They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.’ 8 You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men.” (Mark 7:7-8, NIV)

15. The Religion of Jesus: Scripture, not Tradition 10 For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.’ 11 But you say that if a man says to his father or mother: ‘Whatever help you might otherwise have received from me is Corban’ (that is, a gift devoted to God, (Mark 7:10-11)

16. The Religion of Jesus: Scripture, not Tradition 12 then you no longer let him do anything for his father or mother. 13 Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like that.” (Mark 7:12-13, NIV)

17. The Religion of Jesus: Scripture, not Tradition 2. Scripture is binding, tradition is not. 8 You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men.” (Mark 7:8)  The Pharisees had confused the binding with the optional.  They were more conscientious about their traditions than God’s Word.

18. The Religion of Jesus: Scripture, not Tradition 3. Scripture is the standard, tradition is not.  The Pharisees would keep their traditions to the point of disobeying God.

19. The Religion of Jesus: Scripture, not Tradition 9 And he said to them: “You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions! (Mark 7:9, NIV)

20. The Religion of Jesus: Scripture, not Tradition  The Modern Christian and the “Authority Question.” What is our standard? Let’s let Jesus be our example!

21. The Religion of Jesus: Scripture, not Tradition  Jesus was meticulous about God’s Word but rather careless about men’s traditions.  Jesus would have made a bad Pharisee.

22. The Religion of Jesus: Scripture, not Tradition Warnings from the Pharisees.  What begins as men’s ideas slowly takes on the authority of God’s ideas.  Because they are our ideas, we find ourselves preferring them to the commands of God.  Eventually, we become so zealous to keep our notions of religion we actually nullify what God says about religion.

23. The Religion of Jesus: Scripture, not Tradition  Conclusion The need to constantly ask, “By what authority?” Book, Chapter and Verse.

24. The Religion of Jesus: Scripture, not Tradition Mark 7:1-13 05/13/2007 Dr. Dane Boyles