Tradition, in and of itself is neither good nor bad. It only represents a pattern of teaching that guides the thinking and practices of participants.
Not as many are familiar with the history of the Restoration Movement in America where men like Alexander Campbell, Barton W. Stone, and others persuaded people to go back to the Bible. Those who are from this heritage are familiar with the slogan, “speak where the Bible speaks and be silent where the Bible is…
Traditions, in any generation, are first supported by the telling of the events that are used to legitimize our existence. Oral tradition was an important part of the early disciples. As they gathered in memory of Christ and ate the supper, they would recall the events of His life and began writing them down approximately…
To further distinguish between the biblical concept of ekklesia and the modern concept of the church, consider the example of education. The education of children starts with the father. God placed the care of children in his hands, which includes education (cf. Eph. 6:1). Of course, our culture has placed education within the jurisdiction of…
Lest there be any doubt that the tradition of the apostles form the “old paths” for us and the established pattern by which brethren lived and interacted with each other, consider the following passages. Consider the evidence given in 1 Corinthians 11:1-2 that reads, “Be ye imitators of me, even as I also am…
In addition to the pattern of words, a pattern for practice is given through the examples of the apostles. It is our position that the tradition of the apostles forms the pattern for all to imitate. The pattern, however, was not so much concerning the pattern of public worship and the church organization but of…
In any writing, one must begin with certain propositions that serve as a foundation for the writing, such as the existence of God and the inspiration of Scripture, both of which are presumed here. The first proposition is that the Scriptures are verbally inspired of God (2 Tim. 3:16-17). The apostles of Christ were Christ’s…