đź’Ą Truth or Tradition: A Critical Examination of Man-Made Doctrine
When a long-held religious custom bumps up against the explicit text of the Bible, which one bends? The question of authority is the most foundational crisis facing the Christian Church today. It is the temptation to elevate comfortable, inherited human custom—Tradition—over the unchanging, divine command—Truth—found only in the Scriptures.
The principle of Sola Scriptura—Scripture alone—asserts that the Bible is the sole infallible source of Christian faith and practice. Any doctrine that diminishes the completeness of Christ’s work or adds man-made conditions to salvation by grace must be challenged and rejected. The traditions examined below are but a few examples where human decrees have subtly, or overtly, obscured the simplicity and sufficiency of salvation found in Jesus Christ.
1. Purgatory: A Denial of Complete Atonement
The Tradition of Purgatory—a supposed temporary state of cleansing after death—teaches that believers are not fully purified upon their passing but must undergo further suffering to pay the temporal penalty for sins, often with the timeline reduced by the prayers and masses offered by the living.
The Truth of Scripture, however, teaches that Christ’s atonement on the cross was perfectly sufficient and fully complete. The moment a believer dies, they are immediately ushered into the glorious, sinless presence of God.
- Finality of Sacrifice: The book of Hebrews stresses that Jesus, “by one offering, he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified” (Hebrews 10:14). Nothing more is needed.
- Immediate Presence: The Apostle Paul confidently states that for the believer, to be “away from the body and at home with the Lord” is an immediate transition (2 Corinthians 5:8; Philippians 1:23). There is no intermediate cleansing station needed between death and glory.
The doctrine of Purgatory is a tradition developed centuries after the Apostles, lacking any explicit Scriptural foundation, and ultimately undermines the power and efficacy of Christ’s finished work.
2. Speaking in Tongues: Misdirection of the Spirit’s Gifts
The Tradition within some charismatic and Pentecostal circles has elevated the gift of speaking in tongues (Glossolalia), often demanding it as the necessary, initial evidence of the Holy Spirit’s baptism, or allowing private, uninterpreted use during public corporate worship. This creates a two-tiered Christianity where those who do not speak in tongues are seen as less “spiritual” or less fully indwelt by the Spirit.
The Truth of Scripture regarding the gifts of the Spirit is one of diversity and order:
- Not Universal: Paul explicitly asks the rhetorical question, “Do all speak in tongues?” with the expected answer being no (1 Corinthians 12:29-30). The gifts are distributed by the Spirit as He wills, not as man demands.
- Order and Edification: In corporate worship, Paul’s instructions are strict: if tongues are spoken, there must be an interpreter, or the speaker should remain silent, because the goal of any gift is the edification of the entire church (1 Corinthians 14:27-28). Uninterpreted tongues confuse and do not build up the body.
To mandate one specific sign of the Spirit’s presence or to practice a gift without regard for order is to replace the Spirit’s clear direction with human tradition and pride, distracting from the ultimate goal: the exaltation of Christ and the orderly building up of the saints.
3. The Veneration of Saints: Undermining the Sole Mediator
The Tradition of the veneration of saints and the practice of praying to or asking deceased saints (especially Mary) for intercession with God the Father places human intermediaries between the believer and their Savior.
The Truth of Scripture teaches that the veil has been torn, and every believer now has bold, direct access to the throne of grace through a single, sufficient intermediary: Jesus Christ.
- Sole Mediator: The Bible unambiguously states, “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5). This leaves no room for other intercessors.
- Direct Access: Because of Christ’s work as our High Priest, we are commanded to “draw near with confidence to the throne of grace” (Hebrews 4:16). We do not need permission from, or the assistance of, the departed dead.
The tradition of veneration, while perhaps intended to honor holy figures, subtly erodes the believer’s confidence in the unparalleled and exclusive role of Jesus Christ as the only advocate the Christian needs.
Conclusion: Recalibrating Authority
The examples of Purgatory, the misuse of tongues, and the veneration of saints demonstrate a consistent pattern: human religious systems invent traditions that either add to Christ’s work or provide human intermediaries, all of which obscure the radical, simple freedom of the Gospel. These are just three examples of traditions that have gained traction over centuries, displacing the Truth.
The call to every believer must be to adopt the “Berean spirit”—to “examine the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so” (Acts 17:11). Every custom, every teaching, every practice, whether ancient or modern, must be relentlessly tested against the final and sufficient measure of God’s written Word.