"Identifying the Dragon"

        " So then brothers stand firm and hold to the teachings we

           passed on to you whether by word of mouth or by letter."

                                         2 Thess. 2 : 15

          Traditions, in and of themselves, are not bad. In fact, the right kind of tradition are good and healthy, tradition with a solid network of reliable truth that put us in touch with our roots. Paul exhorts us to "stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught" (2 Thess. 2:15). Conversely he commands us to "keep aloof from every brother who leads an unruly life and not according to the tradition which you received from us" (3:6).

           However, a great deal of difference exist between tradition and traditionalism. Jaroslav Pelikan put his finger on the distinction when he observed:

                   Tradition is the living of the dead, traditionalism is the 

                    dead Faith of the living.

          By traditionalism we mean an attitude that resists change, adaptation, or alteration. It clutches tradition so tightly that the blood supply to our spiritual brain is cut off, distorting vision and blurring the distinction between custom and commandment. Traditionalism is suspicious and censorious of the new, the innovative, the different. It substitutes a stuffy, legalistic system for the Spirit freed'om and freshness, las for liberty, rules for renovation, regulation for renewal. In Mark 7, Jesus rebukes the Pharises for confusing human customeith divine command.

                  And the Pharises and some of the scribes gathered 

                  together around Him they had come from Jerusalem,

                  and had seen that some of His disciples were eating 

                  their bread with impure hands, that is  unwashed. 

                  ( For the pharises and all the Jews do  not eat unless 

                  they carefully wash their hands thus observing the

                  traditions of the elders; and when they come from the

                  market place, they do not eat unless they cleanse 

                  Themselves; and there are many other thing which 

                  They have received in order to observe, such as the 

                  washing of cups and pitchers and copper pots.) and

                  The Pharises and the scribes asked Him, "why do Your

                   Disciple not walk according to the tradition of the elder, 

                   But eat their bread with impure hands? " and He said 

                   To them, "Rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites,

                   As it is written,

                 'This people honors Me with their lips,

                  But their heart is far away from Me.

                  But in vain do they worship Me,

                  Teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.'

Neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men." (vv. 1-8)