Feeding the Lambs - Traditions

"Now I commend you because you remember me in everything and maintain the traditions even as I delivered them to you." 
-Apostle Paul writing to the early church in Corinth
1 Corinthians 11:2

[20th message of the New Believer Series]

Previously we have touched on one of the ordinances of the church (18th message).

In the excerpt above from a letter of Paul to the first believers in Corinth, the word traditions are substituted as ordinances in other translations of the original text.

Ordinances

Paul would be very familiar with religious traditions and religious ordinances as he was a devoutly religious Jew. But after becoming a believer of Christ, he threw away their old human made traditions and ordinances that he used to practice and only taught those which Christ Himself instituted and those which the Holy Spirit led them to observe.

Traditions

Since, and more so, after Paul's time, new believers started instituting their own human made "Christian" traditions and ordinances and like the Jews before them, in due time they have been saddled with hundreds of dos and don'ts as well as new religious rituals and practices.

Lent

One of the traditions that was practiced was the observance of Lent -- a period of 40 days every year.

We have a Lent Series, 40 messages long. Click here to delve into what Lent is about.

What is weird is that Lent is a period of prayer, fasting and abstinence, which starts on what is has become known as Ash Wednesday (which certain denominations observe). 

The season of Lent is meant to make a believer get closer to our Savior.

In Louisiana and other places, people have made a tradition of celebrating what they call as Fat Tuesday (or Mardi Gras).  It would be a day of feasting, partying and drinking. Well something like a bachelors party on the eve of his wedding. Another example of this is the tradition of celebrating St. Patrick's Day. In Ireland and many areas all around the world, many believers celebrate this day with feasting, drinking, dancing and parades, yes much like Mardi Gras. 

People celebrating Mardi Gras

These are just two examples of a human made tradition and rituals that people have observed for hundreds of years but sadly has nothing to do with Christ or the Holy Spirit.

Paul wrote letters to the early churches and to specific believers so that they would have some form of guidance in regards to their faith because he knew that soon enough they would be like the well meaning and the 'holier than thou' Jewish religious leaders who made up religious rituals. And he should know, he was once a part of that group. 

New Believer Series

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