William Cunningham on scripture’s warnings against human traditions

[Reformed Covenanter]

But not only does Scripture give no countenance or authority to tradition as a recognised means of conveying to us the divine will, and not only does it virtually exclude tradition as a divine informant by plainly enough asserting its own sufficiency and perfection, but it also contains much that goes directly to disprove the authority and validity of tradition.

The pharisaic doctrine of tradition was the same as that of the Papists and Tractarians, and the use made of it by the Pharisees was precisely analogous to that made of it by their successors in the work of corrupting true religion, so that tradition is an old device of Satan; it met, as exhibited in the case of the Pharisees, with the most decided and emphatic condemnation from our Saviour, who not only himself refused to pay the smallest regard or respect to their traditions; in this as in everything else leaving us an example that we should follow his steps, but declared that they made the word of God of none effect by their traditions — a declaration just as applicable to the conduct of Papists and Tractarians as to that of those against whom it was originally directed. ...

For more, see William Cunningham on scripture’s warnings against human traditions.

 

[Unique Name]

But not only does Scripture give no countenance or authority to tradition as a recognised means of conveying to us the divine will, and not only does it virtually exclude tradition as a divine informant by plainly enough asserting its own sufficiency and perfection, but it also contains much that goes directly to disprove the authority and validity of tradition.

The pharisaic doctrine of tradition was the same as that of the Papists and Tractarians, and the use made of it by the Pharisees was precisely analogous to that made of it by their successors in the work of corrupting true religion, so that tradition is an old device of Satan; it met, as exhibited in the case of the Pharisees, with the most decided and emphatic condemnation from our Saviour, who not only himself refused to pay the smallest regard or respect to their traditions; in this as in everything else leaving us an example that we should follow his steps, but declared that they made the word of God of none effect by their traditions — a declaration just as applicable to the conduct of Papists and Tractarians as to that of those against whom it was originally directed. ...

For more, see William Cunningham on scripture’s warnings against human traditions.

Hello, your post is good timing for me because I was reading through 2 Thessalonians recently and encountered this: "So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter." My family's response is that this was true then, but not now. Their reason for Paul's encouragement to hold to "oral" tradition is that the cannons of scripture were not established yet. I think that is plausible, but l also know Paul stated in one of his epistles that he more or less told the people in person about a certain concept (I think it was the identity of the restrainer), and therefore does not elaborate on the exact identity of that thing in his letter. I am wondering what to make of this. Any suggestions?