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"For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands oft, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders. And when they come from the market, except they wash, they eat not. And many other things there be, which they have received to hold, as the washing of cups, and pots, brasen vessels, and of tables." (Mark 7:3,4).
The "traditions of elders" were laws adopted by the religious leaders over time that were not part of the Biblical, God given law. Such teachings were incorrectly looked upon as having equal authority with God's Word. The Old Testament laws were abused and what resulted was a mix of the Word of God that was mostly watered down by human tradition. A few of the things added such as washings appear not to be wrong in themselves, but the problem remained in the fact that such actions were not instructions or authorized by God. Therefore, by declaring such things as "God's law", the religious leaders were adding to the word of God. Throughout the entire Bible from the Pentateuch to the last few verses of Revelation, God warns mankind not to take away or add our own thoughts to His pure word, by nature as humans we are born into sin and are sin infeected but God's holy Word alone stands pure:
"Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you." (Deuteronomy 4:2).
"Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar." (Proverbs 30:5,6).
"For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book." (Revelation 22:18,19).
God gives a stern warning that we cannot suit the gospel to fit our own personal agendas. If someone or a group ignores this and does so, they then in turn have a man made gospel, are not under the grace of our LORD Jesus Christ, they are in rebellion against God and subject to eternal damnation unless they repent by the grace of God. As in the days of Jesus, these teachings here from the Bible are for us today (2 Timothy 3:16,17); so just as the Jewish religious leaders who were the biggest and most powerful religious group followed the traditions of men and not God, so do "churches" (local congregations) today. Such churches are not receiving spiritual blessings from our LORD as He blinds them to the point where they do not know how far from truth they really are:
"But though He had performed so many signs before them, yet they were not believing in Him. This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet which he spoke: "LORD , WHO HAS BELIEVED OUR REPORT? AND TO WHOM HAS THE ARM OF THE LORD BEEN REVEALED?" For this reason they could not believe, for Isaiah said again, "HE HAS BLINDED THEIR EYES AND HE HARDENED THEIR HEART, SO THAT THEY WOULD NOT SEE WITH THEIR EYES AND PERCEIVE WITH THEIR HEART, AND BE CONVERTED AND I HEAL THEM." These things Isaiah said because he saw His glory, and he spoke of Him." (John 12:37-41) nas.
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