A look at what the Apostles actually taught
By Gary Ray Branscome
"Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and
hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle."
(2 Thessalonians 2:15).
Comment: Through the words, “or our epistle”
the Apostle Paul tells us that the tradition he is speaking of is found in the
written Word of God. Therefore, any tradition that contradicts the Word of God
must be rejected as false.
The
tradition of Matthew: "Joseph did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him,
and took unto him his wife: And knew her not till she had brought forth her
firstborn son:" (Matthew
"Then one
said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to
speak with thee" (Matthew 12:47).
"Is not
this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called
Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses,
and Simon, and Judas? And his sisters, are they not
all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things?" (Matthew 13:
55-56). (See also Mark 3:32, Luke 8:20).
The
tradition of Paul: "Now the Spirit speaketh
expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving
heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy;
having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry, and
commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with
thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth" (1 Timothy 4:1-3).
(In regard to meats see Colossians 2:16).
"Let the
deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses
well." (1 Timothy 3:12).
"A bishop
then must be blameless, the husband of one wife" (1 Timothy 3:2).
"Ordain
elders in every city… If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having
faithful children not accused of riot or unruly. For a bishop must be
blameless, as the steward of God" (Titus 1:5-7).
"Nevertheless,
to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have
her own husband" (1 Corinthians 7:2).
The
tradition of Matthew: "Call no man your father upon the earth: for one is
your Father, which is in heaven." (Matthew 23:9).
The
tradition of Luke: "And Mary said, My soul doth
magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour"
(Luke
The
tradition of Paul: "For there is one God, and one
mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;" (1 Timothy 2:5).
The
tradition of Paul: "Likewise the Spirit also helpeth
our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the
Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what
is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh
intercession for the saints according to the will of God" (Romans
"Who is he
that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather,
that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us" (Romans 8:34).
"Wherefore
he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing
he ever liveth to make intercession for them"
(Hebrews 7:25).
The
tradition of John: "And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the
Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins:
and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world." (1 John 2:1-2).
The
tradition of Matthew: "But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the
heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much
speaking" (Matthew 6:7).
The
tradition of Luke: "And he said unto them, When
ye pray, say, Our Father" (Luke 11:2).
The
tradition of John: "Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will
give it you" (John
The
tradition of John: "I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for
you: For the Father himself loveth you, because ye
have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God" (John
The
tradition of Paul: "We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be
absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord" (2 Corinthians
5:8).
The
tradition of Luke: "Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in
paradise" (Luke
The
tradition of John: "I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write,
Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours" (Revelation
The
tradition of John: "The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth
us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the
truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive
us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:7-9).
The
tradition of Paul: "And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together
with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;" (Colossians
The
tradition of Luke: "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is
none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved"
(Acts
The
tradition of Paul: "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but
according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and
renewing of the Holy Ghost;" (Titus 3:5).
"For by
grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of
God: Not of works, lest any man should boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9).
"Therefore
we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law"
(Romans
The
tradition of John: "These things have I written unto you that believe on
the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and
that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God" (1 John 5:13).
The
tradition of Paul: "Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of
you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from
grace" (Galatians 5:4).
The
tradition of Luke: "These (converts) were more noble than those in
Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and
searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so" (Acts 17:11).
The
tradition of John: "Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have
eternal life: and they are they which testify of me" (John
The
tradition of Paul: "Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and
vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and
not after Christ" (Colossians 2:8).
The
tradition of Mark: "And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the
commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition" (Mark 7:9).
The
Word of God: "If they speak not according to this word, it is because
there is no light in them" (Isaiah