Scripture reading, Eph. 4:17-32
For a few studies, I want us to think about how our traditions make void the Word of God. And I want to use for an example, Mark 7:1-16;
“[1]They spoke of “the tradition of the elders” (v 5). The Lord Jesus denounced their teaching as “the tradition of men” (v 8) and “your tradition” (v 9). They elevated their tradition to the level of a commandment from God. But there is no such hand washing commandment anywhere in the Scriptures.
This was something that the Jewish rabbis came up with over time. They studied the OT and came up with a list of hundreds of traditions that are not found in the OT. These were what they thought were reasonable applications of the OT.
We must take great care with applications. We must take great care that our applications do not actually contradict God’s commandments.
Jesus does not directly address the actions of the disciples until verses 14-16. He is here clearly defending their actions. But His point is that it is the words and actions of the Pharisees and scribes that are wrong.”
Here is an example of a tradition that was binding in the tradition of the elders. [the meaning of Corban]:
[2]“The leaders of the Jewish community were criticizing the Lord’s disciples (and indirectly Christ himself) for eating with unwashed hands. We need not think of “unwashed hands” in the hygienic sense; rather, it was the custom of the Jews to ceremonially cleanse themselves from any “defilement” they perceived they had picked up from contact with Gentiles (whom they considered religiously and socially “unclean”).
This attitude and activity was not a part of Moses’ law, but a strictly human tradition that had evolved in the Hebrew culture over the years. When, therefore, the Pharisees and scribes noted that the Savior’s disciples were not conforming to this rabbinic “tradition,” they felt they had an indictment against Christ and his men.
Knowing well, therefore, the attitude that prompted the charge, Jesus did not take the time to explain the matter to his critics. Rather, he “turned the table” on them, and focused attention on a serious violation of Moses’ law by another of their human traditions.
The law of Moses required the Hebrew people to “honor” their parents. That term “honor” did not suggest mere “lip service”; it included the idea of caring for them in their various needs.
Some of the Jews, however, had concocted a scheme to avoid parental responsibility. They would designate certain of their financial resources as “corban.” The Greek word korban is related to the term korbanas, signifying the “temple treasury.” In Jewish practice, therefore, the word “corban” had been coined as a sort of “vow” term. According to the prevailing tradition, one could designate his financial resources as “corban,” which, practically speaking, was a way of “tagging” them, suggesting, “this belongs to God,” and thus was not to be used for personal interests.
Thus, in the manner just described, the covetous, ungrateful Jews callously neglected parental responsibility by an appeal to this perverted human tradition. In so doing, they flouted the law of God.
And yet, on this occasion, they had the unconscionable nerve to accuse the Lord and his disciples of a breach of spirituality because they ignored uninspired rabbinical tradition. This was the epitome of inconsistency.
Christ thus quoted from the prophet Isaiah, charging the Pharisees with hypocrisy. While they professed a reverence for the law, by their manipulating evasions they demonstrated that they neither respected nor understood their obligations to the law of God.”
And the question that we must answer is do we make void the Word of God by our traditions? Or stated a better way, “Can we recognize when our traditions lead us to violate God’s Word?
[Story about prayer at a football game] In my early days as a Pastor I was asked to have devotion with the local H.S football team. And then to have the invocation at the game. It was a small town with several churches and each took a turn with devotion and prayer. This town was right in the middle of football fever. Everybody came to the local game. I did not learn till later you were supposed to give something like a pep talk but I gave a real devotion. Later I was confronted by some of my church members. When I asked why they objected, they answered: “it is what you see and hear. And I asked them to explain and they did. My answer was simple, “you see and hear more than that at the grocery store and walking through the mall and I notice you have not stopped going there.” Needless to say, It was always a sore spot. I am a little wiser today and would have chosen my words differently but I want to say this, you need to support your children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, your loved ones in their life. If they play football go to the game or any other sport. If they have to be inactivity be there with them. It means something to be supported by your loved ones. I was not defiled by going.
Our message is about grieving the Holy Spirit. The Book of Ephesians emphasis the Church, the Body of Christ.
1] The Holy Spirit places us in the Body, 1 Cor. 12:12 -13, For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. 1Co 12:13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
Notice the Person doing the baptizing is the Holy Spirit, For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body. He is certainly not in all these denominations claiming their baptism is His Baptism. It is His baptism, not yours that puts you into the Body of Christ. And that includes everyone who is in the body of Christ.
So may we look at some supporting verses that help us clarify. Romans 6:4, Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.[3] “ For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection (Rom 6:5).
In v 3, Paul said believers were immersed or placed into Christ. In this view, Paul uses another word for our relationship to Jesus. Namely, we are united to Christ [Romans 6:5]. The word is sumphutos, and this is its only appearance in the NT, and commentators debate how best to understand it.
Some think it’s an agricultural reference. Moulton and Milligan, authors of a lexicon that emphasizes non-literary Greek (i.e., how common people actually used the language in their daily transactions), define it as “cultivated,” “planted,” and concerning Rom 6:5. Robert Jewett points to further research where the same word applied to “knitting together the edges of a wound or the ends of broken bones” (Jewett, Romans, p. 400). That would fit with Paul’s metaphor of the Church as Christ’s body. Bone to bone, you are knitted to Jesus.” [ Col. 2:2; 2:19]
The physical water of baptism does not give you the power to walk in newness of life. The LORD is teaching us that in your salvation experience of believing in Christ for eternal life the old is gone [out of sight] and you have the new life of Christ within.
The word buried carries the meaning of out of sight. The context is not about water; the scripture is referring to the work of the Holy Spirit when He places you into the Body of Christ. [as stated above] [nowhere in the Word of God does it teach, you get eternal life through water baptism, I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. ]
Colossians 2:6-12 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Col 2:7 Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. Col 2:8 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. Col 2:9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. Col 2:10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: Col 2:11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: Col 2:12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.
In whom also ye are circumcised, That is Jesus Christ - with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ – that is the work of the Holy Spirit, Because of the work of the Holy Spirit you buried with Him- that is the baptism He is talking about. The old is out of sight = buried. wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. This is not your resurrection to get a new body this you the believer being united with Christ at the time of your believing. You are united in two ways by the Holy Spirit: you are buried with him and you are raised with Him. Everything in salvation is of the LORD and not of man.
When Christ died you died with Him. 2Co_5:14 For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: 2Co_5:15 And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. That new life you have is Christ in you – your potential to have victory – to finish the race – to stand up for Christ., to walk in fellowship with Him and with each other, I wrote an article a long time ago, “If One died for all then all are dead”
Grieve not the holy Spirit of God, Eph 4:30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
Most of the time if not all time the thinking is about some great sins such as murder or some sexual sin or if my prayer life is lacking or some other like sins. Now those sins certainly grieve the Holy Spirit for I am the temple of the Holy Spirit. In preaching and teaching there is mostly emphasis on the individual. But if you look at the context of these scriptures He is talking about how believers treat one another in the body of Christ. Let us go back together to 4: 20-25, But ye have not so learned Christ; Eph 4:21 If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: Eph 4:22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; Eph 4:23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; Eph 4:24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Eph 4:25 Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.
[ v 24 is a reference to the Church i,e 2:13-18 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. Eph 2:14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Eph 2:15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; Eph 2:16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: Eph 2:17 And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. Eph 2:18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. ] That one new man is the Church – the Body of Christ
In v25 we are called neighbors and members one of another. V28, we are to give to the one in need. V29 we are to speak words of encouragement – to build up not to tear down – words that would allow one to see what they have in Christ and then right in the middle of these verses, 4:30, And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
And then following v30, Eph 4:31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: “Malice = with all evil: all jealousy, all gossip, all feelings of superiority
Eph 4:32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. He did not instruct us to be gracious to ourself but He did instruct us to be gracious to one another. In V22 the word corrupt is used = that which is bad.
If the Spirit unified us and we forget we are united by the Spirit and treat other believers by using words or carrying a bad attitude that is tearing down rather than building them up in Christ it grieves the Holy Spirit. [That is not using flattery -words with no meaning but rather following the Word of God].
It is hard for us to think in this manner because we think in an individualistic way. It is not just the individual that is the temple of the Holy Spirit, 1 Cor. 6:19-20 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 1Co 6:20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's. The Church is also the temple of the Holy Spirit, Eph 2:20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; Eph 2:21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: Eph 2:22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.
Each believer is the Temple of the LORD. When you believe on Christ as your Saviour, the Holy Spirit indwells you and seals you, Ephesians 1:12-13, So that brings up a question that must be resolved. The word “trusted” is not the word believe. It means to hope in advance of something to come. Speaking of the Jews “who have hoped in the Christ before He came”. They were taught by prophecy, Luke 2:25 And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel:…”
The word “believe” 4100 pisteúō (from 4102/pístis, it means to have faith in – to be persuaded V 13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, It was after that you believed you were sealed with that Spirit of promise, v14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, You are sealed for time and eternity the moment you believe
<