Exposition of Matthew 15:8-9 on Human Traditions
Exposition of Matthew 15:8-9 on Human Traditions
Matthew 15:8-9 quotes Jesus as saying, "'This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men'" [1]. This passage is part of a larger confrontation between Jesus and the Pharisees regarding the washing of hands before eating.
The literary context of Matthew 15:8-9 is Jesus' response to the Pharisees' criticism of his disciples for not following the tradition of washing their hands before eating. Jesus counters their criticism by pointing out their hypocrisy in honoring God with their lips while their hearts remain far from him. The surrounding narrative in Matthew 15 involves Jesus' teaching on what truly defiles a person, emphasizing that it is not external actions but rather the internal condition of the heart.
Historically, the context is Jesus' ministry in Galilee, where he encounters Pharisees who are concerned with ritual purity. The Pharisees' tradition of hand washing was an oral tradition that had been passed down and was considered essential for maintaining purity before God [7]. Jesus' rebuke of the Pharisees reflects a broader critique of the Jewish leadership's emphasis on external observances over internal righteousness.
The key terms in Matthew 15:8-9 include "honors me with their lips" and "their heart is far from me." The phrase "honors me with their lips" suggests a superficial or external form of worship, while "their heart is far from me" indicates a lack of genuine devotion or commitment to God. The term "precepts of men" refers to human traditions or teachings that are not based on God's word.
One major exegetical decision in interpreting Matthew 15:8-9 involves understanding the nature of the "precepts of men" that Jesus condemns. According to the Reformed tradition, as represented by John Calvin, these precepts refer to human laws or traditions that are enacted without authority from God's word, particularly those that prescribe the mode of divine worship or lay a religious obligation on the conscience [4].
The range of interpretations on Matthew 15:8-9 includes various Christian traditions. The Lutheran tradition, as expressed in the Augsburg Confession, interprets Jesus' statement as a critique of human traditions that are considered necessary for worship or justification, arguing that such traditions are opposed to the Gospel and the doctrine of faith [3, 5]. The Catholic tradition, represented by Thomas Aquinas, while not directly addressing Matthew 15:8-9, discusses the role of human traditions in worship and the importance of distinguishing between traditions that are in line with God's word and those that are not [6].
Matthew 15:8-9 has functioned significantly in Christian tradition, particularly in controversies over the role of human traditions in worship and the nature of true devotion to God. The passage has been used to argue against the idea that certain practices or rituals are necessary for salvation or justification, emphasizing instead the importance of genuine faith and heart devotion.
The cross-references to Matthew 15:8-9, such as Colossians 2:8 and Isaiah 29:13, further illuminate its meaning. Colossians 2:8 warns against being taken captive by "philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition," echoing Jesus' critique of human precepts in Matthew 15:9 [2]. The connection to Isaiah 29:13, which is quoted by Jesus, highlights the theme of hypocritical worship, where people honor God with their lips but not with their hearts.
Sources
- Matthew “Matthew 15:9 (NASB) — 'BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE PRECEPTS OF MEN.'"”
- OpenBible.info “Cross-reference: Col.2.8 → Matt.15.2-Matt.15.9 (confidence: 10 votes)”
- Augsburg Confession (Lutheran) “Augsburg Confession (Lutheran, 1530), 21 Thus, therefore, they have taught that by the observance of: 21 Thus, therefore, they have taught that by the observance of human traditions we cannot merit grace or be justified, and hence we must not think such observances necessary acts of worship. 22 They add hereunto testimonies of Scripture. Christ, Matt. 15:3, defends the Apostles who had not observed the usual tradition, which, however, evidently pertains to a matter not unlawful, but indifferent, and to have a certain affinity with the purifications of the Law, and says, Matt. 15:9, In vain do ”
- CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 92: But if, without any regard to circumstances, you would simply know the character belonging at all times to those human traditions which ought to be repudiated by the Church, and condemned by all the godly, 584 584 Calvin on the Necessity of Reforming the Church. the definition which we formerly gave is clear and certain—viz. That they include all the laws enacted by men, without authority from the word of God, for the purpose either of prescribing the mode of divine worship, or laying a religious obligation on the conscience, as en”
- Augsburg Confession (Lutheran) “Augsburg Confession (Lutheran, 1530), 3 They are admonished also that human traditions instituted to: 3 They are admonished also that human traditions instituted to propitiate God, to merit grace, and to make satisfaction for sins, are opposed to the Gospel and the doctrine of faith. Wherefore vows and traditions concerning meats and 4 days, etc., instituted to merit grace and to make satisfaction for sins, are useless and contrary to the Gospel.”
- theology (Catholic (Scholastic)) “Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Third Part (Tertia Pars), Of the Order of Assumption, Art. 6: Article: Whether the human nature was assumed through the medium of grace? I answer that, In Christ there was the grace of union and habitual grace. Therefore grace cannot be taken to be the medium of the assumption of the human nature, whether we speak of the grace of union or of habitual grace. For the grace of union is the personal being that is given gratis from above to the human nature in the Person of the Word, and is the term of the assumption. Whereas the habitual grace pertaining to the spiritual”
- Matthew (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Matthew 15:2: 15:2 The Jewish teachers’ age-old tradition sought to apply the written Torah to common circumstances in the ordinary course of life. This tradition was memorized and passed on orally from teacher to student (cp. 1 Cor 11:23; 15:1-5). • To ignore the tradition of . . . hand washing (see Mark 7:2-4; Luke 11:38) was considered disobedient to the Torah and unfaithful to God’s will for Israel (cp. Matt 23:25-26).”