Revising Unbiblical Traditions and Practices in Light Scripture
The concept of sin is central to understanding the need for revising unbiblical traditions and practices in light of Scripture. Sin is not merely an action but a state of being, originating from birth [1]. All human beings are born sinners, and while the godly strive against their sinful nature, the wicked indulge it [1]. The Bible describes sin in various ways, including "vanity," which encompasses all sorts of sinful acts [2].
The origin of sin is traced back to the first human pair, whose disobedience involved a love of self, dishonor to God, ingratitude, and a preference for the creature over the Creator [4]. This initial act of sin led to a universal condition where both Gentiles and Jews are "under sin's power" and cannot earn God's favor through their own actions [6]. God's anger is depicted not as an arbitrary emotional outburst, but as a necessary response to sin from a holy God [6].
Deliberate sins are characterized by an insolent or arrogant attitude, with rebellion being considered a "great sin" [5]. The apostle John contrasts those who "do righteousness" with those who "commit sin," stating that the latter are "of the devil" [3]. However, John clarifies that while one can be "born of God," the devil does not "beget" anyone; rather, individuals become children of the devil by imitating him [3].
Even after conversion and regeneration, believers can still commit actual sins [7]. To claim otherwise, that "we have not sinned," is to make God a liar [7]. This distinction is important: "we have no sin" refers to the guilt remaining from past sins and the corrupt old nature, while "we have not sinned" refers to the ongoing commission of sins [7].
The importance of Scripture in discerning and revising traditions is highlighted by practices such as the public reading of Scripture, which was transferred from the Jewish synagogue to the Christian Church [9]. The New Testament Gospels and Epistles were recognized as inspired and read alongside the Old Testament from their inception [9]. This emphasis on the authoritative Word of God provides the standard by which traditions and practices are to be evaluated. Prophets who are "light" in whose life and teaching there is no truth, gravity, or steadiness, and who are "treacherous" to God, are described as polluting the sanctuary with their profane deeds [8]. The "light" of the Gospel is meant to reveal God's love, grace, and the way of salvation, and believers are warned to take heed that the light within them does not become darkness [10, 11].
Sources
- Psalms (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Psalms 58:3: 58:3 All human beings are born sinners (see 51:5); however, whereas the wicked indulge their sinful nature, the godly fight against it (Rom 7:19-23; Jas 4:1-10).”
- Proverbs (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Proverbs 30:8: vanity--all sorts of sinful acts (Job 11:11; Isa 5:18).”
- 1 John (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on 1 John 3:8: He that committeth sin is of the devil--in contrast to "He that doeth righteousness," Jo1 3:7. He is a son of the devil (Jo1 3:10; Joh 8:44). John does not, however, say, "born of the devil." as he does "born of God," for "the devil begets none, nor does he create any; but whoever imitates the devil becomes a child of the devil by imitating him, not by proper birth" [AUGUSTINE, Ten Homilies on the First Epistle of John, Homily 4.10]. From the devil there is not generation, but corruption [BENGEL]. sinneth from the beginning--from the time that any beg”
- Genesis (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Genesis 3:13: beguiled--cajoled by flattering lies. This sin of the first pair was heinous and aggravated--it was not simply eating an apple, but a love of self, dishonor to God, ingratitude to a benefactor, disobedience to the best of Masters--a preference of the creature to the Creator.”
- Psalms (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Psalms 19:13: 19:13 An individual who commits deliberate sins does so with an insolent (86:14) or arrogant (119:21, 69) attitude. • The great sin is rebellion (see 32:1).”
- Romans (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Romans 1:18: 1:18–3:20 Paul delays exploring the theme of righteousness through faith (see 3:21) until after he first teaches about universal sinfulness. Gentiles (1:18-32) and Jews (2:1–3:8) are equally under sin’s power and cannot find favor with God by any action of their own (3:9-20). 1:18 God’s anger is not a spontaneous emotional outburst, but the holy God’s necessary response to sin. The Old Testament often depicts God’s anger (Exod 32:10-12; Num 11:1; Jer 21:3-7) and predicts a decisive outpouring of God’s wrath on human sin at the end of history. While Paul usually de”
- 1 John (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on 1 John 1:10: Parallel to Jo1 1:8. we have not sinned--referring to the commission of actual sins, even after regeneration and conversion; whereas in Jo1 1:8, "we have no sin," refers to the present GUILT remaining (until cleansed) from the actual sins committed, and to the SIN of our corrupt old nature still adhering to us. The perfect "have . . . sinned" brings down the commission of sins to the present time, not merely sins committed before, but since, conversion. we make him a liar--a gradation; Jo1 1:6, "we lie"; Jo1 1:8, "we deceive ourselves"; worst of al”
- Zephaniah (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Zephaniah 3:4: light--in whose life and teaching there is no truth, gravity, or steadiness. treacherous--false to Jehovah, whose prophets they profess to be (Jer 23:32; Eze 22:28). polluted . . . sanctuary--by their profane deeds.”
- 1 Timothy (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on 1 Timothy 4:13: Till I come--when Timothy's commission would be superseded for the time by the presence of the apostle himself (Ti1 1:3; Ti1 3:14). reading--especially in the public congregation. The practice of reading Scripture was transferred from the Jewish synagogue to the Christian Church (Luk 4:16-20; Act 13:15; Act 15:21; Co2 3:14). The New Testament Gospel and Epistles being recognized as inspired by those who had the gift of discerning spirits, were from the first, according as they were written, read along with the Old Testament in the Church (Th1 5:21”
- Luke (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Luke 2:31: A light to lighten the Gentiles,.... Or for the revelation of the Gentiles; to reveal the love, grace, and mercy of God, an everlasting righteousness, and the way of life and salvation to them. Reference seems to be had to Isa 42:6. "Light", is one of the names of the Messiah in the Old Testament, as in Psa 43:3 Dan 2:22, which passages are by the Jews (k) themselves interpreted of Christ; and is a name often used of him in the New Testament: it is true of him as God, he is light itself, and in him is no darkness at all; and as the Creator of mankind, he is that light w”
- Luke (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Luke 11:33: Take heed therefore,.... By attending to the light of the Gospel, shining in the ministration of it, and do not neglect and despise it: that the light which is in thee be not darkness; lest being given up to a judicial blindness and hardness of heart, not only the light of nature, which the Jews had in common with the Gentiles, but even that notional light and knowledge of divine things, which they had by being favoured with an external revelation, the writings of the Old Testament, should be lost.”