Matthew 15:2

Human Traditions And God's Commandments

¹ Then some Pharisees and scribes from Jerusalem came to Jesus and said, ² “Why do Your disciples violate the tradition (religious laws) handed down by the [Jewish] elders? For Your disciples do not [ceremonially] wash their hands before they eat.” ³ He replied to them, “Why also do you violate the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition [handed down by the elders]?

Tradition of the Elders

Unwashed Hands

Luke 11:38

The Pharisee noticed this and was surprised that Jesus did not first ceremonially wash before the meal.

Colossians 2:8

See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception [pseudo-intellectual babble], according to the tradition [and musings] of mere men, following the elementary principles of this world, rather than following [the truth—the teachings of] Christ.

Genesis 1:14

Then God said, “Let there be light-bearers (sun, moon, stars) in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be useful for signs (tokens) [of God’s provident care], and for marking seasons, days, and years;

Mark 7:2

and they had seen that some of His disciples ate their bread with [ceremonially] impure hands, that is, unwashed [and defiled according to Jewish religious ritual].

Mark 7:5

So the Pharisees and scribes asked Jesus, “Why do Your disciples not live their lives according to the tradition of the elders, but [instead] eat their bread with [ceremonially] unwashed hands?”

Colossians 2:20-23

If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were still living in the world, do you submit to rules and regulations, such as,

1 Peter 1:18

For you know that you were not redeemed from your useless [spiritually unproductive] way of life inherited [by tradition] from your forefathers with perishable things like silver and gold,