10 TRADITION QUESTIONS TO CHRISTIANITY

© Carlos Padilla – July 2023

1.- God is One and Three Persons in the Trinity?

The teaching of Jesus in the Bible is clear with regards to the Trinity, a difficult theological concept to understand for our mind, but Scripture shows it from Genesis to Revelation. True Christianity in based in the Word of God, over tradition, no matter how old it may be. These four Texts are very clear:

“Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness.” (Genesis 1:26).

“For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called: Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9).

“I and My Father are one.” (John 10:30).

“If you love Me, keep My commandments. ¹⁶ And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— ¹⁷ the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you… …Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. ²⁴ He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me. ²⁵ “These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. ²⁶ But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.” (John 14:15-26). Also read (Romans 8:16-17).

These Texts show a relationship with God through the three Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and a relationship between the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The only sin that God does not forgive is the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit (Matthew 12:31). Read Bible Studies about this subject at:

https://www.yahshua.net/The-Work-of-the-Holy-Spirit-in-Sanctification-1.htm

 

2.- Is Jesus – Yahshua the only Way to the Father, or also Mary and the Saints?

The Christianity of the apostles, since the Lord Jesus Christ and following the teaching of the Lord, teaches us that only Jesus Christ is mediator between God and us, and that therefore we must not pray to the Virgin or to the saints, and many even pray to their ancestors. Jesus says: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6). “For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus…” (1 Timothy 2:5).

The History of the Church informs us that it would not be until 1950 when Pope Pius XII defined the assumption of the Virgin, who also in one of the councils acquired a mediation and lawyer character, and other roman heresies against Sacred Scriptures, also liturgy was authorized in common languages of the countries, or vernacular, no longer in Latin. Read Bible Studies about this subject at:

https://www.yahshua.net/receiveChrist.htm

https://www.yahshua.net/History-Christian-Leadership-Spain-I.htm

 

3.- Why some Christians pray to images if God prohibits it?

Although at present the Catholic Church teaches the cult to images, and the Orthodox to icons, which is the same thing, in representation of the saints, virgins, and of Jesus Himself, it wasn’t always like that, until it was approved in 787 in a Council in Nicaea. The eastern churches inherited the cult to images and icons because their separation from Rome was after the council. Rome had always been a tolerant empire with the religions of those regions it conquered. The pagan world and its cults to images remained, as well as the Jewish religion in small groups in the Diaspora, and of course Christianity. The first Christians of Rome even gave their lives when denied to participate in the cult to the images, to pagan divinities or to Cesar as a divinity and suffered persecution and death penalty for it. The Catholic Church, the Orthodox and some others like the Anglican, and others, have ignored and ignore completely the Second Commandment of God’s Law, judge for yourselves: “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; ⁵ you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, ⁶ but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.” (Exodus 20 – Deuteronomy 5).

The cult to images goes hand in hand with the intercession of Mary, the Saints and of ancestors like in the pagan cultures that the empire absorbed, as today do Asian cultures. But this is a subject that deserves to be treated with care but with the determination it deserves. Therefore it is in the conscience of each church, and even more of each person, to love Christ keeping His Words, or to ignore Him: “I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6), or what Paul would confirm: “For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus who gave Himself a ransom for all…” (1 Timothy 2:5-6).

If this argument is not enough I invite you to read the story in the Gospel of Luke in its 16^th chapter about the Rich and Lazarus: “…So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. ²³ And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. ²⁴ “Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’ ²⁵ But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented. ²⁶ And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us. ²⁷Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house, ²⁸ for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’ ²⁹ Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’ ³⁰ And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ ³¹ But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.”  Read Bible Studies about this subject at:

https://www.yahshua.net/types-of-prayer/

 

4.- Is the Purgatory a real place or invented?

History proves that the Zoroastrian religion taught a paradise, a purgatory and a hell. The contact of Israel with the culture of the Medo-Persian empire in the times of the deportations, including Babylon, would mean the spiritual contamination of those that did not follow their Jewish religion, and that is why the apocryphal book of 2 Maccabees teaches practices of that origin, which later the roman Catholicism would adopt in its benefit, while the Jewish Bible never included these apocryphal books as canonicals, because they do not have the inspiration of God as they teach doctrines against God’s Law.

Therefore, in the Council of Hippo, in 393, with the presence of Saint Augustine, worked to define the canon of the Bible according to the Catholic Church. In this case they would consider as canonical some books that the Jews did not include in what is called the Tanach, First Testament or Old Testament. At that time the Septuagint, or Greek version of the O.T. included apocryphal books that today are known as deuterocanonical or historical, which is indicated even in the Catholic Bibles. The Protestant Bibles do not include them and follow, as Luther did, the patron approved by the Scribes of Israel, who would know better! Although it is the evidence of the Inspiration what makes a book canonical or not. As you will understand, a doctrine against the Gospel does not deserve to be in the Word of God, therefore this and other books must be relegated to simple historical books. Up to here the history of the Purgatory, but a brief theological commentary will help us understand the true Christian doctrine with base on the teaching of Jesus Christ – Yahshua.

Theologically speaking, the erred target of the purgatory is no other than to purge of purify the souls of those that do not deserve to go to hell, but have neither lived in perfection, according to Zoroastrianism. Christianity, as well as the Jewish Biblical faith, has only received from God the inspiration that the Messiah Jesus Christ – Yahshua has taught, that there are only two places as the destiny of man, after death: heaven and hell. Jesus Christ gave His life on the cross to save us from hell and take us to heaven, through the faith in His work, and He has done it because we are not able to live in holiness, in perfection of the Law of 613 Commandments and ordinances, Law that He fulfilled for us in His justice. This is the reason why faith is a gift of God who shows us that we have no merits to be saved, that we are not able to fulfil the justice and the Law of God, but if we believe in His plan of salvation we can enter into eternal life in Christ through His merits on the cross, through His blood, in His resurrection is victory over death and sin, which He transfers to us who believe in His work (John 16:7-15). Read Bible Studies about this subject at:

https://www.yahshua.net/History-Christian-Leadership-Spain-I.htm

 

5.- Is there anything we can do to save our beloved ancestors?

The Bible teaches that we cannot change the destiny of a person once it is dead, nor through rituals, nor through any type of prayer or works of penitence; it is God who decides and knows each one, his heart and life, if he believed in Christ and loved God, and depending in which time in history and circumstances he lived, will decide in His justice. “Behold, all souls are Mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is Mine; the soul who sins shall die.” (Ezekiel 18:4), says the Lord. Or the Words of Jesus in the Judgment to the Nations, in Matthew 25.

It is important to know that when traditional churches argue that in the Bible it is taught to intercede for the dead, even to pray to the saints, they are using apocryphal books, this means historical books which do not have the inspiration of God, that are not part of the Biblical Canon, due to the fact that they show a clear deviation from the line of teaching of the books that are part of the inspiration, of the Canon, which can clearly be identified because they are the only ones –and are only those few books- which deviate from the teaching of God. I refer to 2 Maccabees 12:46 in this case, where pagan teachings are exposed which Israel learned in the captivity when they contaminated with other cultures. These books have never been admitted by the Scribes and Pharisees, the doctors of the Law of Israel, neither by Reformed Christians. They are only used to justify the business of the sale of indulgencies which allowed collecting enough money to build the cathedral of Saint Peter at the Vatican, or the masses for the dead which provide so much income. Read Bible Studies about this subject at:

https://www.yahshua.net/salvation/

 

6.- Is Baptism only for babies or only for adults?

The baptism in water was part of the initial ritual initiated by John the Baptist, who when he baptized Jesus of Nazareth, his cousin, got to the point of seeing his work fulfilled and said: ““Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!… …but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water… … Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ ³⁴ And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.” (John 1:29-34). If we follow the teaching of Jesus Christ – Yahshua, as we are Christians, we should go and make disciples to all nations and baptize them in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, (Matthew 28). Or as the apostle Peter use to teach: “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:38). Therefore the conclusion is evident, that repentance is essential to be baptized in water, and babies are not yet conscience of the need of repentance, therefore baptism should be for adults, and not to baptize babies and then having had to invent the confirmation. Anabaptist churches are right in this point, according to the coherence of the Bible, as we have read.

Following the list of heresies of man’s tradition, we find another problem with the baptism of babies, as it is the invention of the Catholic limbo, a place where according to what they use to say, went the patriarchs before the redemption, and the non baptized children, due to the original sin. Does anyone imagine Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Elijah, or Isaiah kept from going to the God’s paradise? This heresy was abolished by Pope Benedict XVI in 2007 recognizing that such a place does not exist and that it was not an approved doctrine by his church; but what of the pain to parents of babies during centuries of suffering that was caused to them. Now they have corrected it and say that non baptized children that dye go to paradise, as well as the patriarchs and all the saints of the Old Testament who lived in love to God, and waiting for the redemption of the promised Messiah. How good is to follow the canonical Sacred Scriptures instead of following man!

There are two other baptisms. One I have already mentioned. I refer to the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and the other is the baptism of fire. Both come to the believer in his fervent faith and love to God in Christ, when he has been born again from the Highest and has reached to another dimension of spiritual growth and knowledge of God. Read Bible Studies about this subject at:

https://www.yahshua.net/The-Work-of-the-Holy-Spirit-in-Sanctification-1.htm

 

7.- Can the believer confess his sins directly to God without a priest?

The Letter of the apostle James, in chapter 5, v 16, talks of confessing our sins and offenses to one another, so that we may forgive each other between believers, because it is God who forgives the sins when we repent from the heart, and this is more efficient than the tradition of the churches who created confession to the priest, because it restores the relationship between people who offended each other, as well as the sins before God. On the other hand it is important to point out that in the New Testament there is no figure of priest to do sacrifices before God, but that all believers are considered priests of God (1 Peter 2:9). We must, therefore confess our sins to God: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9).

“Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: ¹⁰ Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. ¹¹ The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. ¹² I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ ¹³ And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ ¹⁴ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 18). Read Bible Studies about this subject at:

https://www.yahshua.net/Social-sin-social-corruption.htm

https://www.yahshua.net/priest.htm

 

8.- Can the believer do something to be saved?

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, ⁹ not of works, lest anyone should boast. ¹⁰ For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2).

Nor by good works, nor by works of God’s Law. Only through faith, which must makes us do (if it is physically and/or psychically possible) good works of good Samaritan, which God has prepared beforehand, so that at the same time we bear fruit of lips that confess His name, and do the Work of God, to carry the seed of the Gospel. Double result: Physical help to the needed, spiritual help for the soul, for salvation, and testimony that we are the workmanship of God, that Jesus Christ may be glorified by our will to exalt Him as the living stone and solid Spiritual foundation.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16). Read Bible Studies about this subject at:

https://www.yahshua.net/salvation/

https://www.yahshua.net/great-works-of-christianity/

 

9.- Are good works a proof of true Christian faith?

Many people with a good heart do good works and are not Christians. Many non Christian NGOs do great works in the world. However the Christian has received a history of good works as a legacy; a legacy that has been the germ of the vast majority of the great movements of works that later became secularized, like the Red Cross. The matter is that the Christian knows and must, from his heart, do what is possible to help his neighbour, because love to the neighbour is the second Commandment in importance in which all the Law and the Prophets conclude. Therefore the Christian that does not do anything for his neighbour, unless he in handicapped or has no resources, cannot be called such, but he who cannot do physically, can always pray for others. “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” (James 5:16).

“What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? ¹⁵ If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, ¹⁶ and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? ¹⁷ Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. ¹⁸ But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works… …²² Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? ²³And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God. ²⁴ You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.” (James 2).

The controversy between the Protestant and the Catholic doctrine, is that Protestantism declares what the Bible says, that faith is by grace, without the works of the Law, and Catholicism focuses more in those works of own merits to earn salvation, which is against the Scriptures. The correct declaration of faith must teach that if there are no works after the conversion to Christ, if no deeds can be seen as a result that God has touched our heart, and then we can say: “show me your faith without works (which is not possible) and I will show you my faith through my works!” This way James teaches. Not that works are the ones to save us, but that they are seal and presentation letter in our lives, consequence of believing in God, but if they are not accompanied by faith in Christ, they only show compassion between people, but not that the person is saved and has received Jesus Christ as saviour, and we speak from our time after redemption. Read Bible Studies about this subject at:

https://www.yahshua.net/great-works-of-christianity/

 

10.- Why do religious traditions contradict the Bible?

With your tradition you reject the Commandment, Jesus said to the Scribes and Pharisees who were the doctors of God’s Law, who had also added traditions against the Commandments of God and condemned and handled those that did not obey them. Today, some 2000 year later we have the same situation in the large traditional churches, which put first their traditions before the Word of God. The Text of Jesus talking to the Scribes and Pharisees is very clear:

“Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, “Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?” ⁶ He answered and said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. ⁷ And in vain they worship Me,
Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ ⁸ For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men— the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do.” ⁹ He said to them, “All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition. ¹⁰ For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’ ¹¹ But you say, ‘If a man says to his father or mother, “Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban”—’ (that is, a gift to God), ¹² then you no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother, ¹³ making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do.” (Mark 7).

There are several reasons that can take to put first the traditions before God, but en any case it is to sin deliberately and seriously by those who have authority over a community of believers. The authority of the Pope was over many kingdoms for centuries. The authority of the Scribes and Pharisees was also over the Jewish community. The Protestant Reformation provided the people, the community of believers with the Bible translated into their tong so they could learn for themselves how the Catholic Church was manipulating and deceiving them. Also the Anglican Church, and many Protestants, including evangelicals and Pentecostals continue today manipulating many believers with traditions and erred interpretations. Sects that use the Bible in their benefit and manipulation like the Mormons or the Jehovah Witness do the same way.

There is no possible argument in defence of putting God in second place, and putting first traditions, no matter how old they may be, if they go against God. Jesus already warned us; everyone must see if he wants to be well with his family, with society, with the members of his church, and with traditions, before God. Read Bible Studies about this subject at:

https://www.yahshua.net/salvation/

 

CONCLUSION

Because readers are both believers and non believers, and many types of different Christians, Catholics, Protestants, Mormons, Jehovah Witness, Seventh Day Adventists, some to check their tradition, others because they doubt, others because they seek truth, is why I have written these 10 Questions of Tradition to Christianity, which are only a summary that can face many general doctrines, but they are some that are cause of most consultation.

From Yahshua.net the Bible is the doctrinal base, from the vision of the New Testament or our Lord Jesus Christ, even if it goes against the traditions of great religions, the same way as Jesus would reprove Scribes and Pharisees that put first their traditions to before God’s Commandment.

Each reader will have to decide if he is seeking the glory of men, or of God, and if it seeks to be well with tradition, or to love God, even at the cost of confrontation with those who prefer to be part of the social group, church or congregation, before following and defending the truth, because: “The truth shall make you free.” (John 8:31-32). Amen.