[roamer_1]

Maybe Matt. 15:1-9 helps. "But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?" Matt. 15:3.

"Why do thy disciples trangress the tradition of the elders?.."Matt. 15:2.

Yes, it all helps... And I believe that the total evidence strongly outweighs Matt 23:2-3...

But Matt 23:2-3 seems to be very explicit. Without the whole evidence of context AS context, it can be taken very wrongly.

[smvoice]

It can be taken wrongly. For 2000 years now, we have had an entire group of people, building an entire religious system on the Word of God and Tradition of men being equal. The very same problem Israel had. They were blinded and set aside by Acts 28, until the fulness of the Gentiles be brought in. God is not through with the nation Israel, obviously, but they have been temporarily blinded.

Paul talks about spiritual blindness, after he speaks to Israel's blindness in 2 Cor. 3:12-16. Paul speaks of the blindness by the god of this world, in those who do not believe the "glorious gospel of Christ." 2 Cor. 4: 3-6.

One is blindness by God to Israel. The other is blindness by Satan.

The former is because of Israel's rejection of Christ as Messiah. The latter is because of their minds being blinded by the truth of the gospel.

And what is the Gospel of Christ?

For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast." Eph. 2:8,9. Anyone who would reject this gift is blinded by the god of this world, and depends on WORKS to establish righteousness and salvation.

Same old Tradition, different face.