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Tradition (! that word always makes me think of Fiddler on the Roof, great play) is an interesting thing.

Here we are discussing ‘tradition’. The oral and written tradition handed down (thru God’s selected men, the tribe of Levi) from Judaism. As christians, we recognize the original orthodoxy belonged to the Jews. I know there were/are more than a single sect, so fissures in orthodoxy is nothing new.

With Jesus, the christian recognizes a major split. The keepers of the orthodoxy had, thru years of ‘traditions’ and ‘interpretations’, built ‘theology’ that the ‘owner’ never intended. So now we have a new line of traditions, built and owned by men over thousands of years. These traditions have now become part of their ‘orthodoxy’.

Not many years later Peter was trying to steer this new group (to us the one true group) back into parts of the orthodoxy that he grew up in, but was never an ‘insider’ (he wasn’t a scholar, nor in training to be a teacher). Opposing him on this point was Saul of Tarsus (Paul) - an insider’s insider to the ‘old’ orthodoxy, and an outsider to the ‘new’. Paul HATED his old ways, and beat Peter (now the establishment) into submission on some of his theology.

Paul then says stuff like ‘For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified’. As much of our doctrine that we derive from Pauls writings, here we hear his heart.

All that said, what Jesus said in Matthew 23 still gives me pause. While trying to follow His heart, I don’t honor any of those that claim “Moses’ seat”. I try not to dishonor them, but I am not certain how what he said there applies to me...