Lent Comes of Age

“You make the Word of God of none effect by your tradition.”

Christianity Today (repeated in The Alabama Baptist) notes that Lent is “one of the oldest Christian Traditions.” TAB laments that the season is not practiced in many Southern Baptist churches. I have a similar lament: that it is practiced at all in Southern Baptist churches (or by Christians anywhere).

Let’s take a look at this “old Christian tradition.”

We can all agree that it certainly is not a practice given to us in the pages of scripture. So what does that mean? Well, it means that some guy made it up. Whether he made it up in AD 100 or in AD 2000 makes no difference; he still made it up.

OK, so we have one guy who created this “holy season” for himself. He likes it so much he starts telling his friends about it. They can’t seem to find it in their Bibles either so some of them don’t care to follow the “new Christian tradition.” This upsets the originator of Lent so he gets his like-minded buddies to form a council and they vote that Christians MUST practice Lent.

Some people still object, so the council then decides to start jailing people and threatening them with eternal damnation for denying this “aging Christian tradition.” Those who fail to practice it as directed must have their “sin” forgiven by performing acts approved by “the successors of the council” and beg to have their eternal damnation reversed.

A few centuries later, this “getting older Christian tradition” has millions in bondage of fear of eternal damnation. Tens of thousands more are killed for not practicing it.

In 2006, this “old Christian tradition” still has hundreds of millions under the threat of eternal damnation and millions more deluded into thinking that God is pleased that they’ve given up M&Ms.

Gosh, we need a few more traditions like that. [Note sacrcasm]

Wicked heresy and false shepherds were alive in Paul’s day… and more were expected.

For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears. - Acts 20

Just because something is “old” doesn’t make it any better than if I invented it yesterday. Next time you hear about some “lovely” tradition, do as the “noble” Bereans did with Paul’s doctrines in Acts 17: search the scriptures whether these things are so.

You know what I'm giving up for Lent? The unscriptural traditions of men.

"Let no man judge you in regard to a holy day..." (Col 2:16)