For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands oft, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders.
The verse describes a customary purification before eating, in which the Pharisees and all or other Jews would not eat unless they repeatedly washed their hands, holding the tradition of the elders. The observance was carried out down to minute particulars about just how the hands were to be washed. It belonged to a detailed round of similar washings of hands and of pots and cups and utensils.
The washing was a ceremonial, outward religious form. It was wholly human, conceived by narrow minds, and senseless and unreasonable, with no commandment from God requiring it. Neglect of the washing was treated as a grave and serious sin. The disciples' failure to observe it was used as an accusation against them.
Human rules of this kind were exalted above God's commandments. They were taught as more essential and important than God's precepts and added to them. The law of God was thus buried beneath minor ceremonial rules, and human commandments were made to seem like doctrine. Cleansing of hands and vessels was counted of more consequence than purification of the soul, and the distinction between the sacred and the common was confused. The verse reveals the corrupted condition of religion when Christ came, turned into formality, legalism, superstition and lifeless formalism with rigid exactions. Outward forms and ceremonies multiplied while inward piety was largely pretense, purity of heart was lost sight of, and the Bible was misapplied and shaped to fit human ideas and imaginations. Those who exalted tradition showed hearts not converted or sanctified through the truth, with self interwoven in all they did, without oneness with Christ, without active Christian fellowship, and cherishing jealousy toward those thought not to keep the letter of the law.
The tradition of the elders had been cherished from age to age, with additional inventions received with credulity in each succeeding age. It was part of a mass of multitudinous oral traditions. This closed the way for the presentation of righteousness and truth while wickedness of every kind triumphed. Difference of opinion over these washings led to dealing unfairly with Christ and killing the world's Redeemer. Taking sides with the formalists and teaching their counsel means leaving Christ who has the words of eternal life, while the disciples rejected returning to that formal religious system and rejected teaching human commandments in place of Christ's teaching.
The verse describes a customary purification before eating, in which the Pharisees and all or other Jews would not eat unless they repeatedly washed their hands, holding the tradition of the elders. The observance was carried out down to minute particulars about just how the hands were to be washed. It belonged to a detailed round of similar washings of hands and of pots and cups and utensils.
The washing was a ceremonial, outward religious form. It was wholly human, conceived by narrow minds, and senseless and unreasonable, with no commandment from God requiring it. Neglect of the washing was treated as a grave and serious sin. The disciples' failure to observe it was used as an accusation against them.
Human rules of this kind were exalted above God's commandments. They were taught as more essential and important than God's precepts and added to them. The law of God was thus buried beneath minor ceremonial rules, and human commandments were made to seem like doctrine. Cleansing of hands and vessels was counted of more consequence than purification of the soul, and the distinction between the sacred and the common was confused. The verse reveals the corrupted condition of religion when Christ came, turned into formality, legalism, superstition and lifeless formalism with rigid exactions. Outward forms and ceremonies multiplied while inward piety was largely pretense, purity of heart was lost sight of, and the Bible was misapplied and shaped to fit human ideas and imaginations. Those who exalted tradition showed hearts not converted or sanctified through the truth, with self interwoven in all they did, without oneness with Christ, without active Christian fellowship, and cherishing jealousy toward those thought not to keep the letter of the law.
The tradition of the elders had been cherished from age to age, with additional inventions received with credulity in each succeeding age. It was part of a mass of multitudinous oral traditions. This closed the way for the presentation of righteousness and truth while wickedness of every kind triumphed. Difference of opinion over these washings led to dealing unfairly with Christ and killing the world's Redeemer. Taking sides with the formalists and teaching their counsel means leaving Christ who has the words of eternal life, while the disciples rejected returning to that formal religious system and rejected teaching human commandments in place of Christ's teaching.