The Worthlessness of Holiness Traditions

I am continuously conversing about the Holiness standards known well in the Apostolic Pentecostal movements. Indeed, in the entirety of the Holiness movements since the late 1800s. Holiness adherents love to call them guard rails. Fences to keep the sheep in and the wolves (worldliness) out. Lines against the indulgences of the flesh. Temptation blockers. Clearly distinguished walls of separation. Today we are going to talk about the worthlessness of these holiness traditions.

I know this title is going to make some question marks in your mind. However, I pray and ask that you continue reading because it isn’t my opinion. In fact, it is the opinion of the Apostle Paul himself.

What are Holiness Traditions?

It is vitally important at the outset to define what Holiness Traditions we are talking about. In no way will this article attempt to say that we are not to obey God’s commandments! Additionally, we must define what is man-made tradition vs God’s commandments.

The words of Jesus come from Mark chapter 7 where the issue of the traditions of the elders became a dispute. Here, the disciples of Christ, Jewish men, just as Jesus was, ate food without washing their hands. The Pharisees and Scribes asked Jesus, “Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?” (Mark 7:5)

The tradition of the elders is precisely what we’ll speak of here regarding Holiness Traditions. These are traditions that men have held to for so long that to them they became commandments. These are what we call extra-Biblical principles, or concepts.

One classic example is the conclusion that facial hair is unholy. There are Oneness/Apostolic preachers who will say a man won’t make it to heaven with facial hair. Another example would be people within the Holiness movement who proclaim one cannot wear any type of adornment and be holy. And, that only certain types of clothing are permitted to be worn.

Additionally, these movements will use Hebrews 12:14 to proclaim that without holiness (and these traditions are Holiness to them) no man will see the Lord. This is when, as Christ proclaimed in Mark 7:7 their worship was in vain. They have taken the commandments of men and made them equal to Doctrines, or God’s Commandments.

The Context of Traditions

In this video of Matthew Tuttle preaching at the Nexus Conference, in 2024, Mr. Tuttle equated their ‘traditions’ to Biblical commandments. He references 2 Thessalonians 2:15 to make this proclamation. And rightly, this passage by Paul exhorts the people saying, “So then brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us…”. There is just a small problem – and that is context. (As I love repeating…Context is King and the King Used Context.)

Here, Mr. Tuttle made the ‘traditions‘ spoken of here into giving of money, into holiness traditions (dress standards), and more. But is that what Paul was speaking of?

Paul said again in 2 Thessalonians 3:6, “Keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness and not in accord with the traditions that you received from us.” Paul was warning against idleness, and exhorting them to the missionary work of spreading the Gospel of Grace. This reference to traditions had nothing to do with the traditions of the elders or what we now refer to as holiness standards. As a small aside, Mr. Tuttle continued referring to Paul as saying, ‘Tie a knot into tradition’. However, Paul never stated this in 2 Thessalonians or anywhere else.

Finally, Paul ends chapter 3 by saying “Do not grow weary in well doing. If anyone does not obey what we say in this letter, take note of that person…” Paul carefully exhorted us to hold to the truth, and foundation that the Apostles laid, of Faith in Christ as the only atonement for our sins. We see this again in Galatians 3 where Paul asks, “Did you receive the Spirit by works of the Law (Traditions of the Elders aka Holiness Standards) or by hearing with faith?“

What makes Holiness Standards Worthless?

Scripture does. More importantly, the Holy Spirit does! I know that sounds like hyperbole but listen to Paul once more speaking about the traditions of the elders.

Paul, in Colossians, deals contextually with asceticism, self-denial, and false teachers who try to impose strict rules, and traditions, on the church. And asceticism is nothing new. The rituals abound in ancient traditions such as Hinduism where submitting the body to the mind is commonplace.

We even see this in monastic Christian groups where isolation and asceticism are the way of life. Yet Paul sends his letter to the Church Collassae to remind them to walk with Christ, as they were taught. (Traditions) Most importantly, his purpose was to ensure no one deluded them with ‘plausible arguments‘ (they sound good…) that led them away from the simplicity of Faith in Christ. (Colossians 2:4)

And these plausible arguments are somewhat akin to the ‘tie in a knot’ sermons we saw earlier. Paul states in Colossians 2:8, “See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.”

The problem with these traditions is two-fold. First, it moves the role of the Holy Spirit out of an individual’s life. The Holy Spirit was expressly given to teach, guide, and give us Holiness. (1 John 2:26-27) It is the Holy Spirit we are to abide in. If we are to ‘tie a knot’ to anything, it would be the Holy Spirit! If we abide and trust in traditions to make us holy, there is no need for the Holy Spirit, and there is no need for Christ to have been crucified.

Secondly, they have no value according to Paul. They are worthless. They will not, and cannot stop the indulgences of the flesh. Paul said this in Colossians 2:23, which we’ll explore in context.

Human Traditions have No Value

We know by Scripture that the only reason we, as followers of Christ, are seen as Holy (sanctified) is because of the finished works of Calvary. (Hebrews 10:10) We know that the Holy Spirit came to give us the power to endure, to understand, and to walk by faith and not by sight. It is not our sacrifices, or our human traditions, that cause us to be Holy before God the Father, it is the sacrifice of Christ alone.

What is most telling about the entire book of Colossians and this passage, is that these plausible arguments have an appearance of wisdom. They sound good. They seem to make some sort of human sense. Common sense! Yet Paul repeats that they are human precepts and are not Godly commandments. Because they are human principles, they have no value. They have no power. This is the worthlessness of holiness traditions!

Verse 23 ends with the most striking understanding of the worthlessness of holiness traditions and why this article started by saying, this is not my opinion, it is God’s! Paul ends this chapter succinctly stating, “but they {these traditions} are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.”

Traditions are for your own protection…

You see, every one of these traditions is taught from the perspective of protection. They are there as temptation blockers. Larry Booker wrote the book, What a Difference A Line Can Make with the premise that these holiness traditions protect the sheep from temptations, sin, and spiritual death! Chancy Gore wrote the book Facial Hair, attempting to teach that facial hair is prideful, and that we must avoid pride to be godly. (Read my review of this book as it is out of circulation.)

Another person commented on a YouTube video saying, ‘There is nothing more godly than a modestly dressed woman.’ Even that very statement should raise eyebrows because God himself is more Godly than a modestly dressed woman! Jesus is more godly than a modestly dressed woman. Charity is more Godly than a modestly dressed woman. Wisdom, and so forth…

Tragically, A fundamental Baptist pastor stated that he would set a rapist free if he was on the jury of a rape trial if it was found that the victim was not dressed modestly. (Wearing shorts…) Sadly, these worthless holiness traditions make victims the cause of the assault and can be spiritually and physically dangerous. Even David K. Bernard, in his book, In Search of Holiness has stated that the root cause of Homosexuality is women wearing pants.

Additionally, you can find Apostolic/Pentecostal teachers proclaiming that ‘uncut hair’ on a woman is an umbrella of protection. It can stop her husband from adultery. It will keep them from peril. In Lee Stoneking’s Power of Uncut Hair sermon, he states that a woman has revelation, and profound wisdom due to her uncut hair.

Conclusion

As stated at the beginning, this article is not written to say that we are not to follow God’s Commandments. Indeed, the very words of Christ in Mark 7 are the opposite. We are to unceasingly follow the commandments of God. But…we are to turn away from false teachers who make their traditions equal to God’s commandments. It is vanity, it is worthless in the sight of God.

Scripture makes it abundantly clear what those commandments are, from the 10 Commandments handed to Moses in Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5 to the Law of Christ and His New Commandment in John 13:34-35. Scripture is also abundantly clear that we do not add to or take away from it. Revelation 22:18-19.

These Holiness Traditions, these additions to the Word, were the focus of Jesus Christ in Matthew 23:27-28 when he said, “Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which outwardly appear beautiful but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness.”

Indeed, when Paul wrote to the Corinthian church, dealing with them taking things too far, he wrote in 1 Corinthians 4:6, “I have applied all these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit brothers, that you may learn by us not to go beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up in favor of one against another.” And in my experience, nothing is more true about groups who hold to rigid rules and regulations but that they say they have more ‘truth’ than others because of their ascetic traditions.

Christ Alone has the power to keep you!

Friends – there is nothing more redeeming than the Sacrifice of Christ on the Cross and nothing as powerful as the Holy Spirit to guide us away from temptation. These traditions, these fences, are nothing more than imagined safety nets according to Paul. They cause you to place your faith in men and their traditions rather than in Christ Alone. You can come to believe that your power is in the kept tradition rather than in the Spirit of God.

If indeed these traditions are worthless, and powerless to stop the indulgences of the flesh, flee from them. Run towards the only real power to keep you from falling!