Ad Finem Illum
Vol. 3. Issue 2
February 2016
The
Augsburg Confession teaches that human traditions have benefit for the church,
though they lose that benefit when it is taught that the observance of human
traditions merit grace and earn God's favor. This month we explore the benefit
of human traditions in the church. The
fifteenth article of the Augsburg Confession lays out the first benefit of
human traditions and external ordinances in the church.
Of Usages in the Church they teach that those
ought to be observed which may be observed without sin, and which are
profitable unto tranquility and good order in the Church, as particular holy
days, festivals, and the like. (AC XV.1)
Human traditions in the church can be “profitable
unto tranquility and good order.” The example Melanchthon gives is holy days
and festivals. Take Sunday for instance. The New Testament does not command
Christians to worship on Sunday. In the Old Testament the Jews were given the
ceremonial law which commanded them to worship on the Sabbath (Saturday).
Christ fulfills the Sabbath and frees the Christian from the ceremonial law.
St. Paul writes in Colossians 2:16-17, “Let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a
new moon or Sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance
is of Christ.” Note that nowhere in the New Testament is Sunday called the
“Christian Sabbath” nor is there a command to worship on Sunday. The apostles
chose Sunday for
two reasons. First, they worshiped on Sunday as a confession that they were
no longer bound under the ceremonial aspect of the third commandment.
Worshiping on Sunday is a confession of their Christian freedom from the law.
Second, worship on Sunday was a confession that Christ rose from the dead on
the first day of the week, making each Lord’s Day a mini-Easter celebration.
For the sake of tranquility and good order in the church, all churches hold
their chief service on Sunday. Everyone knows on what day they are to show up
to hear God’s Word. The same is true for the entire New Testament liturgical
calendar. Throughout the ages the church built her calendar around her
festivals, Christmas, Easter and Pentecost. Lent, advent, epiphany, and the
saints’ days were added throughout the years. Why? To establish a sacred
calendar for the church to follow, to keep the church on track for teaching all
the articles of the Christian faith on a yearly basis, and so that all the
churches would be hearing the same thing on any given Sunday. In short, for
tranquility and good order among the churches.
To this reason of order and tranquility we ought to add discipline. The
sinful flesh does not want to hear God’s Word. The sinful flesh does not like
order since it rails against anything that is of divine origin or nature,
including order and tranquility. Ceremonies help the Christian curb the sinful
flesh
so that there is an order and discipline to worship and piety. Melanchthon
writes:
They
[the church fathers] observed human rites for the sake of bodily advantage,
that the people might know at what time they should assemble; that, for the
sake of example all things in the churches might be done in order and
becomingly; lastly, that the common people might receive a sort of training.
For the distinctions of times and the variety of rites are of service in
admonishing the common people. The Fathers had these reasons
for maintaining the rites, and for these reasons we also judge it to he right
that traditions [good customs] be maintained. Ap VIII, Article XV. 20-21
The
second benefit of human traditions is found in the Apology of the Augsburg
Confession, XXIV:3:
Ceremonies, however, ought to be
observed both to teach men Scripture, and that those admonished by the Word may
conceive faith and fear [of God, and obtain comfort], and thus also may pray.
Every
ceremony in the church, including her calendar, festivals, holy days,
vestments, postures in worship, just about anything external that goes on in
the church or in the Divine Service, has the purpose of teaching the Scripture
and the faith to those who use said ceremonies. I mentioned above that
worshiping on Sunday teaches Christian freedom and confesses Christ’s
resurrection on the first day of the week. Those human traditions teach the
faith. The clergy shirt teaches that in spite of the preacher’s sinfulness, he
holds the office of Christ to preach the Gospel. Vestments cover the man during
the Divine Service, teaching that the man is not the reason we listen, but the
fact that Christ speaks through the Office of the Holy Ministry. The white
vestment teaches that the baptized are clothed with Christ’s righteousness. The
stole is a sign of being under the yoke of Christ since it rests upon the
shoulders, for the preacher is a “servant of Christ and a steward of the
mysteries of God” (1Corinthians 4:1).
The
posture of the preacher at the altar, the bowing, kneeling at the altar rail,
when we sit and when we stand, even the building itself, all of it is designed
to teach aspects of the faith and to instill reverence and the fear of God in
the hearts of men. None of it is commanded by God. Neither is any of it
forbidden by God, for the Gospel does not impose externals and ceremonies on
men. The church imposes these ceremonies and traditions to engage the senses,
marshalling them for the sake of teaching the gospel. The next time you find
yourself wondering “Why do we do that in church?” ask yourself, “What does this
ceremony teach about Christ, about the Faith, or about Prayer?” That is why
they exist, after all, to teach Christ and the Scriptures to as, as well as to
teach us prayer and faith. Next month we will explore how to judge whether
traditions succeed at their goal or not.
Ad
Finem Illum, Amen!
