Is Change Always Better?
by Doy Moyer
I recently went to my favorite donut shop to get an apple fritter and, to my dismay, found that they had changed it. This was my favorite fritter, so when I saw it was not recognizable, I wondered why they would do it. (Honestly, it was a little difficult not to take this personally.) Now, I'm not saying that the new version of the fritter wasn't good at all, but I am saying that it was not as good as what they had (maybe I’m biased). Change is not always better.
Sometimes, we may feel the need to make changes to do something new so we don’t get bored. We might assume that some change will be better than how we are currently doing things. Is this necessarily so? To be clear, we do not oppose all change. Context is needed, however, and we must consider the implications of any changes we make because sometimes the results may not be what we expected.
What we are really talking about here is tradition. Tradition generally refers to that which is handed down to future generations. There are different categories of tradition, however, and we need to be aware of how we use the term. Not all traditions are to be equated, and we need to see some nuance.
Firstly, Scripture teaches that some tradition is necessary. Paul told the Thessalonians that they were to “stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter” (II Thessalonians 2:15). These traditions are the teachings that the apostles handed down to the Christians in the first century and, by implication, are to be handed down to all generations. These are not to be changed. Earlier in the same epistle, Paul warned them to stay away from those who led an “unruly life, and not according to the tradition which you received from us” (II Thessalonians 2:6). These traditions are non-negotiable because they are the expressed will of God. Apostolic tradition is to be obeyed, not changed.
Secondly, Scripture warns against some types of human tradition. For example, Paul warned the Colossians about human traditions that run counter to the will of Christ (Colossians 2:8). Jesus chastised the Pharisees for elevating their tradition over Scripture. When tradition is given equal footing with Scripture, tradition will likely take precedence. As Jesus told them, “You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men. … You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition! … thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down” (Mark 7:8-9, 13). We cannot allow any human tradition to become as important as Scripture, for once we do this, we will find ourselves rejecting the word of God for the sake of those traditions. These types of traditions need to be rejected.
Thirdly, some traditions that are neither required nor wrong will inevitably be handed down. These are traditions of choice. Local churches make decisions about how they will operate on a practical level, and these are often given to the next generations as tradition. These should fall under the umbrella of God’s authority, but they involve judgments concerning the best ways to proceed as a group in the absence of specific divine commands. These are not to be elevated to the status of Scripture, and they can be changed as long as they remain under God’s revealed authority. For instance, these can involve, among other matters, questions about when or how often a church meets on the first day of the week, where they meet, and what the order of assemblies might entail. Overseers of a local church must make judgment calls as they, to the best of their abilities, serve the congregation and watch for the souls of those under their charge. How we respond to their leadership is important (cf. Hebrews 13:17). While elders are not to lord it over the group, they still must make judgments, and we need to be respectful. Traditions of choice generally stem from such judgments. A congregation might revisit these according to their needs, but they should follow Scripture with love, care, and respect for one another.
Tradition is important because it ties the present to the past, and there is a sense of stability for which people long. These traditions have a purpose. While they can be changed, we must be careful not to create chaos and wreak havoc. The one thing we cannot afford to do with traditions of choice is turn them into a catalyst for division. Love for God, one another, and the desire for unity and peace must be front and center. No chosen tradition is worth sacrificing these.
Changing a well-established tradition of choice does not guarantee a better result, so let’s be careful to approach these with an open mind, a desire to follow the will of God revealed in Scripture, and, above all, with love for God and one another.
