Religious 'tradition' is defined as: The "Knowledge, doctrines, customs, practices, etc., transmitted (by word of mouth or written creed) from generation to generation."

When we speak of "Traditional Christianity" we are referring to that form of Christianity which has been practiced, without change or any indication of spiritual maturity beyond what they started out with, originally. In spite of the ever-increasing Light on the Word which God has revealed through the ages, traditional Christianity refuses to change their creed or doctrines to conform to the "greater Light" which is revealed. They continue to hold on to that which over the years had become a "tradition" to a particular church or group.

Each Church or group usually end up writing a "creed" around what they profess to believe. One serious flaw in ALL their creeds is the "Period" (.) at the end. The creed might be alright if they ended with a comma (,) stating that the adherents would believe the creed PLUS whatever else God would do. But more often than not the creed blinds the heart and mind to anything else that God would reveal; and ties the tongue, preventing the adherents from confessing anything else. Therefore, we can assuredly conclude that such creeds are not of God.

Concerning The "Traditions of man-made religion versus The Word of God" the Bible has this to say:

"Why do Thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread."

"But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?"
".....Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition." Matthew 15:2-3, 6

"But in vain they do worship me, teaching [for] doctrines the commandments of men"." Matthew 15:9

"Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ." Col. 2:8

Traditional Christianity encompasses "that knowledge, those doctrines, customs, practices, etc.", which we all assume to be based on a Biblical foundation, and accepted by most mainstream "Christian" churches" (denominational and non-denominational). SOME of what we call "Traditional Christianity" has it's roots in sound Bible teaching. But what most people don't realize [or don't care to learn] is that MUCH of what Christians hold sacred today has it's roots in Paganism and man-made Theology - man's interpretation of the Scriptures, incorporated into various 'church creeds'.

To many professing Christians, even those things [in Christianity] which have their roots in paganism is now 'sacrosanct'. They have believed and practiced it for so long that it is in-grained in the people, and for someone to challenge ANY of these cherished doctrines or customs is considered by most professing Christians to be 'sacrilegious'. One time, to challenge "Traditional Christianity" was to be branded a "heretic"; Today, they're branded as being "false" or a "Cult".

Most pulpits today are filled by preachers (false prophets), preaching "Traditional Christianity" instead of the FULLNESS of the Revealed Word for this Age. No Church (denominational or non-denominational) has progressed beyond the original Revelation that they started out with. After the initial excitement of "new revelation or Light in the Word" died down, they made a denomination, formulated a creed (written or unwritten) and put a period behind it - and no matter what anybody would do or say (even God), they are not going to move from the teaching and way that has now become a tradition to them. It is the fulfillment of Scripture - "the blind are leading the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch." (Matthew 15:14).

The Bible goes farther in describing those who are blinded by "religious tradition" or the tradition of a church. Jesus said:

"And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: For this people's heart is waxed gross, and [their] ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with [their] eyes, and hear with [their] ears, and should understand with [their] heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them." Matthew 13:14-15

It's a sad state to be in. The Bible tells us that the church in the last days would be so "insanely" steeped in their tradition that they would fail to see their "true condition" in the Presence of God. Speaking of the condition of this end time Church, Jesus said, "Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:" (Revelation 3:17). They are so wretched and blind that they are not aware that Jesus Christ is on the outside of the church - forced out by their traditions (Revelation 3:20). They are stupefied (by their traditions) into thinking all is right, when in reality all is wrong.

There was a remedy but they refused the remedy. Our Lord Jesus, through the Elijah Messenger (Malachi 4:5-6) to this end time church exhorted the church with these words:

I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and [that] the shame of Thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eye salve, that thou mayest see. Revelation 3:18.

In every Age, when the church settled down into "traditions and forms of godliness" God sent His Messenger with a Message to shake them back to the Original Word. And each Age will be judged by the Message God sent to them in their respective Ages. Some will be judged according to the Message God sent them in the days of Martin Luther. Others will be judged by what God sent them in the days of John Wesley and William Booth; Still others will be judged by what God did through the Pentecostals around the turn of the century. But, presently, we are not living in the age of Luther, Wesley, Booth or the Pentecostals - according to Bible Prophecy we have move beyond those ages And this is that end time generation which will be judged by what God has done and the Truth He has revealed in this Age, through the ministry of the Prophet of Malachi 4:5-6 and Rev. 10:7.

The enemy of Truth has always been the "Traditional Religious ideas" of that Age. Jesus said in Mark 7:9, ".....Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition." That is ABSOLUTELY AMAZING - they rejected the commandment of God, just so that they could keep their 'traditional' ideas and ways. As it was then so is it NOW. The "strong delusion" of 2nd. Thess. 2:11-12 grips the "Traditional" Christian world. It is written: "And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness." What is unrighteousness? It is iniquity - unbelief. Paul said, "Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth [it] not, to him it is sin" (James 4:17).

Traditional Judaism REJECTED Jesus Christ and accused Him of "teaching contrary" to the Law of Moses, when in reality, He was fulfilling the Law - making it manifest in flesh. In fact, Jesus was the ONLY ONE that could keep the Law - both the Spirit and the Letter. That's why that our ONLY HOPE is "Christ in us, the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27).

Traditional Christianity through the Church Ages, REJECTED the Revelation of Jesus Christ through the Ministry and Message of Martin Luther. It was Traditional Christianity REJECTED the Revelation of Jesus Christ through the Ministry and Message of John Wesley. again, during the early 1900's Traditional Christianity REJECTED the Revelation of Jesus Christ through the Ministry and Message of the Pentecostal Revival. NOW, Traditional Christianity (churches and individuals alike) are REJECTING the Revelation of Jesus Christ through the Ministry and Message of the Malachi 4:5-6 and the VOICE of Rev. 10:7 which 'finishes' the Mystery of God in this Age. Each Messenger, and especially the last one was/is accused of "teaching things contrary" to "Traditional Christianity", when in reality, their Messages were fulfilling Scripture for the Age in which they lived.

History is repeating itself: "I thought Elijah was to come first - Elijah has come already and you knew it not, but have done unto him whatsoever you determined to do." The Elijah of the First Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ was REJECTED by "Traditional Judaism" and the Elijah of the Second Coming of Christ is REJECTED by "Traditional Christianity".

Please, take a serious look at the things you see and read in The William Branham Home Page and The Bride Message Home Page of Spiritual Food In Due Season. We're not just presenting an "Evangelist" with a 'signs and wonders' ministry - praying for the sick and healing - There were many such ministries around the world during the 1940's, '50's and 60's. BUT the Ministry and Message unfolding in these pages is that of a PROPHET with the WORD of the LORD for this Age. ALL the others had the gift of healing in their ministries, BUT "this Ministry" was different - the 'signs' given to him 'set him apart' from all the others. This ministry was "More Than Spiritual Gifts". It was Prophetic in every way. William Branham's life and ministry perfectly matches that of the Bible Prophets.

The following quotes on "Tradition and traditional Christianity" are from the sermons of Bro. William M. Branham - God's Prophet to this end time Age.

The Works That I Do Bear Witness Of Me - 04/13/50a
A seminary preacher always reminds me of an incubator chicken. A little old incubator chicken, just chirp, chirp, and ain't got no mammy to go to. And that's just about the way this reading, writing, and arithmetic, and gets them great big swell words. Why, you go over the top of the common people anyhow. So what of it. You look way out there, and leave out judgment, and mercy, and so forth, which you should know. And the love of God, that's shed upon our hearts by the Holy Ghost, that tears down traditions and builds us up in Christ Jesus, new creatures in His love and power. That's the things that we ought to have. Amen. We go over the top of that, and go out there and some great big Greek words.

Demonology - Physical Realm - 06/08/53a
I don't hear it around here, but you hear it a lot across the country. One of the greatest things in the Pentecostal groups is the mix-up in that one simple thing. And I've had their heads right together and prove to them they both believe the same thing. It's the devil between them; that's all. If that great Pentecostal church would throw down them little old traditions and unite themselves together in one blessed church of God, the rapture would come.

The Faith Once Delivered To The Saints - 11/29/53a
He said, "These signs shall follow them that believe. In My Name they shall out devils, speak with new tongues, take up serpents, drink deadly things, lay hands on the sick. They shall recover." Oh, we say, "The believer today is a man who goes to church and pays his tithes. He has his pew. He puts a window in the church. He's a good fellow." The Bible don't say one thing about that being a believer. See how we've taken our own traditions and made the law of God of none effect?

The Seal Of God - 05/14/54
Get ready. The only safe place there is today is in Christ Jesus. God bless you. If you're not in, press till you get in. "Those that are in Christ Jesus will God bring with Him in the second coming." Without the Seal of God, which is the baptism of the Holy Ghost, [the] confederation of apostasy is the mark of the beast. That's THUS SAITH THE LORD. See what I mean? But these religious teachers are trying to put it on communism, when they don't realize it's working right in their own midst. He [Jesus] said, "They'll be blind leaders of the blind," He [Jesus] said, "will have eyes, and can't see." Said, "You do in your traditions, speaks the doctrine of men, make commandments of men, making the commandments of God of non effect."

Ques. And Ans. - The Image Of The Beast - 05/15/54
And now, the Catholic church brought out catechism. Luther had it; the Methodist church has it; Episcopalians have it; many of the other ones have it: catechism. Many of the traditions of the Catholic church still hangs onto the Protestant church; which forms her right in with it according to the Bible.

The Second Coming - 02/22/55
I believe that we're living in one the most marvelous days that we ever lived, and the most greatest of time that any persons has ever lived in on earth; .....This time it ends up all life of mortality, going into immortality now. All the sin of all ages is settling down into this generations of people that are living now. All the weaknesses from our fathers of inbred traditions is fell, and sicknesses, and diseases breaking out like has never been knowed in all the world.

Proof Of His Resurrection - 04/10/55m
Now, man, in his carnal condition and his mental conceptions, he always pulls hisself away from God. It's been since the beginning, that man longs to see the other side, but he's been bound in a prison house. Sometimes tradition of man puts him there, that they teach traditions of different forms and motives of how to worship. And he puts man under bondage, in his tradition. And that has been since the world began.

Proof Of His Resurrection - 04/10/55m
And then, people, through traditions, has blinded men from the great fundamental truths of the Scripture. Now, Jesus spoke the same thing when He was here on earth. He said, "Ye are blind leaders of the blind." He said, "If the blind leads the blind, won't they all fall in the ditch?" .....God has a way of revealing Himself to the people and making Himself known to the people, but many times tradition shuts off the people before God can get a chance to get into them to reveal Himself. You get it? Traditions, oh, what that is today.

The Roman Nobleman - 06/21/55
See? You miss it. You forget, friends. I want you to get this, 'cause you grieve the Spirit of God. Look this a way, and be alert. Forget your traditions. The Lord Jesus is here. Can't you recognize that? You'll be spiritually dead. I'm not speaking harsh to you, but I'm trying to get that spirit of unbelief away from you.

Jesus Christ, The Same... - 03/23/58
Oh, can't you see the attitude of the world hasn't changed? The one who desired a murderer in the stead of Jesus, in their hearts they're the same tonight. The world said what it was. It expressed itself when they accepted a murderer in the stead of the lovely Lord just because of religious traditions.

From The Beginning It Was Not So - 10/02/58
But they like to worship. And they think that they are worshipping right, when they're worshipping wrong. And I'm sure after the absence of Christ for two thousand years, something has gone wrong somewhere, because we get too many ideas. And tonight there's almost nine hundred different denominations of churches in the world; that's Christian denominations. Different ideas and each one holds their traditions.

From The Beginning It Was Not So - 10/02/58
Now friend, in the day that we're living, when we see that men has corrupted the world with their traditions, when they've corrupted the church with their traditions, when they've corrupted the minds of people with their traditions...

Hear His Voice - 10/05/58
There was another by the name of Peter, who had become saved and had also be filled with the spirit. And he still wanted to hang on to the traditions of the elders. ...And one day on a housetop, when he wanted to keep the traditions of, "Don't eat any meat, and the Sabbath's, and so forth..." There's a many a good person still tries to hang on to stuff like that.

Where Is He, King Of The Jews? - 12/21/58
I know that floors some of your teachings, but it's the truth. It taken them two years to make the journey. They never come like these so-called Christians today, have their little baby in a manger laying there, and the wise men coming. That's Christian nonsense. They never come to no babe in the manger. There's no Scripture says they did. They come to a young Child, two years old. He wasn't in no manger. He was in a house. Read the rest of that Scripture. But Christian traditions, oh, they've got the whole world scrupled up with their teachings.

It Wasn't So From The Beginning - 04/05/59
And Jesus found those people, the Jews, perverting the Word of God, making the commandments of God of non-effect. He said, "You, with your traditions, take the Word of God and pervert It into making It saying something that It does not say."

Be Certain Of God - 07/08/59
Now remember, it's not the hands of the preacher that heals the people; that's a Jewish tradition. The little man [Jarius], When his daughter died, he said to Jesus, "Come, lay Your hands on my daughter and she will live." He's a Jew. But when the Roman Centurion had his servant at the point of death, he said, "I'm not worthy that You come under my roof. Just speak the word; and my servant will live." Jesus turned and said, "I don't find faith like that in Israel." That's what we Gentiles ought to be, but we have to fall back to our traditions, laying on of hands, and so forth. But that's what it takes.

From The Beginning It Wasn't So - 11/25/59
Some of them say, "Oh, I believe that Jesus was the Son of God, but the Holy Ghost, I don't believe they have to receive it today like they did then." See, they take the commandments of God and make them of non-effect to the people, teaching tradition of the church: creeds and denominations, and make it traditions. We shouldn't do it. We should stick with God's Word. If God's Word's true, then everything else is a lie to It. Let's stay with the Word.

From The Beginning It Wasn't So - 11/25/59
Then today, they have the nerve to say, "wonder what happened to the God of the Bible? Where is that God?" Why, you choked Him out by your creeds. You've choked Him out by your traditions.

Jesus Christ, The same... - 05/19/61
What does He [Jesus] look like? Where would we find Him? The only sensible way that I could say to you, my friend, tonight, is to go back in the Scripture and find out what He was yesterday. Then what He is yesterday, He will be the same today and will be forever. Because He is the infinite, infallible, unchangeable God. Let's go back. I'll lay aside my Baptist tradition; you lay aside your Methodist and the Pentecostal traditions. Let's go right back into the Scripture and find out what He was.

Way Of A True Prophet - 05/13/62
Oh, if Amos was here, he'd stay with the Word. That's right. But you see what's the trouble today with us is like it is with them. They had been taught off the Foundation. Jesus said, "You have made the Word of God of non-effect by your traditions." And that false baptism, that false sign of receiving the Holy Ghost. Some of them say, "Shake a hand." Some of them said, "Speak in tongues." I've heard devils speak with tongues and shake hands too. Yes, sir. That's no sign of It. Now, look, all these things like that, See? You get off the Word of God to teach those traditions. That's right.

A Guide - 10/14/62E
And the Holy Ghost fell fifty years ago, in Louisiana, on Thanksgiving Day. How the church has fell since that time. Do you realize that the Roman Catholic church at its beginning was the Pentecostal church? That's the truth. That's right. It was a Pentecostal church, but the starchy dignitaries begin to get in and change the Scriptures of God to their traditions, add to It dogmas, and so forth. And look what they got now, not a speck of Scripture in any of it. They substituted something for something else, a piece of bread for the Holy Ghost. They substituted sprinkling for immersing. They substituted "Father, Son, and Holy Ghost" for "the Lord Jesus Christ." They substituted all these great oracles of God that was laid down to us, and they're far, far away, way away from the Scriptural doctrine.

Reproach For The Word - 12/23/62
Man are always the same as ever. I want you to listen at me, you on the tape. Don't you miss it. But study it. Men now is like he's always been. He's praising God for what He's done, looking forward to what He will do, and ignoring what He has done and is doing. He praises God for what He has done; He looks forward to what He will do; but he ignores what God's doing, and there he misses the whole thing. Hope they get it. See? Ignoring what He's doing... He knows what He has done, and he knows the promise what He will do, but he fails to see what He's doing. Oh, you Pentecostals, if you're not example of that. You're looking forward for something to happen; it's already happened right under you, and you don't know it. "How oft would He have hovered you, as a hen does her brood; but you would not." You thought more of your traditions and denominations than you did of His Word and His Spirit. Yes.

The Third Seal - 03/20/63
Now, see, they don't want it. They don't want God's Word. Because she held to her traditions, she kept the Word of God from being of non effect. The same now on spiritual Eve, She wants to keep her traditions and get away from the Word of God. She holds again to the denominations and their creeds and traditions of her elders instead of taking the Word of God.

Pardoned - 10/28/63
What would St. Paul do if he walked in Tucson? Now, I say they'd have him in jail 'fore morning. That's right! Why? His soul would burn for God till he couldn't keep from doing it. Sure. But we join church. You see, our traditions has become a stink in the face of God. What we need today is a prophet arise on the scene with "THUS SAITH THE LORD" and strip those things to the bottom and say that they've become a stink.

What Shall I Do With Jesus... - 11/24/63
They think it's tradition. They think that their traditions is of God. See? But it won't stand up with the Word and neither does God vindicate it to be right.

A Man Can turn On The Light - 12/29/63
Notice, living in a glare of Luther, living in a glare of Wesley, living in them glares back there, that's the reason they can't see true Light. If they would stop for a few minutes and just pick up the Bible and read It, they would see that this is Light promised for the hour.
He promised according to Malachi 4 these things would happen. He promised all through the Scriptures they would happen. See? Notice Israel also, our type, in the journey (Look.), eating manna which was their light-life, that give them strength, life. Is that right? Israel could not eat manna that had fallen yesterday. It was contaminated; it was rotten. It was no good for them; they'd die over it. The manna that kept them alive yesterday would kill them today. The Bible said it got germs in it, contaminated. They had to get new manna every day. Amen. And what is it? The people that live on manna of Luther, Wesley, and them back in there, you're eating contaminated stuff that's killing you spiritually. See? It's killing you dead in your traditions.

A Man Can turn On The Light - 12/29/63
Luther's manna would not work for Methodists. Methodist manna would not work for Pentecost. Pentecostal manna will not work for today. See what I mean? Every day it come day by day, fresh, and so has it to the church ages. Luther's manna was the message of justification. Wesley's message was the manifestation of sanctification; Pentecostal was the restoration of the gifts. But this is introducing the Headstone, the last day, the Bride Tree. It's contrary to all of it. And yet It's the same Light for the matured, like the same sun shine today will be ripening the grain for the harvest in July. See what I mean?

The Unveiling Of God - 06/14/64
But they don't see It yet today. God in this last day has rent those traditions away and brought the Word for this age right plain in view, and they still don't know It. They just don't know It. It's so simple. See, it's just so simple; It's so far away from the things of the world.

Feast Of The Trumpets - 07/19/64
Think of it. It's the end time, folks. Hallelujah. The great day of the Lord is at hand. Gather yourselves together. Feast of the Messiah, they'll reject Him, and they'll find out that there is their Messiah. The Bible said them striking things like this would take place.
In Revelations 11 call, their ministry will be the ministry of Moses and Elias calling to Israel out of the Jewish traditions, just as the seventh angel's Message called the Bride out of the Pentecostal traditions. Remember Moses and Elijah is to call Israel out of the old atonement of the lamb, and sheep, and blood, and goats, and sacrifice to the real living Sacrifice, to the Word.

Feast Of The Trumpets - 07/19/64
And the seventh angel's Message, under the same trumpet, same everything exactly, the same seal, is to what? Call the people, the Bride out of the Pentecostal and world traditions to the genuine Atonement, the Word, Christ, impersonated in His Word here, made flesh among us.

It's The Rising Of The Sun - 04/18/65
As people today are trying to say, we should wash feet once a year on Thursday, and on Friday we should take the communion, and all different doctrines - They argue about whether it should be this day or that day, or whether it should be a sabbath day or the first day of the week - All these things are just merely tradition. What good would any of it do you, whether you had Lent or not Lent, if there's no Life in you. It's only a memorial, which there's nothing against it, but they have certainly carried out their traditions but left off the main thing.
Satan doesn't care how religious you are, or how right you are in your doctrine; if you miss that Life, you're won't come up anyhow. No matter how religious, how good, how many churches you've belonged to or will belong to, it doesn't matter one thing unless you have been born again.

God's Provided Place Of Worship - 04/25/65
Don't hold to them traditions and creeds. They were all right in their day, but the flower's bloomed to a blossom now. It's seed time. That's right.

Events made Clear By Prophecy - 08/01/65
They missed it again, as usual, called Him a fortuneteller, a devil, Beelzebub, and said He made Himself God, when they ought to have knowed by their very Bible that He was God....... Now, they had done to Him what all the prophets listed that they would do, just as they are doing in this very Laodicean age, put Him out of the church: blind, naked, and don't know it, just what the prophet said, the prophet of the Bible. Blinded by man's traditions, they put Him out, the Word out of their churches, as usual, as prophesied of them.

Invisible Union Of The Bride - 11/25/65
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelled among us." As long as you hold to man's traditions of denominations, you are called in God's Word a adulternous. As long as you're a denominational creed-seeker, belonging to a denominational church that denies the Word, you are an adulternous. That's what the Bible said. Jesus said, "You cannot serve two gods at the same time".

The Revelation Of Jesus Christ - The Church Age Book
35-1 Now don't get tied down again by traditions and creeds and organizations. Don't be led astray by listening to those that deny the power of the Word and deny that Jesus saves, heals, fills with the Holy Ghost and power. You are God's free men, loosed by His own blood. If you still hold your faith to creeds and denominations, it is certain by the evidence that you have lost your faith in the Word.

The Revelation Of Jesus Christ - The Church Age Book
233-1 In Hebrews 13:7 it says, "Obey them which have the rule over you who have spoken unto you the Word of God." It is the Word that rules us, not men. Now a man as a husband is head of the woman. He rules her. But the church is a woman, too, and her ruler is the Word. Jesus is the Word. If she rejects the Word and takes any other headship she is an adulteress. Now you name me one church that hasn't given up the Word for traditions and creeds. They are all adulteresses - like mother, like daughter.

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