Religion is totally founded upon traditions. As a Christian, one studies the Old Testament hoping to understand the Jewish traditions upon which Christianity is based. When we know how and why the Jews did things, it helps us understand why the Apostles (all former Jews by the way) behaved and taught as they did.
God used a parabolic vision to teach Peter that some of his Jewish traditions were no longer valid for the Church. In Acts 10, Peter was presented with new truth that the dietary laws of Israel, no longer applied to the Church (v. 1-17). Not only did they no longer apply, the Church was to be made up of both Jews and Gentiles (v. 18-48). According to generationword.com, this occurred in A.D. 39.
The same source dates Acts 15 as being in A.D. 48. In Acts 15:1-29, Luke describes a debate over the requirements for Gentiles to become members of the Church. Some of those who were formerly Jews, had insisted that the tradition of circumcising males in order for them to be acceptable converts to the Jewish faith, be applied to Gentiles wanting to be members of the Church. That means nearly a decade passed before the leaders of the Church came to an agreement that Gentiles need not "become Jews" before their profession of faith in Christ would be accepted.
One tradition I would like to see changed is that of celebrating Christ's Resurrection on Easter Sunday. Because the Jewish Feasts of Passover, Unleavened Bread, and First Fruits are types or pictures of the Lord's death, burial, and resurrection, I would like the Church to celebrate His Resurrection on the day Israel celebrates the Feast of First Fruits. But, based upon the hold tradition has on religious people, I do not suppose I will ever see that become a new tradition.
Scriptural traditions need to remain; man's traditions are always suspect!
(Matthew 15:2-9; Galatians 1:14; Colossians 2:8; 1 Peter 1:18)
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