tradition

¹⁵So may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who has loved us and who has given us an everlasting consolation and good hope in grace,

¹Be imitators of me, as I also am of Christ. ²Now I praise you, brothers, because you are mindful of me in everything, in such a way as to hold to my precepts as I have handed them down to you.

⁸See to it that no one deceives you through philosophy and empty falsehoods, as found in the traditions of men, in accord with the influences of the world, and not in accord with Christ.

²Now I praise you, brothers, because you are mindful of me in everything, in such a way as to hold to my precepts as I have handed them down to you.

³But responding, he said to them: “And why do you transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? For God said:

⁶But we strongly caution you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to draw yourselves away from every brother who is walking in disorder and not according to the tradition that they received from us.

⁷But avoid the silly fables of old women. And exercise yourself so as to advance in piety.

¹⁴And so, brothers, stand firm, and hold to the traditions that you have learned, whether by word or by our epistle. ¹⁵So may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who has loved us and who has given us an everlasting consolation and good hope in grace,

¹⁹Then, when it was late on the same day, on the first of the Sabbaths, and the doors were closed where the disciples were gathered, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst, and he said to them: “Peace to you.” ²⁰And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and side. And the disciples were gladdened when they saw the Lord. ²¹Therefore, he said to them again: “Peace to you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” ²²When he had said this, he breathed on them. And he said to them: “Receive the Holy Spirit. ²³Those whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them, and those whose sins you shall retain, they are retained.” ²⁴Now Thomas, one of the twelve, who is called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus arrived.

¹⁴I am writing these things to you, with the hope that I will come to you soon. ¹⁵But, if I am delayed, you should know the manner in which it is necessary to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the Church of the living God, the pillar and the foundation of truth.

²“Why do your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.” ³But responding, he said to them: “And why do you transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? For God said: ⁴‘Honor your father and mother,’ and, ‘Whoever will have cursed father or mother shall die a death.’ ⁵But you say: ‘If anyone will have said to father or mother, “It is dedicated, so that whatever is from me will benefit you,” ⁶then he shall not honor his father or his mother.’ So have you nullified the commandment of God, for the sake of your tradition.

⁵⁰This is the bread which descends from heaven, so that if anyone will eat from it, he may not die. ⁵¹I am the living bread, who descended from heaven. ⁵²If anyone eats from this bread, he shall live in eternity. And the bread that I will give is my flesh, for the life of the world.” ⁵³Therefore, the Jews debated among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” ⁵⁴And so, Jesus said to them: “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you will not have life in you. ⁵⁵Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.