Mark 7:13 Meaning: When Tradition Undermines God's Word

The Greek word behind making void is akuroō. It means to strip something of its authority, to render it powerless. In Roman law, a will could be akuroō, cancelled, as if it never held force. That is what Jesus says the Pharisees have done: they have taken God’s living word and, by their tradition, cancelled its power over people’s lives.

The word for tradition is paradosis, which simply means something handed down. It is not a bad word by itself. Paul uses it for the gospel he delivered to the Corinthians. The problem is not that the Pharisees passed things along. It is that their tradition competed with God’s own command.

The verb you have handed down (paredōkate) is in the past tense, as Vincent’s Word Studies notes: Jesus identifies them with their forefathers, as though they all shared one spirit. This tradition was not new. It had been passed from generation to generation, gaining weight with each hand that carried it. And somewhere along the way, it became heavier than the words of God.

Christians across traditions have read this verse as a serious warning, though they apply it differently. Protestants often point to this passage to emphasize sola Scriptura, that Scripture alone holds final authority, and church traditions must never override it. Catholics and Orthodox, while also affirming Scripture’s supreme authority, hold that apostolic tradition, faithfully handed down and interpreted by the Church, is itself part of God’s revelation. They would agree that human traditions that contradict Scripture are wrong, but they distinguish between those traditions and the sacred Tradition that complements the written word. The Core issue for all is the same: whenever any human custom, ancient or modern, silences what God has actually said, Jesus calls it what it is: making the word void.

Some readers take this verse to mean that all traditions are bad. But that is not what Jesus says. He condemns traditions that nullify God’s word. The Corban tradition did not simply add to Scripture; it actively set Scripture aside. In fact, Paul himself praises traditions that are faithful to the gospel. The issue is not tradition itself, but whether it serves God’s word or replaces it.

You might not practice Corban or wash your hands in a ritual way before meals. But you probably have traditions: the way your church does communion, the version of the Bible you prefer, the hymns or songs you love, the holidays your family celebrates. None of these are wrong by themselves. The question Jesus asks you this week is whether any of them have quietly taken a place above what God commands. Have you ever excused neglect of a parent by saying, “I’m too busy serving at church”? Or dismissed a clear call to forgive because “that’s just how our family does things”? That is how tradition becomes void-making. Let God’s word be the weight that tips the scale.