Pharisees

[tsth]

Although, legalism is wrong, I am always noticing that the Pharisees are always mentioned in terms of "legalism", as if this was the MAIN underlying issue with regard to their standing before Christ Jesus.

The MAIN error with the Pharisee, in Jesus's Words, was "hypocrisy". Jesus was always warning the disciples not to slip into the sin of hypocrisy, as the Pharisee's leaven. They didn't practice what they preached, and they thought they were in good standing before God, when in fact, they were continually practicing "lawlessness":

Matthew 7:15 "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them.

21 "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' 23 And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'

Matthew 23:28 Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

Lu 12:1 In the meantime, when an innumerable multitude of people had gathered together, so that they trampled one another, He began to say to His disciples first of all, "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.

Matthew 23:1 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: 2 "The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. 3 So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.

the term "hypocrites" is used by Jesus 6 times in the 23rd chapter of Matthew, when He was speaking to the Pharisees.

Mark 7:6 He replied, "Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: "'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. 7 They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.' 8 You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men." 9 And he said to them: "You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions!

Hypocrisy will be what destroys today's church as well, if we do not practice what we preach...and if we are offended by righteousness:

Matthew 21:31.........."I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. 32 For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.

Ro 12:9

Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.

In His Love,

Suzanne

[patricia1]

Although, legalism is wrong, I am always noticing that the Pharisees are always mentioned in terms of "legalism", as if this was the MAIN underlying issue with regard to their standing before Christ Jesus.

The MAIN error with the Pharisee, in Jesus's Words, was "hypocrisy". Jesus was always warning the disciples not to slip into the sin of hypocrisy, as the Pharisee's leaven. They didn't practice what they preached, and they thought they were in good standing before God, when in fact, they were continually practicing "lawlessness":

Matthew 7:15 "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them.

21 "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' 23 And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'

Matthew 23:28 Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

Lu 12:1 In the meantime, when an innumerable multitude of people had gathered together, so that they trampled one another, He began to say to His disciples first of all, "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.

Matthew 23:1 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: 2 "The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. 3 So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.

the term "hypocrites" is used by Jesus 6 times in the 23rd chapter of Matthew, when He was speaking to the Pharisees.

Mark 7:6 He replied, "Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: "'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. 7 They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.' 8 You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men." 9 And he said to them: "You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions!

Hypocrisy will be what destroys today's church as well, if we do not practice what we preach...and if we are offended by righteousness:

Matthew 21:31.........."I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. 32 For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.

Ro 12:9

Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.

In His Love,

Suzanne

Hey suzanne that is excellent teaching.. Not to much about sadducees can you help be with a teaching on them. I don't know if I ever heard a teaching on this particular group. Pharisees are often talked about and often related to religiousosity( if there is a word) Legalism is used loosely today to mean a whole lot... thanks for the Word....Patricia

[tsth]

Hi Patricia,

Thanks for the comment. Truthfully, I should have included the fact that the Sadducees were guilty of the same. And Jesus included THEM in the rebuking as well. I don't know why we are partial to the "Pharisees" when it comes to critiquing, but they were just as guilty of the hypocrisy. I guess we just like to pick on the Pharisee?

Here are the passages with regard to the Sadducees:

Mt 3:7

But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?

Mt 16:1

The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven.

Mt 16:6

"Be careful," Jesus said to them. "Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees."

Mt 16:11

How is it you don't understand that I was not talking to you about bread? But be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees."

Mt 16:12

Then they understood that he was not telling them to guard against the yeast used in bread, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Mt 22:23

That same day the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him with a question.

Mt 22:34

Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together.

Mr 12:18

Then the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him with a question.

Lu 20:27

Some of the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Jesus with a question.

Ac 4:1

The priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to Peter and John while they were speaking to the people.

Ac 5:17

Then the high priest and all his associates, who were members of the party of the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy.

Ac 23:6

Then Paul, knowing that some of them were Sadducees and the others Pharisees, called out in the Sanhedrin, "My brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee. I stand on trial because of my hope in the resurrection of the dead."

Ac 23:7

When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided.

Ac 23:8

(The Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, and that there are neither angels nor spirits, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all.)

I do wonder though, why do the Pharisee get singled out? Maybe it's because they get top billing in the Scriptures "first mentioned"? I also wonder in regard to the Sadducees, and the above passage, what age did they perceive they were living in? Why the teaching on no resurrection? and no angel or spirits? They were reading the OT Scriptures, so what were they believing? I really don't know. I DO know that with regard to this thread, the downfall of BOTH groups was hypocrisy, and it may be ours(the church's) too?

In His Love,

Suzanne

[tsth]

This is the only place in Scripture that I know of, where the focus is solely on the Sadducees, it was immediately following a run-in with the Pharisees. It's as if the Sadducees said, "here, let us take a turn", and when HE silences them, the Pharisee take one more shot....and fail miserably, again.

Matthew 22:23 That same day the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him with a question. 24 "Teacher," they said, "Moses told us that if a man dies without having children, his brother must marry the widow and have children for him. 25 Now there were seven brothers among us. The first one married and died, and since he had no children, he left his wife to his brother. 26 The same thing happened to the second and third brother, right on down to the seventh. 27 Finally, the woman died. 28 Now then, at the resurrection, whose wife will she be of the seven, since all of them were married to her?" 29 Jesus replied, "You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God. 30 At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. 31 But about the resurrection of the dead--have you not read what God said to you, 32 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? He is not the God of the dead but of the living." 33 When the crowds heard this, they were astonished at his teaching.

34 Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. 35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 36 "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" 37 Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

41 While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, 42 "What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?" "The son of David," they replied. 43 He said to them, "How is it then that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls him 'Lord'? For he says, 44 "'The Lord said to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet.'" 45 If then David calls him 'Lord,' how can he be his son?" 46 No one could say a word in reply, and from that day on no one dared to ask him any more questions.

In His Love,

Suzanne

[OopsMartin]

I do wonder though, why do the Pharisee get singled out? Maybe it's because they get top billing in the Scriptures "first mentioned"?

Perhaps a look at history will help to understand. Look up how the Pharisees came into being. Also, look up how the Mishnah came into being. Those things may give us some understanding at Christ's strong rebukes toward the Pharisees.

[tsth]

I do wonder though, why do the Pharisee get singled out? Maybe it's because they get top billing in the Scriptures "first mentioned"?

Perhaps a look at history will help to understand. Look up how the Pharisees came into being. Also, look up how the Mishnah came into being. Those things may give us some understanding at Christ's strong rebukes toward the Pharisees.

I'm not questioning the reason for Christ's rebukes toward them, as I mentioned above, the Words of Christ very clearly state, why.

What I was asking is, why do "we/Christians today" always single out the Pharisees, rather than the Sadducees?

In His Love,

Suzanne

[OopsMartin]

I do wonder though, why do the Pharisee get singled out? Maybe it's because they get top billing in the Scriptures "first mentioned"?

Perhaps a look at history will help to understand. Look up how the Pharisees came into being. Also, look up how the Mishnah came into being. Those things may give us some understanding at Christ's strong rebukes toward the Pharisees.

I'm not questioning the reason for Christ's rebukes toward them, as I mentioned above, the Words of Christ very clearly state, why.

What I was asking is, why do "we/Christians today" always single out the Pharisees, rather than the Sadducees?

In His Love,

Suzanne

Aaah, sorry. Good question.

[tsth]

I do wonder though, why do the Pharisee get singled out? Maybe it's because they get top billing in the Scriptures "first mentioned"?

Perhaps a look at history will help to understand. Look up how the Pharisees came into being. Also, look up how the Mishnah came into being. Those things may give us some understanding at Christ's strong rebukes toward the Pharisees.

I'm not questioning the reason for Christ's rebukes toward them, as I mentioned above, the Words of Christ very clearly state, why.

What I was asking is, why do "we/Christians today" always single out the Pharisees, rather than the Sadducees?

In His Love,

Suzanne

Aaah, sorry. Good question.

That's ok, but if you notice, even I proved out the point of singling them out, because in this topic, I didn't even notice that Jesus was addressing BOTH, I only mentioned the Pharisees, because that is what we seemed to be conditioned to do.

In His Love,

Suzanne