Modern Day Pharisees

[Bootstrap]

Here's one good way to understand what Jesus had to say about Pharisees: Print out Matthew 23. Make a list of the major things he is criticizing them for in that chapter.

Here are some of the criticisms Jesus made against the Pharisees, along with corresponding scripture references. I think every one of these is a danger to Christians today.

• Hypocrisy: Jesus criticized the Pharisees for their hypocritical behavior and outward show of righteousness while lacking genuine faith and obedience.
  Matthew 23:3, 5-7 - "So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach... Everything they do is done for people to see... They love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called 'Rabbi' by others."
• Neglecting the weightier matters of the law: Jesus criticized the Pharisees for focusing on minor details of the law while neglecting the more important aspects of justice, mercy, and faithfulness.
  Matthew 23:23 - "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy, and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former."
• Love of praise and recognition: Jesus criticized the Pharisees for seeking praise and recognition from people rather than seeking the approval of God.
  Matthew 23:5-7 - "Everything they do is done for people to see... They love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called 'Rabbi' by others."
• Legalism and burdensome regulations: Jesus criticized the Pharisees for burdening people with numerous rules and regulations that went beyond the intent of the law.
  Matthew 23:4 - "They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them."
• Neglecting the heart and inner transformation: Jesus criticized the Pharisees for focusing on external appearances and rituals while neglecting the inward transformation of the heart.
  Matthew 23:25-26 - "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean."
• Outward righteousness but inward wickedness: Jesus criticized the Pharisees for appearing righteous on the outside but having hearts filled with hypocrisy and wickedness.
  Matthew 23:27-28 - "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness."
• Persecuting prophets and righteous people: Jesus criticized the Pharisees for their history of persecuting and killing prophets and righteous individuals sent by God.
  Matthew 23:29-31 - "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous. And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets."
• Relying on their lineage rather than genuine repentance: John the Baptist rebuked the Pharisees who came to him for baptism, warning them not to rely solely on their lineage as descendants of Abraham. He emphasized the need for genuine repentance and a transformed heart.
  Matthew 3:9 - "And do not think you can say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham."

[Bootstrap]

5 But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments,
6 And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues,
7 And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi.

Notice that none of these things would get you praise from Gentiles, and I suspect most of these would get them praise only from other people like them.

They like the praise of their own tribe, which has its own standards that often miss the main thrust of what God was calling them to. And these standards became the central issue for them, not the things that God had actually called them to.

That doesn't mean that distinctive dress is wrong, but it does have its dangers, just like any other visible form of righteousness that we can display to others. If our religious practices shield us from compassion to others or the ministry of reconciliation, we're on shaky ground.

[RZehr]

5 But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments,
6 And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues,
7 And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi.

Notice that none of these things would get you praise from Gentiles, and I suspect most of these would get them praise only from other people like them.

They like the praise of their own tribe, which has its own standards that often miss the main thrust of what God was calling them to. And these standards became the central issue for them, not the things that God had actually called them to.

That doesn't mean that distinctive dress is wrong, but it does have its dangers, just like any other visible form of righteousness that we can display to others. If our religious practices shield us from compassion to others or the ministry of reconciliation, we're on shaky ground.

Notice that Jesus did not condemn the wearing of borders and phylacteries. Only the pride of making them larger than normal. Further, the phylacteries and borders were actually kind of commanded by God to wear.

Today, we have people who seem to take this to mean that any religious clothing is irrefutable evidence of a Pharisee heart, and they find it much more preferable for Christians to follow the custom of the heathen, and paint their faces, bare their skin, and wear silver and gold. And thank God that they are “free”, and not those poor dumb plain people over there.

[MaxPC]

Notice that Jesus did not condemn the wearing of borders and phylacteries. Only the pride of making them larger than normal. Further, the phylacteries and borders were actually kind of commanded by God to wear.

Today, we have people who seem to take this to mean that any religious clothing is irrefutable evidence of a Pharisee heart, and they find it much more preferable for Christians to follow the custom of the heathen, and paint their faces, bare their skin, and wear silver and gold. And thank God that they are “free”, and not those poor dumb plain people over there.

Spot on. Well said.

[Heirbyadoption]

Further, the phylacteries and borders were actually kind of commanded by God to wear.

Today, we have people who seem to take this to mean that any religious clothing is irrefutable evidence of a Pharisee heart, and they find it much more preferable for Christians to follow the custom of the heathen, and paint their faces, bare their skin, and wear silver and gold. And thank God that they are “free”, and not those poor dumb plain people over there.

Inversely, we also have many of our "Plain" folk who consider the aforementioned God-commanded specific clothing aspects to be a blank check for the creation and enforcement of any number of religious dress forms and minutae by groups of individuals under the New Covenant...

[Bootstrap]

They like the praise of their own tribe, which has its own standards that often miss the main thrust of what God was calling them to. And these standards became the central issue for them, not the things that God had actually called them to.

That doesn't mean that distinctive dress is wrong, but it does have its dangers, just like any other visible form of righteousness that we can display to others. If our religious practices shield us from compassion to others or the ministry of reconciliation, we're on shaky ground.

Notice that Jesus did not condemn the wearing of borders and phylacteries. Only the pride of making them larger than normal. Further, the phylacteries and borders were actually kind of commanded by God to wear.

Today, we have people who seem to take this to mean that any religious clothing is irrefutable evidence of a Pharisee heart, and they find it much more preferable for Christians to follow the custom of the heathen, and paint their faces, bare their skin, and wear silver and gold. And thank God that they are “free”, and not those poor dumb plain people over there.

Right. Here are some more examples of things that God calls Christians to do, but Jesus still criticizes people who do them "in order to be seen by men".

• Giving to the needy: Jesus criticized those who would sound a trumpet before giving to the poor, seeking public recognition for their acts of charity.
  Matthew 6:2 - "So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full."
• Praying: Jesus highlighted the hypocrisy of those who pray loudly in public places to be noticed by others, rather than engaging in sincere, private prayer.
  Matthew 6:5 - "And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full."
• Fasting: Jesus rebuked those who would disfigure their faces and appear somber while fasting, to make it evident to others that they were fasting.
  Matthew 6:16 - "When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full."

[Bootstrap]

Here are the corresponding teachings from Jesus on what believers should do instead of seeking to be seen by others:

• Giving to the needy: Instead of seeking recognition and applause from people, Jesus encourages giving in secret, without drawing attention to oneself.
  Matthew 6:3-4 - "But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."
• Praying: Instead of praying to be seen and praised by others, Jesus advises praying in private, with a sincere and humble heart, knowing that God sees and hears in secret.
  Matthew 6:6 - "But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."
• Fasting: Instead of making a public spectacle of fasting for the sake of others' approval, Jesus encourages believers to fast privately, maintaining an appearance of normalcy, with the focus on seeking God's approval rather than human recognition.
  Matthew 6:17-18 - "But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."

In each case, Jesus teaches that the focus should be on cultivating a genuine relationship with God, seeking His approval and reward, rather than seeking the praise and approval of people. The emphasis is on humility, sincerity, and an intimate connection with God in our acts of giving, prayer, and fasting.

[Bootstrap]

Question: Does it SEEM like to anyone else that the enemy of our souls may be using people to label Christians as Pharisees so that they will be silenced?

The early Christians certainly faced that. Here's what Jesus advised:

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

But I think the bigger danger to Christians is not the sins of others. Or even the persecution of others. It's our self-righteousness, which is a daily temptation for just about every Christian. And the sins we need to be most scared of are not the sins of others. Spiritual smugness is a much greater danger.

Pharisees externalized sin, pointing to others, condemning them as sinners. Jesus calls us to draw near to him so his light can expose our sin and our failure to love sinners with compassion, just as he did. I think these two impulses are incompatible. You can follow Jesus or you can follow the Pharisees, but you can't really do both without a divided heart.

[Bootstrap]

Further, the phylacteries and borders were actually kind of commanded by God to wear.

Today, we have people who seem to take this to mean that any religious clothing is irrefutable evidence of a Pharisee heart, and they find it much more preferable for Christians to follow the custom of the heathen, and paint their faces, bare their skin, and wear silver and gold. And thank God that they are “free”, and not those poor dumb plain people over there.

Inversely, we also have many of our "Plain" folk who consider the aforementioned God-commanded specific clothing aspects to be a blank check for the creation and enforcement of any number of religious dress forms and minutae by groups of individuals under the New Covenant...

I was kind of shocked when I realized that two different plain communities, who dress in ways that look extremely similar to an outsider like me, may sometimes reject the way the other community dresses because they have the "wrong" kind of head covering or whatever. And of course, plain communities can criticize the clothing of non-plain Christians, and non-plain Christians can criticize the clothing of plain Christians. But physical clothing isn't a central issue in the New Testament, in either direction.

Whatever else we wear, we should clothe ourselves in justice, mercy, and faithfulness, loving others with the compassion of Jesus. And we should remember that our own righteousness is filthy rags.

[GaryK]

Further, the phylacteries and borders were actually kind of commanded by God to wear.

Today, we have people who seem to take this to mean that any religious clothing is irrefutable evidence of a Pharisee heart, and they find it much more preferable for Christians to follow the custom of the heathen, and paint their faces, bare their skin, and wear silver and gold. And thank God that they are “free”, and not those poor dumb plain people over there.

Inversely, we also have many of our "Plain" folk who consider the aforementioned God-commanded specific clothing aspects to be a blank check for the creation and enforcement of any number of religious dress forms and minutae by groups of individuals under the New Covenant...

I was kind of shocked when I realized that two different plain communities, who dress in ways that look extremely similar to an outsider like me, may sometimes reject the way the other community dresses because they have the "wrong" kind of head covering or whatever.

Does this constitute Phariseeism in your opinion?