Wednesday, January 10, 2024

More on SCRIBES and PHARISEES

 Matthew 23:5

King James Version

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,


The LORD is truly magnificent!

In just one chapter, Matthew 23, He revealed the scribes and Pharisees.

Calling attention to their sins, and atrocities.

Which make people suffer, and are abominations to GOD.

This post is third in the series on scribes and Pharisees.

JESUS tells us more:

Matthew 23:16-22

King James Version

16 Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, 

Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; 

but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, 

he is a debtor!

17 Ye fools and blind: 

for whether is greater, the gold, 

or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?

18 And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, 

it is nothing; 

but whosoever sweareth 

by the gift that is upon it, 

he is guilty.

19 Ye fools and blind: 

for whether is greater, the gift, 

or the altar that sanctifieth the gift?

20 Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, 

sweareth by it, and by all things thereon.

21 And whoso shall swear by the temple, 

sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein.

22 And he that shall swear by heaven, 

sweareth by the throne of God, 

and by him that sitteth thereon.


Matthew 23:33-36

King James Version

33 Ye serpents, 

ye generation of vipers, 

how can ye escape the damnation of hell?

34 Wherefore, behold, 

I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: 

and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; 

and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, 

and persecute them from city to city:

35 That upon you may come 

all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, 

from the blood of righteous Abel 

unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, 

whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.

36 Verily I say unto you, 

All these things shall come 

upon this generation.


Matthew 23:37-39

King James Version

37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 

thou that killest the prophets, 

and stonest them which are sent unto thee, 

how often would I have gathered thy children together, 

even as a hen gathereth her chickens 

under her wings, and ye would not!

38 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.

39 For I say unto you, 

Ye shall not see me henceforth, 

till ye shall say, 

Blessed is he that cometh 

in the name of the Lord.


If you are born again, you will appreciate all that JESUS is teaching.

It is for all, whether we be scribes, or Pharisees.

Whether we be in government, or are civilians.

Whether we be from the past, or live in the present.

We are all under GOD's law.


WOE unto HYPOCRITES

 Matthew 5:20

King James Version

20 For I say unto you, 

That except your righteousness shall exceed 

the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, 

ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.


In the previous post, JESUS described the scribes and Pharisees.

What more does the LORD want us to know about them?

What other traits did they have that was not acceptable to the LORD?

Let's find out from Scripture:

Matthew 23:13

King James Version

13 But woe unto you, 

scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! 

for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: 

for ye neither go in yourselves, 

neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.


Matthew 23:14

King James Version

14 Woe unto you, 

scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! 

for ye devour widows' houses, 

and for a pretence make long prayer: 

therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.


Matthew 23:15

King James Version

15 Woe unto you, 

scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! 

for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, 

and when he is made, ye make him twofold 

more the child of hell than yourselves.


Matthew 23:16

King James Version

16 Woe unto you, 

ye blind guides, which say, 

Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; 

but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, 

he is a debtor!


Matthew 23:23-24

King James Version

23 Woe unto you, 

scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! 

for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, 

and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, 

judgment, mercy, and faith: 

these ought ye to have done, 

and not to leave the other undone.

24 Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, 

and swallow a camel.


Matthew 23:25-26

King James Version

25 Woe unto you, 

scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! 

for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, 

but within they are full of extortion and excess.

26 Thou blind Pharisee, 

cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, 

that the outside of them may be clean also.


Matthew 23:27-28

King James Version

27 Woe unto you, 

scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! 

for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, 

which indeed appear beautiful outward, 

but are within full of dead men's bones, 

and of all uncleanness.

28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, 

but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.


Matthew 23:29-32

King James Version

29 Woe unto you, 

scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! 

because ye build the tombs of the prophets, 

and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous,

30 And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, 

we would not have been partakers with them 

in the blood of the prophets.

31 Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, 

that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets.

32 Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.


What did "Woe unto you" mean?

What were the hypocritical scribes and Pharisees facing?

Matthew 23:33

King James Version

33 Ye serpents, 

ye generation of vipers, 

how can ye escape the damnation of hell?


You think JESUS is done?

He still has much more to say about scribes and Pharisees.

Head over to the next post.


Scribes and Pharisees

 Matthew 5:17

King James Version

17 Think not that I am come 

to destroy the law, or the prophets: 

I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.


JESUS often spoke of them.

We refer to the scribes, and Pharisees.

Who hung on the LORD's every word.

That they may hang Him.

They waited in every corner, in ambush.

Challenging JESUS about His teachings.

Which they say doesn't conform to the law.


What did JESUS teach us about them?

Matthew 5:20

King James Version

20 For I say unto you, 

That except your righteousness shall exceed 

the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, 

ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.


Matthew 16:6

King James Version

6 Then Jesus said unto them, 

Take heed and beware of the leaven 

of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.


Why did the LORD specifically point these out?

Who were these scribes and Pharisees?

Why did JESUS warn us about them?

How did He describe them?

Matthew 23:1-4

King James Version

23 Then spake Jesus to the multitude, 

and to his disciples,

2 Saying The scribes and the Pharisees 

sit in Moses' seat:

3 All therefore whatsoever they bid 

you observe, that observe and do; 

but do not ye after their works:

for they say, and do not.

4 For they bind heavy burdens 

and grievous to be borne, 

and lay them on men's shoulders; 

but they themselves will not move them 

with one of their fingers.


Matthew 23:5-7

King James Version

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.


How did JESUS correct these scribes and Pharisees?

Matthew 23:8-12

King James Version

8 But be not ye called Rabbi: 

for one is your Master, even Christ; 

and all ye are brethren.

9 And call no man your father upon the earth: 

for one is your Father, which is in heaven.

10 Neither be ye called masters: 

for one is your Master, even Christ.

11 But he that is greatest among 

you shall be your servant.

12 And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; 

and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.


Of course, JESUS had much to tell us about them.

We're just warming up.

Scripture has much to say.

SPIRIT has much to teach.

All in testimony of the LORD's teachings.

And I'm on it.

We are not to be be like scribes and Pharisees.

JESUS could not stand their hypocrisy.

And that's for the next post.