The Real Pharisees: Introduction

The Real Pharisees

When Jesus warned of the “leaven of the Pharisees” (Matthew 16:6), He was referring to their influence. There were several reasons why He warned about this. We will address these in our study. Jesus pointed out the Pharisees’ errors in their teachings and the sins in their own lives.

Some today are eager to warn of the “leaven of the Pharisees.” Yet too many do not understand just how the Pharisees were wrong. As a result, the label is often used improperly against those who teach and practice the truth.

So in this series, we are going to examine who the real Pharisees are today. We will do this by considering the sins and errors of the Pharisees in the first century that we are to avoid.

First, let us understand that the parallels that are commonly drawn today to the Pharisees are the wrong applications.

  • Those who emphasize Bible authority are not Pharisees. The apostle Paul emphasized the need for Bible authority when he wrote, “Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus” (Colossians 3:17).
  • Those who preach the New Testament pattern are not Pharisees. Paul told Timothy, “Retain the standard of sound words which you have heard from me” (2 Timothy 1:13).
  • Those who strive to and encourage others to obey all of God’s instructions are not Pharisees. Jesus told His apostles that they were to teach others to “observe all that I commanded” (Matthew 28:20).
  • Those who refuse to extend fellowship beyond Scriptural limits are not Pharisees. The apostle John wrote, “If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting; for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds” (2 John 10-11). Paul also wrote, “Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from every brother who leads an unruly life and not according to the tradition which you received from us” (2 Thessalonians 3:6).

The reality is that there is not one single application. Those who use the term “Pharisee” to describe someone or some group generally use it a certain way – to describe those who take a conservative approach to the word of God. These ones are often called legalists with an emphasis on rule-keeping. However, the interesting thing about the Pharisees in the first century is that even though they had a reputation for being “sticklers” for the Law (Acts 26:5), they often took a very liberal approach to it.

As we go through this study, we will focus on five major themes:

  1. The Pharisees’ attitude toward God’s law – One of the major stereotypes of the Pharisees is that they strictly kept the law of God. This was certainly their reputation. After all, Paul called the Pharisees “the strictest sect” of the Jews (Acts 26:5). However, even though there may have been certain individuals like Paul – a former “Pharisee” who was “blameless” according to the Law (Philippians 3:5-6) – who did strictly keep God’s law, the Pharisees in general did not. In fact, they were actually very liberal in their application and interpretation of the Law. So let us consider the Pharisees attitude toward God’s law.
  2. The Pharisees’ rejection of God’s purpose – Everyone seeks to live their lives with a purpose. The book of Ecclesiastes chronicles the attempts of the wise man to find purpose in the things of this life. In the end, he was left with the conclusion: “Fear God and keep His commandments” (Ecclesiastes 12:13). The Pharisees, as students of the law, should have learned this lesson. Their purpose in life should have been in harmony with God’s will. Yet they rejected it.
  3. The Pharisees’ personal corruption – Since Jesus was God in the flesh (Colossians 2:9), He could see into the hearts of men and was “able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12). Because of this, Jesus could see past the outward appearance of righteousness that the Pharisees possessed – something that the people could not do – and know that their hearts were corrupt.
  4. The Pharisees’ emphasis on outward appearances – One of the chief characteristics of the Pharisees was their emphasis on appearance. Much of what they did was for show. They wanted to appear righteous before others even though both their outward actions and inward thoughts often fell short of God’s expectation of them.
  5. The Pharisees’ zeal for human law and tradition – The Pharisees were very zealous. When Paul – who had been a Pharisee (Philippians 3:5) – gave his defense before the Jews, he said, “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated under Gamaliel, strictly according to the law of our fathers, being zealous for God just as you all are today” (Acts 22:3). However, the Pharisees were not just “zealous for God.” As a Pharisee, Paul’s zeal was shown in his efforts to persecute the church (Philippians 3:5-6). When people “have a zeal for God” that is “not in accordance with knowledge,” they will “not subject themselves to the righteousness of God” (Romans 10:2-3). This was the problem of the Pharisees. They were zealous, but their zeal was misdirected.

The Pharisees were a complex group. Therefore, when we examine them to identify the real Pharisees today, we will see lessons that apply not just to a single group, but to many different types of people. With these thoughts in mind, let us see what we can learn from the example of the Pharisees.

Below is a schedule of the lessons in this series:

  • April 3 – Introduction
  • April 10 – The Pharisees Disobeyed God’s Law
  • April 17 – The Pharisees Tried to Do the Minimum in Serving God
  • April 24 – The Pharisees Desired to See Signs from Heaven
  • May 1 – The Pharisees Were Close-minded
  • May 8 – The Pharisees Rejected God’s Purpose for Themselves
  • May 15 – The Pharisees Took Advantage of Others
  • May 22 – The Pharisees Shut Off the Kingdom of Heaven from Others
  • May 29 – The Pharisees Were Corrupt in Their Hearts
  • June 5 – The Pharisees Were Arrogant
  • June 12 – The Pharisees Were Hypocrites
  • June 19 – The Pharisees Were Lovers of Money
  • June 26 – The Pharisees Were Concerned with Outward Appearances
  • July 3 – The Pharisees Loved the Praise of Men
  • July 10 – The Pharisees Honored God’s Spokesmen
  • July 17 – The Pharisees Overemphasized Human Tradition
  • July 24 – The Pharisees Overemphasized Making Converts
  • July 31 – The Pharisees Wanted to Hold Onto Parts of the Old Law
  • August 7 – Conclusion

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