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Topic: Who were the Pharisees?
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KnowHim
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posted
AMEN Linda!
What did Jesus do about these heretics?
1. He exposed them openly and in very emphatic terms.
2. He warned His disciples and the people in general against them.
3. He took a separated position in His attitude toward them.
4. He judged them scripturally and warned them of the doom that awaited them if they persisted in these heretical positions.
5. He taught them the infallible truth of the Word of God, both about Himself and about the kingdom and eternal purposes of God.
6. He made Himself available to them. He invited them to accept His position and to walk in fellowship with Him.
7. He prayed for them while in the throes of agony upon the cross.
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Posts: 3276 | From: Charlestown, IN | Registered: Jun 2002
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helpforhomeschoolers
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quote:
I guess you missed my intent. I wasn't trying to find out the historical information. Only how Jesus dealt with the Pharisees, and what Jesus had to say about them.
My apologies White Eagle; I did aparently miss your intent. I did not think that you were trying to find out anything; it seemed that you said that the Pharisee were not guilty of heresy, and I believe that History shows this is not the case. That they were indeed heretics and this is how Jesus dealt with them.
What did Jesus do about these heretics?
1. He exposed them openly and in very emphatic terms.
2. He warned His disciples and the people in general against them.
3. He took a separated position in His attitude toward them.
4. He judged them scripturally and warned them of the doom that awaited them if they persisted in these heretical positions.
5. He taught them the infallible truth of the Word of God, both about Himself and about the kingdom and eternal purposes of God.
6. He made Himself available to them. He invited them to accept His position and to walk in fellowship with Him.
7. He prayed for them while in the throes of agony upon the cross.
Posts: 4684 | From: Southern Black Hills of South Dakota | Registered: Jun 2002
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WhiteEagle
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Member # 3728
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posted
![[1zhelp]](graemlins/1zhelp.gif)
I guess you missed my intent. I wasn't trying to find out the historical information. Only how Jesus dealt with the Pharisees, and what Jesus had to say about them.
Posts: 1392 | From: Maine | Registered: Aug 2004
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helpforhomeschoolers
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Thanks for that article BA it very informative.
There is a great deal more that could be said on this subject, but I ran across this article which I thought gave good general information on major heresies of the day. So, I will post it instead of belaboring the point further and just add my 2 cents worth here which would be this:
1. The righteousness of the Pharisee was a perceived righteousness based in their being seed of Abraham. The Jews did not believe that the unjust rose again. Rising again was based on geneology. IF you were seed of Abraham you would rise in the rising again. Jesus dispelled this heresy by stating to Martha: I AM the resurrection. Jesus further dispelled the teaching of the Pharisee that said that one could atone for sins not atoned for in this life by spending the remaineder of the year of your death in sheol and then passing over on the day of atonement when the books were opened again to Abraham's bosom, where you would remain till the rising again. Jesus also dispelled the heresy of there being no resurrection,which was held by the sadducee.
2. Following the Law allowed one a life of blessing in this life. Atonement for sin of the nation as a whole was done annually ensuring that the sins of the nation were forgiven for that year and the people would be given another year of blessing.
3. Reading even a small section of the Talmud or oral Torah that was the labor of the scribes and condemnation of the Pharisee is a eye opening experience for any who wishes to understand the err of the Pharisee and how very much like them our whole denominational system of Potestant religion is.
That is my 2 cents worth..... here is the article:
Heresies During Jesus' Time
by F. William May from Voice December 1952
The subject of this article is a timely and important one, for although it deals with the heresies of the early Christian era, it reveals the attitude that fundamental Christians are to assume toward modern-day heresies, many of which are the same in general character as the ones prevalent in the time of Christ. Modern heresies are by no means "new." They may be called by new names, and may be operating under the guise of modernity, yet they are nothing more than the offspring of more ancient forms.
Three heresies are mentioned in the Gospel records. These are: The Hasidean heresy, which was promulgated by the scribes and Pharisees; the Sadducean heresy, which was induced by the followers of Saddoc, a non-Aaronic priest of the second century before Christ; and the Herodian heresy, which was imposed by the Jewish supporters of the politico-religious policies of King Herod.
These three heresies are referred to in the following passages of Scripture: Matthew 7:15-20; 16:6-12; Mark 8:15; 12:38-40; Luke 20:45-47.
Origin of Jewish parties
The scribes, whose origin dates from the days of Ezra, were known as the Hasideans, or the pious. They were supported by the Pharisees in their advocacy of separation from everything non-Jewish. The Pharisees originally belonged to the group of Jewish loyalists known as the Chasidim. The Chasidim were the original followers of Mattathias, the paternal leader of the historically famous Maccabean revolt which lasted from 167 to 63 B.C. Mattathias and his three noble sons, Judas, Simon, and Jonathan were nominally successful in freeing the land of Israel from the Syrian yoke, but they failed in establishing a unified Jewish government due to certain irreconcilable differences that arose between the Pharisee group of the Chasidim, and the group which came to be known as the Sadducees. The Pharisees advocated a theocratic government under special priestly supervision with complete separation from Greek culture and customs. The Sadducees were not interested in a Jewish State as such, but sought the political well-being of the Israelites by accepting the status quo under any governmental authority that would grant religious and secular freedom to the Jewish people.
This stand against each other of the Pharisees and Sadducees finally played the Jews into the hands of the Roman government, and left their separate groups as nothing more than two religious parties contending against each other for control of the Jewish Sanhedrin.
The Herodians were Jewish henchmen of King Herod and the Herodian dynasty. They were pro-Roman in their support of Herod's policies which included governmental control over the religious affairs of the people.
The Hasidean heresy
The teachings of this group were characterized by the Christ as the "leaven of the scribes and Pharisees." These two groups---scribes and Pharisees --- are always associated together in the Scriptures, and are known legalistic pietists. Their followers were the most numerous, and as religious leaders, they wielded the strongest influence among the people. The following are statements of belief as taught by the scribes and Pharisees:
1. They emphasized legal piety gained through strict obedience to the "traditions of the elders."
2. They believed in the immortality of the soul, the resurrection of the body, and future retribution at the hand of the coming Messiah.
3. They believed in the Messiah's coming kingdom which was to restore to the Jewish nation complete dominion over the world.
4. They held to the doctrine of angels and spirits much after the teachings of the Persian Zoroastrians.
5. They emphasized divine providence and the freedom of the human will.
6. They abhorred Gentile world rule; and proclaimed universal exclusion of the Gentiles from future participation in the kingdom purposes of God.
7. They ignored the prophetic teachings of the Hebrew Scriptures concerning the first coming of the Messiah, and focused their attention upon the traditional picture of Jewish world dominion under an angelic Messiah who would manifest His glory from heaven.
The Pharisees seem to have had no concept at all of the Messiah as being the Son of God, who must come first as an atoning Savior. Nor did they conceive of Him as ruling in person upon the earth in a kingdom that was to include the Gentiles in its privileges. Their attitude toward the Lord Jesus Christ was one of open opposition. They refused to accept His claims to deity; they questioned His authority to forgive sins: they scorned His renunciation of the "traditions of the elders"; they railed against Him in His exercise of altruistic social freedom; they condemned His unpietistic well-doing on the Jewish Sabbath. Being prejudiced by, and in favor of their traditions, they closed their minds and hearts against every scriptural revelation pointed out by Jesus both with reference to Himself and His mission in the world. "They erred not knowing the scriptures."
The Sadducean heresy
The Sadducees were the material "modernists" of their day. They adhered to the philosophical teachings of the Stoics, and proclaimed their religious devotion to the moral ethics of the law of Moses. Being guided, in the main, by secular considerations, they gave very little attention to things distinctly religious. As a group they were not numerous, but they were wealthy and influential. Their beliefs, which were largely negative, may be summed up as follows:
1. They gave no attention to the Hebrew Scriptures aside from the five books of Moses.
2. They did not believe in the immortality of the soul, nor in the resurrection of the dead, nor in any future judgment.
3. They manifested no interest in a future Messianic kingdom.
4. They believed only in "social immortality," i.e., in the influence that people of the past pass on to the generations following.
5. They denied the existence of angels and spirits, and rationalized any evidence of the supernatural out of their thinking.
6. They held men's persons in admiration because of advantage.
7. They prided themselves in their aristocratic superiority and looked patronizingly upon the common people.
The attitude of the Sadducees toward Jesus was one of self-righteous condescension. They acknowledged Him only when His ministry forced itself upon their attention. They were especially antagonistic against the early apostolic church (Acts 4:1; 5:17; 23:8).
The Herodian heresy
The Herodians were the original protagonists of the idea of the union of church and state. They advocated governmental control of the institutions of religion, and general supervision of the leadership placed in charge of religious affairs. They were against the kingdom of heaven teachings of the Christ. He referred to their teachings as "the leaven of Herod."
What did Jesus do about these heretics?
1. He exposed them openly and in very emphatic terms.
2. He warned His disciples and the people in general against them.
3. He took a separated position in His attitude toward them.
4. He judged them scripturally and warned them of the doom that awaited them if they persisted in these heretical positions.
5. He taught them the infallible truth of the Word of God, both about Himself and about the kingdom and eternal purposes of God.
6. He made Himself available to them. He invited them to accept His position and to walk in fellowship with Him.
7. He prayed for them while in the throes of agony upon the cross.
He took a true fundamental attitude toward these heresies. Let us follow in His train.
Posts: 4684 | From: Southern Black Hills of South Dakota | Registered: Jun 2002
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BORN AGAIN
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(An exerpt from The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, by Alfred Edersheim, written around 1883, available online)
Without entering on the principles and supposed practices of 'the fraternity' or 'association' (Chebher, Chabhurah, Chabhurta) of Pharisees, which was comparatively small, numbering only about 6,000 members,17 the following particulars may be of interest.
The object of the association was twofold: to observe in the strictest manner, and according to traditional law, all the ordinances concerning Levitical purity, and to be extremely punctilious in all connected with religious dues (tithes and all other dues).
A person might undertake only the second, without the first of these obligations. In that case he was simply a Neeman, an 'accredited one' with whom one might enter freely into commerce, as he was supposed to have paid all dues.
But a person could not undertake the vow of Levitical purity without also taking the obligation of all religious dues. If he undertook both vows he was a Chabher, or associate. Here there were four degrees, marking an ascending scale of Levitical purity, or separation from all that was profane.18
In opposition to these was the Am ha-arets, or 'country people' (the people which knew not, or cared not for the Law, and were regarded as 'cursed'). But it must not be thought that every Chabher was either a learned Scribe, or that every Scribe was a Chabher.
On the contrary, as a man might be a Chabher without being either a Scribe or an elder, so there must have been sages, and even teachers, who did not belong to the association, since special rules are laid down for the reception of such.
Candidates had to be formally admitted into the 'fraternity' in the presence of three members. But every accredited public 'teacher' was, unless anything was known to the contrary, supposed to have taken upon him the obligations referred to.
The family of a Chabher belonged, as a matter of course, to the community; but this ordinance was afterwards altered. The Neeman undertook these four obligations: to tithe what he ate, what he sold, and what he bought, and not to be a guest with an Am ha-arets.
The full Chabher undertook not to sell to an 'Am ha-arets' any fluid or dry substance (nutriment or fruit), not to buy from him any such fluid, not to be a guest with him, not to entertain him as a guest in his own clothes (on account of their possible impurity) - to which one authority adds other particulars, which, however, were not recognised by the Rabbis generally as of primary importance.
These two great obligations of the 'official' Pharisee, or 'Associate' are pointedly referred to by Christ - both that in regard to tithing (the vow of the Neeman); and that in regard to Levitical purity (the special vow of the Chabher).
In both cases they are associated with a want of corresponding inward reality, and with hypocrisy. These charges cannot have come upon the people by surprise, and they may account for the circumstance that so many of the learned kept aloof from the 'Association' as such.
Indeed, the sayings of some of the Rabbis in regard to Pharisaism and the professional Pharisee are more withering than any in the New Testament.
It is not necessary here to repeat the well-known description, both in the Jerusalem and the Babylon Talmud, of the seven kinds of 'Pharisees,' of whom six (the 'Shechemite,' the 'stumbling,' the 'bleeding,' the 'mortar,' the 'I want to know what is incumbent on me,' and 'the Pharisee from fear') mark various kinds of unreality, and only one is 'the Pharisee from love.'
God bless, ![[Cross]](graemlins/cross.gif) BORN AGAIN
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WhiteEagle
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The Pharisees in the Bible were the "experts" of the Torah and the Law. They were NOT heretics.
Jesus said, that unless one's righteousness exceeded that of the Pharisees, one could not enter the kingdom of heaven.
Jesus came to present Himself to the Pharisees, as He always taught in the Temple. But they rejected Him.
Jesus said he came to to save sinners, Not the righteous.
He said that; because people who believe they are righteous, will not be able to accept Jesus.
The Pharisees believed in God, they knew the Law insideout, and read the Torah and studied it all the time. They believed they were the Experts on God. They believed they understood all about God.
They knew that they were the elite ones, who could name names of people who were sinners, and other heretics, and they kept to the letter of the Law at all times. No mercy.
They things that grieved Jesus was that the Pharisees were supposed to be like the church, in that they were the appointed people to bring the message of God of Moses and the Prophets and tell about God's way of Salvation, that they had prior to Jesus' coming.
Jesus called them blind guides, white walled tombs, and that they made others a child of hell more than themselves.
The Pharisees had become so self-absorbed in their own righteousness, their love of Religion superceded any thought of love for the God that made them. They knew the words of the Torah, but they did not know God, as evidenced by the fact that Jesus often said, if you know God, you will know me.
The Pharisees believed that a Messiah would come, but they didn't believe that Jesus was the Messiah. So they believed in all the Torah said, yet they were still blind to what the Torah actually taught.
To the Pharisees, Jesus and His followers were the Heretics. Remember that.
Jesus taught to worship God in spirit and truth.
Jesus taught faith in God. Jesus taught that Love was the greatest commandment. Jesus taught that the outer appearance means nothing, if the inner heart is corrupt. Jesus taught that the Pharisee missed the true intent of God's Laws, and only stuck to the letter of the law, which kills, and not to the Spirit of the Law which brings Life.
Jesus Never condemmed the Pharisees for being righteous.
Jesus Never condemmed the Pharisees for having too much faith in God's promises, or an erroneous faith in God's promises.
Jesus Never condemmed the Pharisees for giving the People hope in God.
Jesus did condemm the Pharisees for making the people oppressed under the burden of their belief in how the Law should be applied.
Posts: 1392 | From: Maine | Registered: Aug 2004
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