Lesson 3

John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist Church, suggested that

one’s theology is influenced by four factors: faith, reason, Scripture, and tradition. He didn’t mean, however,

that all sides are equally authoritative. He acknowledged that the Bible was foundational, but he also recognized that one’s individual faith, ability to reason, and religious tradition affect

the way in which the Bible is interpreted.

If Wesley were brought back to life today, he would be shocked to

discover that many modern theologians in the Wesleyan tradition

(and other traditions, as well) now value reason, tradition, or personal opinion over the clear teaching of

Scripture.

John Wesley

This lesson investigates the religious traditions upon which the scribes and Pharisees based many of their teachings.

The rabbis who originally penned these traditions greatly respected the Scriptures and had no intention for these traditions to be elevated

to the status of God’s Word.However, some of their zealous disciples confused the method with the message and in doing so shifted the focus from God’s written

revelation to human tradition.

Who were the Pharisees?

“The conservative religious sect

or party of Judaism in

intertestamental and NT times. It

seems reasonably certain that

they were the successors of the

Hasidim (Chasidim or Assideans),

‘pious ones.’” (SDA Bible Dictionary)

The Pharisees refused to follow

Greek customs against the Law

of Moses. They supported the

Maccabean revolution against

the Greek. They quickly

became the moral conscience

of the people.

They were mentioned as

another group of people (Mt.

3:2), but they were Pharisees

assigned to a special mission,

interpreting the law.

The most famous scribes were

Hillel and Shammai (who lived in

Herod the Great times) and

Gamaliel (Paul’s teacher)

They were usually addressed as

“Rabbi” (my teacher)

While the “scribes and Pharisees” appear to be two separate groups who just happened to be lumped together, the scribes were likely a subset of the Pharisees (see Acts 23:9). The Pharisees became a visible group during the time of the Grecian Empire. They are believed to be the remnants of a pious Jewish sect, known as the Hasidim, who helped to fight in the Maccabean revolution against Greece.

Seat of Moses

The name Pharisees is derived from the Hebrew paras, which means “to separate.” In an age when many Jews had become greatly influenced by pagan cultures, the Pharisees saw it as their duty to ensure that every Jewish male was taught the law. To accomplish this task, they established the position of rabbi, which literally means “my great one” or “my teacher.”

In saying that the “ ‘scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat,’ ” Jesus acknowledged their positions as teachers of the people (Matt. 23:2, 3, NKJV). After all, at least they had taken the responsibility to ensure that the people were instructed in the way of the law.

Read Matthew 23:1–7 From these verses,

what was one of Jesus’ biggest problems with

the scribes and Pharisees?

Most of the references to the scribes and Pharisees in the Gospels are negative, and considering the complicity that many (but not all) had in the death of Jesus and the persecution of His followers, that negativity was well deserved. Members of these groups seemed to be lurking around corners and hiding behind trees just waiting for people to make mistakes so they could enforce the law against them.

This image of the Pharisee is so frequent in Scripture that the word is often used as a synonym for legalist.

As we look closely at this text, we find that Jesus’ big problem with the Pharisees was not so much that they wanted others to keep the law of

Moses but that they themselves were not keeping it. They were hypocritical—they said one thing, but did another—and even when they did the right thing, they did it for wrong reasons.

The strengths of the Pharisees

eventually became their

worst weaknesses.

“The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that

observe and do…” (Matthew 23:2-3fp)

They were zealous keepers of the law.

They studied the law to teach it to the people.They tried to live according to the law.

STRENGTH

“…but do not do according to their works; for they say,

and do not do.” (Matthew 23:2-3lp)

They were hypocrites.

Their zeal for the law gradually became a mere external sign.They showed external attitudes just to be praised by men. They were “whitewashed tombs.” (Mt.23:27)

WEAKNESS

The strengths of the Pharisees

eventually became their

worst weaknesses.

“The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that

observe and do…” (Matthew 23:2-3fp)

They taught the people.

The Rabbies used examples to teach how not to transgress the 613 rules in the law of Moses.

STRENGTH

“…but do not do according to their works; for they say, and

do not do.” (Matthew 23:2-3lp)

They replaced the law of Moses.

The examples that helped them to keep the great law became more important than the law. For example, the “Corban” law allowed to stop honoring one’s parents (Mt. 15:3-6)

WEAKNESS

Human Commandments

Although the scribes and Pharisees “sat in Moses’ seat,” their source of au-thority for religious ins-

truction extended beyond the Old Testament. The law that the Pharisees

utilized consisted of bibli-cal interpretations of lea-ding rabbis. These inter-

pretations were not inten-ded to replace the Scriptu-

res but to complement them. At first they

circulated orally; later the scribes began to assemble

them into books.

The first official publication of rabbinic law did not appear until the end of the second century a.d., when Rabbi Yehuda Ha-Nasi (Judah the

Prince) published the Mishnah. The laws recorded in the Mishnah reflect about four centuries of

rabbinic interpretation. Included among the contributing rabbis are many who lived at the time of Jesus, the most notable being Hillel and

Shammai. There was also Gamaliel, the grandson of Hillel and also Paul’s teacher.

Mishnáh

Read Matthew 15:1–6.

What is the controversial issue

here? What error is Jesus seeking to correct?

In lesson 1, we learned that the rabbinic laws were called halakah, which means “to walk.” The rabbis felt that if a person would walk in the ways of the minor laws, they would keep the major ones by default. However, somewhere along the way the minor laws began to take on major status, and after a while it was difficult to distinguish the traditional from the biblical.

It does not appear that Jesus had a problem with the Pharisees having their own rules. However, He did have a problem with the elevation of these rules to the status of

“doctrine.”

No human has the authority to create religious restrictions and elevate them to the level of divine mandate. But this is not to say that groups of believers are prohibited from creating regulations that help to govern community behavior. Practical instruction could help people greatly in keeping the law. However, the instruction should never be allowed to take the place of the law itself.

“Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.” (Matthew 15:2)

It is a good thing to wash one’s

hands before eating, but no

divine law demanded that.

The “washing one’s hands” in

this text is a strict ritual. They

thought they had to purify

themselves just in case they

had touched something

unclean.

If there was no water, one could imitate

the gesture of the washing hands ritual.

It was a valid “dry ablution.”

Jesus confronted the tradition because

He wants us to grow a true spirit in our

heart, and not to seek mere religious

appearances.

“They carried the regulations of eating and drinking so far

that the mind was kept on a continual strain to discriminate

between what was considered clean and unclean, and to

follow out the multitude of injunctions imposed by the

priests. All the water was strained, lest the presence of the

smallest speck or insect might render it unclean, and

therefore unfit to use. The people were thus kept in constant

fear of infringing upon customs and traditions taught to

them as portions of the law; and life was made a burden by

these ceremonies and restrictions.

By their endless round of forms, the Pharisees fixed the

minds of the people upon external services, to the neglect of

true religion. They failed to connect the thought of Christ

with their ceremonies; and, having forsaken the fountain of

living water, they hewed out for themselves broken cisterns

that could hold no water.”

EGW (The Signs of the Times, June 9, 1887)

“He said to them, ‘All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.’” (Mark 7:9)

Jesus was asked about breaking the

traditions of the elders. He answered

by establishing priorities. First, the

divine law; then, the tradition of

elders.

Tradition: “Whoever says to his

father or mother, ‘Whatever profit

you might have received from me is

a gift to God’—then he need not

honor his father or mother.”

Divine law: “Honor your father and

your mother” (Ex. 20:12; 21:17)

“The law of God requires that a son should honor his

parents, and provide for their necessities, and tenderly care

for them when they are old. But these false teachers taught

that it was of far greater importance for children to

consecrate their property by a vow to the temple service.

Then when the parents applied to their children for

assistance, they could say, “It is Corban, devoted to God.”

They taught that it was sacrilege to recall the property once

given to the temple and appropriate it to the necessities of

the parents. When such a vow is made, it was held sacred; it

must be fulfilled; for, said they, has not God declared,

“When thou shalt vow a vow unto the Lord thy God, thou

shalt not slack to pay it; for the Lord thy God will surely

require it of thee; and it would be sin in thee”? Thus under a

semblance of piety these teachers excused the youth from

the obligations of the fifth commandment.”

EGW (The Signs of the Times, January 3, 1900)

“For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:20)

The Pharisaic righteousness was built

on self-effort and external behavior.

They tried to keep the law to the dot.

The righteousness Jesus seeks goes

beyond self-effort, external behavior

or keeping the law to the dot. It

demands an inner change, a loving

obedience.

“But this is the covenant that I will

make with the house of Israel after

those days, says the Lord: I will put

My law in their minds, and write it on

their hearts; and I will be their God,

and they shall be My people.”

(Jeremiah 31:33)

“A legal religion is insufficient to

bring the soul into harmony with

God. The hard, rigid orthodoxy of

the Pharisees, destitute of

contrition, tenderness, or love,

was only a stumbling block to

sinners.

EGW (Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, cp. 3, pg. 53)

They were like the salt that had lost its savor; for their

influence had no power to preserve the world from

corruption. The only true faith is that which “worketh

by love” (Galatians 5:6) to purify the soul. It is as leaven

that transforms the character.”

Key Text:

CHRIST AND HIS

LAW

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