His Word Today

¹⁶ “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’ ¹⁷ You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that has made the gold sacred? ¹⁸ And you say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gift that is on the altar, he is bound by his oath.’ ¹⁹ You blind men! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred? ²⁰ So whoever swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. ²¹ And whoever swears by the temple swears by it and by him who dwells in it. ²² And whoever swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by him who sits upon it.” (Matthew 23:16-22 ESV)

 In the context of Matthew 23:13-36, Jesus heralded seven woes against the scribes and Pharisees. Luke 11:37-54 records an earlier lamentation of six woes. Rather than an oracle from a prophet of God, these woes are an oracle from the God of the prophets; Jesus Christ.

What does it mean to swear an oath? To swear an oath (ὀμόσῃ; amose) in this context does not mean to use verbal profanity. Rather, it means to affirm the truth of a statement; as in a court of law. An oath is a solemn promise, often calling upon God as a divine witness, regarding one’s future actions or behavior. How often as kids did we use the phrase, “I swear to God.”

“Today’s passage gives us the third woe Jesus uttered against the scribes and Pharisees (Matt. 23:16–22), the content of which He previously delivered in the Sermon on the Mount (5:33–37), albeit in a different form. As a background to our study, remember that our Creator instituted oaths and vows to safeguard the sanctity of truth (Num. 30). Lying is second nature to fallen people, and the use of oaths and vows to call God as a witness when we make a promise is designed to make us more likely to keep it. Knowing that the Almighty has confirmed the oath should motivate us to fulfill it lest we incur His displeasure,” states Dr. R. C. Sproul.

Jesus said in His Sermon on the Mount, ³³ “Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’ ³⁴ But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, ³⁵ or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. ³⁶ And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. ³⁷ Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.”  (Matthew 5:33–37 (ESV)

“The present paragraph (23:16–22), in distinction from the one in chapter 5, shows how stupid and absurd it is to say that an oath by the sanctuary (the inner temple, consisting of “the holy place” and “the holy of holies”) amounts to nothing, but that an oath by the gold of the sanctuary is binding; that an oath by the altar is not valid; but one by the gift on the altar, valid. Naturally it is the greater, in the present case the sanctuary and the altar, that lends sacredness to the lesser; that is, respectively, to the gold of the sanctuary and to the gift on the altar; just as, for example, the “office” of the president of the United States is greater than the person who happens to be elevated to it at any particular point in history. But whether one swears by the sanctuary, by its gold; by the altar, by its gift; by heaven, or by God’s throne, in the final analysis all such oaths are “by God” who owns all and controls all,” explains Dr. William Hendriksen.

May our commitment to the Lord simply be yes and no. Yes to the thoughts, speech and behavior pleasing to Him and no to that displeasing to Him. Read Colossians 3 for further study.

Soli deo Gloria!  

¹⁶ “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’ ¹⁷ You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that has made the gold sacred? ¹⁸ And you say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gift that is on the altar, he is bound by his oath.’ ¹⁹ You blind men! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred? ²⁰ So whoever swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. ²¹ And whoever swears by the temple swears by it and by him who dwells in it. ²² And whoever swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by him who sits upon it.” (Matthew 23:16-22 ESV)

 In the context of Matthew 23:13-36, Jesus heralded seven woes against the scribes and Pharisees. Luke 11:37-54 records an earlier lamentation of six woes. Rather than an oracle from a prophet of God, these woes are an oracle from the God of the prophets; Jesus Christ.

“Jesus declares seven woes upon the scribes and Pharisees in Matthew 23:13–36, which is a significant number. Scripture often uses the number seven to denote completeness. For example, God rested on the seventh day when He had finished creating the heavens and the earth (Gen. 2:1–3). Considering the association of wholeness with the number seven, Christ’s use of seven woes to denounce scribal and Pharisaic transgressions likely indicates the thoroughgoing wickedness of many people in these groups,” states Dr. R. C. Sproul.

Twice within today’s text, Jesus Christ identified the scribes and Pharisees as blind guides, blind fools and blind men. To be blind (τυφλοὶ; typhloi) means to not only be unable to physically see but in this context to be unable to spiritually understand God and His Word. These religious leaders not only were lacking the ability to comprehend the Scriptures, they hated, as evidenced by their treatment of Jesus, the One, True God of the Word (I Cor. 2:14; John 1:1-3, 14).

Fools (μωροὶ; moroi) are those who are stupid and nonsensical. They are not unintelligent but rather their thoughts lack understanding (1Co 1:25, 27; 2Ti 2:23; Tit 3:9). We derive our English word “moron” from this Greek word.  

Ironically, the scribes and the Pharisees were supposedly religious guides for the people of Israel. The word guides (ὁδηγοὶ; hodegoi) means to be a leader. Literally, it means to take someone by the hand and lead them where they need to go. This is what shepherds, religious or otherwise, were supposed to do. This is what God does (Psalm 23; John 10:11-16). However, these men needed someone to guide them unto salvation. They were blind men leading other blind men. Therefore, they required someone to heal them of their blindness.  

“There are none so blind as those who refuse to see. Some people are born blind and know they are blind (John 9). Jesus is quite willing to open the eyes of these individuals, not merely physically, but spiritually, so that they may see and believe. The man born blind represents these individuals. Others, however, think that they can see, not only physically but spiritually. The Pharisees, who are actually blind to the things of God, represent this second group,” explains Dr. Sproul.  

“Jesus came into the world for judgment, to give sight to the blind and to show how blind those who trust in themselves spiritually are. This is not at odds with His purpose to bring salvation (3:17) but is its secondary and necessary result. Condemnation attends salvation—those who reject the dazzling light of Jesus as He is offered in the gospel are blinded to the things of God by His glory.”

John Calvin comments, “Since Christ is, by his own nature, the light of the world (John 8:12), it is an accidental result, that some are made blind by his coming.”

God is under no obligation to save anyone. Those who harden their blind hearts have no claim to His grace. Each individual must not reject the true light of the Gospel, lest they are blind to His glory and remain condemned in their sin.

“None who Jesus Christ saves will finally blind themselves to Him, but we prove that He has opened our eyes by continually turning to His light and seeking to be guided by it,” concludes Dr. Sproul.

Soli deo Gloria!

¹⁵ “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves.” (Matthew 23:15 (ESV)

 In the context of Matthew 23:13-36, Jesus heralded seven woes against the scribes and Pharisees. Luke 11:37-54 records an earlier lamentation of six woes. Rather than an oracle from a prophet of God, these woes are an oracle from the God of the prophets.

“A woe,” James M. Boice writes, “is a lament or wail concerning the final end for evil people.” 

“Woes are an important part of the Old Testament prophetic books; in many places the prophets declared oracles of woe from God that promised judgment for Israel’s sins (for example, Isa. 5:8–23; Amos 6:1–7). With His oracles of woe, Jesus stands as the judge of men, warning the impenitent of the fate that awaits them,” states Dr. R. C. Sproul.

In this second woe, Jesus condemned the scribes and Pharisees’ efforts to convert Gentiles to Judaism. The Lord recognized their zeal in traveling long distances to make a single proselyte. A proselyte (προσήλυτον; proselyton) is a non-Jew who is circumcised and adopts the Jewish religion.

“The second woe faults the Pharisees’ missionary outreach (23:15). Making converts per se is not condemned, the problem is the “truth” to which they convert people. Pharisaic teaching tends to produce zealous advocates of legalism and proponents of humanity’s ability to earn God’s favor, not messengers of grace. Since man cannot earn his own righteousness (Rom. 3:23), most converts to Pharisaism become children of hell, preachers of a false gospel,” explains Dr. Sproul.

Jesus’ condemnation was not in the religious leaders attempts to lead people to the One, True God of the Jews. This was a noble effort to bring pagans to biblical truth. However, the scribes and Pharisees efforts resulted in recent converts becoming twice as much a child of hell as these religious leaders.

“There were two kinds of proselytes in the synagogues. One was called ‘a proselyte of the gate.’ This was a Gentile who only attended the services. He now worshipped the true God, but he had not committed himself to full ritualistic and legalistic Judaism. Such proselytes are referred to in the Book of Acts as a person who was devout (Acts 10:2, 7; 13:20), as God-fearing (10:2, 22, 35; 17:4, 17), or as a worshiper of God (16:14; 18:7),” states Dr. John MacArthur.

“The other kind of proselyte was referred to as ‘a proselyte of righteousness’ so called because he became as religiously Jewish as a Gentile could become. They participated in all the ceremonies, rituals, and feasts. They observed all the cleansing and other rites, both biblical and traditional. Those converts were even given Jewish names in order to separate them as much as possible from their pagan past. Contrary to their popular appellation, however, they became anything but righteous. Like the scribes and Pharisees who instructed them, they became paragons of self-righteousness.”

Are you a spiritual soul-winner who leads people to Christ but also to Pharisaic legalism? Resolve to renounce any legalistic tendency you, and others, may possess.

Soli deo Gloria!

¹³ “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in.” (Matthew 23:13–14 (ESV)

In the context of Matthew 23:13-36, Jesus heralded seven woes against the scribes and Pharisees. Luke 11:37-54 records an earlier lamentation of six woes. Rather than an oracle from a prophet of God, these woes are an oracle from the God of the prophets.

In the first woe, Jesus said, “For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in.” Jesus reproved the Jewish religious leaders because while pretending to be door openers they actually shut the door, so to speak, in people’s faces.

The phrase kingdom of heaven refers to God’s rule and reign over the hearts and lives of individuals He saves by grace alone, through faith alone, in the person and work of Jesus Christ alone. Where once people sought to rule their own lives, they now acknowledge God to be their Lord and Master of whom they serve for His honor and glory.

To shut (κλείετε; kleiete) means to close, exclude or to cover so as not to be seen. The scribes and Pharisees metaphorically did this by turning people away from the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and His righteousness. Instead, they paraded before people a legalistic religion exalting tradition above grace. They adhered to the letter of the Law but not its spirit. The tragedy is the religious leaders were as spiritually lost as the people.

The scribes and Pharisees influence over the people of their day did not overcome the providential sovereignty of God. They were not able to thwart God’s purpose or design of saving His people.

“What is probably meant is simply this, that these leaders, in addition to not themselves entering by accepting Jesus as their Lord and Savior, are exerting a sinister influence on other men, resulting in apostasy from Christ, in the sense of John 6:66. They are deceivers of men, genuine followers of Satan (Gen. 3:1, 4, 5). They are false prophets. Cf. Num. 15:1, 2; 2 Chron. 18:15; Rev. 2:14, 15, 20,” states Dr. William Hendriksen.

“Specifically, the scribes and Pharisees fought Jesus by means of their teaching, that is, by proclaiming the doctrine of work-righteousness. Think of their many rules and regulations directly contrary to the doctrine of grace and freedom in Christ. By such teaching they took away from the people “the key of knowledge” (Luke 11:52; cf. Hos. 4:6). They also fought Jesus by means of b. their conduct. The result upon those who associated with them was as indicated in 1 Cor. 15:33.”

How many pastors and others today preach a doctrine of works-righteousness? They inflict legalistic rules and regulations upon church members and attendees in order to condemn and to make them conform to man-made rules of self-righteousness.  Enid Strict, unfortunately, is alive and well in many churches today.

“Though the church is not filled with hypocrites, there is no denying that hypocrisy is a sin that is not limited or restricted to New Testament Pharisees. It is a sin with which Christians must grapple. A high standard of spiritual and righteous behavior has been set for the church. We often are embarrassed by our failures to reach these high goals and are inclined to pretend that we have reached a higher plateau of righteousness than we’ve actually attained. When we do that, we put on the mask of the hypocrite and come under the judgment of God for that particular sin,” explains Dr. R. C. Sproul.

“When we find ourselves enmeshed in this type of pretense, an alarm bell should go off in our brains that we need to rush back to the cross and to Christ and to understand where our true righteousness resides. We have to find in Christ, not a mask that conceals our face, but an entire wardrobe of clothing, which is His righteousness. Indeed, it is only under the guise of the righteousness of Christ, received by faith, that any of us can ever have a hope of standing before a holy God. To wear the garments of Christ in faith is not an act of hypocrisy. It is an act of redemption.”  

Soli deo Gloria!

¹³ “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in.” (Matthew 23:13–14 (ESV)

In the context of Matthew 23:13-36, Jesus heralded seven woes against the scribes and Pharisees. Luke 11:37-54 records an earlier lamentation of six woes. Rather than an oracle from a prophet of God, these woes are an oracle from the God of the prophets.

“This series of seven woes is a prophetic pronouncement, for it brings God’s lawsuit against His people and announces the imminent realization of the covenant curses (Isaiah 5:8-23; Hab. 2:6-20), especially against Israel’s unfaithful shepherds (Jeremiah 23:1-6; Ezekiel 34),” states Dr. R.C. Sproul. “Leaders of the covenant community are judged more strictly because their words and example influence so many others, for good or ill (James 3:1).”

Jesus began His oracle against the scribes and Pharisees with a recurring phrase; Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! The Lord invoked this phrase of lament six out of seven times against these religious leaders in this immediate context. In those six of the seven statements, Jesus called them hypocrites. What did He mean?

Hypocrites (ὑποκριταί; hypokritai) are individuals who pretends to be someone other than what they are. They are pretenders, duplicitous and insincere people. They say one thing but do the exact opposite. They make promises they don’t keep, and vows they don’t fulfill.

“The hypocrite is the man who pretends to be better than he really is. He is a fraud, a deceiver, a phony, a wolf in sheep’s clothing, a snake in the grass,” explains Dr. William Hendriksen.

“The term hypocrite came from the world of Greek drama. It was used to describe the masks that the players used to dramatize certain roles. Even today, the theatre is symbolized by the twin masks of comedy and tragedy. In antiquity, certain players played more than one role, and they indicated their role by holding a mask in front of their face. That’s the origin of the concept of hypocrisy,” states Dr. Sproul.

If we are brutally honest with ourselves, all of us could, and should, confess our hypocrisy before the Lord and others. Even on our best days of walking with the Lord, we can be woefully inconsistent and filled with self-importance. We may pretend to be better than we really are. As I write this blog, the Holy Spirit is convicting me of my instances of hypocrisy. On the one hand, I am ashamed. On the other, I am grateful for God’s grace and forgiveness.  It is bad enough when an individual is guilty of hypocrisy. But what about a church? Dr. Sproul shares the following story regarding hypocrisy in the church.

“About thirty years ago, my close friend and colleague, Archie Parrish, who at that time led the Evangelism Explosion (EE) program in Fort Lauderdale, came to me with a request. He indicated that on the thousands of evangelistic visits the EE teams made, they kept a record of responses people made to discussions of the gospel. They collated the most frequent questions and objections people raised about the Christian faith and grouped these inquiries or objections into the ten most frequently encountered. Dr. Parrish asked if I would write a book answering those objections for evangelists to use in their outreach. That effort resulted in my book Objections Answered, now called Reason to Believe. Among the top ten objections raised was the objection that the church is filled with hypocrites. At that point in time, Dr. D. James Kennedy, pastor of the church, responded to this objection by replying, “Well, there’s always room for one more.” He cautioned people that if they found a perfect church, they ought not to join it, since that would ruin it.”

No believer in Christ is guiltless of hypocrisy. All of us falter and fail from time to time. The encouragement is the Lord continues to use us for His honor and His glory as He also continues to conform us to the image of His Son, Jesus Christ.

Let us confess our hypocrisy to the Lord and resolve to be faithful in thought, speech and behavior. I encourage you to read Philippians 3:12-16. Have a blessed day in the Lord.

Soli deo Gloria!   

¹³ “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in.” (Matthew 23:13–14 (ESV)

The Old Testament Prophet was a herald of God’s oral and written revelation. The prophet’s God given message was an oracle. An oracle contained a vision, a forewarning, a foreshadowing, and a declaration of truth. The prophet was not to be audience driven in telling the people what they wanted to hear from God (Jeremiah 6:13-15). Rather, he was to be obedience driven to faithfully herald what the people needed to hear from God (Jeremiah 6:16-30).  

The prophet of God had a two-fold message from God to the people. First, there was the oracle of weal. This was an oracle containing a blessing from God. The oracle of weal was always preceded by the word “blessed” (Psalm 1:1; Matthew 5:1-12). However, there was also a second type of oracle; the oracle of woe. It was an oracle containing judgment from God. The oracle of woe was always preceded by the word “woe.”

“The term woe has gone the way of other worn out exclamations like alas or alack or forsooth. The only language that has kept the expression in current usage is Yiddish. Modern Jews still declare their frustrations by exclaiming “Oy vay!” which is the shortened version of the full expression Oy Vay Is Mer. Ov Vay is Yiddish for “Oh woe,” an abbreviation for the full expression, “Oh woe is me,” explains Dr. R. C. Sproul.

In the context of Matthew 23:13-36, Jesus heralded seven woes against the scribes and Pharisees. Luke 11:37-54 records an earlier lamentation of six woes. Rather than an oracle from a prophet of God, these woes are an oracle from the God of the prophets.

“This series of seven woes is a prophetic pronouncement, for it brings God’s lawsuit against His people and announces the imminent realization of the covenant curses (Isaiah 5:8-23; Hab. 2:6-20), especially against Israel’s unfaithful shepherds (Jeremiah 23:1-6; Ezekiel 34),” states Dr. Sproul. “Leaders of the covenant community are judged more strictly because their words and example influence so many others, for good or ill (James 3:1).”

“Here begin The Seven Woes. Why did Jesus utter them? Probably because his soul was deeply stirred by the impenitence of so many of the scribes and Pharisees, and this in spite of all the evidences he had furnished of the fulfilment of Messianic prophecy in himself. Also, because he knew that they had so many followers among the people. His heart and mind were filled with sorrow when he thought of this. He knew that exposing his opponents was in the interest of the people. Add one more fact: this was going to be Christ’s final public address, hence his last opportunity personally to warn the people against these enemies of the truth. So he must make the best use of it,” states Dr. William Hendriksen.

May we who have ears to hear, let us hear what the Holy Spirit says in His Word. Have a blessed and God honoring day.

Soli deo Gloria!

⁸ “But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers. ⁹ And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. ¹⁰ Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ. ¹¹ The greatest among you shall be your servant. ¹² Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” (Matthew 23:8–12 (ESV)

Jesus announced to His disciples how they were to serve Him, in contrast to the behavior of the scribes and the Pharisees. The main takeaway from today’s text is disciples of Jesus are to be humble. This remains applicable for church leaders and disciples.

Jesus said, “But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers. And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven.” The word Rabbi (Ῥαββί; rabbi) means teacher. Father (πατὴρ; pater) refers to a family patriarch or begetter.

Jesus was not meaning no believer in Christ should be void of titles. We all have them, whether they be dad, mom, son, daughter, brother, sister, boss, pastor, professor, etc. What He was warning against was having a prideful spirit about your title. Ultimately, God is our Father and Teacher and we are all brothers and sisters in Christ.

Regarding one’s title through education, it’s wise, as a pastor for example, to get your education, your degree and even your doctorate and then get over it. When asked what I would prefer people call me as I serve as an elder at my church, I reply, “Tom, works.”

“In contesting the pride many Pharisees take in their titles and honors, Jesus cannot mean that titles are wholly inappropriate or that there are no distinctions between Christians (Matt. 23:6–10). After all, titles like “apostle” and “teacher” are later given to some believers (Gal. 1:1; Eph. 4:11). Matthew 23:6–10 only means that because Christians have Jesus as their final teacher, no believer is inherently superior to another. We should not call attention to our titles and achievements, nor should we inordinately belittle them and so be guilty of false humility. Titles must never be used to demand unquestioned obedience to oneself,” explains Dr. R. C. Sproul

John Calvin writes that Christ’s “authority must remain entire, and that no mortal man ought to claim the smallest portion of it. Thus, he is the only Pastor.”

“Jesus condemns pride and pretense, not titles per se. Paul repeatedly speaks of “instructors” in the church, and even refers to himself as the Corinthians’ “father” (1 Cor. 4:15). Obviously, this does not forbid the showing of respect, either (cf. 1 Thess. 5:11–12; 1 Tim. 5:1). Christ is merely forbidding the use of such names as spiritual titles, or in an ostentatious sense that accords undue spiritual authority to a human being, as if he were the source of truth rather than God,” concludes Dr. John MacArthur.

Individuals who exalt themselves above others create an uncomfortable atmosphere; especially in a local church. A spirit of godly humility is required of godly leaders (Micah 6:8; I Peter 5:1-7).

Soli deo Gloria!

“Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, ² “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat, ³ so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice. ⁴ They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. ⁵ They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, ⁶ and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues ⁷ and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others.” (Matthew 23:1–7 (ESV)

In the immediate aftermath of Jesus’ discussion with the Pharisees and the Sadducees, He spoke to the crowds and His disciples. The masses may refer to unbelievers. Disciples refers not to only the twelve, but perhaps also to others who followed Him (Acts 1:12-15; I Cor. 15:1-7).

The Lord continued to confront the hypocritical Pharisees after dismantling their understanding of Psalm 110 (Matt. 22:41–45). Seeing that the people are intensely listening to Him (v. 46), Jesus began warning them, including His disciples, of Pharisaic hypocrisy. He set for the following principles as perpetual warnings for true believers against false teachers.

First, be observant of false teacher’s religious hypocrisy. Second, false teachers love to enslave people to their legalism. They establish rules and regulations beyond Scripture to determine and evaluate spirituality. Third, false teachers love the limelight. They love attention and honor. Their goal is self-exaltation and their opium is pride. Following Jesus’ initial condemnation of the Pharisees, He continued to diagnose their spiritual condition (vs. 5-7).

First, whatever they do is so people will see them and applaud their religiosity.  ^“They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long” (vs. 5).

“Phylacteries were leather boxes containing a parchment on which is written in four columns (Ex. 13:1–10, 11–16; Deut. 6:4–9; 11:13–21). These are worn by men during prayer—one on the middle of the forehead and one on the left arm just above the elbow. The use of phylacteries was based on an overly literal interpretation of passages like Ex. 13:9–10 and Deut. 6:8. Evidently the Pharisees would broaden the leather straps by which the phylacteries were bound to their arms and foreheads, in order to make the phylacteries more prominent,” explains Dr. John MacArthur.

“Jesus himself wore them (Matt. 9:20), so it was not the tassels themselves that he condemned, only the mentality that would lengthen the tassels to make it appear that one was especially spiritual.”

Second, they love places of honor and public recognition. “…and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues” (vs. 6).

“Vanity and ostentatious display go hand in hand. Jesus issued a warning against this very sin of seeking the best seat at a banquet or dinner (Luke 14:8). James condemned the sin of assigning the best seat in the meeting-place to the rich, while telling the poor man to stand or else to sit on the floor near someone’s footstool (2:2, 3),” explains Dr. William Hendriksen.

“The best seats in the synagogue were those in front of the raised platform, on which stood the prayer leader and the reader of the Scriptures. Thus seated, a person had the double advantage of being near the person reading or leading in prayer, and of facing the congregation and thus being able to see everybody. Besides, being ushered to such a seat was regarded as a mark of honor.”

Third, they love being seen in the marketplace among the people. “And they love… greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others.”

“In contesting the pride many Pharisees take in their titles and honors, Jesus cannot mean that titles are wholly inappropriate or that there are no distinctions between Christians (Matt. 23:6–10). After all, titles like “apostle” and “teacher” are later given to some believers (Gal. 1:1; Eph. 4:11). Matthew 23:6–10 only means that because Christians have Jesus as their final teacher, no believer is inherently superior to another,” states Dr. R. C. Sproul.

“We should not call attention to our titles and achievements, nor should we inordinately belittle them and so be guilty of false humility. Titles must never be used to demand unquestioned obedience to oneself.”

John Calvin writes that Christ’s “authority must remain entire, and that no mortal man ought to claim the smallest portion of it. Thus he is the only Pastor.”

May each believer in Christ live lives Coram Deo (before the face of God), before a watching world and a sovereign God. Have a blessed day in the Lord.

Soli deo Gloria!

“Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, ² “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat, ³ so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice. ⁴ They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. ⁵ They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, ⁶ and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues ⁷ and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others.” (Matthew 23:1–7 (ESV)

In the immediate aftermath of Jesus’ discussion with the Pharisees and the Sadducees, He spoke to the crowds and His disciples. The masses may refer to unbelievers. Disciples refers not to only the twelve, but perhaps also to others who followed Him (Acts 1:12-15; I Cor. 15:1-7).

Most of the masses esteemed the Pharisees. Jesus knew the crowds faced condemnation if they followed these teachers and their behavior. Therefore, the Lord continued to confront the hypocritical Pharisees after dismantling their understanding of Psalm 110 (Matt. 22:41–45). Seeing that the people are intensely listening to Him (v. 46), Jesus began warning them, including His disciples, of Pharisaic hypocrisy. He set for the following principles as perpetual warnings for true believers against false teachers.

First, be observant of religious hypocrisy. False teachers may speak truth, but their behavior reveals their true character and standing with God. “²The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat, ³so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice.” True believers in Christ are to practice what they believe, insofar as it is in harmony with the Word of God. 

Second, false teachers love to enslave people to their legalism. They establish rules and regulations beyond Scripture to determine and evaluate spirituality. What you wear, where you go, what you do and not do are evaluated, and most likely condemned, by the religious leader. Ironically, the leader is never evaluated. He, or she, alone condemns. “⁴They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger.”

Third, false teachers love the limelight. They love attention and honor. Their goal is self-exaltation and their opium is pride. They parade themselves, and their family, as examples of biblical behavior. More often then not, their religious façade falls like a house of cards. “⁵ They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, ⁶ and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues ⁷ and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others.”  

“The rest of Matthew 23, Jesus plainly condemns the Pharisees for not practicing the laws that they preach. As legal experts, they should know to help their fellow Jews (Lev. 19:18), but many Pharisees are more concerned with appearances and will not aid those who fail in trying to keep the Pharisaic traditions (Matt. 23:4),” explains R. R. C. Sproul. “Why would they help people get back on the straight and narrow if others’ failures made the Pharisees look better in comparison?”

May each believer in Christ live lives Coram Deo (before the face of God), before a watching world and a sovereign God. Have a blessed day in the Lord.

Soli deo Gloria!