____________________________________________________ THE GOSPEL OBSERVER "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations...teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:19,20). ____________________________________________________ March 7, 1999 ____________________________________________________ Who Are The Pharisees? Part One: Who Were They Then? by Harry Osborne The word ``Pharisee'' or a form of it is used 101 times in the New Testament. That those references are overwhelmingly negative is not news to anyone remotely familiar with the Bible. Our purpose in this study is to identify why the Pharisees were the repeated object of our Lord's condemnation. To understand that, we must not turn to secular history to give us the answer, but to the Bible. The most detailed statement from Jesus showing the reason for His condemnation of the Pharisees is found in Matthew 15 and Mark 7. Since Mark 7 explains the background more fully, let us see what it says: "And there are gathered together unto him the Pharisees, and certain of the scribes, who had come from Jerusalem, and had seen that some of his disciples ate their bread with defiled, that is, unwashen, hands. (For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands diligently, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders; and when they come from the market-place, except they bathe themselves, they eat not; and many other things there are, which they have received to hold, washings of cups, and pots, and brasen vessels.) And the Pharisees and the scribes ask him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat their bread with defiled hands? And he said unto them, Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoreth me with their lips, But their heart is far from me. But in vain do they worship me, Teaching as their doctrines the precepts of men. Ye leave the commandment of God, and hold fast the tradition of men. And he said unto them, Full well do ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your tradition. For Moses said, Honor thy father and thy mother; and, He that speaketh evil of father or mother, let him die the death: but ye say, If a man shall say to his father or his mother, That wherewith thou mightest have been profited by me is Corban, that is to say, Given to God; ye no longer suffer him to do aught for his father or his mother; making void the word of God by your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things ye do" (Mark 7:1-13). This passage makes it clear that Jesus condemned the Pharisees because of their failure to adhere to the pattern of Scripture, instead substituting ``the tradition of the elders'' as being on a par with God's word. The process by which they did so is made plain. Process of Replacing Divine Law with Human Tradition First, they left the commandments of God (v. 8). When God's commands are cast away as the absolute standard, the stage is always set for apostasy. The same thing was seen during Hosea's time (Hosea 4:6-10). They did not do as God had commanded in loving His law and letting it be their sole guide (Psalm 119:10-11, 72, 77, 103, 105, 167, et. al.). When we leave the boundary of divine teaching and doctrine, we are by definition in a way of sin and separated from God (2 John 9). Second, Jesus notes that in the place of God's commands, the Pharisees substituted ``the tradition of men.'' Yes, they thought that the traditions they set up through their rabbinical traditions were based upon God's command, but their focus for determining right and wrong was on human tradition rather than the Scripture. The tradition had a good intent of being a ``hedge around the law'' according to the rabbinical writers, but its effect was to replace God's law with man's law. However good the original intent, the effect was to negate God's teaching by turning attention to a standard other than God's word. Third, Jesus says they rejected the commandment of God in order to keep their tradition. Of course, they would have denied this charge, but it was true. Jesus proved that by noting the conflict which came to exist between the plain command of God and their tradition. God commanded, ``Honor thy father and mother'' (Exodus 20:12; et. al.). The fulfillment of that command obviously involved a monetary responsibility towards one's father and mother. But the tradition to which the Pharisees held taught that one need not help their parents if he declared that the portion of income with which he would have cared for his parents was given to God. When such a conflict between human tradition and divine law occurred, which one did the Pharisees uphold? The tradition of men! Thus Jesus rightly charged that they rejected the commandments of God to keep their tradition. Jesus summed up His condemnation of the Pharisees by saying they were guilty of ``making void the word of God by [their] tradition.'' Jesus goes on to make it clear that His example just given was not the only case in which they made God's law of no effect by their traditions. He says, ``And many such things ye do.'' The Pharisees practice was replete with examples of supplanting divine commands with human traditions. This passage clearly demonstrates that the Pharisees did not focus upon God's law to seek authority from His word for their actions. They did not demand ``book, chapter, and verse'' for all that they did. They sought for human law and tradition to authorize their actions. For this, they stood condemned by the one who had a part in authoring that rejected law. Pharisees Fail to Judge by Proper Standard In Matthew 12:1-8, the Pharisees see Jesus' disciples plucking grain from the field and eating it on the sabbath. Upon seeing this, the Pharisees say to Jesus, ``Behold, thy disciples do that which it is not lawful to do upon the sabbath.'' Why do they make this charge? No principle of the law of Moses was violated by plucking corn to eat. So what could be ``unlawful'' about their action? Their charge was based upon their traditions and Jesus corrects such as He teaches about how to tell the difference between those who do that which is ``not lawful'' and those who are ``guiltless'' (vs. 3-8). Jesus first asks, ``Have ye not read what David did?'' Read where? Obviously, in God's law. The reference is to David's actions in eating the showbread (1 Samuel 21:6). Jesus says that was ``unlawful.'' Why? Because the law which they were to read said only the priest could eat the showbread (Leviticus 24:9). The Pharisees would not condemn David in this action even though it was against the law. Then Jesus directs their attention to the law again, this time making His appeal to the actions of the priests in the temple on the sabbath. For anyone else to kindle a fire as the priests did would be to ``profane the sabbath'' (Exodus 35:3). Why? Because the law said so! Yet, the priest were ``guiltless'' when they did so. Why? Because the law authorized their actions (Numbers 28:9-10). In applying the principle to his disciples, Jesus, as ``lord of the sabbath'' who gave the regulations governing that day, pronounced the disciples ``guiltless.'' Why? Because judgment according to the law showed such. Thus, Jesus shows that the Pharisees were the ones to be condemned for judging by a standard other than God's law while His disciples were justified by that standard. Conclusion The failure of the Pharisees to appeal to the Scripture as the absolute standard for their conduct was at the root of many other problems for which they were condemned. Their rejection of Jesus for doing miracles on the sabbath was a result of that false concept. Their attempts to trap Jesus in speech were not the result of a close investigation of His conduct in light of Messianic prophecy, but because He violated their traditions and so posed a threat to their authority. Their self-righteousness and pride was a result of their looking to their traditions as the standard for judgment, rather than God's law. Their failure to understand the weighty matters of the law came, not as a result of carefully scrutinizing the law, but from a failure to put their focus on that law sufficiently. Jesus said they should have paid close attention to even small matters of the law, but not to the exclusion of the principles which should have been seen as foundational to that law (Matthew 23:23). The Pharisees pretentious prayers, permitted by their traditions, were an abomination to God and the true, quiet reverence demanded of His people (Matthew 23:13-14; 6:5-8). Their hypocrisy so strongly condemned by Jesus in Matthew 23 was the result of leaving the commandments of God and holding fast to human tradition. Pharisees never came under condemnation of Jesus for holding too closely to the provisions of God's law. No one ever did! The condemnation of the Pharisees came, simply put, from a failure to seek authority from God for all that they did. Book, chapter and verse preaching would have helped! ___________________________________________ NEWS & NOTES Concerning John McGill's surgery, the doctors believe that all the cancer was localized in the kidney they removed, so that is good news. Rick Fleeman will be our speaker for tonight. Congratulations to Ken and Michelle Fleeman on the birth of their third child Emma Rose, who was born February 27. The John Hurt 8-lesson Bible course and the 6-lesson Acts of the Apostles Bible course are available. If you would like to take either--or both--of these, just let us know. We would be happy to enroll you right away! Greetings to all who are visiting with us this day. Please come again. ___________________________________________ Condensed Study Of ``Faith'' by Robert F. Turner A beginner at Bible study can see that the popular doctrine of salvation by ``faith only'' is wrong. This expression is used but once in the N.T. -- when James writes: ``Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only'' (2:24). Those who refuse to recognize the various ways in which the word ``faith'' is used in the N.T. are faced with stubborn contradictions (especially between the Roman letter and James) and must devise some ingenious quibbles to escape their dilemma. Basically, to believe is to accept as true; a mental acquiescence. We must believe that God is -- accept as true His existence (Heb. 11:6). Then, ``Faith cometh by hearing....'' (Rom. 10:17) -- acceptance of evidence. Such faith is the basis for our dealings with God; but ``without works'' this faith is dead (Jas. 2:26). Because faith affects the heart (Acts 15:9) and hence one's actions, the word is sometimes used to define the motive for continuous action. ``By faith'' Abel offered, Noah built, and Abraham went (Heb. 11:4-f.). This certainly does not mean that ``at the point of faith, and without further acts of obedience'' the ark came into existence. Likewise, one may declare that salvation is ``by faith'' while recognizing the necessity for doing all that God requires. The word ``faith'' is sometimes subjective, referring to the conscience. In such usage ``of faith'' assures sincerity, but does not necessarily prove truth. And in Jude 3, the word necessarily is used with reference to that which produces faith -- the evidence. But perhaps ``faith'' is most abused when we fail to recognize its application to the whole New Covenant. The oft-quoted ``justification by faith'' passages (Rom. 1:17; Gal. 3:11) point not to ``faith only'' but to a contrast system of faith (Christianity) with the system of law as manifested in Judaism. A system of law demands perfect compliance, with reward on a basis of merit. ``Cursed is everyone that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them'' (See Gal. 3:l0-f). Since all sin, our only hope lies in a system with provisions for forgiveness -- and that means Jesus Christ is our only hope. Salvation is ``not of works,'' i.e., we must not depend upon a system of merit, for we all sin. But we must put our trust (and here is faith) in Christ, who forgives (Rom. 4:4-8). The Christian system is therefore a system of faith, and is so characterized. ``Before faith came'' means before the Christian system: ``we were kept under the law'' -- under Judaism. The ``children of God by faith'' are those ``baptized into Christ'' (Gal. 3:23-f.). In reality, one's faith in Christ is inadequate if it does not motivate ``faithfulness.'' ``This is the love of God, that we keep his commandments'' (1 Jn. 5:3). Significantly, the original statement of ``the just shall live by faith'' (Hab. 2:4) refers to ``faithfulness.'' (See ASV footnotes [: ``in his faithfulness''].) -- Plain Talk, June 1964 ________________________________________ Tri-State CHURCH OF CHRIST 1314 Montgomery Avenue, Ashland, Kentucky 41101 Sunday: 10:00 A.M. Bible class 10:50 A.M. Worship 6:30 P.M. Worship Wednesday: 7:30 P.M. Bible study evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (606) 325-9742 e-mail: tedwards@zoomnet.net Gospel Observer web site: http://www.zoomnet.net/~tedwards/go ________________________________________