Matthew 23:13-15 But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for you neither go in yourselves… I. They shut up the kingdom of heaven against others (ver. 13). II. They committed the grossest iniquity under a cloak of religion (ver. 14). III. They showed great zeal in making proselytes, yet did it only for gain, and made them more wicked (ver. 15). IV. They taught false doctrine, artful contrivances to destroy the force of oaths, and shut out the Creator from their view (vers. 16-22). V. They were superstitious (ver. 23). VI. They were openly hypocritical (vers. 25-28). VII. They professed great veneration for the memory of the pious dead, while at the same time they were conscious that they really approved the conduct of those who killed them (vers. 29-31). Never, perhaps, was there a combination of more wicked feelings and hypocritical actions than among them; and never was there more profound knowledge of the human heart and more faithfulness than in Him who tore off the mask, and showed them what they were. (A. Barnes, D. D.) Parallel Verses KJV: But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. |
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