Topical Bible: Pharisees: Reject: John

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The Pharisees were a prominent religious and political group in Judea during the Second Temple period, particularly from the second century BCE to the first century CE. They are frequently mentioned in the New Testament, where they often appear in opposition to Jesus Christ and His teachings. The Pharisees were known for their strict adherence to the Law of Moses and the oral traditions that they believed were equally authoritative.

Origins and Beliefs

The Pharisees emerged during the Hasmonean period, likely as a response to the Hellenization of Jewish society and the perceived corruption of the priesthood. They sought to preserve Jewish identity and religious purity by emphasizing the importance of the Torah and the oral law, which they believed was handed down alongside the written law. This oral tradition was later codified in the Mishnah and the Talmud.

Theologically, the Pharisees believed in the resurrection of the dead, the existence of angels and spirits, and the concept of divine providence coexisting with human free will. These beliefs set them apart from the Sadducees, another Jewish sect of the time, who denied the resurrection and the existence of spirits.

Social and Religious Influence

The Pharisees held significant influence over the common people due to their focus on personal piety and their role as interpreters of the law. They were often seen as the religious leaders who guided the daily lives of the Jewish populace. Their emphasis on purity laws, tithing, and Sabbath observance was intended to make holiness accessible to all Jews, not just the priestly class.

Interactions with Jesus

In the New Testament, the Pharisees frequently clash with Jesus over issues of law and tradition. They are depicted as being more concerned with outward appearances and ritual purity than with the inward condition of the heart. Jesus criticizes them for their hypocrisy and legalism, as seen in passages such as Matthew 23:27-28 : "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and every kind of impurity. In the same way, on the outside you appear to be righteous, but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness."

Despite these criticisms, not all Pharisees were opposed to Jesus. Nicodemus, a Pharisee, sought out Jesus to learn from Him (John 3:1-21), and later defended Him before the Sanhedrin (John 7:50-51). Additionally, the Apostle Paul, who played a crucial role in the spread of Christianity, was a Pharisee before his conversion (Philippians 3:5).

Legacy

The Pharisees' emphasis on the oral law and their interpretative traditions laid the groundwork for Rabbinic Judaism, which emerged after the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE. Their focus on the study of the Torah and the application of its principles to everyday life continues to influence Jewish religious practice to this day.

Nave's Topical Index

Luke 7:30
But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him.
Nave's Topical Index

Library

John ix. 29
... JOHN ix.29. ... But in this conversation between the Pharisees and the blind man, there
are ... no less grave, with what degree of tenacity we should reject what claims ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/arnold/the christian life/lecture xxxiii john ix 29.htm

Christ's Refutations of the Pharisees Rendering Dues to C??sar and ...
... what would have happened if the Pharisees had replied to ... him, belonged to Him whose
sacrament John was administering. ... Now, He did not reject the attestation of ...
/.../the five books against marcion/chapter xxxviii christs refutations of the.htm

Concerning the Leaven of the Pharisees.
... beware of the leaven of the Pharisees; and they also who reject the doctrine ... of loaves,
they did not need the leaven of the Pharisees and the ... [5588] John 6:33 ...
/.../origens commentary on the gospel of matthew/5 concerning the leaven of.htm

"We have Found the Messias"
... sanction for his work; and he had reproved rulers and people, Pharisees and Sadducees ...
Sanhedrin would soon be forced either to sanction or to reject John's work ...
//christianbookshelf.org/white/the desire of ages/chapter 14 we have found.htm

And Jesus Knew Within Himself that his Disciples were Murmuring ...
... or his mother; [1437] and ye [1438] make void and reject the word ... drew near, and
said unto him, Knowest [36] thou that the Pharisees which heard ... 1402] John 6:61 ...
/.../hogg/the diatessaron of tatian/section xx and jesus knew.htm

John iii. 35, 36
... made and baptized more disciples than John, (though Jesus ... them concerning "the leaven
of the Pharisees" ( Matthew 16 ... this, it behooved not to reject the woman ...
/.../homilies on the gospel of st john and hebrews/homily xxxi john iii 35.htm

His Life
... JESUS' ESTIMATE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. THE DEATH OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. ... DISCOURSE OF
JESUS AGAINST THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES. ... THE JEWS REJECT JESUS. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/barton/his life/

John's First Testimony to Jesus.
... It is interesting to notice that the Pharisees, who were ... Taken as a whole, the answer
of John appears indirect ... need no explanation; and if you reject him, my ...
/.../mcgarvey/the four-fold gospel/xx johns first testimony to.htm

John Chapter i. 33
... "The scribes and the Pharisees," He says, "sit in Moses' seat: what they say, do ...
20. I do not reject John, but rather I believe John. In what do I believe John? ...
/.../augustine/homilies on the gospel of john/tractate v john chapter i.htm

The Sixth Miracle in John's Gospel --The Blind Made to See, and ...
... in the Pool of Siloam,' which, says John, 'is by ... and he hears the words which Pharisees
and unrighteous ... by the shining of the light which they reject, and will ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture i/the sixth miracle in johns.htm