The Pharisees, a prominent religious group during the Second Temple period, are frequently depicted in the New Testament as being zealous for the law and traditions of the Jewish people. However, their interactions with Jesus and His followers reveal a character marked by cruelty in their persecution of those who challenged their authority or deviated from their interpretations of the law.

Religious Zeal and Legalism

The Pharisees were known for their strict adherence to the Mosaic Law and the oral traditions that had developed around it. They believed in the resurrection of the dead, the existence of angels and spirits, and the coming of the Messiah. Their commitment to the law often led them to impose burdensome regulations on the people, as Jesus pointed out in Matthew 23:4 : "They tie up heavy, burdensome loads and lay them on men's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them."

Opposition to Jesus

The Gospels frequently portray the Pharisees as opponents of Jesus, often seeking to trap Him in His words or actions. Their hostility is evident in several instances where they conspired against Him. In Mark 3:6 , after Jesus healed a man on the Sabbath, "the Pharisees went out and immediately began plotting with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus." This demonstrates their willingness to collaborate with political groups they otherwise opposed, highlighting their determination to eliminate what they perceived as a threat to their religious authority.

Persecution of Early Christians

The Pharisees' persecution extended beyond Jesus to His followers. In the Acts of the Apostles, we see their continued opposition to the early Christian movement. Saul of Tarsus, later known as the Apostle Paul, was a Pharisee who initially persecuted Christians with zeal. Acts 8:3 describes his actions: "But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison." This reflects the broader Pharisaic attitude towards the nascent Christian community, which they viewed as a heretical sect.

Hypocrisy and Condemnation

Jesus frequently condemned the Pharisees for their hypocrisy and lack of genuine righteousness. In Matthew 23:27-28 , He declared, "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." This condemnation underscores their focus on outward appearances and legalistic righteousness, often at the expense of mercy and justice.

Legacy and Lessons

The Pharisees' character of cruelty in persecuting those who opposed them serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of religious legalism and hypocrisy. Their actions, as recorded in the New Testament, illustrate the potential for religious zeal to become a tool of oppression rather than a means of drawing closer to God.Acts 9:1,2
And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest,
Torrey's Topical Textbook

The Counsel of Gamaliel.
... the resurrection of the dead, the Pharisees arranged themselves ... he probably assumed
no higher character than that ... from an ignominious and cruel subjection to ...
/.../dick/lectures on the acts of the apostles/lecture vii the counsel of.htm

David's Anger
... It is a special mark of David's character, as special ... did he say to the scribes and
Pharisees: 'Ye go ... ever and ever, no weak, and really cruel indulgence; but ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/david/sermon iii davids anger.htm

The Conversion of Paul.
... humanity, he beheld, with approbation, the cruel death of a ... perceive no trait in
his character, from which ... past finding out!" There were Pharisees in Jerusalem ...
/.../dick/lectures on the acts of the apostles/lecture xii the conversion of.htm

The Cross as a Social Principle
... Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! ... But if the character of a leader
is pure, suffering ... the men whose lives ebbed away behind the cruel silence of ...
/.../rauschenbusch/the social principles of jesus/chapter xi the cross as.htm

Paul a Prisoner
... might put him to death; and the Pharisees were as ... Instead of rebuking this cruel
scheme, the priests and ... confidence in their integrity of character, and thus ...
/.../white/the acts of the apostles/lesson 38 paul a prisoner.htm

The Conversion of Paul.
... Paul) in self-discipline, consistency, and symmetry of character. ... of the most earnest
and zealous of Pharisees. ... change on an errand of cruel persecution, and ...
/.../history of the christian church volume i/section 31 the conversion of.htm

The Best Beloved
... how he beards the Pharisees. ... word of accusation did he utter against his cruel
persecutors, though ... he is lovely, altogether lovely in any and every character. ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 24 1878/the best beloved.htm

The Course of the World.
... and hated by the very pretentious Pharisees and Sadducees. ... faced death at the hands
of cruel persecutors, saw ... They are ignorant of God's true character and the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/orr/the gospel day /chapter xii the course of.htm

The Wise and Foolish virgins
... unworthy of one's position or character; refuse scornfully: to ... you hear these formal
scoffing Pharisees saying unto ... no doubt endured the same cruel mockings as ...
/.../selected sermons of george whitefield/the wise and foolish virgins.htm

On Reconciling Religious Dissensions among Christians
... they may perpetually exercise themselves in cruel and bloody ... is of a three-fold
character, that nothing ... the torch of dissension between the Pharisees and Christ ...
/.../the works of james arminius vol 1/oration v on reconciling religious.htm

What is the leaven of the Pharisees? | GotQuestions.org

Why did John the Baptist refer to the Pharisees as a brood of vipers? | GotQuestions.org

Why did Jesus refer to the Pharisees as a “child of hell” in Matthew 23:15? | GotQuestions.org

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