The Pharisees were a prominent religious and political group in Judea during the Second Temple period, particularly from the second century BC to the first century AD. 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 as a distinct group 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.

The Pharisees believed in the resurrection of the dead, the existence of angels and spirits, and the coming of a Messiah who would restore Israel. They held that God’s will was revealed not only through the written Scriptures but also through the interpretations and traditions passed down by the elders.

Role in Society

The Pharisees wielded significant influence in Jewish society, particularly in the synagogues, where they served as teachers and interpreters of the law. Many rulers, lawyers, and scribes were associated with the Pharisaic movement, which allowed them to exert considerable control over religious and legal matters. The scribes, often Pharisees themselves, were experts in the law and played a crucial role in its interpretation and application.

Interactions with Jesus

The New Testament portrays the Pharisees as frequent adversaries of Jesus. They are depicted as being more concerned with outward appearances and strict legalism than with the spirit of the law. Jesus criticized them for their hypocrisy, as seen in 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 their opposition to Jesus, not all Pharisees were hostile towards Him. Nicodemus, a Pharisee and a member of the Jewish ruling council, sought out Jesus to learn more about His teachings (John 3:1-2). Additionally, after the resurrection, some Pharisees, like the Apostle Paul, became followers of Christ.

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 AD 70. Their influence persisted as the rabbinic tradition became the dominant form of Judaism, shaping Jewish thought and practice for centuries to come.John 3:1
There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Acts 5:34
Then stood there up one in the council, a Pharisee, named Gamaliel, a doctor of the law, had in reputation among all the people, and commanded to put the apostles forth a little space;
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Acts 23:9
And there arose a great cry: and the scribes that were of the Pharisees' part arose, and strove, saying, We find no evil in this man: but if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him, let us not fight against God.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Woes on the Pharisees
... Priests, scribes, and rulers, expounders and administrators of ... How many of those
who assume this title ... "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites," said ...
//christianbookshelf.org/white/the desire of ages/chapter 67 woes on the.htm

Leadership for Service
... them unto him, and said, Ye know that the rulers of the ... and to give his life a ransom
for many."Matt.20 ... And when the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his ...
/.../the social principles of jesus/chapter vii leadership for service.htm

The Baptist's Inquiry and Jesus' Discourse Suggested Thereby.
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rulers] when they ... an ordinance as baptism.] 30 But the Pharisees and the ...
/.../mcgarvey/the four-fold gospel/xlv the baptists inquiry and.htm

B. The Second Stages. Chs. 13:22 to 17:10
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by the rulers and Pharisees ... to hear him.2 And both the Pharisees and the ...
/.../erdman/the gospel of luke an exposition/b the second stages chs.htm

The Gospel of Matthew
... baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days hence ... which the Messiah reproached the
Pharisees and Sadducees ... to the concerted attempt of earth's rulers to prevent ...
//christianbookshelf.org/pink/why four gospels/the gospel of matthew.htm

The First Stages. Ch. 9:51 to 13:21
... all, Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is ... not: ye are of more value
than many sparrows.8 ... bring you before the synagogues, and the rulers, and the ...
/.../erdman/the gospel of luke an exposition/a the first stages ch.htm

The Land and the People.
... their religion; the intolerance of Christian rulers treated them ... Shemaja and Abtalion,
two celebrated Pharisees and teachers ... and embellished it with many fables ...
/.../schaff/history of the christian church volume i/section 17 the land and.htm

Introduction to Oration ii.
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have ... I am alarmed by the reproaches of the Pharisees, the conviction of ...
/.../cyril/lectures of s cyril of jerusalem/introduction to oration ii.htm

Twenty-Seven Articles Respecting the Reformation of the Christian ...
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turned into means of ... of nobles cannot be landowners and rulers, they should ...
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Solomon's Temple Spiritualized
... Yea, many of the features of the then church of God were set forth, as in figures
and shadows, so by places and things, in that land.1. In general, she is said ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/solomons temple spiritualized.htm

What are the differences between the Sadducees and Pharisees? | GotQuestions.org

Why did Jesus rebuke the scribes and Pharisees so harshly in Matthew 23:13 36? | GotQuestions.org

Who were the Pharisees? | GotQuestions.org

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