Pharisees in the Bible

Meaning: set apart

Exact Match

Jesus left there and went into their [i.e., the Pharisees'] synagogues,

Then spake Jesus to the multitudes and to his disciples, saying, The scribes and Pharisees sit in the chair of Moses:

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.

Likewise the chief priests also mocking, with the scribes, the Pharisees, and the elders, said,

And it happened that he was reclining at table in his house; and many publicans and sinners were reclining with Jesus and his disciples; for there were many, and scribes of the Pharisees were also following him.

The Pharisees were watching Jesus closely to see if He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him [in the Jewish high court].

Then He said to the Pharisees, "Is it permissible by the law of Moses to do something good, or something harmful on the Sabbath day? To save a life or to kill it?" But they did not reply.

And they asked him, saying, How is it that the Pharisees and scribes say that Elijah must come first?

When he was come to the other disciples, he found a great crowd about them, and the Pharisees disputing with them.

the Scribes and Pharisees upon hearing this consulted together how to destroy him; but they stood in awe of him, because all the people were strangely affected with his doctrine.

As Jesus was teaching in the Temple, He responded [to some Pharisees. See Matt. 22:41] by asking, "How is it that the experts in the law of Moses can say that the Christ is the son of David?

And it came to pass on a certain day, as he was teaching, that there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by, which were come out of every town of Galilee, and Judaea, and Jerusalem: and the power of the Lord was present to heal them.

But the experts in the law of Moses and the Pharisees became furious and began discussing among themselves what they could do to Jesus.

And lo! a woman who was in the city, a sinner, learning that he was at table in the Pharisees house, brought an alabasterbottle of ointment,

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are as graves which appear not, and the men that walk over them are not aware of them.

Afterwards some of the Pharisees, who deny there is any resurrection, accosted him with this question,

Then certain of the Pharisees answered and said, "Master, thou hast well said."

And Jesus said to them [i.e., the Pharisees. See Matt. 22:41], "How is it that they [i.e., the experts in the law of Moses. See Mark 12:35] can say that the Christ [i.e., God's specially chosen one] is the son of David?

Then the officers returned to the chief priest and Pharisees,

Then again the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. He said unto them, He put clay upon mine eyes, and I washed, and do see.

But these Jews [i.e., Pharisees] did not believe that the man had been blind and had received his sight back until they called his parents

The Pharisees said to him, "What did he do to you? How did he restore your sight?"

The man replied, "Is not that strange! You do not know where he came from and yet he restored my sight! [Note: The next sentence may be the beggar stating the Pharisees' argument. See verse 24].

Now both the chief priests and the Pharisees had given a commandment, that, if any man knew where he were, he should shew it, that they might take him.

Thematic Bible



Now the Pharisees, who love money, had been listening to all this and began to ridicule Jesus.


They sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians. They said, "Teacher, we know that you are sincere and that you teach the way of God truthfully. You don't favor any individual, because you pay no attention to external appearance.


Meanwhile, the people had gathered by the thousands and were trampling on one another. Jesus began to speak first to his disciples. "Watch out for the yeast that is, the hypocrisy of the Pharisees!

"Whenever you fast, don't be gloomy like the hypocrites, because they put on sad faces to show others they are fasting. I tell all of you with certainty, they have their full reward! But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that your fasting will not be noticed by others but by your Father who is in the hidden place. And your Father who watches from the hidden place will reward you."

"Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a wall around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a watchtower. Then he leased it to tenant farmers and went abroad. When harvest time approached, he sent his servants to the tenant farmers to collect his produce. But the farmers took his servants and beat one, killed another, and attacked another with stones. read more.
Again, he sent other servants to them, a greater number than the first, but the tenant farmers treated them the same way. Finally, he sent his son to them, thinking, "They will respect my son.' But when the tenant farmers saw his son, they told one another, "This is the heir. Come on, let's kill him and get his inheritance!' So they grabbed him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. Now when the owner of the vineyard returns, what will he do to those farmers?" They told him, "He will put those horrible men to a horrible death. Then he will lease the vineyard to other farmers who will give him his produce at harvest time." Jesus asked them, "Have you never read in the Scriptures, "The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This was the Lord's doing, and it is amazing in our eyes.'? That is why I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce fruit for it. The person who falls over this stone will be broken to pieces, but it will crush anyone on whom it falls." When the high priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they knew that he was talking about them. Although they wanted to arrest him, they were afraid of the crowds, who considered Jesus to be a prophet.

So whenever you give to the poor, don't blow a trumpet before you like the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets so that they will be praised by people. I tell all of you with certainty, they have their full reward! But when you give to the poor, don't let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be done in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you." read more.
"And whenever you pray, don't be like the hypocrites who love to stand in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they will be seen by people. I tell all of you with certainty, they have their full reward! But whenever you pray, go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father who is hidden. And your Father who sees from the hidden place will reward you. "When you are praying, don't say meaningless things like the unbelievers do, because they think they will be heard by being so wordy. Don't be like them, because your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

Then some Pharisees and scribes came from Jerusalem to Jesus and asked, "Why do your disciples disregard the tradition of the elders? They don't wash their hands when they eat." But he answered them, "Why do you also disregard the commandment of God because of your tradition? read more.
Because God said, "You are to honor your father and your mother,' and, "Whoever curses father or mother must certainly be put to death.' But you say, "Whoever tells his father or his mother, "Whatever support you might have received from me has been given to God," does not have to honor his father.' Because of your tradition, then, you have disregarded the authority of God's word. You hypocrites! How well did Isaiah prophesy of you when he said, "These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is empty, because they teach human rules as doctrines.'"

When the Pharisees and Sadducees arrived, in order to test Jesus they asked him to show them a sign from heaven. He replied to them, "You say, "Red sky at night, what a delight! Red sky in the morning, cloudy and storming.' read more.
You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, yet you can't interpret the signs of the times? An evil and adulterous generation craves a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah." Then he left them and went away. When his disciples reached the other side, they had forgotten to take any bread along. Jesus told them, "Watch out! Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees!" As they began to discuss this among themselves, they kept saying, "We didn't bring along any bread." Knowing this, Jesus asked them, "You who have little faith, why are you discussing among yourselves the fact that you don't have any bread? Don't you understand yet? Don't you remember the five loaves for the 5,000 and how many baskets you collected, or the seven loaves for the 4,000 and how many baskets you collected? How can you fail to understand that I wasn't talking to you about bread? Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees!" Then they understood that he did not say to beware of the yeast used in bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

"The scribes and the Pharisees administer the authority of Moses, so do whatever they tell you and follow it, but stop doing what they do, because they don't do what they say. They tie up burdens that are heavy and unbearable and lay them on people's shoulders, but they refuse to lift a finger to remove them. read more.
"They do everything to be seen by people. They increase the size of their phylacteries and lengthen the tassels of their garments. They love to have the places of honor at festivals, the best seats in the synagogues, to be greeted in the marketplaces, and to be called "Rabbi' by people. "But you are not to be called "Rabbi,' because you have only one teacher, and all of you are brothers. And don't call anyone on earth "Father,' because you have only one Father, the one in heaven. Nor are you to be called "Teachers,' because you have only one teacher, the Messiah! The person who is greatest among you must be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. "How terrible it will be for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door to the kingdom from heaven in people's faces. You don't go in yourselves, and you don't allow those who are trying to enter to go in. "How terrible it will be for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You devour widows' houses and say long prayers to cover it up. Therefore, you will receive greater condemnation! "How terrible it will be for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to make a single convert, and when this happens you make him twice as fit for hell as you are. "How terrible it will be for you, blind guides! You say, "Whoever swears an oath by the sanctuary is excused, but whoever swears an oath by the gold of the sanctuary must keep his oath.' You blind fools! What is more important, the gold or the sanctuary that made the gold holy? Again you say, "Whoever swears an oath by the altar is excused, but whoever swears by the gift that is on it must keep his oath.' You blind men! Which is more important, the gift or the altar that makes the gift holy? Therefore, the one who swears an oath by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. The one who swears an oath by the sanctuary swears by it and by the one who lives there. And the one who swears an oath by heaven swears by God's throne and by the one who sits on it. "How terrible it will be for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your mint, dill, and cummin, but have neglected the more important matters of the Law: justice, mercy, and faithfulness. These are the things you should have practiced, without neglecting the others. You blind guides! You filter out a gnat, yet swallow a camel! "How terrible it will be for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but on the inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup, so that its outside may also be clean. "How terrible it will be for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs that look beautiful on the outside but inside are full of dead people's bones and every kind of impurity. In the same way, on the outside you look righteous to people, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. "How terrible it will be for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous. Then you say, "If we had been living in the days of our ancestors, we would have had no part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.' Therefore, you testify against yourselves that you are descendants of those who murdered the prophets. Then finish what your ancestors started! You snakes, you children of serpents! How can you escape being condemned to hell?

Jesus was driving a demon out of a man who was unable to talk. When the demon had gone out, the man began to speak, and the crowds were amazed. But some of them said, "He drives out demons by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons." Others, wanting to test Jesus, kept asking him for a sign from heaven. read more.
Since he knew what they were thinking, he told them, "Every kingdom divided against itself is devastated, and a divided household collapses. Now, if Satan is divided against himself, how can his kingdom last? After all, you say that I drive out demons by Beelzebul. If I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your own followers drive them out? That is why they will be your judges! But if I drive out demons by the power of God, then the kingdom of God has come to you. "When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own mansion, his property is safe. But when a stronger man than he attacks and defeats him, the stronger man strips off that man's armor in which he trusted and then divides his plunder. "The person who isn't with me is against me, and the person who doesn't gather with me scatters." "Whenever an unclean spirit goes out of a person, it wanders through dry places looking for a place to rest but doesn't find any. So it says, "I will go back to my home that I left.' When it gets back home, it finds it swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they all go in and settle there. And so the final condition of that person is worse than the first." As Jesus was saying this, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and told him, "How blessed is the womb that gave birth to you and the breasts that nursed you!" But he said, "Instead, how blessed are those who hear God's word and obey it!" Now as the crowds continued to throng around Jesus, he went on to say, "This people living today are an evil generation. It craves a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah, because just as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so the Son of Man will be a sign to this generation. The queen of the south will stand up at the judgment and condemn the people living today, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon. But look, something greater than Solomon is here! The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment and condemn the people living today, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah. But look, something greater than Jonah is here!" "No one lights a lamp and puts it in a hiding place or under a basket, but on a lamp stand, so that those who enter may see its light. Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light. But when it's evil, your body is full of darkness. Therefore, be careful that the light in you isn't darkness. Now if your whole body is full of light, with no part of it in darkness, it will be as full of light as when a lamp gives you light with its rays." After Jesus had said this, a Pharisee invited him to have a meal with him. So Jesus went and took his place at the table. The Pharisee was surprised to see that he didn't first wash before the meal. But the Lord told him, "Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but on the inside you are full of greed and evil. You fools! The one who made the outside made the inside, too, didn't he? So give what is inside to the poor, and then everything will be clean for you. "How terrible it will be for you Pharisees! You give a tenth of your mint, spices, and every kind of herb, but you neglect justice and the love of God. These are the things you should have practiced, without neglecting the others. How terrible it will be for you Pharisees! You love to have the places of honor in the synagogues and to be greeted in the marketplaces. How terrible it will be for you! You are like unmarked graves people walk on them without realizing it." Then one of the experts in the Law told him, "Teacher, when you say these things, you insult us, too." Jesus said, "How terrible it will be for you experts in the Law, too! You load people with burdens that are hard to carry, yet you don't even lift a finger to ease those burdens. How terrible it will be for you! You build monuments for the prophets, and it was your ancestors who killed them! So you are witnesses and approve of the deeds of your ancestors, because they killed those for whom you are building monuments. That is why the Wisdom of God said, "I will send them prophets and apostles. They will kill some of them and persecute others,' so those living today will be charged with the blood of all the prophets that was shed since the foundation of the world, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who died between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, it will be charged against this generation! How terrible it will be for you experts in the Law! You have taken away the key to knowledge. You didn't go in yourselves, and you kept out those who were trying to go in." As Jesus was leaving, the scribes and the Pharisees began to oppose him fiercely, interrogating him about many things. They watched him closely in an effort to trap him in something he might say.

Now all the tax collectors and sinners kept coming to listen to Jesus. But the Pharisees and the scribes kept complaining, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them." So he told them this parable: read more.
"Suppose one of you has 100 sheep and loses one of them. He leaves the 99 in the wilderness and looks for the one that is lost until he finds it, doesn't he? When he finds it, he puts it on his shoulders and rejoices. Then he goes home, calls his friends and neighbors together, and says to them, "Rejoice with me, because I've found my lost sheep!' In the same way, I tell you that there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 righteous people who don't need to repent." "Or suppose a woman has ten coins and loses one of them. She lights a lamp, sweeps the house, and searches carefully until she finds it, doesn't she? When she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, "Rejoice with me, because I have found the coin that I lost!'


Then some of the scribes and Pharisees told Jesus, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from you." But he replied to them, "An evil and adulterous generation craves a sign. Yet no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah,

Then the disciples came and asked him, "Do you realize that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this statement?"

None of the authorities or Pharisees has believed in him, have they?


"I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia but raised in this city and educated at the feet of Gamaliel in the strict ways of our ancestral Law. I am as zealous for God as all of you are today.

Now there was a man from the Pharisees, a leader of the Jews, whose name was Nicodemus.

But some believers from the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, "The gentiles must be circumcised and ordered to keep the Law of Moses."


Then some Pharisees and scribes came from Jerusalem to Jesus and asked, "Why do your disciples disregard the tradition of the elders? They don't wash their hands when they eat." But he answered them, "Why do you also disregard the commandment of God because of your tradition?

The Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus. They noticed that some of his disciples were eating with unclean hands, that is, without washing them. (The Pharisees and indeed all the Jewish people don't eat unless they wash their hands properly, following the tradition of their elders. read more.
They don't eat anything from the marketplace unless they dip it in water. They also observe many other traditions, such as the proper washing of washing cups, jars, brass pots, and dinner tables.) So the Pharisees and the scribes asked Jesus, "Why don't your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders? Instead, they eat with unclean hands." He told them, "Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites. As it is written, "These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is worthless, because they teach human rules as doctrines.' You abandon the commandment of God and hold to human tradition." Then he told them, "You have such a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to keep your own tradition! Because Moses said, "Honor your father and your mother,' and, "Whoever curses his father or mother must certainly be put to death.' But you say, "If anyone tells his father or mother, "Whatever support you might have received from me is Corban,"' (that is, an offering to God) "you no longer let him do anything for his father or mother.' You are destroying the word of God through your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many other things like that." Then he called to the crowd again and told them, "Listen to me, all of you, and understand! Nothing that goes into a person from the outside can make him unclean. It's what comes out of a person that makes a person unclean.


One Sabbath, Jesus went to the house of a leader of the Pharisees to eat a meal. The guests were watching Jesus closely.

Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to eat with him. So he went to the Pharisee's home and took his place at the table.

After Jesus had said this, a Pharisee invited him to have a meal with him. So Jesus went and took his place at the table.


Then John's disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples don't fast?"

I fast twice a week, and I give a tenth of my entire income.'


Some Pharisees came to him in order to test him. They asked, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason?"

Then the Pharisees went and planned how to trap Jesus in conversation. They sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians. They said, "Teacher, we know that you are sincere and that you teach the way of God truthfully. You don't favor any individual, because you pay no attention to external appearance. So tell us what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?" read more.
Recognizing their wickedness, Jesus asked, "Why are you testing me, you hypocrites? Show me the coin used for the tax." They brought him a denarius. Then he asked them, "Whose face and name is this?" They told him, "Caesar's." So he told them, "Then give back to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." When they heard this, they were amazed. Then they left him and went away.


When Paul saw that some of them were Sadducees and others were Pharisees, he shouted in the Council, "Brothers, I'm a Pharisee and a descendant of Pharisees. I'm on trial concerning the hope that the dead will be resurrected."

They have known for a long time, if they would but testify to it, that I lived as a Pharisee, adhering to the standards of our strictest religious party.


The Pharisees saw this and asked his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" When Jesus heard that, he said, "Healthy people don't need a physician, but sick people do. Go and learn what this means: "I want mercy and not sacrifice,' because I did not come to call righteous people, but sinners."


Because God said, "You are to honor your father and your mother,' and, "Whoever curses father or mother must certainly be put to death.' But you say, "Whoever tells his father or his mother, "Whatever support you might have received from me has been given to God," does not have to honor his father.' Because of your tradition, then, you have disregarded the authority of God's word. read more.
You hypocrites! How well did Isaiah prophesy of you when he said, "These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is empty, because they teach human rules as doctrines.'"


When the Pharisees saw this, they told him, "Look! Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath!" But he told them, "Haven't you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? How is it that he went into the house of God and ate the Bread of the Presence, which was not lawful for him and his companions to eat but was reserved for the priests? read more.
Or haven't you read in the Law that on every Sabbath the priests in the Temple violate the Sabbath and yet are innocent? But I tell you, something greater than the Temple is here! If you had known what "I want mercy and not sacrifice' means, you would not have condemned the innocent, for the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath."


But when John saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he told them, "You children of serpents! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit that is consistent with repentance! Don't think you can say to yourselves, "We have father Abraham!' because I tell you that God can raise up descendants for Abraham from these stones! read more.
The ax already lies against the roots of the trees. So every tree that isn't producing good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.


When Paul saw that some of them were Sadducees and others were Pharisees, he shouted in the Council, "Brothers, I'm a Pharisee and a descendant of Pharisees. I'm on trial concerning the hope that the dead will be resurrected."

because the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection and that there is no such thing as an angel or spirit, but the Pharisees believe in all those things.


But the Pharisees and the experts in the Law rejected God's plan for themselves by refusing to be baptized by John.


Their worship of me is empty, because they teach human rules as doctrines.'"


But some believers from the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, "The gentiles must be circumcised and ordered to keep the Law of Moses."


Although they wanted to arrest him, they were afraid of the crowds, who considered Jesus to be a prophet.

The Pharisees, however, went out and plotted against Jesus to kill him.

So the high priests and the Pharisees assembled the Council and said, "What are we going to do? This man is performing many signs.

So from that day on they resolved to put him to death.

Now the high priests and the Pharisees had given orders that whoever knew where he was should tell them so that they could arrest him.


Some Pharisees came to him in order to test him. They asked, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason?"

One of them, an expert in the Law, tested him by asking,

Then the Pharisees went and planned how to trap Jesus in conversation. They sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians. They said, "Teacher, we know that you are sincere and that you teach the way of God truthfully. You don't favor any individual, because you pay no attention to external appearance.


Now the Pharisees, who love money, had been listening to all this and began to ridicule Jesus.

When the high priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they knew that he was talking about them.

Then the disciples came and asked him, "Do you realize that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this statement?"


(The Pharisees and indeed all the Jewish people don't eat unless they wash their hands properly, following the tradition of their elders.

I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries, because I was far more zealous for the traditions of my ancestors.

So the Pharisees and the scribes asked Jesus, "Why don't your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders? Instead, they eat with unclean hands." He told them, "Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites. As it is written, "These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is worthless, because they teach human rules as doctrines.' read more.
You abandon the commandment of God and hold to human tradition."


Now the Pharisee who had invited Jesus saw this and told himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would have known who is touching him and what kind of woman she is. She's a sinner!"

The Pharisees saw this and asked his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?"

Now all the tax collectors and sinners kept coming to listen to Jesus. But the Pharisees and the scribes kept complaining, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them."


Jesus told them, "Watch out! Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees!"

How can you fail to understand that I wasn't talking to you about bread? Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees!" Then they understood that he did not say to beware of the yeast used in bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.


But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the Law who was respected by all the people, stood up in the Council and ordered the men to be taken outside for a little while.

There was a great deal of shouting until some of the scribes who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and argued forcefully, "We find nothing wrong with this man. What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?"

Now there was a man from the Pharisees, a leader of the Jews, whose name was Nicodemus.


The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed, "O God, I thank you that I'm not like other people thieves, dishonest people, adulterers, or even this tax collector.

Having been circumcised on the eighth day, I am of the nation of Israel, from the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews. As far as the Law is concerned, I was a Pharisee. As for my zeal, I was a persecutor of the church. As far as righteousness in the Law is concerned, I was blameless.


You blind guides! You filter out a gnat, yet swallow a camel!

You blind fools! What is more important, the gold or the sanctuary that made the gold holy?


When the Pharisees and Sadducees arrived, in order to test Jesus they asked him to show them a sign from heaven.

Then some of the scribes and Pharisees told Jesus, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from you."


But the Pharisees kept saying, "He drives out demons by the ruler of demons."

But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, "This man drives out demons only by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons."


Having been circumcised on the eighth day, I am of the nation of Israel, from the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews. As far as the Law is concerned, I was a Pharisee.

But some believers from the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, "The gentiles must be circumcised and ordered to keep the Law of Moses."


Now the Pharisees, who love money, had been listening to all this and began to ridicule Jesus.

"How terrible it will be for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You devour widows' houses and say long prayers to cover it up. Therefore, you will receive greater condemnation!


Then they told him, "John's disciples frequently fast and pray, and so do those of the Pharisees. But your disciples keep right on eating and drinking."

I fast twice a week, and I give a tenth of my entire income.'


Jesus also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves, thinking they were righteous, but who looked down on everyone else:

So he told them, "You try to justify yourselves in front of people, but God knows your hearts, because what is highly valued by people is detestable to God.


Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to eat with him. So he went to the Pharisee's home and took his place at the table.

After Jesus had said this, a Pharisee invited him to have a meal with him. So Jesus went and took his place at the table.


The Pharisees heard the crowd debating these things about him, so the high priests and the Pharisees sent officers to arrest Jesus.

Then the officers returned to the high priests and Pharisees, who asked them, "Why didn't you bring him?"


This was John's testimony when the Jewish leaders sent priests and descendants of Levi to him from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?"

Now those men had been sent from the Pharisees.


"I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia but raised in this city and educated at the feet of Gamaliel in the strict ways of our ancestral Law. I am as zealous for God as all of you are today.

Then they told him, "John's disciples frequently fast and pray, and so do those of the Pharisees. But your disciples keep right on eating and drinking."


"How terrible it will be for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door to the kingdom from heaven in people's faces. You don't go in yourselves, and you don't allow those who are trying to enter to go in. "How terrible it will be for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You devour widows' houses and say long prayers to cover it up. Therefore, you will receive greater condemnation! "How terrible it will be for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to make a single convert, and when this happens you make him twice as fit for hell as you are. read more.
"How terrible it will be for you, blind guides! You say, "Whoever swears an oath by the sanctuary is excused, but whoever swears an oath by the gold of the sanctuary must keep his oath.' You blind fools! What is more important, the gold or the sanctuary that made the gold holy? Again you say, "Whoever swears an oath by the altar is excused, but whoever swears by the gift that is on it must keep his oath.' You blind men! Which is more important, the gift or the altar that makes the gift holy? Therefore, the one who swears an oath by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. The one who swears an oath by the sanctuary swears by it and by the one who lives there. And the one who swears an oath by heaven swears by God's throne and by the one who sits on it. "How terrible it will be for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your mint, dill, and cummin, but have neglected the more important matters of the Law: justice, mercy, and faithfulness. These are the things you should have practiced, without neglecting the others. You blind guides! You filter out a gnat, yet swallow a camel! "How terrible it will be for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but on the inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup, so that its outside may also be clean. "How terrible it will be for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs that look beautiful on the outside but inside are full of dead people's bones and every kind of impurity. In the same way, on the outside you look righteous to people, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. "How terrible it will be for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous. Then you say, "If we had been living in the days of our ancestors, we would have had no part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.' Therefore, you testify against yourselves that you are descendants of those who murdered the prophets. Then finish what your ancestors started! You snakes, you children of serpents! How can you escape being condemned to hell?


to be greeted in the marketplaces, and to be called "Rabbi' by people. "But you are not to be called "Rabbi,' because you have only one teacher, and all of you are brothers. And don't call anyone on earth "Father,' because you have only one Father, the one in heaven. read more.
Nor are you to be called "Teachers,' because you have only one teacher, the Messiah!


"How terrible it will be for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your mint, dill, and cummin, but have neglected the more important matters of the Law: justice, mercy, and faithfulness. These are the things you should have practiced, without neglecting the others.


"How terrible it will be for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to make a single convert, and when this happens you make him twice as fit for hell as you are.


But he replied to them, "An evil and adulterous generation craves a sign. Yet no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah,


You snakes, you children of serpents! How can you escape being condemned to hell?


"How terrible it will be for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs that look beautiful on the outside but inside are full of dead people's bones and every kind of impurity.


to be greeted in the marketplaces, and to be called "Rabbi' by people.


They love to have the places of honor at festivals, the best seats in the synagogues,


They tie up burdens that are heavy and unbearable and lay them on people's shoulders, but they refuse to lift a finger to remove them.


because I tell you, unless your righteousness greatly exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom from heaven!"


"They do everything to be seen by people. They increase the size of their phylacteries and lengthen the tassels of their garments.


But when John saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he told them, "You children of serpents! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?


Meanwhile, still spewing death threats against the Lord's disciples, Saul went to the high priest. He asked him for letters to take with him to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any men or women belonging to the Way, he might bring them in chains to Jerusalem.


Now when Jesus realized that the Pharisees had heard he was making and baptizing more disciples than John although it was not Jesus who did the baptizing but his disciples he left Judea and went back to Galilee.


How terrible it will be for you! You are like unmarked graves people walk on them without realizing it."


They have known for a long time, if they would but testify to it, that I lived as a Pharisee, adhering to the standards of our strictest religious party.


None of the authorities or Pharisees has believed in him, have they?


But the Pharisees and the experts in the Law rejected God's plan for themselves by refusing to be baptized by John.


because the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection and that there is no such thing as an angel or spirit, but the Pharisees believe in all those things.


When Paul saw that some of them were Sadducees and others were Pharisees, he shouted in the Council, "Brothers, I'm a Pharisee and a descendant of Pharisees. I'm on trial concerning the hope that the dead will be resurrected."


The scribes and the Pharisees were watching Jesus closely to see whether he would heal on the Sabbath, in order to find a way of accusing him of doing something wrong.


Now the Pharisees, who love money, had been listening to all this and began to ridicule Jesus.


"Two men went up to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a tax collector.

When the Pharisees and Sadducees arrived, in order to test Jesus they asked him to show them a sign from heaven.

Some Pharisees came to him in order to test him. They asked, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason?"

But the Pharisees and the experts in the Law rejected God's plan for themselves by refusing to be baptized by John.

When Paul saw that some of them were Sadducees and others were Pharisees, he shouted in the Council, "Brothers, I'm a Pharisee and a descendant of Pharisees. I'm on trial concerning the hope that the dead will be resurrected."

But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the Law who was respected by all the people, stood up in the Council and ordered the men to be taken outside for a little while.

But when John saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he told them, "You children of serpents! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?

"The scribes and the Pharisees administer the authority of Moses,

Then some Pharisees and scribes came from Jerusalem to Jesus and asked,


"No one lights a lamp and puts it in a hiding place or under a basket, but on a lamp stand, so that those who enter may see its light. Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light. But when it's evil, your body is full of darkness. Therefore, be careful that the light in you isn't darkness. read more.
Now if your whole body is full of light, with no part of it in darkness, it will be as full of light as when a lamp gives you light with its rays." After Jesus had said this, a Pharisee invited him to have a meal with him. So Jesus went and took his place at the table. The Pharisee was surprised to see that he didn't first wash before the meal. But the Lord told him, "Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but on the inside you are full of greed and evil. You fools! The one who made the outside made the inside, too, didn't he? So give what is inside to the poor, and then everything will be clean for you. "How terrible it will be for you Pharisees! You give a tenth of your mint, spices, and every kind of herb, but you neglect justice and the love of God. These are the things you should have practiced, without neglecting the others. How terrible it will be for you Pharisees! You love to have the places of honor in the synagogues and to be greeted in the marketplaces. How terrible it will be for you! You are like unmarked graves people walk on them without realizing it." Then one of the experts in the Law told him, "Teacher, when you say these things, you insult us, too." Jesus said, "How terrible it will be for you experts in the Law, too! You load people with burdens that are hard to carry, yet you don't even lift a finger to ease those burdens. How terrible it will be for you! You build monuments for the prophets, and it was your ancestors who killed them! So you are witnesses and approve of the deeds of your ancestors, because they killed those for whom you are building monuments. That is why the Wisdom of God said, "I will send them prophets and apostles. They will kill some of them and persecute others,' so those living today will be charged with the blood of all the prophets that was shed since the foundation of the world, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who died between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, it will be charged against this generation! How terrible it will be for you experts in the Law! You have taken away the key to knowledge. You didn't go in yourselves, and you kept out those who were trying to go in." As Jesus was leaving, the scribes and the Pharisees began to oppose him fiercely, interrogating him about many things. They watched him closely in an effort to trap him in something he might say.

They replied to him, "We are Abraham's descendants and have never been slaves to anybody. So how can you say, "You will be set free'?" Jesus answered them, "Truly, I tell all of you emphatically, that everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin. The slave does not remain in the household forever, but the son does remain forever. read more.
So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed!" "I know that you are Abraham's descendants. Yet you are trying to kill me because you've not received what I've told you. I declare what I've seen in my Father's presence, and you're doing what you've heard from your father." They replied to him, "Our father is Abraham!" Jesus told them, "If you were Abraham's children, you would be doing what Abraham did. But now you're trying to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham would'nt have done that. You are doing your father's actions." They told him, "We're not illegitimate children. We have one Father, God himself." Jesus told them, "If God were your Father, you would've loved me, because I came from God and am here. I haven't come on my own accord, but he sent me. Why don't you understand what I've said? It's because you can't listen to my words. You belong to your father the Devil, and you want to carry out the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning and has never stood for truth, since there is no truth in him. Whenever he tells a lie, he speaks in character, because he is a liar and the father of lies. But it is because I speak the truth that you don't believe me. Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I'm telling the truth, why don't you believe me? The one who belongs to God listens to the words of God. The reason you don't listen is because you don't belong to God." The Jewish leaders replied to him, "Surely we're right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon, aren't we?" Jesus answered, "I don't have a demon. On the contrary, I honor my Father, and you dishonor me. I don't seek my own glory. There is one who seeks it, and he is the Judge. Truly, I tell all of you emphatically, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death." Then the Jewish leaders told him, "Now we really know that you have a demon. Abraham died, and so did the prophets, but you say, "If anyone keeps my word, he will never taste death.' You aren't greater than our father Abraham, who died, are you? The prophets also died. Who are you making yourself out to be?" Jesus answered, "If I were trying to glorify myself, my glory would mean nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say, "He is our God.' You don't know him, but I know him. If I were to say that I don't know him, I would be a liar like you. But I do know him and keep his word. Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day, and he saw it and was glad." Then the Jewish leaders asked him, "You are not even 50 years old, yet you have seen Abraham?" Jesus told them, "Truly, I tell all of you emphatically, before there was an Abraham, I AM!" At this, they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the Temple.

At this, they turned on him in fury and said, "You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses! We know that God has spoken to Moses, but we do not know where this fellow comes from." The man answered them, "This is an amazing thing! You don't know where he comes from, yet he healed my eyes. read more.
We know that God doesn't listen to sinners, but he does listen to anyone who worships him and does his will. Ever since creation it has never been heard that anyone healed the eyes of a man who was born blind. If this man were not from God, he couldn't do anything like that." They asked him, "You were born a sinner and you are trying to instruct us?" And they threw him out.


References

Hastings

Easton

American

Fausets

Morish

Smith

Watsons

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