Jesus and the Pharisees

“For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”  (Matthew 5:20)

In the four gospels there are numerous accounts of antagonistic interaction between Jesus and the Pharisees.  The Pharisees claimed Mosaic authority for their interpretation of Hebrew Scriptures. They were committed to keeping the more than 600 laws found in the Torah and they admonished observant Jews to do likewise. The historian Josephus tells us that there were more than 6,000 Pharisees at the time of Jesus ministry.

This fall the Wednesday Morning Bible Study group will be discussing five of the passages in the Gospels that focus on the Pharisees and their teachings.  Please plan to join us as we consider the implications of these passages for our lives in the twenty-first century. The group meets in the library on Wednesday mornings from 10:30 to noon.

October 10      Session One          Luke 6:1-11

Some of the Pharisees said, ‘Why are you doing something that is forbidden on the Sabbath day?’

October 17      Session Two          Matthew 22:15-22

The Pharisees went away to work out between them how to trap him in what he said.

October 24      Session Three       John 9:1-40

We are the disciples of Moses: we know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this man we don’t know where he comes from.

October 31     Session Four          Matthew 23:1-12

They tie up heavy burdens and lay them on people’s shoulders, but will they lift a finger to move them?  Not they!

November 7   Session Five          Mark 7:1-13

How ingeniously you get around the commandments of God in order to preserve your own traditions!