Matthew 23:15 (When Evangelistic Endeavors Are Not a Good Thing)

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For what reason does Jesus pronounce woe upon the scribes and Pharisees in Mat 23:15?  What is a proselyte?  See Act 2:10, 6:5, 13:43.  What would we call them in a Christian context?  Cf. the NAS text note and NET, NIV, and NLT translations.  What does “travel around” indicate about the efforts they consciously went…

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Matthew 23:14 (Devouring Widows’ Houses; The Widow’s Mite)

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Recall from our previous study that Jesus in this verse pronounces woe upon the scribes and Pharisees for using their religious pretense to obtain a position of trust and then abusing that trust to exploit even the most vulnerable against the clear and repeated warnings of Scripture.  What connotation does “devour” in this passage carry…

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Matthew 23:14 (The Sheepskin of Wolves to Exploit Others)

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For what reason does Jesus call the scribes and Pharisees hypocrites and pronounce woe upon them in Mat 23:14a?  By what means do we infer they were devouring widow’s houses?  I.e., did they use strong-arm techniques to wrest away from them their property, or rather did they use piety as a cloak for their greed…

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Matthew 23:7-12 (Honorary Titles 2: The Brotherhood of All Men)

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Recall that Jesus has been denouncing the scribes and Pharisees for their desire to be noticed by men.  Considering the propensity of man’s fallen nature to seek such titles so they may be recognized by others and lord over them, what does Jesus command His disciples in Mat 23:8-10?  What is the significance of His…

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