Recall that in Mat 23:25-26 Jesus likened the scribes and Pharisees to a cup or dish that had been carefully cleaned on the outside but was full of filth on the inside. What simile of their hypocrisy does He give in Mat 23:27-28? For what purpose were tombs whitewashed, and what was the significance of…
Imagine how silly it would be for a person to meticulously clean the outside of a cup or the bottom of a plate, but have little regard for the side that really mattered; what did Jesus call the Pharisees in Mat 23:26 for such foolishness that overlooked the secret sins in their own hearts as…
For what reason does Jesus pronounce woe upon the scribes and Pharisees in Mat 23:25? For the fifth time in His denunciation of them on this occasion, what does He call them in Mat 23:25 for their attention to outward appearances without the same regard for inward holiness? What is the significance of Jesus’ figure…
Did Jesus say that because justice, mercy and faithfulness were weightier provisions of the law that so long as one did not neglect these it wouldn’t matter if they neglected the lesser provisions of the law? See Mat 23:23b. What does this remind us about the importance of faithfulness to seemingly small or insignificant applications…
What is the importance of faithfulness that makes it a weighty provision of the law? See Deut 32:20, 1Sa 26:23, Hos 2:20, Hab 2:4 and consider again the New Testament relationship of mercy to the Old Testament concept of chesed that is the foremost responsibility of a covenant relationship, a key responsibility for which we…
Recall that Jesus in Mat 23:23 is pronouncing woe upon the scribes and Pharisees for their show of religion in keeping the lesser requirements of the law that were less costly to their flesh while neglecting the greater provisions of the law. What did He say in Mat 23:23 were the weightier provisions of the…
For what reason does Jesus pronounce woe upon the scribes and Pharisees in Mat 23:23? What is the relationship between mint and dill and cummin? Cf. Luk 11:42. Would we consider such garden herbs to be a dietary staple necessary for sustenance, or a condiment? Like today, what would the value of such herbs have…
By distinguishing an oath sworn by the gold of the temple as more binding than an oath sworn by the temple itself, what did the scribes and Pharisees reveal was more important in their minds: the gold of the temple, or the temple itself? Why is this significant? See Luk 16:14, 20:47; cf. Mar 7:9-13[1]. …
What does Jesus call the scribes and Pharisees in Mat 23:16? In what sense were they guides? See Mat 23:2-3; cf. Rom 2:17-24. Although blind himself, what is the nature of a blind guide that is able to allure others to follow him? Cf. 1Ti 1:5-7, 2Pe 2:18-19 and think: does a deceived person know…
Why does Jesus say that the evangelistic endeavors of the scribes and Pharisees were not a good thing? See Mat 23:15. While religious pretenders may produce other religious pretenders, in spite of their pretense why is it impossible for a son of hell to produce a true son of God? See Mat 7:18, 15:14, and…