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…
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…
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…
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…
For what reason did Jesus pronounce His first woe upon the scribes and Pharisees? See Mat 23:13; cf. Luk 11:52. Notice that the NASB “shut off” = KJV “shut up” and refers most frequently to the shutting of a door; what is the door through which one must enter into God’s kingdom? See Joh 10:9,…
In light of the religious pretense of the scribes and Pharisees—saying and not doing, placing heavy burdens on others that they were unwilling to lift so much as a finger to help move, and doing their religious deeds only to be seen and recognized by men—what does Jesus call them in Mat 23:13? How many…
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…
Recall that Jesus has been denouncing the scribes and Pharisees for seeking the recognition of men. Besides loving the place of honor at banquets, the chief seats in the synagogues, and respectful greeting in the marketplaces, what else does Jesus mention they loved that illustrates their desire to be noticed by men? See Mat 23:7. …