Shodan
March 9, 2016, 3:09pm
41
Doctor_Jackson:
The ‘be careful’ part makes it clear he is later references are only addressing those scholars and Pharisees who were hypocrites - not all of them as a group. For example, later in the chapter He says " Jerusalem! Jerusalem! Murderer of prophets…". That doesn’t mean that he was rebuking everyone in Jerusalem. It’s a form of hyperbole that was common in speech and writing of the time. Out of context, though, it does kind of seem that He is preaching against whole groups. Perhaps that is where the perception mentioned by cmkeller arose.
Correct - Jesus was addressing religious hypocrisy, and using some Pharisees as an example.
And one of the scribes is the one Jesus addressed in what I consider the most important passage in Scripture -
And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the first of all?” 29 Jesus answered, “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one; 30 and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” 32 And the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher; you have truly said that he is one, and there is no other but he; 33 and to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” 34 And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And after that no one dared to ask him any question.
The scribe “got it” and Jesus says he is “not far from the kingdom of God”. So that scribe was at least on the path.
Regards,
Further, it would arguably be inconsistent with the parable of the Good Samaritan to suggest that He was criticizing them as a people.
Shodan
March 9, 2016, 5:07pm
43
ISTM that the Good Samaritan parable is making the same point, and almost in the same way. The two who passed the traveler without helping were a priest, and a Levite, and the one who had mercy was an outcast. Same sort of condemnation of religious hypocrites and using much the same examples.
Jesus was not very careful about who He offended.
Regards,
gigi
March 10, 2016, 5:39am
44
<<23 1-3 Now Jesus turned to address his disciples, along with the crowd that had gathered with them. “The religion scholars and Pharisees are competent teachers in God’s Law. You won’t go wrong in following their teachings on Moses. But be careful about following them. They talk a good line, but they don’t live it. They don’t take it into their hearts and live it out in their behavior. It’s all spit-and-polish veneer. {The Message version}>>
Remind me never to read “The Message” version. :eek:
gigi:
<<23 1-3 Now Jesus turned to address his disciples, along with the crowd that had gathered with them. “The religion scholars and Pharisees are competent teachers in God’s Law. You won’t go wrong in following their teachings on Moses. But be careful about following them. They talk a good line, but they don’t live it. They don’t take it into their hearts and live it out in their behavior. It’s all spit-and-polish veneer. {The Message version}>>
Remind me never to read “The Message” version. :eek:
Hee hee! Not my favorite either, but highly understandable to most English speaking folk today.