DOCTRINE OF GABRIE L Redeeming the Pharisees The general attitude of Christians towards the Pharisees is one of disapproval and contempt. Not surprising, as many passages in the New Testament, at a first glance seems to back these claims with passages outright describ ing them as ‘hypocrites, blind guides, serpents and vipers’ (Matt. 23 ) However, a deeper study into who the Pharisees were and the ir relationship and interaction with Jesus shows that they are more than the seemingly irredeemable sinners w e Christians have come to associate them with. Who we re the Pharisees? Broadly speaking, the Pharisees were a sect or denomination under Judaism that existed alongside the Sadducees and the Essenes, much like one would find denominations in Christianity most popularly, the Roman Catholicism or Protestantism. The name ‘Pharisee’ (פרושים) according to the Hebrew dictionary means ‘ someone who quits / retires ’ ( פרוש ) or a lesser known meaning ‘ones who interpret’ (מפרש) , because they quit the material world and claimed to follow a more spiritual path of studying t he B ible. The Pharisees were known to fast and seclude themselves in prayers in cav es, while stating that they kept the strictest laws. Naturally, this sect attracted not only serious adherents but also people who merely wanted to show themselves off as righteous or pious in the eyes of society which led to the most popular image of them, i.e, the ‘self - righteous hypocrites’. The Pharisees were respected and held some influence in regards to their teachings and Bible authority, however, they did not have any authority regarding temple matters. The second temple and thus, most of Jerusalem wa s controlled by the Sadducees, who opposed the Pharisees and had a completely different understanding of the B ible. While it is true that Jesus speaks harshly of the Pharisees, it is important to note that he also gave powerful nods of approval in their direction. In Matthew 23: 1 - 3, it is written, “Then Jesus said to the crowds and his disciples : “ The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach”. Here, Jesus acknowledges that their teachings are correct and not only that, he emphasises that we must do everything they tell us. The problem then, is not an issue of Pharisee teachings and beliefs but the people themselves who failed to practice what they preach. It is important to understand that Pharisee teachings and b eliefs we re accepted by Jesus Himself. The Bible also records the most interactions between Jesus and the Pharisees in comparison to any other sect . The Pharisees were attracted to Jesus’s teachings because it was so similar to their own teachings W hat did the Pharisees believe in? T he New Testament tells us in Acts 23:8 “For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor an angel, nor a spirit, but the Pharisees acknow ledge them all”. According to this verse, we understand that the Pharisees believed in some core beliefs of Christianity. It is important to remember that Jesus was a Jew. He was raised and lived his life on Jewish principles and laws. And very likely that he belonged to the Pharisee denomination which became a bas is of Christianity. Jesus’ acknowledgment of the Pharise es was not a superficial matter and even members of his disc iples, namely, Paul and Simon, were originally Pharisees. There are not enough details about the others but it would not be a stretch to as s ume that mo re of his disciples, including Jesus H imself were Pharisees. Below are some important mentions of Pharisees and their interactions with Jesus in the Bible. * Nicodemus was a respected member of the council , “a ruler of the J ews”, and a Pharisee. He acknowledges Jesus as coming from God, tries to defend Jesus in the council and also involved in the burial of Jesus. John 3 , John 7:50 , John 19:39 - 42 *Gamaliel was a very important leader and wise Pharisee with a huge following who defended the followers of Jesus and saved their life in trial. We owe the lives of the apostles to a Pharisee! Acts 5:29 – 39 *A rich and respected member of the council , a Jew who was most probably a Pharisee named Joseph of Arimathea paid for the burial of Jesus , believed in the kingdom of god and was a cknowledged to be his disciple Matthew 27:57 . It is not written specifically that he was a Pharisee, but we know that he was part of the Jewish council (Sanhedrin) Mark 15:43 Only Sadducees and Pharisees made up the council, and we know Sadducees did not believe in the spirit and resurrection or general spiritual interpretations of the bible. *Although it seems the council that judged Jesus and his believers was made out of many Pharisees, it is important to acknowl edge the fact that the council president was a Sadducee high priest. Many Pharisee less of faith would probably feel pressured to follow the high priest ruling as he held a position of power that might influence their own position in the council. It is a h igh priest and chief priests who are Sadducee s that finalized the death trial of Jesus. John 19:16 , John 19:6 , Luke 22:54 - 71 , Mark 14:53 - 65 , Matthew 26:57 - 67 , John 18:13 – 28 * Some Pharisees ca me to warn Jesus about Herod’s intentions to kill him. Pharisees came and did an action in attempt to save the life of Jesus, putting their own life in danger! Luke 13:31 * Jesus was invited a number of times to dine with Pharisees in their homes . It is important to note that a Pharisee is a person that keeps the law very strictly, such a person would not invite anyone he deems ungodly into his home . However, against the risks of criticisms, these people still invited Jesus into their homes which can be attributed to their similar core beliefs and subscribing to the sa me religious practices. Luke 11:37 , Luke 14:1 , Luke 7:36 Throughout the events of the New Testament , Pharisees were mostly the ones to challenge Jesus on various topics of the law . What does it say ab out them? Can a person who only garners hate on another have a civil discourse or debate with them, freely and frequently ? W hile it is true that the Pharisees did have some disagreements with Jesus, they did not exclude him and they did respect his opinion and what he has to say , as is evident from their inter actions After the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, w e k now many Pharisee s were accepted into the Council of the disciples as followers of Jesus in Jerusalem. Acts 15: 5 “Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and sa id, ‘ The Gentiles must be circumcised and r equired to keep the law of Moses’”. It is evident that these followers of Jesus were still id entifying as Pharisees and were still allowed to voice an opinion on things regarding faith and action in the way of Jesus. A person can be a follower of Jesus and a Pharisee without the two contradicting each other as it is written in Acts 15:5, “Then some of the believers who belonge d to the party of the Pharisees”. It is hard to deny that despite their numerous sho rtcomings, many Pharisees were supporters of Jesus . Although some Pharisees did call to kill Jesus and spoke against him, they never actually took the action and many Pharisees supported Jesus and respected him. Redeeming the Pharisee starts with our own redemption. A s followers of Jesus we m ust not only be wary of evil but also strive to see the good, wherever we can. We cannot proclaim to follow the path of truth and light if we were to ignore one of the most basic and core value of Jesus’ teachings, which is love __to love God, to love our neighbours and even our enemies. Why is it important? Tod ay the sect of Pharisees still exists in Israel. I n fact , amongst the three mentioned sects (t he Sadducees, the Essenes and the Pharisees ), it is the only one to survive till today . The vast majority of denominations that exist in Israel today, follow the teachings of the Pharisees. Not only that, these Pharisees follow t he school of Rabbi Gamaliel (School of house Hillel) , the very same one w ho defended the followers of Jesus. How can we expect the people of Israel to look kindly upon Christians , when those who proclaim to follo w Jesus percei ve the Jewish Pharisees in such a negative and contemptuous light ? As follower s of Christ , one should look at the good parts of any community . T he way many preachers of the gospel portray these Jewish Pharisees is one sided and they are doing wrong to the word of God . If we are to preach the word of God and mention the negative sides of the Pharisee s of those times , we should at least ment ion their posi tive merits in the same sermon to give a complete true understanding of the gospel. May this writing bring the believers of G od and the Messiah closer together, AMEN.