Who’s A Pharisee?

James Tissot’s John and the Pharisees (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I’m amazed about how often I hear this word misapplied. This is an especially favorite taunt for people who make extra-biblical or heretical statements  directed against people who have asked for a biblical explanation for what they claim.  Since they’re making claims and statements that don’t line up with what the bible say’s, they can’t tolerate someone exposing them as false prophets. Unable to actually present sound arguments, biblical or otherwise, they resort to ad-hominem attacks against the character of the person they disagree with.

In the Gospels, the Lord Jesus had nothing good to say about Pharisees, often referring to them as vipers, serpents, & hypocrites (see Matt 23:31-33) . It is for this reason that it is used as a taunt, what Christian wants to be identified with these people?

People who teach unbiblical beliefs want to shut sown any hint of criticism.  Since their teachings can’t survive even a brief examination they  become immediately become offensive, often accusing people who question their statements of being a Pharisee. This is a blatant attempt to manipulate and intimidate questioners into silence since there is simply no biblical justification for what they say or do. They try to make it seem that a person using the bible as a basis for judging whether something is of God or not is being ‘legalistic’ and is thus a ‘Pharisee’. They want their hearers to believe that they are only accountable to God and have no need to give an accounting to ‘lesser’ (in their view) people.

That in itself proves their total lack of biblical understanding. This is demonstrated in two ways: 1) Totally corrupting and misstating the definition of a Pharisee to suit themselves. 2) Totally disregarding the commands in scripture for the hearers to verify their claims against scripture.

1) The Pharisees were one of the main Jewish sects during Christ’s earthly ministry. They were noted for their zeal for the Torah – the Law of Moses. The Apostle Paul was himself a Pharisee (see Philippians 3:1-6) before his conversion . They were also known for maintaining an oral tradition – which eventually became written – called the Talmud – A.K.A. The Teachings of Man –  which they regarded as equal in authority to  and sometimes exceeding the Torah’s – A.K.A.: God’s Inspired Infallible Word. 

Look at Matthew 15:1-3 Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat.” He answered them, “And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?” Jesus didn’t criticize the Pharisees because they obeyed and followed scripture, but because they didn’t. Pharisees disregard the word of God to promote their own ideas and teachings instead of God’s.

 2)  False prophets however don’t want people comparing what they say to what God says.  But what does the scripture say? When Paul & Silas proclaimed the Gospel in Berea, Acts 17:11 says:  “Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.” The Bereans were praised for seeking and finding scriptural verification of what was being proclaimed.  1 John 4:1 Tells us to ‘test the spirits’.  1 Thessalonians 5:20 & 21 tells us not to disregard but to test prophecies and hold on to the good. The only way to do that is to verify what is being taught with what God Himself has already said in the bible because God can’t lie or contradict Himself  (see Numbers 23:19).

You wont go wrong in your Christian walk believing that the Bible has all knowledge necessary for salvation and holiness. A person who thinks that their personal dreams, words, and revelations surpass or override biblical revelation is being foolish and will lead you to hell with them.  Don’t be manipulated and controlled by someone claiming spiritual authority who has become offended with you because you asked them “Where does it say that in the bible?” .

I’ll finish by asking you to consider one thing: If a Pharisee is actually someone who disregards the bible to promote their own teachings; who then is actually the Pharisee, the person who asked for biblical proof, or the guy offended because you did?

Breaking Up Is Hard To Do.

Judgement Day

“Well brother, I certainly wouldn’t want to have to be in your shoes on judgement day!” My ‘friend’ – also a leader at our fellowship – said to me. I was stunned. What horrible thing did I do?

My wife and I had attended this church for several years. We were very involved and were in leadership positions. But God told us to leave. We really loved the people and had many friends there; but there were issues that really concerned us that we could no longer ignore and after a lot of prayer and contemplation we left.

What prompted this blog was a conversation I had with a friend who still attends that fellowship. He has noticed that there are some differences with what’s going on there and with what the bible says. So he’s tried going to the pastor there to discuss his concerns.

Now this church is one of those that is run like a corporation. The CEO is too important to be bothered by his members. His time is way too valuable. The leadership there are expected to act as an insulating  layer between the pastor and congregation so that his time isn’t consumed by having to actually pastor. When my wife and I were there we were expected to make hospital visits, which we always were eager to do. We love praying for the sick because from personal experience we know Jesus heals. When the pastor would ask us to call on someone in the hospital we were always instructed to ‘tell them how much my wife and I love them’ – even if  he didn’t know them. I was disturbed by this and so I would always make sure the sick person knew how much Jesus loved them and that the pastor had asked us to visit.

In this church the quickest way to be identified as a troublemaker is to question the pastor about what he says in the pulpit or to express questions about anything being done.  So when problems come up he gets one of his ‘leaders’ to talk to the troublemaker  and try to get them back into line. The leadership spends a great deal of time and effort trying to put down dissent and to make sure that the sheep are obedient. The people are viewed as assets to be used and controlled, not as brothers and sisters to serve.

My young friend has run afoul of this corporate machine because he’s bothered by what is said and done from the pulpit versus what the bible says. The leader was sent to get him back into line and told him that he can obey and be blessed or disobey and be cursed.

I advised him to leave. Nowhere in the bible are we told to be in slavish subservience to men. Nowhere in the bible does God ask us to disregard what he says and do what men say instead. In Acts 4:19 (NLT) it says “But Peter and John replied, “Do you think God wants us to obey you rather than him? “. Hebrews 13:17 (NLT) tells us: “Obey your spiritual leaders, and do what they say. Their work is to watch over your souls, and they are accountable to God. Give them reason to do this with joy and not with sorrow. That would certainly not be for your benefit.”. Narcissistic pastors use this as justification for demanding unquestioning obedience. This was never intended to give the pastor total control and authority over those he is supposed to be serving. When this is used to manipulate and control people into ignoring the scriptures and blindly following the whims of their leaders it is a heinous sin. The Bereans were praised in Acts 17:11: (NLT) “And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth.”

If you’re in a church where the word of the pastor is more revered than the word of God, where the name of the pastor is more exalted than the name of Jesus, where the glory of the pastor is more important than the Glory of God, leave. Do not be deceived into accepting a lie instead of embracing the truth. On judgement day you will be found among the blessed if you followed Jesus, damned if you didn’t. It wont be easy leaving a fellowship where all your friends are, it is the hardest thing you’ll ever do. You decide: Is it right for you to obey God? or men?