03 christ and religious tradition
TRANSCRIPT
Lesson 3
John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist Church, suggested that
one’s theology is influenced by four factors: faith, reason, Scripture, and tradition. He didn’t mean, however,
that all sides are equally authoritative. He acknowledged that the Bible was foundational, but he also recognized that one’s individual faith, ability to reason, and religious tradition affect
the way in which the Bible is interpreted.
If Wesley were brought back to life today, he would be shocked to
discover that many modern theologians in the Wesleyan tradition
(and other traditions, as well) now value reason, tradition, or personal opinion over the clear teaching of
Scripture.
John Wesley
This lesson investigates the religious traditions upon which the scribes and Pharisees based many of their teachings.
The rabbis who originally penned these traditions greatly respected the Scriptures and had no intention for these traditions to be elevated
to the status of God’s Word.However, some of their zealous disciples confused the method with the message and in doing so shifted the focus from God’s written
revelation to human tradition.
Who were the Pharisees?
“The conservative religious sect
or party of Judaism in
intertestamental and NT times. It
seems reasonably certain that
they were the successors of the
Hasidim (Chasidim or Assideans),
‘pious ones.’” (SDA Bible Dictionary)
The Pharisees refused to follow
Greek customs against the Law
of Moses. They supported the
Maccabean revolution against
the Greek. They quickly
became the moral conscience
of the people.
They were mentioned as
another group of people (Mt.
3:2), but they were Pharisees
assigned to a special mission,
interpreting the law.
The most famous scribes were
Hillel and Shammai (who lived in
Herod the Great times) and
Gamaliel (Paul’s teacher)
They were usually addressed as
“Rabbi” (my teacher)
While the “scribes and Pharisees” appear to be two separate groups who just happened to be lumped together, the scribes were likely a subset of the Pharisees (see Acts 23:9). The Pharisees became a visible group during the time of the Grecian Empire. They are believed to be the remnants of a pious Jewish sect, known as the Hasidim, who helped to fight in the Maccabean revolution against Greece.
Seat of Moses
The name Pharisees is derived from the Hebrew paras, which means “to separate.” In an age when many Jews had become greatly influenced by pagan cultures, the Pharisees saw it as their duty to ensure that every Jewish male was taught the law. To accomplish this task, they established the position of rabbi, which literally means “my great one” or “my teacher.”
In saying that the “ ‘scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat,’ ” Jesus acknowledged their positions as teachers of the people (Matt. 23:2, 3, NKJV). After all, at least they had taken the responsibility to ensure that the people were instructed in the way of the law.
Read Matthew 23:1–7 From these verses,
what was one of Jesus’ biggest problems with
the scribes and Pharisees?
Most of the references to the scribes and Pharisees in the Gospels are negative, and considering the complicity that many (but not all) had in the death of Jesus and the persecution of His followers, that negativity was well deserved. Members of these groups seemed to be lurking around corners and hiding behind trees just waiting for people to make mistakes so they could enforce the law against them.
This image of the Pharisee is so frequent in Scripture that the word is often used as a synonym for legalist.
As we look closely at this text, we find that Jesus’ big problem with the Pharisees was not so much that they wanted others to keep the law of
Moses but that they themselves were not keeping it. They were hypocritical—they said one thing, but did another—and even when they did the right thing, they did it for wrong reasons.
The strengths of the Pharisees
eventually became their
worst weaknesses.
“The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that
observe and do…” (Matthew 23:2-3fp)
They were zealous keepers of the law.
They studied the law to teach it to the people.They tried to live according to the law.
STRENGTH
“…but do not do according to their works; for they say,
and do not do.” (Matthew 23:2-3lp)
They were hypocrites.
Their zeal for the law gradually became a mere external sign.They showed external attitudes just to be praised by men. They were “whitewashed tombs.” (Mt.23:27)
WEAKNESS
The strengths of the Pharisees
eventually became their
worst weaknesses.
“The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that
observe and do…” (Matthew 23:2-3fp)
They taught the people.
The Rabbies used examples to teach how not to transgress the 613 rules in the law of Moses.
STRENGTH
“…but do not do according to their works; for they say, and
do not do.” (Matthew 23:2-3lp)
They replaced the law of Moses.
The examples that helped them to keep the great law became more important than the law. For example, the “Corban” law allowed to stop honoring one’s parents (Mt. 15:3-6)
WEAKNESS
Human Commandments
Although the scribes and Pharisees “sat in Moses’ seat,” their source of au-thority for religious ins-
truction extended beyond the Old Testament. The law that the Pharisees
utilized consisted of bibli-cal interpretations of lea-ding rabbis. These inter-
pretations were not inten-ded to replace the Scriptu-
res but to complement them. At first they
circulated orally; later the scribes began to assemble
them into books.
The first official publication of rabbinic law did not appear until the end of the second century a.d., when Rabbi Yehuda Ha-Nasi (Judah the
Prince) published the Mishnah. The laws recorded in the Mishnah reflect about four centuries of
rabbinic interpretation. Included among the contributing rabbis are many who lived at the time of Jesus, the most notable being Hillel and
Shammai. There was also Gamaliel, the grandson of Hillel and also Paul’s teacher.
Mishnáh
Read Matthew 15:1–6.
What is the controversial issue
here? What error is Jesus seeking to correct?
In lesson 1, we learned that the rabbinic laws were called halakah, which means “to walk.” The rabbis felt that if a person would walk in the ways of the minor laws, they would keep the major ones by default. However, somewhere along the way the minor laws began to take on major status, and after a while it was difficult to distinguish the traditional from the biblical.
It does not appear that Jesus had a problem with the Pharisees having their own rules. However, He did have a problem with the elevation of these rules to the status of
“doctrine.”
No human has the authority to create religious restrictions and elevate them to the level of divine mandate. But this is not to say that groups of believers are prohibited from creating regulations that help to govern community behavior. Practical instruction could help people greatly in keeping the law. However, the instruction should never be allowed to take the place of the law itself.
“Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.” (Matthew 15:2)
It is a good thing to wash one’s
hands before eating, but no
divine law demanded that.
The “washing one’s hands” in
this text is a strict ritual. They
thought they had to purify
themselves just in case they
had touched something
unclean.
If there was no water, one could imitate
the gesture of the washing hands ritual.
It was a valid “dry ablution.”
Jesus confronted the tradition because
He wants us to grow a true spirit in our
heart, and not to seek mere religious
appearances.
“They carried the regulations of eating and drinking so far
that the mind was kept on a continual strain to discriminate
between what was considered clean and unclean, and to
follow out the multitude of injunctions imposed by the
priests. All the water was strained, lest the presence of the
smallest speck or insect might render it unclean, and
therefore unfit to use. The people were thus kept in constant
fear of infringing upon customs and traditions taught to
them as portions of the law; and life was made a burden by
these ceremonies and restrictions.
By their endless round of forms, the Pharisees fixed the
minds of the people upon external services, to the neglect of
true religion. They failed to connect the thought of Christ
with their ceremonies; and, having forsaken the fountain of
living water, they hewed out for themselves broken cisterns
that could hold no water.”
EGW (The Signs of the Times, June 9, 1887)
“He said to them, ‘All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.’” (Mark 7:9)
Jesus was asked about breaking the
traditions of the elders. He answered
by establishing priorities. First, the
divine law; then, the tradition of
elders.
Tradition: “Whoever says to his
father or mother, ‘Whatever profit
you might have received from me is
a gift to God’—then he need not
honor his father or mother.”
Divine law: “Honor your father and
your mother” (Ex. 20:12; 21:17)
“The law of God requires that a son should honor his
parents, and provide for their necessities, and tenderly care
for them when they are old. But these false teachers taught
that it was of far greater importance for children to
consecrate their property by a vow to the temple service.
Then when the parents applied to their children for
assistance, they could say, “It is Corban, devoted to God.”
They taught that it was sacrilege to recall the property once
given to the temple and appropriate it to the necessities of
the parents. When such a vow is made, it was held sacred; it
must be fulfilled; for, said they, has not God declared,
“When thou shalt vow a vow unto the Lord thy God, thou
shalt not slack to pay it; for the Lord thy God will surely
require it of thee; and it would be sin in thee”? Thus under a
semblance of piety these teachers excused the youth from
the obligations of the fifth commandment.”
EGW (The Signs of the Times, January 3, 1900)
“For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:20)
The Pharisaic righteousness was built
on self-effort and external behavior.
They tried to keep the law to the dot.
The righteousness Jesus seeks goes
beyond self-effort, external behavior
or keeping the law to the dot. It
demands an inner change, a loving
obedience.
“But this is the covenant that I will
make with the house of Israel after
those days, says the Lord: I will put
My law in their minds, and write it on
their hearts; and I will be their God,
and they shall be My people.”
(Jeremiah 31:33)
“A legal religion is insufficient to
bring the soul into harmony with
God. The hard, rigid orthodoxy of
the Pharisees, destitute of
contrition, tenderness, or love,
was only a stumbling block to
sinners.
EGW (Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, cp. 3, pg. 53)
They were like the salt that had lost its savor; for their
influence had no power to preserve the world from
corruption. The only true faith is that which “worketh
by love” (Galatians 5:6) to purify the soul. It is as leaven
that transforms the character.”
Key Text:
CHRIST AND HIS
LAW
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