The Pharisaic Error

In Christ’s day, Israel, which was under Roman jurisdiction, had a special religious authority called the Sanhedrin. It exercised great influence over the Jewish people and assumed the right to consider disputes concerning the interpretation of Holy Scripture and cases in which it had been violated, to establish order in the temple service, to judge violations of religious ordinances, and to decide various matters connected with the spiritual life of society. Its political and legal authority was limited by Rome, but in religious matters the Sanhedrin had freedom, except for the right to pronounce death sentences.

As a rule, the Sanhedrin consisted of the elders of the people, respected and wealthy men, teachers of the Law, and priests. It was headed by the high priest. Many members of the Sanhedrin belonged to the religious groups of the Pharisees or Sadducees, which gave them the right to be teachers of the people and interpreters of Scripture.

The word ‘Pharisee’ comes from the Hebrew word meaning ‘separated,’ which in itself indicated the special status of this group and inspired deep respect among the people. The Pharisees possessed spiritual authority in Israel, and their interpretation of the Law and Holy Scripture was considered correct and indisputable, although they had many disagreements with the Sadducees. Along with Scripture, the Pharisees studied various traditions of their fathers and introduced these ordinances as mandatory. Such requirements greatly burdened the common people and placed many among the transgressors, creating a number of spiritual problems that were difficult to resolve. And because the Pharisees visibly demonstrated their ritual purity, their separation from the ‘unclean’ people was evident to everyone, making them an exclusive and privileged group of spiritual people.

As they studied Scripture and read the description of Christ’s Second Coming, they reached certain conclusions about these events and began to interpret them in their own way, as they wished.

They developed an entire system of ideas about how the Messiah should reveal Himself, what He would do and teach, what miracles and signs He would perform, and what supernatural phenomena would accompany His ministry and appearance. This interpretation became firmly rooted both in the minds of the Pharisees and in the understanding of the common people.

When Christ came, all the passages of Scripture pointing to Him and to the First Coming were literally fulfilled. Jesus was born as the King of Israel. He was of the royal line, but His Kingdom was spiritual in nature and did not correspond to the expectations of this world. Such differences were strikingly clear and so obvious that many people had questions for the Pharisees to which they could give no intelligible answer.

Jesus was not afraid to reprove the hypocrisy, pride, self-righteousness, ambition, and lawlessness of the Pharisees. He boldly quoted passages of Holy Scripture and gave them their correct interpretation, which differed substantially from that of the Pharisees. But the Pharisees were waiting for their own Messiah and could not accept the prophetic testimony concerning Christ.

In their way of thinking, they symbolized the governing body of the Laodicean period of that time. The limitations of Pharisaical thinking and the mandatory observance of numerous laws and traditions hindered the spiritual growth of the people and seriously obstructed Christ’s teaching about the true Heavenly Kingdom. Commandments and human prescriptions distorted God’s character so greatly that people worshipped God not from love, but from fear of condemnation and punishment. Yet the Pharisees considered themselves righteous and worthy of God’s approval. It never entered their minds that they were sinful in God’s sight.

Jesus demolished all traditions and Pharisaical prescriptions. He did not even try to appear as though He were attempting to observe human ordinances. He Himself was the living Interpreter and Fulfiller of the Law, and He acted as One having authority. Such conduct was unacceptable in the eyes of the Pharisees, and they hated Christ.

All these images and examples were not given by accident. There is a danger that we will repeat the Pharisaic error, interpret prophecies in our own way, and expect Christ’s Second Coming to occur as we think it should. We will need a special anointing of the Holy Spirit to discern such errors and to prepare precisely for what the Lord has determined to be necessary and right.

It is not by accident that the Lord counsels us to obtain eyesalve from Him so that we may see the fulfillment of prophecy in its true light.

If I understand that the final events and trials will be connected with one of God’s commandments as a test of my faithfulness to God, I may comfort myself with the thought that I am faithful to God in this matter and that this commandment is written in my heart. But obedience to a commandment includes not only the literal keeping of the law; it also implies my personal relationship with the Lawgiver. I will be greatly surprised when I come for the reward of my obedience to the law and hear, ‘I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity’ (Matthew 7:23).

It will be bitter for me to learn that, with all my understanding of keeping the Sabbath according to the commandment, I neglected a personal relationship with the Lord of the Sabbath.

We have been given prophecies stating that this commandment will form the basis of the test of our faithfulness to God. But in addition to the fourth commandment, the same God also gave us the commandment to love one another, which is likewise God’s commandment.

My spiritual growth implies both visible obedience to God’s law and an inward belonging to this God.

Is it possible never to kill anyone and yet be a murderer in God’s sight? Yes, it is possible if I have an angry spirit (Matthew 5:22). Is it possible to be an adulterer while living with only one woman? Yes, it is, if my lustful thoughts wander among other women (Matthew 5:28).

Is it possible to violate the Sabbath while scrupulously keeping this commandment? Yes, if there is no love in my heart and no personal relationship with Christ. It is not the form of obedience, but its spirit and motive that make me either a keeper or a transgressor of God’s law.

At the Laodicean stage, there are certain traditions and rules that it is customary to observe because they make us a special and separate people. Holiness implies separation from the world and dedication to God. And there is a danger that, having separated from the world without cleaving to God, we may become a particularly separated people possessing special truths inaccessible to ordinary sinners. Our generally accepted understanding of end-time prophecies may become the very obstacle that prevents God from conveying to us the simplicity of the Gospel for the present time, because we will be waiting for our own Messiah and planning victory in the battle of Armageddon in whatever way suits us best.

But the Lord makes it clear that those who have spiritual ears will be able to hear His voice and follow Him, admitting Him into their lives and putting all His counsels into practice.

The greatest danger for a believer is not that he will cease to believe in God, but that he will replace a living relationship with Christ with correct knowledge and confidence in his own rightness.

1. Please read Matthew 15:8–9; 23:23; John 5:39–40; Mark 7:6–8, 13; Isaiah 29:13; Proverbs 3:5–7; Daniel 12:3, 10; 2 Peter 3:16; 1 Corinthians 8:1–3; Ephesians 4:14–15.

2. What other Bible verses came to your mind?

3. What did you understand?

4. Are we repeating the error of the Pharisees today by considering our understanding of Scripture to be the only correct one? And should we accept someone else’s understanding without examining it?

5. Are you ready to accept God’s truth if it destroys your customary ideas about prophecy?

6. Have you replaced a living relationship with Christ with correct knowledge about Him?

7. Are there religious habits in the lives of God’s people that have become more important than obedience to God?

8. What will you do if the Lord reveals to you a truth that contradicts your previous understanding?

9. Are you proud of the light you have received from God?

10. Has keeping the commandments become a goal for you instead of a means of fellowship with God?

11. Are you certain that Christ knows you personally?

12. What is more important to you: being right or being taught by God?

13. Do you expect prophecy to be fulfilled only in the form that seems right to you?

14. What are you ready to change now so that your relationship with Christ may become deeper, more living, and closer?