When it comes to the scriptures that highlight the Pharisees and Sadducees, it’s often misunderstood about their behavior and why Jesus spoke so much against them. Today, within the Church, we usually speak on their “judgemental” attitudes and pompous nature as the main things that Jesus hated, however, within this article we’ll be highlighting the many things that the Lord spoke about against them and the true things that we as Believers shouldn’t follow when it comes to how they were. Plus, we’ll delve into what the “Modern Day Pharisees + Sadducees of the Church” actually looks like today!
Who Were the Pharisees and Sadducees?
First things first, let’s clarify who the Pharisees and Sadducees were. Basically, The Pharisees and Sadducees were two influential Jewish religious groups during the time of Jesus, with the Pharisees emphasizing strict adherence to Jewish law and oral tradition, while the Sadducees, primarily composed of the priestly aristocracy, focused on the written Torah and temple rituals. Both were scholars and had a level of knowledge above the common people.
Generally speaking, Pharisees represented the common people and were popular and well respected because of their knowledge of the law. When it came to the Pharisees, they mostly believed in the following:
- A strict adherence to Jewish law, both written (Torah) and oral (traditions passed down from Moses).
- A coming Messiah, the reward of good and punishment of evil, and that attending Temple was sacred.
- The resurrection of the dead, the existence of angels and demons, and the afterlife.
- They were known for their strict interpretation of the law and were often seen as “legalistic”.
As for the Sadducees, they were primarily composed of the priestly aristocracy and held significant political power. In addition, the held the majority of seats in the Sanhedrin and controlled the Temple. Although their level of influence mostly remained within Jerusalem and the Temple, they were more concerned with maintaining the status quo and cooperating with the Roman authorities—which reflected in their belief systems which included the following:
- Their focus on the written Torah (the first five books of the Bible) and rejection of the oral traditions of the Pharisees.
- Their denial of the existence of angels, demons, and the afterlife, as well as the resurrection of the dead.
- They were more concerned with the Temple and its rituals than with the broader application of Jewish law.
What Did Jesus Hate About the Behavior of the Pharisees and Sadducees?
In general, Jesus criticized both the Pharisees and Sadducees for how much they honored themselves at events, wore “showy” and excessive outward displayed clothing, the encouragement of having people call them by their “titles” and the following:
- Hypocrisy
- Unbelief
- Tradition
- Influence
- Self-righteousness
Overall, the Pharisees taught about God, but didn’t actually love God. Therefore, all of their actions and words were rooted in vanity—hence why they did things to be “seen”.
Breakdown of Their Behavior
As I’ve stated, there were a variety of reasons why Jesus hated the behavior of the Pharisees and Sadducees as opposed to the 1-2 that we often highlight. Here’s what Jesus didn’t approve of with each behavior:
Hypocrisy: Jesus criticized them for claiming to be “experts” of the Torah while violating it themselves. Instead, they often added extra laws and rules to further cause a strain + burden on the common people. You can see this heavily declared in Matthew 23: 1-39.
Unbelief: Jesus rebuked them for their unbelief which showed up through their prejudice (where they focused on minor details that didn’t matter versus the main point), judgement of Jesus (based on His appearance and rejected the miracles + spiritual truths they didn’t want to accept), and misunderstanding of the Sabbath (instead of doing things based on the need for acts of mercy + healing, they preferred strict rules/limitations even if that caused someone to remain bound). According to scripture, Jesus saw the Sabbath as a day of rest + compassion, prioritizing the well-being of people over rigid interpretation of the law. This is where Jesus wanted them to understand the intent + motivation behind keeping the Sabbath versus just the visible actions of keeping it.
Envious: Jesus rebuked them because they were envious and suspicious of His popularity and couldn’t stand seeing Him with common people. In addition, they saw Jesus’ teachings about compassion and inclusion of marginalized groups as a threat to their rigid interpretation of the Law. In reality, this threatened their own position of religious authority + prestige.
Tradition: Jesus didn’t like that their traditions became more important than the Law itself. The Pharisees taught people how to live incorrectly and didn’t care about upholding the Law for themselves.
Influence: Jesus didn’t like that they had such great influence over the people that whatever they said was believed without question. This of course played into their ability to place undue burdens on the people. This is what “idolization” looks like.
Self-righteousness: Jesus believed that they tried to lead people so that they could “earn” their way to God and trust in their own abilities. This was the example of displaying “good works” yet being blind to their own need for Grace. As we know, Jesus spoke against the “acts” that displayed a sense of self-righteousness in Matthew 6:1-18 where He broke down the areas + disciplines that we shouldn’t do to be “seen” such as:
- Openly talking about praying + fasting——for these should be done in secret, not to draw attention to oneself or seek praise by others who will interpret your actions as “righteous”.
- Giving to be glorified and exalted by men——for Jesus stressed the idea that it should also be done in secret where your left hand shouldn’t know what your right hand is doing.
Overall, the point is that motive matters! The core message of Matthew 6 is that true righteousness is not about outward appearances or seeking the praise of others, but about having a sincere heart and doing good deeds for the right reasons, which is to please God.
For what we do in secret is seen by Him and He rewards us openly for what He sees secretly.
Vain Clothing/Display: The other thing that Jesus hated about the behavior of the Pharisees and Sadducees were their “showy” or excessive outward displayed clothing! This is where we learn the importance of Modesty—-like what Jesus did by making Himself of “no report” and looking like the common people + His disciples. In addition, we see this heavily throughout scripture where many of the well-known characters used by God didn’t have an exuberant or lavish kind of appearance [i.e. John the Baptist, who wore camel hair + leather belts to represent his connection to Prophet Elijah as well as his lifestyle of living in the wilderness and using the materials that the wilderness “offered”].
Did Jesus Eat with Sinners?
As we know, Luke 15:2 highlights the criticism that came from Jesus’ enemies like the Pharisees and Sadducees about Him eating and being around sinners. However, unlike what is often preached today—–Jesus didn’t “hang out” with sinners. He ate with those who He knew (because He is God + all knowing) were accepting and receiving of Him and His teachings. Why? Because His sole purpose was to call them to repentance, not condone and accept their sin.
Also, His purpose is to seek out the lost sheep and bring them to repentance and reconciliation with the Father. We see this with the woman who used her hair and expensive perfume to wipe + wash Jesus’ feet as well as with Zacchaeus (the sinner who repented + changed which allowed Jesus to be his guest at his house).
The overall lesson here is: sinners were drawn to Jesus and He only sat with those who were drawn to Him + His teachings [this is where His divinity played a role in Him knowing the hearts of others]. Also, He forgave repentant sinners and embraced sinners who believed in Him. Therefore, He DID NOT hang out with sinners or remain around sinners in order to convince them of receiving Him or as a way to gain “influence”.
Who Are the Modern Day Pharisees + Sadducees of the Church Today?
Now, this is a really great question because I’ve stated before—-the argument is always only brought up when we see people being “judgemental” or “legalistic”. However, as we can see—–the Pharisees and Sadducees had much more issues than just those two things. And sometimes if we’re honest, what we call “judgement + legalism” isn’t really accurate. Unfortunately, because the Church today has become extremely Lukewarm and worldly, many of the people who don’t fit that mold can appear to be legalistic, especially when they bring up scripture for lifestyle compromises that we see.
But, the truth is: The REAL Pharisees and Sadducees are some of the leaders and people within the Church that are “popular” and highly “respected”. It’s the ones that appear to be so nestled and confident in their level of “scholastics + education” to the point that they can’t be questioned, challenged, or even teach/preach a false gospel. They are some of the False Teachers + Prophets we think are charismatic, successful, “cool”, entertaining, inclusive, etc. And granted, you do still have the legalistic Christians who are super rigid in laws/rules that aren’t even important like wearing a type of clothing, not eating certain meats/ingredients, worshipping on one day versus the next, and the list goes on! They fit this group type too! However, I want for us to understand that they aren’t the only type.
So, may we do as the bible says in 1 John 4:1 and “test and try EVERY spirit”.
Things You Should Know About False Prophets + Teachers
One of the biggest misconceptions that people often have about false prophets and teachers is that they don’t generally preach from or about the bible. Incorrect! They do and CAN! The only difference is in the validity of their teaching/preaching. Here’s a breakdown of what you should know:
Yes! They often do preach/teach from the bible but “twist” or misinterpret scripture to support their false teaching and prophecies. This can come in the way of taking text out of context and applying it to their “agenda” or omitting certain key text to validate their false point.
Absolutely—–they are very skilled at taking bible verses out of context or applying them in a way that contradicts the original meaning. This is why we should not only read our bibles, but gain great UNDERSTANDING of scripture through the help of the Holy Spirit so that we can pinpoint the twisting of scripture or flat out lies when stated.
They may focus on certain verses while ignoring others to fit “the message”. This can also be said when teachers and prophets generally stick to the Old or New Testament solely, rather than BOTH since the full Gospel is the WHOLE BIBLE.
How to Identify False Prophets + Teachers:
- Do they focus on personal gain? This is usually where they promote their own “authority” or seek financial benefits from their audience and followers. Do they ever sacrificially give without gain or do without recognition?
- Are they solely about “Fear-mongering” and not the entire Word of God which breaks down how we ought to live righteously, the hope in Jesus, etc? This is those who fall within only preaching/teaching about the End Times, Turn or Burn message, Fear of Hell, Claims of being “Anointed” and not touching God’s anointed, etc. These are generally scare tactics or predictions of doom which is used to manipulate others and keep them bound to the words of the one speaking it.
- Are they accountable to their actions? If a prophet, preacher, or teacher refuses to be challenged or examined by others (and not just by their “wise counsel” or circle of friends), then this poses a red flag. The scriptures tells us that no one is above reproof, therefore, accountability is something that should be a norm in the Church on all levels.
- Do you spot contradictions in their established teachings? This is important because while error can happen because we’re not perfect, knowing that full on contradictions aren’t a good thing because God’s Word doesn’t contradict—is imperative. Ensure that their interpretation aligns with a broader understanding of scripture and of course can be evidenced in other scripture throughout the bible.
Check Out my Full Podcast Episode on False Prophets + Teachers!
All in all, as we can see—–the issues that Jesus had with the Pharisees and Sadducees were far deeper than just their legalism and them being judgemental. They were literal “unbelievers” in the Church (which we can see is a more common thing based on the Parable of the “Seed + the Sower”) and they purposefully made it a mission to discredit Jesus even though they knew that He was the Messiah and son of God. Their hearts were the issue which is why they rejected Jesus’ teachings and did all of the things they did!
They weren’t righteous and didn’t care to live righteously. In Matthew 5:20, Jesus states that “unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven”—–emphasizing a higher standard of righteousness than the religious leaders of the time. So, may we truly believe the Word of God, rest in our Faith in Jesus, and carry out the “works” in response to His love + Grace for us.
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