Yep....they claimed to be above sin, more righteous than the sinners around them, steeped in religious practices, law keepers to the tenth degree OUTWARDY...self righteous...love to appear righteous in their look....
A modern day saying....Sister bertha better than thou......
Sounds familiar.....some here have this same time of demeanor......
I do not know "Sister bertha better than thou", but just read the poem.
We all fall into the problem of believing we have arrived and pointing at others
who we feel have not.
But we all fail in some areas, and are keen to say that things need to be different.
If we praise and worship Christ, listen to His word and walk in His ways, then I just
say Amen, the Lord will make straight your paths.
But when others who hold Jesus high are accused of being something else, attacked
for failing to know Him, then something is wrong, and judgementalism similar to the
pharisees has come in. One can end up opposing Gods work than letting Him in grace
work through His body in His way.