There was a group of them in scripture, they were called pharisee.. The jews had a massive problem with this self righteosness. Saddly, the church has the same issue, and has had it for 2000 years now.
There were other groups too...the Sadducees and the scribes...the "scribes" were equivalent to our modern day theologians - they studied the scriptures and wrote commentaries on them and transcribed them - much like Greek scholars today.
Who were the scribes that often argued with Jesus?
The study of scriptures without the revelation of the Holy Spirit is basically left with studying a language and each Greek scholar puts their own "application" onto the scriptures in some cases.
The "scribes" know the scriptures but didn't really know "Jesus" who the scriptures are supposed to lead us to find Him and with Christ comes the real life.
John 5:39-40 (NASB)
[SUP]39 [/SUP] "You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me;
[SUP]40 [/SUP] and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life.