Pharisaism

The Pharisees...except they wash...eat not (Mark 7:3)

The religion of the Pharisees consisted not in love to God, and in disposition, character, and conduct but in certain ceremonial rites which they observed with great scrupulousness. They washed their hands before meals, because ceremonial uncleanness in the hands communicated itself to the food. Yet they took no pains to wash their hearts of evil or uncharitable thoughts and feelings toward others. They washed when they came in from their shops because worldly business defiled them; but they are not careful in their dealings with others to be just, honest, and true. They saw that every pot and kettle, every vessel, and all household arrangements, were ceremonially cleansed; but they did not stop to look within their own hearts to see if all was clean there for the indwelling of God's Spirit.

We all need to watch against making our religion consist in forms of worship. We may pray many times a day, and read a regular number of chapters, and go through many laborious devotions, and yet not have a particle of a true religion. We are truly religious just in the measure in which we have the spirit of Christ in our disposition, heart, and character. ''The kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.'' (Romans 14:17)

Loving God and fellow-men is the sum of all duty. Unless we have this twofold love in our hearts, manifested in life and character, our profession of religion is vain. Not a word should be said against external cleanliness; a clean heart should make the life clean to the tips of the fingers and in all tastes, feelings,habits, words, and actions. But clean hands and well-scrubbed floors and shining dishes and careful ceremonial observances will never please God, if in the heart there be no love for Him and no love for men. ''Blessed and the pure in heart: for they shall see God.'' (Matthew 5:8)

Heb 10:22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

Hi John4Christ...
I've read a few of your "opening posts". You seem to have a good grasp of the Word. I'm not sure what your intent here is though... your posts are coherent, well-written, and concise, but they don't leave much room for discussion. They come across as mini-sermons.

Quite a few folks come here looking for a congregation in need of a preacher. Generally that doesn't go over well, as we aren't a congregation, and most aren't here to be "preached at". May I suggest you make your posts, especially the ones that start a thread, more inviting to discussion? There are a lot of well-seasoned believers here with a lot to offer. Perhaps you would get more response if you tried a different approach.

That all said, welcome to CC!

Thanks for your comment and suggestion.

Here's two verses that go together well I think

Hi sister,

Thank you very much for shedding more light on that, and I also like the manner in which you did it. It was with ''grace'', ''seasoned with salt.'' Let your speech be always in grace, having been seasoned with salt, to know how it behooves you to answer each one. (Colossians 4:6). I believe that every grown up and mature Christian should do just that.

I would like to point out to you, John, in case you don't already know this, the word pure in the verse you mentioned - ''Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.'' - is katharos, which means clean.

G2513 καθαρός katharos (kath-ar-os') adj.
1. clean

Clean, of course, means holy, so I think these two verses go together well, also:

What was lacking in the Pharisees was righteousness...the love of others besides themselves. They did all out of their suposed devotion to God. There are many like this today as well.

I would add what is laking is the faith of Christ according as it is written but rather through the oral traditions as mere commandments of the fathers that made the word of God, the one source of Christian faith, without effect .

Mark 7:13 making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do.

i never believed there was a problem with the teachings of the pharisees. Jesus said do everything they taught, just dont do what they do. what they taught was great, but after they finished teaching they went back to their rotten lives that was in oppesition to what they taught.

Great point.

A little long. I apologize beforehand

They made the faith of Christ in respect to the work of Christ without effect through the oral tradition of men called a "law of the fathers".as commandments of men

Christ called those kind of fathers(there are two kinds) a brood of vipers .. False prophets bringing false prophecy again as oral traditions of men and not according to; all things written in the law and the prophets (sola scriptura)

Paul previously before he became a member of another sect called the Nazarenes as Saul was under the "law of the fathers" a false zeal for knowing God not seen as those who walked by sight. Killing the misperceived competition as in out of sight out of mind as if we did wrestle against flesh and blood a law under the Pharisees with Sadducees . Two denominations that put aside their differences to kill the Christians. .Just like the Roman Catholic and what is called the orthodox church performed during the 15th century reformation .

(And when they heard that he spake in the Hebrew tongue to them, they kept the more silence: and he saith,)
I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day. And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women. Acts22:2-4

Fast forward after his born again conversion now as Paul.

For we have found this man a pestilent fellow, and a mover of sedition among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes: Who also hath gone about to profane the temple: whom we took, and would have judged according to our law.Acts 24:5-6

Again not the law of God as it is written but again rather the oral traditions as the tings of men as commandments of men that made the written law of God without effect.


Paul defending the hearing of faith.

Acts 24:14But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets (sola scriptura)

The difference seems clear .They worshiped that seen in respect to Abraham's flesh, as if they were walking by faith in respect to our father in heaven . Rejecting the commandment not to call any man father of earth, seeing one is our father not seen in heaven.

Not walking by faith as Paul proclaimed : so worship I the God of my fathers. not the "law of the fathers" as our father in heaven .Two different kinds of teaching masters .Things of men and the things of God

I am reminded of one of the "think not" doctrines according to systematic theology found in Mathew 3:8-10. where men were misplacing the faith of Christ rather having it in respect to the flesh of men seen .

Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance: And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.Mathew 3:8-10

I will paraphrase it in respect to Catholicism who again duplicated or copied the "law of the fathers" as a law of men , replacing Abraham flesh with Peter's flesh

Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance: And think not to say within yourselves, We have Peter to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Peter .

Same outcome making the word of God without effect.