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What The Pharisees believed. The Torah was of great importance to the Pharisees.
It was the focus of every part of their lives. They believed that Moses had given
a two-part law: the written law of the Torah itself and additional oral
commandments that had been passed through generations to help the faithful
understand and apply the written law. The Pharisees continued to interpret and
expand the Torah to cover every possible occurrence of unfaithfulness to the
written law. This oral law became a complex guide to everyday life often beyond
the comprehension of the average person. Yet its intent was to help people
understand Torah, much as a creed or catechism is intended to help summarize and
interpret the Bible today. It is important to recognize that the word "law" can
mean either (or both) of these "Torahs" when used in the Bible. It is often the
oral Torah that Jesus criticized, though he kept it in many respects. The
Pharisees had many beliefs in common with Jesus and the New Testament. They
believed in the physical resurrection of the dead (While the Sadducees did not!)
and a coming day of judgment followed by reward or punishment. They anticipated
the Messiah at any moment. They believed in angels. They recognized a combination
of free choice and divine control in human life. They thought of God as all-wise,
all-knowing, just, and merciful. They taught that he loved his people, calling
them to a life of obedience. The Pharisees believed that everyone had the power to
choose good or evil, and die Torah must be his or her guide. And since their lives
revolved around the study of the Torah, the Pharisees made the synagogue their
community center, though they supported the Temple as well. There were more than
6,000 Pharisees by Jesus' time, and they were the dominant influence on the
people's spiritual lives. The "yoke of Torah" (or method of obeying) taught by the
Pharisees was a heavy burden, sometimes obscuring the very law they sought to
obey. The Pharisees desired to raise the spiritual character of the Jewish people
to help them draw nearer to God (Psalm 73:28, 34:18, and James 4:8 for a New
Testament expression of the same idea). Halley's Bible Handbook says that the,
"Pharisees were the most numerous and influential of the religious sects of Jesus'
day. They were strict legalistic. They stood for the rigid observance of the
letter and forms of the Law, and also for the Traditions". According to Smith's
Bible Dictionary, "The fundamental principle of the Pharisees is that there was an
oral law to complete and explain the written law, given to Moses". A scriptural
example of that would be Matthew 15:1-2, "Then the scribes and Pharisees who were
from Jerusalem came to Jesus saying, 'Why do Your disciples transgress the
tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread'".
The Pharisees were very concerned about 'the tradition of the elders' even though
there was no biblical requirement to wash hands before eating bread. Modern
Pharisees are focused more on traditions than the Bible. The man made trinity
tradition developed in Babylon and passed to all cultures was then brought in by
Greeks (Justin Martyr 145 A.D. in water baptism and Tertullian 200 A.D. in
Godhead.) and adopted by Catholics and later Protestants, fits this mode or
tradition. Jesus often called the Pharisees hypocrites (Matthew 15:7,16:3, 22:18,
23:23-29, and Mark 7:6). According to Strong's Exhaustive Concordance, the Greek
word Jesus used that was translated as hypocrite means, "an actor under an assumed
role". "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint
and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice
and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others
undone. Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!" (Matthew 23:23-
24). "Pharisees and lawyers rejected the will of God for themselves" (Luke 7:30).
Today one may decide to be either a Sadducee, Pharisee, or a saved believer of
God. And now more than ever we are looking up for Jesus, as our redemption draws
nigh. It's not about looking busy rather we are about our father's business of
seeing souls saved by his name. He told all to "Occupy till I come" (Back. Found
in Luke 19:13). Jesus said, "Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your
Lord is coming. Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find
so doing" (Mat 24:42,46). He also said, "Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not
know when the time is" (Mark 13:33). Also, look at what we are warned in the book
of Ezekiel (the book must be warning people who at least have read the Bible), Son
of man, when the land sinneth against me by trespassing grievously, then will I
stretch out mine hand upon it, and will break the staff of the bread thereof, and
will send famine upon it, and will cut off man and beast from it: Though these
three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they should deliver but their own
souls by their righteousness, saith the Lord God. If I cause noisome beasts to
pass through the land, and they spoil it, so that it be desolate, that no man may
pass through because of the beasts: Though these three men were in it, as I live,
saith the Lord God, they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters; they only shall
be delivered, but the land shall be desolate. (Ezekiel 14:13-16). God can save
anyone from anything if it is his will. Nothing is impossible with him. Now
depending on others will not save you. That is why Paul says in Philippians, "work
out your own salvation with fear and trembling" (2:12). And Peter plainly said
this with the support of the other Apostles and all of the church. Acts 2:38-40
Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of
Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy
Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar
off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. And with many other words did he
testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. And
nobody will serve God long with true love and acceptance of his word. We must be
like the first believers. They all gladly heard, believed, and received the word.
1 Corinthians 3:11 “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which
is Jesus Christ.” Acts 2:41-47 Then they that gladly received his word were
baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.
And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in
breaking of bread, and in prayers. And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders
and signs were done by the Apostles. And all that believed were together, and had
all things common; And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all
men, as every man had need. And they, continuing daily with one accord in the
temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness
and singleness of heart, Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And
the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved. They all had things to
be worried about yet they focused their faith in him who changes not. Therefore
they were in perfect peace through the Prince of peace. In Isaiah 26:3-4. Thou
wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth
in thee. Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting
strength. Psalm 29:11 The Lord will give strength unto his people; the Lord will
bless his people with peace. Today, if you have accepted Jesus Christ by name in
all things then you are the people of God. Matthew 1:21 And she shall bring forth
a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their
sins. And your are safely saved by his name (Yeshua) which is the strong tower.
The righteous run into it. May the peace and purpose of God be always in your
heart and life, until his soon return.