SPIRIT AND LETTER OF THE LAW

The Pharisees, Priests, Sadducees and Scribes were the leaders of Israel during the time of Jesus’ life on earth. 

Pharisees – The Hebrew word, parash, means to divide or separate, hence the Pharisees were the “separated ones”.  A definition of Pharisees should begin by stressing that it was legalistic but not literalistic.  It was a religion that “built a fence around the law”, by taking the legal regulations of the Old Testament, many of which were intended for the Levitical priests, and making them relevant and applicable to every Jew.  This the Pharisees did by their system of oral tradition and interpretation.

Pharisees passed on to the people certain regulations handed down by former generations and not recorded by the Laws of Moses, for which reason they were rejected by the Sadduceans.  This accounts for the underlining key factor in any definition of Pharisaism, meaning the concept of tradition of the continually expanding oral law. 

Priests – The Hebrew word, kohen, was a word derived from kun meaning “to stand” referring to a priest as one who stood before God as a servant or as a representative of the people, and also as one who stood before the people as a representative of God.

Primarily, the Priest was to be a representative of God to the people portraying holy separation from ceremonial impurity and sin, and as a representative of the people to offer acceptable sacrifices on their behalf and officiate in the prescribed services as instituted by God through Moses.  Thus the priest acted as the official mediator between God and man.  A secondary function of the priests was to minister as teacher of the law.

Sadducees – The Hebrew word, seduqim, refers to the priestly aristocratic party of the latter part of the second temple period.  The Sadducees were considered the conservatives in holding to older doctrines and regarding as supreme the temple sacrificial system.  They opposed the Pharisees, and the main point of division was the understanding of the law.  Both parties acknowledged the supremacy of Torah, but the Sadducees held only to the written law while the Pharisees put the long development of traditions alongside the written Law.

Scribes – The Hebrew word, sopher, was one who took a count, was a secretary or a clerk. 

During the time of Christ they exerted a powerful religious influence as teachers, and because of their ability to make judicial decisions based on scriptural exegesis, occupied important positions in the Sanhedrin.  They acted as judges of the Law.  They were reputed to be the true interpreters of the Law.  They gave much of their time to copying and transmitting the Old Testament Scriptures.  They had extreme concern to uphold the oral Law, which included the many unwritten legal decisions that touched on every phase of daily life. They adhered strictly to these traditions and lifted them above the written Law.

Jesus Compares the Spirit of the Law and the Letter of the Law:

Jesus - “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:  But I say unto you, that whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca (rhaka = vain, empty), shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.” (Matthew 5:21-22)

Jesus - “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: but I say unto you, that whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.” (Matthew 5:27-28)

Jesus - “It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her  a writing of divorcement: But I say unto you, that whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.” (Matthew 5:31-32; See also Matthew 19:1-9)

Jesus - “Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths: But I say unto you, swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God’s throne: Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King.  Neither shall thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black.  But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay; for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.” (Matthew 5:33-37)

Jesus - “Ye have heard that it hath been said, an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, that ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.  And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also.  And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.  Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.” (Matthew 5:38-42)

Jesus - “Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy.  But I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.  For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye?  Do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others?  Do not even the publicans so?  Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” (Matthew 5:43-48)

Jesus: “Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.  Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men.  Verily I say unto you, they have their reward.  But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:  That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.” (Matthew 6:1-4)

Jesus: “And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men.  Verily I say unto you, they have their reward.  But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.  But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.  Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.” (Matthew 6:5-8)

Jesus - “Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces that they may appear unto men to fast.  Verily I say unto you, they have their reward.  But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; that thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.” (Matthew 6:16-18)

Jesus – “Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners?  But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, they that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.  But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” (Matthew 9:11-13)

Jesus – “Then came to him the disciples of John, saying, why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not?  And Jesus said unto them, can the children of the bride chamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them?  But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast.” (Matthew 9:14-15)

Jesus – “At that time Jesus went on the Sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungered, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat.  But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the Sabbath day.  But he said unto them, have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungered, and they that were with him; how he entered into the house of God, and did eat the showbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests?” (Matthew 12:1-4) 

Jesus: “Or have ye not read in the Law, how that on the Sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are blameless?  But I say unto you, that in this place is one greater than the temple.  But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.  For the Son of man is Lord even of the Sabbath day.” (Matthew 12:5-8)

Jesus: “Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem saying, why do thy disciple transgress the tradition of the elders?  For they wash not their hands when they eat bread.  But he answered and said unto them, why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?  Jesus said, not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.  But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.  For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, and blasphemies: these are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.” (Matthew 12:1-20)

Jesus - “Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.  How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees?  Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.” (Matthew 16:6-12)

Jesus - “Tell us therefore, What thinketh thou?  Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not?  But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites?  Shew me the tribute money.  And they brought unto him a penny.  And he saith unto them, whose is this image and superscription?  They say unto him, Caesar’s.  Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.” (Matthew 22:17-21)

Jesus – “The same day came to him the Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection, and asked him, Master, Moses said, if a man die having no children, his brother shall marry his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother.  Now there were with us seven brethren: and the first, when he had married a wife, deceased, and, having no issue, left his wife unto his brother: likewise the second also, and the third, unto the seventh.  And last of all the woman died also.  Therefore in the resurrection whose wife shall she be of the seven?  For they all had her.  Jesus answered and said unto them, ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God.  For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven.  But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?  God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.” (Matthew 22:23-32)

Jesus – “Woe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither going yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.  Woe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For ye devour widows’ houses, and for pretense make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater judgment.  Woe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.” (Matthew 23:13-15) 

Jesus – “Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor!  Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?  And, whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty.  Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift?  Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon.  And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein.  And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon.” (Matthew 23:16-22)

Jesus – “Woe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cumin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the Law, judgment, mercy and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.  Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.  Woe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.  Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.” (Matthew 23:23-26)

Jesus – “Woe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For ye are like unto whited sepulchers, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness.  Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.  Woe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  Because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchers of the righteousness, and say, if we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of prophets.  Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets.  Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.  Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?” (Matthew 23:27-33)

In conclusion, lest we only judge and condemn these Jewish leaders of old and fail to honestly see the same pride and hypocrisy today in ourselves and others, we fail completely to discern the intent of Jesus’ judgment, which should continually lead us all to repentance and restoration.