In the bible, the Pharisees are described as being manipulators of the word of God. These individuals were not evil but rather they doubted Jesus Christ with his teachings. In more than one occasion, they confronted Jesus to which he responded illuminating their errant ways. However, not all that was mentioned about Pharisees and their doubting of the word of God is accurate. The various misconceptions are as follows:
The Pharisees were always wrong
It is over generalized that the Pharisees were always wrong. Because of their opposition of Christ’s teachings, the Pharisees acquired themselves a negative reputation (Fisher, 2010). Jesus himself made a statement that refuted the misconception in question. In Mathew 5:20 the Bible reads “For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven”. In the said passage, Jesus makes it clear that individuals should consider Pharisees as representations of God’s expectations on his subjects. Therefore, if they do not heed or imitate the ways of the Pharisees, they will not receive the kingdom of heaven as promised to them.
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Jesus condemned the Pharisees because of their devotion to the law
In his teachings, Jesus spoke about the law which the Pharisees upheld. It is the same law that made them attract a lot of criticism. However, Mathew 5:17-20 reads “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law of the prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them”. The passage emphasizes that the Pharisees were right in their loyalty to the law (Hengel & Deines, 1995). Therefore, when Jesus came to earth, he was not sent to dispute or shame them, but rather to promote adherence to the law.
Thus, the said misconceptions document how and why the Pharisees were largely criticized yet they are presented as being loyal to the law. God himself sent Jesus on earth to uphold the same law. Therefore, regardless of their opposition to Christ’s teachings, the Pharisees are acknowledged by God.
References
Fisher, E. (2010). Typical Jewish misunderstandings of christianity. Shofar, 28 (3), 57-69. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.5703/shofar.28.3.57
Hengel, M., & Deines, R. (1995). E. P. Sanders ‘Common Judaism’, Jesus, And The Pharisees. The Journal of Theological Studies,46 (1), 1-70. doi:10.1093/jts/46.1.1
