13.04 The Second Examination Of Jesus

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Unit 13

The Passion Week Begins

Chapter 04

The Second Examination Of Jesus

13.04.00.A. THE HEALING OF THE LAME MAN by Raphael. 1516.

13.04.01 Introduction

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13.04.01 Introduction

There is a modern saying that politics can make for strange bedfellows. Such is the case here: The Pharisees and the Herodians were constantly at odds with each other. Now, however, they worked together to confront the challenge of Jesus. While they were looking for ways to accuse Him before Pilate, little did they realize that this second test would demonstrate the purity of Jesus under biblical law. What Satan planned for evil, God turned into a revelation of the righteousness of Jesus.

13.04.02 HERODIANS AND PHARISEES ASK JESUS ABOUT TAXES

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13.04.02 Mt. 22:15a; Lk. 20:20-26 (See also Mk. 12:13-17)

HERODIANS AND PHARISEES ASK JESUS ABOUT TAXES

Mt. ^15aThen the Pharisees went and plotted how to trap Him by what He said,

Lk. ²⁰ [and] sent spies who pretended to be righteous, so they could catch Him in what He said, to hand Him over to the governor’s rule and authority. ²¹They questioned Him, “Teacher, we know that You speak and teach correctly, and You don’t show partiality, but teach truthfully the way of God. ²²Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”

²³But detecting their craftiness, He said to them, ²⁴“Show Me a denarius. Whose image and inscription does it have?”

“Caesar’s,” they said.

²⁵“Well then,” He told them, “give back to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s.”

²⁶They were not able to catch Him in what He said in public, and being amazed at His answer, they became silent.

The subject of this discussion originated in the year A.D. 6, when a new poll tax (Mt. 9:9; 10:3) was instituted for the benefit of the Roman treasury.^{^[1]} The Jews were already reduced to economic slavery by Herod the Great,^{^[2]} and the new tax made life even worse. The payment of taxes was seen by patriotic Jews as a confirmation that people gave authority to the Romans to rule over them.

In response, a Zealot by the name of Judas the Galilean declared that it was sacrilege for God’s chosen people to pay taxes to a pagan ruler. So he quickly gathered some followers and started a revolt. Josephus said the following of this matter:

There was one Judas, a Gaulonite^{^[3]} of a city whose name is Gamala, who, taking with him a Saddock, a Pharisee, because zealous to draw them to a revolt, who both said that this taxation was no better than an introduction to slavery, and exhorted the nation to assert their liberty.

So men received what they said with pleasure, and this bold attempt proceeded to a great height. All sorts of misfortunes also sprang from these men, and the nation was infected with this doctrine to an incredible degree. One violent war came upon us after another, and we lost our friends who used to alleviate our pains; there were also very great robberies and murders of our principal men.

Josephus, Antiquities 18.1.1 (4, 6-7a)

This area was under the rule of Caponius, whose seat of authority was in Damascus. But Caponius was a poor ruler, motivated by greed and corruption and consequently, he was called back to Rome to give an account of his administration. To resolve the problems, Rome asked Quirinius to serve a governor-general and take a population census for these reasons:

To determine how strong a military force was needed to control the population and

To determine the potential tax revenue.

The rebellion that Judas and the Zealots started was quickly crushed. However, the theological issue that Judas popularized continued (see 03.06.14). Jesus was about ten years old when the rebellion was crushed, so by the time His ministry began, the matter had become explosive. He defused it gently.^{^[4]}

To add insult to injury, it was the common opinion that to own a coin with the image of Caesar, was to affirm loyalty to him and, therefore, disown loyalty to God.^{^[5]} Furthermore, some Roman coins had the inscription Roma Perpetua meaning Rome Perpetual, or Roma Aeterna, meaning Rome Eternal.^{^[6]}

The coin that was shown to Jesus could have been minted at a number of places, but not in the Jewish provinces of Judea, Perea, or Galilee. The tetrarch Herod Philip was the first local monarch to introduce an image of Caesar on Jewish coins.^{^[7]}But he was so far north of Jerusalem, near Mount Hermon, that there was little effective opposition.

Concerning the direct issue of taxes and the coin, if Jesus would have responded with an affirmative answer that taxes had be paid, He would have lost his public following and appeared to have abandoned Israel. If He had said that taxes should not be paid, He would have been brought before the imperial courts for subversive activities and treason. The religious leaders knew the Romans would subject them to harsh penalties for unpaid taxes. Jesus separated legal and spiritual obligations, but did not avoid or negate them. In this discussion He clearly indicated that Jews were to honor both civil government and God, insofar as the secular authority does not clash with the believer’s loyalty to God. Throughout His entire ministry, He never attacked the policies of the Romans. The irony is that if Jews had faithfully given their dues and allegiance to God, they would never have been subjects of Roman nor any other form of dictatorship.^{^[8]}

“Spies who pretended to be righteous.” These spies were the classic hypocrites,^{^[9]} as Luke used the Greek word hypokrinomenoi related to the root word of hypokrites, meaning actor and translated as hypocrite.^{^[10]} Here the focus is not so much on the spiritual condition of these individuals, as their attempt to induce a false impression as they plotted against Jesus.

“Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” While the Romans had reduced the Jews to economic slaves, they did, in fact, benefit from Roman military protection and were permitted to practice their religion as they wished. To answer the question, Jesus said that they ought to pay the civil taxes, while at the same time obeying God.

The question is also significant in light of the fact that Josephus says that more than six thousand Pharisees refused to take the oath of allegiance to Herod and Caesar.^{^[11]} The motives of those who challenged Jesus must have been questioned by the bystanders who witnessed the discussion.

The Romans contracted taxes with two kinds of tax collectors and many kinds of taxes.^{^[12]}

A tax collector known as a Gabbai collected on real estate, income (as from crops), and poll taxes, as follows.

The ground tax consisted one-tenth of a farmer’s grain and one-fifth of his fruit. Tax was payable in cash or kind (grain or fruit).

The income tax which was one percent of one’s income.

The poll tax which every male had to pay between the ages of 14 to 65 and every female had to pay who was between the ages of 12 and 65.

Another type of tax collector, known as the Mockhes collected duty on imports, as well as export tolls on roads, bridges, and ships that anchored in the harbors. There was also a tax on wagon and cart wheels, and on pack animals. The import / export duty ranged from 2 ½ to 12 ½ percent on all goods.

The question in this discussion (Mt. 22:15, etc.) has nothing to do with the kind of tax, but the image on the coin with which the tax was paid. That was problematic for these reasons:

The coin had a graven image in direct violation of the second commandment (Ex. 20:4). The images and text of ancient coinage always reflected the ideology of the pagan ruling class.
To add insult to injury, the image was of the emperor whom many considered to be deified, or soon would be deified.^{^[13]}
The image on the coin represented the military and economic authority of the Romans, but the Jews believed that they – God’s people – should control the military and economy. (It must be noted that in the century (c. 165 – 63 B.C.) when they did control both, the Jewish leaders were as bad as any pagan monarch.)

The image of Caesar with an inscription that deified him as a god was so offensive that many refused to carry it, for they believed holding ownership would be equal to agreeing with the inscription. It was deemed by some Pharisees to be a violation of the second commandment to own one – and as such, anyone who had a denarius was said to be “unrighteous.” Therefore, in an attempt to appease the Jews, the Romans minted some coins without the image of Caesar.^{^[14]}

13.04.02A. ROMAN DENARIUS (2)

13.04.02A. ROMAN DENARIUS. The Roman silver coin that offended the Jews has a portrait of Tiberius Caesar with the inscription “TI CAESAR DIVI AUG F AUGUSTUS,” meaning “Tiberius Caesar, son of the divine Augustus.”^{^[15]} A denarius was the minimum daily income needed to sustain a small family.

There are two ironies with this account.

The Pharisees who challenged Jesus obviously had a coin with the portrait of Tiberius Caesar, a violation of their own strict standard of righteousness.

The Roman silver denarius with the portrait of Tiberius Caesar was not acceptable in the temple. However, the Tyrian silver shekel that had the image of the god Murduk was accepted because it was minted of the finest grade of silver.

Jesus once again spoke clearly concerning the Kingdom of God and affirmed that He was neither a supporter of Rome nor a Zealot against Rome. Neither those who desired to accuse Him of being a traitor nor those who were looking for a military viceroy would find their answer in Him, but only those who were seeking God would find Him. This statement, while in response to a monetary issue, had implications for all aspects of life; they spoke of coins and taxes but Jesus wanted His listeners to apply all aspects of life to the Kingdom of God.

Coinage had significant influences upon people for the following reasons:

It identified the king and his authority over a certain region and people. Whenever a king conquered an area, one of his first priorities was to mint new coins with his image. When the Zealots seized Jerusalem (A.D. 132-135), they immediately minted their own coins, which was the ancient method of declaring their independence and rulership.

The power of the king was valid wherever the coins were used.

A times the coins were considered the personal property of the king since these had his name and image stamped on them.

“Give back to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s.” Jesus said that to give God what belongs to God could be nothing less than His supreme creation, human life. Jesus spoke little of currency in this discourse, but rather, He spoke of the dedication of life to either Caesar or to God. Money, of course, would follow either dedication. Tertullian reflected this idea when he said:

Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s – his image on the coin; give to God what is God’s – His image in man, yourself.

Tertullian on Money^{^[16]}

The biblical observance continues today, as Israeli coins do not have images on them. An “image” was defined as a likeness of a human or animal and was associated with the word “graven” (cf. Ex. 20:4). Hence, other images such as a lily on the capital of an ancient column are acceptable. Paper currency and postage stamps, however, do not have a three-dimensional surface and, therefore, have pictures of Israeli heroes and great leaders. Ironically, secular Israelis today demonstrate a greater respect for the biblical commandment than did the Sadducees.

[1]. Gilbrant, “Mark.” 333; Geikie, The Life and Words of Christ. 2:418.

[2]. The subject of high taxation that resulted in economic slavery is presented by Josephus, Antiquities 17.11.2 (307-308). See also 02.03.03 “Economy” and 03.06.04 “4 B.C. The Death of Herod the Great.”

[3]. According to Whiston, ed., Gaulonite was the term Josephus used for a resident of Gamala, although Judas was probably originally from Gaulonitis on the eastern side of the Jordan River, and moved to Gamala to join or lead a nationalistic movement.

[4]. Bruce, Jesus Past. 33-34; Carson, “Matthew.” 8:458-59; Josephus, Antiquities 17.8.4; 18.1.1 and Wars 2.1.3.

[5]. Edersheim, The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah. 739.

[6]. Lang, Know the Words of Jesus. 343.

[7]. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament. 1:96.

[8]. Pentecost, The Words and Works of Jesus Christ. 387.

[9]. See the discussion on hypocrites/hypocrisy in 08.03.04 (Mt. :5-15) and in “Pharisees” in 02.01.14.

[10]. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/feign. Retrieved August 13, 2013; Herbert, “Hypocrite.” 109-10.

[11]. Josephus, Antiquities 17.2.4.

[12]. Barclay, “Matthew.” 1:329-30.

[13]. Appendix 20.

[14]. Farrar, Life of Christ. 348.

[15]. Gilbrant, “Matthew.” 477.

[16]. Cited by Thomas, The Golden Treasury of Patristic Quotations: From 50 – 750 A.D. 263.

13.04.03 THE THEOLOGICAL ISSUE OF THE RESURRECTION QUESTIONED

Bill Heinrich - Dec 22, 2015 - Comments Off

13.04.03 Mt. 22:23-33 (See also Mk. 12:18-27; Lk. 20:27-38)

THE THEOLOGICAL ISSUE OF THE RESURRECTION QUESTIONED

²³The same day some Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came up to Him and questioned Him: ²⁴“Teacher, Moses said, if a man dies, having no children, his brother is to marry his wife and raise up offspring for his brother. ²⁵Now there were seven brothers among us. The first got married and died. Having no offspring, he left his wife to his brother. ²⁶The same happened to the second also, and the third, and so to all seven. ²⁷Then last of all the woman died. ²⁸In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will she be of the seven? For they all had married her.”

²⁹Jesus answered them, “You are deceived, because you don’t know the Scriptures or the power of God. ³⁰For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage but are like angels in heaven. ³¹Now concerning the resurrection of the dead, haven’t you read what was spoken to you by God: ³²I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob? He is not the God of the dead, but of the living.”

³³And when the crowds heard this, they were astonished at His teaching.

This time the Sadducees took their turn at Jesus. Just as Jesus used well-known historical events and stories to help people remember His teachings, so did other rabbis and Jewish leaders. But this discussion on the resurrection was purely academic for the following two reasons:^{^[1]}

The marriage issue refers to a levirate marriage, one in which a husband died and his brother marries the widow so the deceased husband will have descendants. The sons born of levirate marriage had their names recorded in the public register^{^[2]} as being the sons of the deceased “father.”^{^[3]} However, the Levitical custom was almost out of use by the first century.

Some scholars believe that the Jews had a custom that a woman could not marry more than three times.

The Sadducees told a story of a man who died leaving a widow and no offspring. In the biblical culture, life was bound up partly in social identity, meaning that the end of a family line was the functional equivalent of death (Gen. 15:1-3; 30:1).^{^[4]} So to insure the deceased husband would have a legacy and perpetuate his name, the widow married his brother but he also died, then another brother who died, until she married each of the seven brothers and finally she passed away. The account seems quite unusual except for the fact that stories like this were fuel for theological discussions that never seemed to end. In this case, the Sadducees gave a modified version of a similar story found in the book of Tobit, chapters 7 and 8. In that story, Tobias desires to marry a certain Sarah, but her father tells Tobias that she had been married seven times previously and each of the men died on the couple’s wedding night. Note the following:

And he explained the matter (of Tobias’ desire to marry Sarah) to Raguel, and Raguel said to Tobias, “Eat and drink, and be merry tonight. For it is fitting that you should marry my child. I must, however, explain to you the true situation. I have given her to seven men, and they died during the night when they went in to her. But for now, be merry.”

But Tobias said, “I will not taste anything here until you settle matters with me.”

Tobit 7:10-12^{^[5]}

As the story goes, Sarah’s father Raguel wanted Tobias to eat, drink, and be merry before their wedding. However, Tobias chose to resolve the issue first. Once settled, he married her. But before he approached her on their wedding night, he burned a fish’s heart and liver to cast a demon out of her. Had the Sadducees not been humiliated on the resurrection issue, they would probably have challenged Jesus on an exorcism question.

Returning to the Sadducean discussion on the doctrine of resurrection, they held a strong position against life after death which made their question most absurd. Some scholars believe the fiercest of all conflicts between the Pharisees and Sadducees was on this doctrine.^{^[6]} They no doubt asked the question in an attempt to entrap Jesus and defeat their theological rivals as well. Jesus first exposed their misunderstanding and then their ignorance. He responded by simply telling them, “you are in error …,” and went on to prove it. With extreme simplicity Jesus said, “I am the God of Abraham … He is not the God of the dead but of the living.”

But what did the Jewish people believe concerning marriage and the resurrected life? They had a number of concepts concerning this issue. Most, it seems, believed that at the resurrection men would be restored to their former natural bodies and have human appetites and passions. They would have activities of eating, wearing the clothes in which they were buried, drinking, etc., and be married to one wife. And therein was their problem. If one had more than one wife on earth, how could he only have one wife in the new heaven? So while the Sadducees posed a hypothetical question to Jesus, the Pharisees also would have had an interest in the answer. The gospels do not give a description of the resurrected bodies, but later the Apostle Paul did briefly describe the “glorified bodies” in Philippians 3:21.

“I am the God of Abraham . . . He is not the God of the dead but of the living.” Clearly, this statement indicated that those who died were very much alive elsewhere. If there were no resurrection, then God would have said, “I was the God of Abraham.” But, God is a God of the living, not the dead. So if there is no resurrection, then there is no God.^{^[7]}Again, the crowds were astonished and His enemies humiliated.

Jesus gave to them fresh insight into the meaning of Scriptures and some teachers of the law agreed with Him (Lk. 20:39-40), which again underscores the basic fact that not every religious leader was critical of Jesus or wanted to see Him crucified.

13.04.03.A SADDUCEAN TOMB INSCRIPTION. This inscription was found in a first century Jerusalem tomb that belonged to a Sadducean family. The inscription read: Enjoy your life! They, like the Greeks and Samaritans, did not believe in a resurrection after death. Their theology was reflected in the drawings found in the tomb of a man named Jason.^{^[8]}

13.04.03a

13.04.03.B. GRAFFITI OF ASCENDING SOULS (3)

13.04.03.B. GRAFFITI OF ASCENDING SOULS. The Pharisees believed that at some time after the death of the body, when the resurrection occurs, the independent soul is reunited with the body. These unusual drawings from the catacombs at Beth Shearim are believed to represent ascending souls.

In sharp contrast to the graffiti of the Pharisees, is an inscription found on an ossuary of a Hellenized Jew or Sadducee. It reads,

No man can go up (from the grave), nor (can) ‘El’azar or Sappirah

Inscription on the lid of Ossuary No. 2^{^[9]}

The significance of the inscription is that it clearly denies the resurrection, just as did those who challenged Jesus. The ossuary was discovered in 1973 in a Jewish tomb on Mount Scopus in Jerusalem. It contained five skeletons and nine ossuaries. Archaeologists believe the tomb belonged either to a family of the Sadducees or Hellenized Jews.

In essence, the Sadducees or Hellenized Jews, tried to trap Jesus with the previous dilemma of choice: to believe in the laws of Moses or to believe in an afterlife. Jesus clearly revealed that the answer was both. Now they questioned Jesus about the most important commandment.

[1]. Lang, Know the Words of Jesus. 328.

[2]. The Book of Pedigrees or Geneaologies that was stored in the temple.

[3]. Geikie, The Life and Words of Christ. 2:421.

[4]. The hope and promise of a resurrection is rooted in the book of Genesis. For further study on this interesting subject, see Mitchell L. Chase “The Genesis of resurrection Hope: Exploring its Early Presence and Deep Roots.” 467-80.

[5]. Ben Sirach and Tobit belong to a classification of extra-biblical books known as the Apocrypha. These two literary works reflect the opinions of many Jewish people. See 02.02.03 “Apocrypha” for more information. The reader is reminded that quotations from non-biblical sources are not to be understood as being of equal authority with the biblical narratives. See 01.02.04.

[6]. Finkelstein, The Pharisees. 145.

[7]. For further study on the significance of the physical resurrection of Jesus, see Geisler, Norman L. “The Significance of Christ’s Physical Resurrection.” Bibliotheca Sacra. 146:582 (Apr-June, 1989). 148-70.

[8]. Notley, “Jesus and His Times. 1999; No photographic/illustration credit given.

[9]. The Aramaic inscription was translated by Professor Frank Moore. Parenthesis also by Moore. Cross, “A Note on a Burial Inscription from Mount Scopus.” 245-46. See also Franz, http://www.lifeandland.org/2010/01/the-resurrection-of-the-jerusalem-saints-at-the-feast-of-firstfruits-matthew-2751-54/ Retrieved October 10, 2014.

13.04.04 THE GREATEST COMMANDMENT: THE “SHEMA.”

Bill Heinrich - Dec 22, 2015 - Comments Off

13.04.04 Mk. 12:28-34 (See also Mt. 22:34-40; Lk. 20:39-40)

THE GREATEST COMMANDMENT: THE “SHEMA.”

²⁸One of the scribes approached. When he heard them debating and saw that Jesus answered them well, he asked Him, “Which command is the most important of all?”

²⁹“This is the most important,” Jesus answered:

Listen, Israel! The Lord our God, the Lord is One (Deut. 6:4).^{^[1]} ³⁰Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength (Deut. 6:5).

³¹“The second is: Love your neighbor as yourself (Lev. 19:18). There is no other command greater than these.”

³²Then the scribe said to Him, “You are right, Teacher! You have correctly said that He is One, and there is no one else except Him. ³³And to love Him with all your heart, with all your understanding, and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself, is far more important than all the burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

³⁴When Jesus saw that he answered intelligently, He said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And no one dared to question Him any longer.

“One of the scribes approached.” Some scholars believe, and this writer agrees, that this scribe could very well have been Saul, later known as the Apostle Paul. This opinion is based on the fact that Saul was living with his sister in Jerusalem while a student of Gamaliel during the ministry time of Jesus (Acts 23:16).^{^[2]} While this is obviously somewhat speculative, it must be remembered that he was an aggressive character and fierce defender of the law. It is almost impossible to think that he did not personally see and hear Jesus during his studies in Jerusalem. Therefore, when Jesus said, “You are not far from the kingdom of God,” that could very well have been a pun, in addition to the literal meaning.

“Which command is the most important [commandment] of all?” The commandments were listed in priority so the rabbis would have a uniform base of knowledge in the event that there would be a conflict between two commandments. For example, what should be done if the 8^th day of circumcision falls on the Sabbath or on the Feast of Passover? Which law would they observe and which rite would be postponed? Some believed that the failure to wash hands before and after meals was as grievous as murder; others believed the wearing of fringes (or strings) by men was the most important.^{^[3]} In fact, some priests and high priests were so passionate about purity that they wore silk gloves when among people or presiding over sacrifices, so they would not become defiled by “those repulsive and degrading common people.”^{^[4]} In a religious culture where there were multiple religious rituals, the priorities were important.^{^[5]}

In response, Jesus placed all the Old Testament laws under two headings:

Those laws that focus responsibility toward God and

Those laws that focus responsibility toward men.

Therefore, Jesus said that one should first “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with your entire mind” (Mt. 22:37). Notice the priority – loving an unlovely neighbor is not possible without first obtaining the love of God. This was followed by the second commandment: that is to love one’s neighbor as one’s self (Mt. 22:39). The Apostle Paul affirmed the summary of these laws in Romans 13:10, when he said that love fulfilled the purpose of the law.^{^[6]}

Some first century scholars understood the phrase, “all your heart,” to mean control of every lustful inclination for food, drink, and sensual pleasures.

The term “all your soul,” was said to mean a commitment for righteous living that would include martyrdom if needed; and

The term “all your strength” was said to mean all of one’s desires for earthly possessions and riches, which must not reduce or replace the love for God.^{^[7]}

13.04.04a

The early Church took the words of Jesus and connected it to a lesson on behavior. The Church fathers taught that:

The way to life is this: “First you shall love God, who has created you; second you neighbor as yourself. Whatever you do not want to happen to you, do not do to another. This is the teaching [that comes] from these words.

Didache 2:2-3a

When Jews and Christians think of the Shema today, they refer to a short confession that is based upon Deuteronomy 6:4-9. It reads as follows:

Hear, O Israel, the LORD is our God; the Lord is one.

The Shema^{^[8]}

This rendition of the most important commandment Jesus referred to is, in reality, a rendition created around the year 500.^{^[9]} While the concept and message did not change from the days of Moses, the wording did. The Babylonian Talmud recorded Rabbi Hillel who said that, “The Shema is the whole law and the rest is commentary.”^{^[10]} This was very close to what Jesus taught.

On an important side note, when the Apostle Paul directed his followers to pray “without ceasing,” “continually,” or “always,” he did not mean uninterrupted prayer, but to observe the regular hours of prayer as they were. The early church recited the Shema morning and evening^{^[11]} along with their morning and evening prayer – that was our Lord’s Prayer along with anything else that concerned them. At noon they prayed again but did not necessarily recite the Shema. This was not a legalistic issue, but one that righteous Jewish believers wanted to do. In addition to our Lord’s Prayer, they prayed for whatever else concerned them.^{^[12]}

“This is the most important.” The central doctrine of faith in Judaism is known as “the Shema.”

Reciting the Shema was how a Jewish person acknowledged that he was under the rule of God and, in fact, had taken upon himself the “Kingdom of God.”^{^[13]} It never was “just a prayer” as is often thought of today, but rather, a concept of identity based on series of three biblical passages the rabbis centuries ago felt were significant to Jewish life and identity.^{^[14]} Ever since the Exodus it was recited twice a day.^{^[15]} The first sentence of the text (below) is the theme (translations may vary the wording) which was cited by Jesus. A common way of referring to a passage in the Second Temple Period was to recite a key phrase of it, and the listeners understood that the speaker referred to entire passage. Therefore, when Jesus cited only the first portion (Deut. 6:4), He was in effect, conveying the significance of the entire “Shema.” Modern students may conclude that what was not said might not be important, of if anything may only have been a hint or suggestion. However, at times what is not said may be just as important or more so than what was said. Jesus carefully selected His words and His silence.^{^[16]}

⁴“Listen, Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is One. ⁵Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. ⁶These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart. ⁷Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. ⁸Bind them as a sign on your hand and let them be a symbol on your forehead. ⁹Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

Deuteronomy 6:4-9

¹³“If you carefully obey my commands I am giving you today, to love the Lord your God and worship Him with all your heart and all your soul, ¹⁴I will provide rain for your land in the proper time, the autumn and spring rains, and you will harvest your grain, new wine, and oil. ¹⁵I will provide grass in your fields for your livestock. You will eat and be satisfied. ¹⁶Be careful that you are not enticed to turn aside, worship, and bow down to other gods. ¹⁷Then the Lord’s anger will burn against you. He will close the sky, and there will be no rain; the land will not yield its produce, and you will perish quickly from the good land the Lord is giving you.

¹⁸“Imprint these words of mine on your hearts and minds, bind them as a sign on your hands, and let them be a symbol on your foreheads. ¹⁹Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. ²⁰Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, ²¹so that as long as the heavens are above the earth, your days and those of your children may be many in the land the Lord swore to give your fathers.

Deuteronomy 11:13-21

³⁷The Lord said to Moses, ³⁸“Speak to the Israelites and tell them that throughout their generations they are to make tassels for the corners of their garments, and put a blue cord on the tassel at each corner. ³⁹These will serve as tassels for you to look at, so that you may remember all the Lord’s commands and obey them and not become unfaithful by following your own heart and your own eyes. ⁴⁰This way you will remember and obey all My commands and be holy to your God. ⁴¹I am Yahweh your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God; I am Yahweh your God.”

Numbers 15:37-41

The highest endeavor of any Jewish man was the study of the Torah. Centuries earlier, upon return from Babylonian exile, Jewish scholars studied and analyzed the Mosaic Law and wrote many commentaries. They weighed, measured, and classified every word and letter, creating subtleties^{^[17]} and associations that were never intended by the author. They concluded that there were 248 divinely inspired affirmative precepts, just as there were 248 parts of the human body created by God. They also concluded that there were 365 negative precepts, the same number of veins and arteries in the body.^{^[18]} (Clearly the Jewish scientific mind was somewhat undeveloped at this time.) The total number is 613, the same number of Hebrew letters in the Decalogue.^{^[19]} The Talmud preserved these insightful gems:

There is nothing else that is good but the Law.

Babylonian Talmud, Abodah Zarah 19b

If one studies the Torah, painful sufferings are kept away from him.

Babylonian Talmud, Berakoth 5a

13.04.04b

Jewish scholars noted that Moses commanded Jewish men to wear tassels, a/k/a fringes (Heb. tsitsith, tzi-tzi, or tzitzit) with blue threads on their garments (Num. 15:38). At no time did Moses ever indicate how many threads to a fringe or how many knots had to be tied in every fringe, yet by the time of Jesus, the Pharisees said that not tying the strings properly was equal to breaking the laws of Moses.^{^[20]} Furthermore, there is no evidence that tassels were worn during the First Temple Period. Nonetheless, the scholars managed to add all the threads and knots, plus the number of Hebrew letters for the word tsitsith and have a total number of 613. How inspiring! To them this was a confirmation of God’s favor upon His people.^{^[21]} Yet the Pharisees added additional laws, their own contribution of religious legislation, for a total of 1,521 commandments.^{^[22]} And to make life more complex, various Jewish sects emphasized their own petty regulations while being heavily engaged in theological discussions with leaders of other sects.^{^[23]} Little wonder then, that Jesus got upset at their legalism.

[1]. See video comments messianic scholar Timothy Hegg on the “the Lord is One” as symbolized on the tzi-tzi in video 08.06.05.V. The words LORD and God can be somewhat confusing for modern readers. When Hebrew names are applied to the passage, it reads as follows: Hear, O Israel; YHVH our Elohim is one YHVH (Deut. 6:4, KJV).

[2]. See also Bookman, When God Wore Sandals. CD Trac 12.

[3]. Mishnah, Shabbath 62.1

[4]. Geikie, The Life and Words of Christ. 1:89.

[5]. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament. 1:121-23.

[6]. See also Rom. 7:5-6, 10:4; Heb. 7:11-19, 8:13; Col. 2:14; Eph. 2:11-3:6; Gal. 3:17-19.

[7]. Henaut, Oral Tradition and the Gospels. 197.

[8]. http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Scripture/Torah/The_Shema/the_shema.html. Accessed September 28, 2013. The words LORD and God can be somewhat confusing for modern readers. When Hebrew names are applied to the passage, it reads as follows: Hear, O Israel; YHVH our Elohim is one YHVH (Deut. 6:4, KJV).

[9]. Jeremias, The Prayers of Jesus. 67 n5.

[10]. Babylonian Talmud, Shabbath 31a.

[11]. See discussion on “evening” in Appendix 16.

[12]. Jeremias, The Prayers of Jesus. 72-73.

[13]. Lang, Know the Words of Jesus. 228.

[14]. http://www.jewfaq.org/prayer/shema.htm Accessed February 10, 2012.

[15]. Josephus, Antiquities 4.8.13; Jeremias, The Prayers of Jesus. 68-69.

[16]. Spangler and Tverberg, Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus. 80-82, 211-212.

[17]. Subtleties are fine points or nuances.

[18]. Several sources indicate the number of veins and arteries of the body, but those sources are of a later period and there is no evidence that this was the opinion of first century Jewish people. Certainly it is not reflective of modern medical knowledge.

[19]. Farrar, Life of Christ. 352-53.

[20]. The knots had alpha-numeric values which represented the recepts of the Law. Geikie, The Life and Words of Christ. 1:189-92.

[21]. Farrar, Life of Christ. 352-53.

[22]. Yancey, The Jesus I Never Knew. 132.

[23]. Wilson, Related Strangers. 18.

13.04.05 JESUS ASKS THE PHARISEES ABOUT HIS OWN ANCESTRY

Bill Heinrich - Dec 22, 2015 - Comments Off

13.04.05 Mt. 22:41-45; Mk. 12:37b; Mt. 22:46 (See also Lk. 20:41-44)

JESUS ASKS THE PHARISEES ABOUT HIS OWN ANCESTRY

Mt. ⁴¹While the Pharisees were together, Jesus questioned them, ⁴²“What do you think about the Messiah? Whose Son is He?”

“David’s,” they told Him.

⁴³He asked them, “How is it then that David, inspired by the Spirit, calls Him ‘Lord’:

⁴⁴Adonai said to my Lord (YHWH),^{^[1]}
‘Sit here at my right hand
until I put your enemies under your feet’ (JNT; Ps. 110:1)?^{^[2]}

⁴⁵“If David calls Him ‘Lord,’ how then can the Messiah be his Son?”

Mk. ^37bAnd the large crowd was listening to Him with delight.

Mt. ⁴⁶No one was able to answer Him at all, and from that day no one dared to question Him anymore.

In His early ministry, Jesus did not bluntly say that He was the Messiah, or anything of His deity. However, in the course of time, as people realized this man from Nazareth was uniquely different, they began to question His identity. This was especially true when He performed miracles that they believed only God could do. So therefore, was Jesus God, or the Son of God? Why was the Messiah known as David’s son when David himself called him Lord?

“Whose Son is He?” There is no shortage to references to the Son of David in Jewish literature.^{^[3]} They had good cause to ask the question. While the leading Pharisees responded correctly to the question posed by Jesus, they failed to recognize who Jesus was. Matthew emphasized throughout his gospel that Jesus met every requirement set forth by the ancient prophets. Yet these Pharisees refused to accept the identity of Jesus, even after He performed several messianic miracles.

As previously stated, Jesus followed the rabbinic technique of debating and teaching that was commonly used – one of answering questions with counter-questions. He asked His critics about Psalm 110:1 as this the passage was regarded to be Messianic. It has the phrase “Son of David” that was considered to be Messianic by two prophets (2 Sam. 7:14; Isa. 11:1). Explicitly, Jesus said, “The Lord (Jehovah) said to my Lord (Adonai).”^{^[4]} The obvious question then is, if David called him “Lord,” how could he be his son? Could the most honored patriarch Abraham have called any one of his descendants “Lord?” Furthermore, Psalms 110:1 describes the messianic king as a priest according to the order of Melchizedek. This had the profound implication that Jesus was that long-awaited fulfillment of the Abrahamic Covenant, as well as a Melchizedekian priest himself.^{^[5]}

Jesus had given them a riddle, the answer to which they knew but did not want to answer because then they would have to acknowledge He was a descendant of David. That, in turn, would open the door for the next confession – that He was the Messiah, a thought they refused to consider. They loved their blindness, ignored rules of basic simple reasoning, and permitted repeated embarrassments to build into anger and rage.

Consequently, they were humiliated beyond description. For centuries, they prided themselves on scholarship and exegetical purity; it was their recognized domain. Now, every time they encountered Jesus, their ignorance was exposed. Ancestry was one of the key points concerning the prophecies and identification of the Messiah. For once Jesus asked them a question. If they wanted to examine His genealogy, all they needed to do was to read the records in the Library of Pedigrees^{^[6]} located in the temple. The answer to the question was clear: Jesus was both human and divine (Rom. 1:3-4).

Finally, Matthew told his Jewish readers that the birth, life, and death of Jesus fulfilled all the requirements of the Davidic Covenant as prophesied by the prophets.^{^[7]} Therefore, the royal line is re-established. Although the Davidic Heir was crucified, He will reign in Jerusalem during the Millennium Period. There were many views concerning the Messiah in first-century Judaism, yet a vast majority of them agreed that He would be a descendant “son” of David.^{^[8]} The point that Jesus made is not to deny that Christ is David’s son, but to argue that the key name for Him is “Lord.”^{^[9]}

[1]. The Hebrew term for Lord is Yahweh, or YHWH. See Bock, Jesus According to Scripture. 332.

[2]. Psalm 110:1 (verse 44) translation by Stern, Jewish New Testament; This verse is quoted more often in the NT than any other in the Hebrew Scritpures. See. Mt. 26:64; Acts. 2:34; 1 Cor. 15:25; Eph. 1:20 Col. 3:1; Heb. 1:3, 13.

[3]. For example, see 2 Sam. 7:12-14; Ps. 89:29-37; Isa. 9:2-7; 11:1-9; Jer. 23:5-6; Ezek. 34:23-24; 37:24; Psalm of Solomon 17:21-25; 4QFlor 1.11-13. The early church also reflected upon this in Rom. 1:3 and 2 Tim. 2:8.

[4]. Farrar, Life of Christ. 354-55.

[5]. Merrill, Kingdom of Priests. 186-87; Lang, Know the Words of Jesus. 285-86.

[6]. Dalman, Jesus Christ in the Talmud. 31; Jerusalem Talmud, J’bamoth 49b.

[7]. Mt. 1:21-23; 2:1-6; 3:1-12; 17:10-13; 21:1-5; The messianic title “Son of David” appears in the following three groups of passages in the gospels where it is always reflective of the Davidic Covenant: 1) In various healings by Jesus – Mt. 9:27; 12:23; 15:22; 20:30-31; Mk. 10:47-48; Lk. 18:38-39. 2) In connection of the harassment the religious leaders gave Jesus – Mt. 22:42-43, 45; Mk. 12:35, 37; Lk. 20:41, 44, and 3) The praise the crowds gave Jesus at His entry into Jerusalem – Mt. 21:9, 15; Mk. 11:10. See Rogers, “The Davidic Covenant in the Gospels,” Bibliotheca Sacra. Part 1 of 2. 158-78.

[8]. There are a number of extra-biblical sources that agree that the m/Messiah would be a son, or descendant of King David. Examples that support this are Psalms of Solomon, 17:21-25 and Dead Sea Scroll Fragment 4QFlor 1.11-13.

[9]. Bock, Jesus According to Scripture. 332.

13.04.06 SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS OF THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS CONDEMNED

Bill Heinrich - Dec 22, 2015 - Comments Off

13.04.06 Mt. 23:1-12 (See also Mk. 12:38-40; Lk. 20:45-47)

SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS OF THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS CONDEMNED

¹Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples: ²“The scribes and the Pharisees are seated in the chair of Moses. ³Therefore do whatever they tell you, and observe it. But don’t do what they do, because they don’t practice what they teach. ⁴They tie up heavy loads that are hard to carry and put them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves aren’t willing to lift a finger to move them.

⁵They do everything to be observed by others: They enlarge their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels. ⁶They love the place of honor at banquets, the front seats in the synagogues, ⁷greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by people.

⁸“But as for you, do not be called ‘Rabbi,’ because you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. ⁹Do not call anyone on earth your father, because you have one Father, who is in heaven. ¹⁰And do not be called masters either, because you have one Master, the Messiah. ¹¹The greatest among you will be your servant. ¹²Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

In this discussion Jesus addressed the religious leaders who flaunted their overtly large phylacteries and extra-long tassels. Both Mark (12:38) and Luke (20:46) said that the expensive garments worn to show off wealth and status.^{^[1]} To the wearing of such items, later rabbinic writers agreed with Jesus. For example, the Babylonian Talmud preserved the account wherein a Rabbi Nahman ben Isaac denounces the sin of those who wrap themselves with cloaks in order to show off. Another rabbi, ben Azzai said,

It is easier to rule the world than to teach in the presence of two men wrapped in cloaks.

Babylonian Talmud, Sotah 22b

A century later another writer wrote,

Rabbi Benjamin interpreted the verse as referring to hypocrites in regard to Torah. People suppose that they can read the Scriptures and the Mishnah, but they cannot. They wrap themselves in cloaks and put phylacteries on their heads. Of them it is written, “Behold, the tears of the oppressed, with none to comfort them.” “It is mine to punish” says God, as it is said: “Cursed be they who do the work of the Lord deceitfully.” (Jer. 48:10)

Ecclesiastes Rabbath 4:1^{^[2]}

Evidently the issue of pride, status, and wealth was not limited to first century leaders. It can be assumed that, just as it existed for centuries after the destruction of the temple, so likewise the tradition existed previously throughout the Inter-Testamental Period and was a well-established in the days of Jesus.

The location of this discussion was probably at the southern steps of the temple mount – where many of the original stone steps are still visible today. This was the main entrance to the temple and was always full of people coming or leaving the Holy Shrine. Scholars believe it was here that Jesus addressed the crowds as well as His disciples. Note the following video comments by Dr. Paul Wright:

Video Insert >

13.04.06.V1 The Southern Steps of the Temple. Dr. Paul Wright discusses the importance of the southern steps of the temple and its popularity as a teaching site for rabbis in Matthew 23.

In this discussion, Jesus spoke about the Saturday morning synagogue service.^{^[3]} After the reading of the Mosaic Law, the reader would sit down in the “chair of Moses,” literally, “the seat of Moses;”^{^[4]} which was a carved stone throne-type seat in the front of the synagogue that faced the audience to preach his sermon. Sitting was the physical posture of teachers. The seat received its name because the person sitting in it represented Moses and, whoever sat in that seat wielded the same power and authority.^{^[5]} The first century scribes held to the same opinion, as evidenced in Aboth 1:1 of the Mishnah.^{^[6]} They made the Word of God a rigid list of hundreds of restrictions. Jesus said Scripture must lead men into a true heart relationship with God. Anything else is an abuse of Scripture.

In Aboth 1:1 there is an interesting statement that clearly defines the Oral Law. It reads:

Moses received the Torah at Sinai and handed it on to Joshua, Joshua to elders, and elders to prophets. And the prophets handed it on to the men of the Great Synagogue. They said three things: Be prudent in judgment. Raise up many disciples. Make a fence around the Torah.

Mishnah, Aboth 1:1^{^[7]}

13.04.06.A. THE SEAT OF MOSES

13.04.06.A. THE SEAT OF MOSES. This stone seat was the honored place for any teacher in the synagogue, as he was recognized as speaking for Moses. Photograph by the author.

The phrase, “chair of Moses,” was once thought to be a figure of speech representing the authority of the one who spoke as Moses when explaining the reading of the law. However, then archaeologists discovered such a seat while digging at Chorazin, and it is now understood that every synagogue had one. After the seat was discovered, scholars debated whether Jesus recognized the authority of the Pharisees.^{^[8]} It was generally situated by the main entrance, which faced Jerusalem. There was also a flat stone in front of the Seat of Moses which was known as the Bema, and it was upon this stone that the Torah was read and the explanation followed afterward when the reader was seated in the Seat of Moses.

“Therefore do whatever they tell you, and observe it. But don’t do what they do.” Most of the Jewish people obeyed codes of conduct and religion according to the Pharisees, even though they did not formally belong to the Pharisees.^{^[9]} The Pharisaic elite and scribes taught the Mosaic laws, but did not live by them. Jesus singled them out because most of the Pharisees were conscious and honest leaders of their local synagogues. They lived godly lives according to the laws of the Torah. Whenever Jesus confronted the Pharisees, as in this case, He confronted the aristocratic leadership.^{^[10]} Here Jesus underscored, for His fellow Jews, the importance of living according to the biblical laws. Note that Jesus frequently condemned the Jewish leadership, but not the common people.

13.04.06a

It is amazing that Christian commentaries never mention that some Pharisees were in support of the disciples when they were attacked by the religious leaders. Seldom do these commentaries mention quotations from the Mishnah or Talmud that also criticized the Sadducees and those aristocratic Pharisees. Nor do they mention that Jesus told His people to obey the teachings of the Pharisees (Mt. 23:3). Could it be that, the except for the corrupt lifestyles of a few powerful Pharisaic leaders, the Pharisees as a whole were relatively close theologically to Jesus? Could some commentaries have an anti-Jewish bias?

13.04.06.Q1 How close was Jesus to being a Pharisee, or, how close were the Pharisees to being followers of Jesus (Mt. 23:2-3)?

In light of the context of this chapter, this seems to be an inappropriate question. Throughout church history the Pharisees have all been painted with the wide brush of corruption and hypocrisy. As was mentioned previously, there were many good and righteous Pharisees who loved their people as much as they loved God. The leading Pharisees who held the reins of power and wealth in Jerusalem were the ones who constantly confronted Jesus and plotted His death (although were hidden at the time of His crucifixion).

Most people identified themselves with the Pharisees. If they were not a member of the sect, they attempted to follow their instructions of life. There were four levels of Pharisees:^{^[11]} On the lowest entry level, slaves and women were permitted to enter.^{^[12]} The highest and fourth level was the elite aristocratic Pharisaic leaders, whom Jesus humiliated before the lower class Pharisees as well as the common people. The Pharisees influenced the common people more than any other since they controlled the instruction in the local synagogue. Most were truly interested in the spiritual welfare of their people. Jesus was not a member, but theologically He identified far more with the caring element of this sect than with any other.

13.04.06b

Finally, for those readers who believe that Jesus and the Pharisees were always polar opposites, notice the following examples of “togetherness” of Jesus, early Christians, and the common Pharisees:

In Luke 13:31 the Pharisees warned Jesus that Herod Antipas wanted to kill Him.

In Matthew 23:2-3 Jesus said that whatever the Pharisees teach, they should do.

Gamiel argued in defense of Peter and the apostles in the book of Acts.

Furthermore, it was the Pharisees who protested to the high priest when James was martyred.

In Acts 21, many who were devout to the Torah (meaning Pharisees) became His followers.

“They enlarge their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels.” The scribes and Pharisees literally interpreted the passages of Exodus 13:9, 16 and Deuteronomy 6:8; 11:18 and applied the four sections of the Mosaic instruction to their garments. Nearly all Jewish men practiced this tradition, especially at times of prayer, as many orthodox Jewish men do today, but the religious leaders enlarged their phylacteries and tassels to show off their religious stature. Unfortunately, many Christians today cannot imagine Him wearing these religious ornaments. As an orthodox Jew, Jesus would have worn ordinary phylacteries and tassels in the temple and synagogue.

A Phylactery (Gk. phulakterion 5440), known in Hebrew as a tephillin,^{^[13]} was a leather box worn on the forehead and right arm. The phylactery worn on the forehead had four sections with a section of the law in each compartment.^{^[14]}The phylactery worn on the arm had only one compartment with a verse written on a single slip of leather or papyrus, written in four columns with seven lines each. These traditions became so sacred, that some believed that God also wore the same tephillin.^{^[15]} These objects of religious ritual were worn in the Second Temple Period, and orthodox Jewish men continue to wear them today. The custom of wearing phylacteries may have originated in the days of Ezra and Nehemiah, but by the first century it was an accepted practice. It is unknown if these were worn during the First Temple Period.

13.04.06.B. A PHYLACTERY. A phylactery, also known as a tefillin, that was found among the Dead Sea Scrolls contained a small piece of leather with the following biblical passage written on it. The bracketed portion is shown below.

And spoke

the Lord to

Moses

saying, “Consecrate

to me every first-born

the first issue of every womb of the

Israelites, man

and beast is Mine.”

and Moses said to the people,

“Remember this day

on which you went (free)

from Egypt, house of bondage,

how with a mighty hand

the Lord freed you from it…”

(Exodus 13:1ff)^{^[16]}

13.04.06.C. TRANSLATION OF THE PHYLACTERY / TEFILLIN. Not all phylactery tefillins have the same passage, but most appear to have Deuteronomy 6:4, a passage that is known as the “Shema.”

Video Insert >

13.04.06.V2 The Purpose of the Jewish Phylactery. Messianic scholar Timothy Hegg discusses the phylacteries worn by first century orthodox Jewish men. Introduction by Dr. Bill Heinrich.

13.04.06.D. MAN WEARING A PHYLACTERY

13.04.06.D. MAN WEARING A PHYLACTERY. This man, meditating at the Western Wall, is wearing a phylactery on his forehead and another on his left arm. The skull cap did not exist in the first century and is the result of anti-Semitism in Europe after the Reformation. Photograph by the author.

Jesus also criticized His opponents for their prideful long tassels. Orthodox men wore them at all religious gatherings and festivals. However, the Talmud indicates that neither the officiating priests nor those representing the people in the temple wore them.^{^[17]} Therefore, it appears that these may have been worn only by the scribes and Pharisees. But the scribes also had their own clothing style that identified their occupation. Their garments included the extra-long tassels and the scribal robe that touched the ankle.^{^[18]}

13.04.06c

It is interesting that Jesus did not criticize them for wearing the tassels; He criticized them because these were exaggerated as to produce public awareness to them. The same message was taught by honest rabbis. Whenever Jesus criticized the scribes and aristocratic Pharisees,^{^[19]} He did so because,

They imposed restrictive laws on people which they avoided themselves.

They build beautiful monument tombs for the prophets who were sent by God, but whom they killed.

They kept knowledge of God’s Word essentially for themselves, and they made themselves judge and jury of biblical interpretation.

They were incredibly prideful in dress, in greetings, and in public places such as the market and synagogue.

Besides wearing tassels on their outer garments, Jewish men also had them on their prayer shawls (Heb. tallith)^{^[20]} as prescribed in Numbers 15:37-41. One rabbinic author indicated that excessiveness constituted a width of threads (a/k/a tassels) if more than three “fingerbreadths” wide.^{^[21]} Tassels are known in Hebrew as tsitsith, tzi-tzi, or tzitzit^{^[22]} that Jesus wore (some translations read hem of His garment), as evidence by the woman who had a bleeding problem and was healed by touching them.

Extravagance among the rich and famous of Jerusalem was so excessive that the Sanhedrin, which served both as a court and legislation body, had passed a law to prevent the very wealthy from covering their phylacteries with gold.^{^[23]} Yet wealth was exhibited in other ways, such as when the wealthy brought their First Fruits to the temple, they used baskets covered with silver and gold.^{^[24]} This reflects the vast chasm between the two social groups: the common peasants and the super-rich. A middle class was all but unknown at this time. It should be noted, however, that Jesus, who was an orthodox Jew, wore tassels as was common to all Jewish men.

“They love the place of honor … the front seats in the synagogues.” In biblical times, honor and respect were highly esteemed virtues, much more so than today, to the point that Western civilization hardly has anything parallel to it. The closest person to the host or speaker had the highest honor and the one most distant had the least. The first row of seats in the synagogue faced the audience, rather than the speaker. These seats were reserved for visiting guests and dignitaries and were prized by the Pharisaic elite.^{^[25]} What is known as “open seating” today – where anyone could sit anywhere – was unknown in biblical times.

13.04.06.Q2 In Matthew 23:9-10, why did Jesus say, “Do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ or be called ‘teacher?’”

In various discussions the comment was made that Jesus was either a prophet or like one. To be called a prophet was the highest honor one could give to any Jew. But Jesus was also referred to as “rabbi” meaning “teacher” or “my master,” and did not rebuke those who called him by this unofficial title. Obviously, He did not have a problem with anyone using titles in reference to Him. In fact, failure to give respect or proper courtesies was a supreme insult more than it is today. A cultural element that must be considered is that honor and respect were considered as virtues synonymous with servanthood. But the comment about fathers and teachers was made because these religious leaders loved to be addressed by impressive titles that stroked their egos. Would Jesus have broken all cultural and biblical rules concerning respect of others? Hardly!

“As for you, do not be called ‘Rabbi’… do not call anyone on earth your father” In this narrative Jesus criticized the religious leaders who enjoyed hearing the titles people called them.^{^[26]} Jesus immediately told His disciples that they were not to be called “teacher” or call anyone else “father,” because Jesus did not want the common people to equate the disciples with the Pharisees or scribes.^{^[27]} Scribes loved to be called rabbi or father, yet many of these men were arrogant and selfish.^{^[28]} If Jesus meant a literal probation of the use of these titles, then the Apostle Paul erred when he spoke of the five-fold ministry (Eph. 4:11). One messianic scholar suggests that Jesus warned His followers not to accept unearned titles and honors.^{^[29]}

In Matthew 23 (below), Jesus condemned the religious leaders who used the religious system for their own use rather than serving God. His righteous anger demonstrated that He was not a “meek and mild,” spineless pacifist, but One who initiated “tough love.” God intended the Law to be impressed upon the heart (Prov. 6:20-21), but the religious leaders had reinterpreted the Scriptures. In response to their wickedness, Jesus pronounced a series of “woes,” but did not indicate what the punishment would be. He did, however, indicate the reasons for the woes, which were:

They shut the Kingdom of heaven in men’s faces (Mt. 23:13),

They were evangelistic to win converts, but then trained the converts in their own evil practices (Mt. 23:15; see comments on evangelism in 09.03.03),

The Pharisees circumvented biblical teaching (Mt. 23:16-22),

They were condemned because they gave tithes without mercy, justice, and faithfulness (Mt. 23:23-24),^{^[30]}

They externalized their religious practices without giving any attention to the condition of

the heart (Mt. 23:25-26),

They had become devout hypocrites (Mt. 23:27-28), and

The Pharisees were like their forefathers who killed previous prophets of God.

Jesus was kind and compassionate to those who were hurting and open to receive Him. To those who seriously questioned Him, He first taught them and gave them repeated invitations. But to those who were close-minded and hardhearted, or determined to confront or entrap Him, Jesus was on the offensive. This He also demonstrated twice when He cleared out the temple. They should have known that He was God, His patience with them proved that!

Finally, it is noteworthy to consider the sincere reverence Jesus gave to the holy name, Father. When considering all the conversations He had with His disciples and the people, He used the term surprisingly few times – and then only with the disciples who could comprehend the sacredness of the name. That may be why in the book of Mark the name Father appears only six times. The lesson to be learned is that it is never to be used lightly, cheaply or sentimentally, but only with love, reverence, and endearment. An example is found in our Lord’s Prayer / Disciple’s Prayer, that states, “Let Your name be held holy” (Mt. 6:9).

“Your servant.”The Greek word for servant is diakonos (1249)^{^[31]} and it occurs in the New Testament relative to domestic servants, civil rulers, and followers of Jesus in relation to one another. The diakonos is a person who volunteered to be a servant or is a servant because of family status. It is sometimes translated as deacon, an office of servanthood throughout church history. This term is different from doulos (1401),^{^[32]} a bondservant or slave (i.e., Mt. 22:2-4). For example there are douloi (plural) who serve guests and diakonoi (plural) who carry out a king’s sentence or decree. There is a clear distinction between those who chose to be servants and those who were slaves for whatever.

Finally, it should be noted that while not all scribes were Pharisees, although a majority probably were. Neither were all Pharisees scribes. But the Pharisees who were members of the Sanhedrin were all scribes.^{^[33]} Being a scribe opened job opportunities in government, education, and at the temple.

[1]. Weinfeld, “The Charge of Hypocristy in Matthew and in Jewish Source.” 56.

[2]. Cited by Weinfeld, “The Charge of Hypocrisy in Matthew 23 and in Jewish Sources.” 57.

[3]. For synagogue service procedures, see Philo, The Works of Philo. 689-90 quoted in 06.02.02.Q1. Also Martin, Worship in the Early Church. 24. Lightfoot, A Commentary on the New Testament from the Talmud and Hebraica. 3:67-69; Farrar, The Life of Christ. 118-20. See the book of Jubilees for the tiresome instruction on the minutest rabbinical details presented in synagogue services.

[4]. See 06.02.02.A and 06.02.02.B.

[5]. See Ex. 11:5; 12:29; 1 Kg. 1:35, 46; 2:12; 16:11; 2 Kg.15:12; Ps. 132:12; Josephus, Antiquities 7.14.5; 18.1.1.

[6]. Mishnah, Sanhedrin 11.3; Mishnah, Aboth 1.1 ff; Mishnah, Yabamoth 2.4; 9.3.

[7]. See video 02.02.16.V by Messianic Rabbi John Fischer who discusses the term “fence around the Torah” from a first century Jewish perspective. See also Neusner, Rabbinic Judaism. 207.

[8]. Rabbinowitz, “Matthew 23:2-4: Does Jesus Recognize the Authority of the Pharisees and does He Endorse their Halakhah?” 423-47.

[9]. Jeremias, Jerusalem in the Time of Jesus. 258.

[10]. Jeremias, Jerusalem in the Time of Jesus. 259, n42.

[11]. See 02.01.14.Q1.

[12]. Moseley, Yeshua: A Guide to the Real Jesus and the Original Church. 112.

[13]. Bivin, New Light on the Difficult Words of Jesus. 51-52; Vine, “Phylactery.” Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary. 2:470-71.

[14]. Ex. 13:1-10; 13:11-16; Deut. 6:4-9; 11:13-21; Lang, Know the Words of Jesus. 178-79.

[15]. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament. 1:123.

[16]. Maddex, ed. Scrolls from the Dead Sea. 44-47.

[17]. Babylonian Talmud, Zebahim 19a-b.

[18]. Jeremias, Jerusalem in the Time of Jesus. 244.

[19]. Other Jewish writers also criticized the leading Pharisees as found in 1 Enoch 102:9-10; Testament of Moses 7:3; Tosefta, Menahot 13:22; See also Jeremias, Jerusalem in the Time of Jesus. 259 n42.

[20]. Lang, Know the Words of Jesus. 179.

[21]. Babylonian Talmud, Zebahim 19a.

[22]. See video comments messianic scholar Timothy Hegg on the “the Lord is One” as symbolized on the tzi-tzi in video 08.06.05.V.

[23]. Mishnah, Megillah 4:8.

[24]. Mishnah, Bikkurim 3:8.

[25]. Metzger, New Testament. 57.

[26]. Other Jewish writers also criticized the leading Pharisees as found in 1 Enoch 102:9-10; Testament of Moses 7:3; Tosefta, Menahot 13:22. See also Jeremias, Jerusalem in the Time of Jesus. 259, n42.

[27]. Jeremias, Jerusalem in the Time of Jesus. 244.

[28]. Jeremias, Jerusalem in the Time of Jesus. 208-10.

[29]. Stern, Jewish New Testament Commentary. 68; Spangler and Tverberg, Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus. 61-62.

[30]. Josephus spoke of corrupt priests who stole the tithes from other priests in Antiquities, 20.9.2, found herein in, “A den of robbers,” 13.02.02. He also mentioned it in Antiquities 20.8.8 as found herein in “The chief priests” in 15.02.09; See additional rules on tithing in the Mishnah, Ma’aserot 1.1 and Moed Shabbath 4.7. The point is that tithing was a well-established practice.

[31]. Vine, “Deacon.” Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary. 2:147; Green, ed. Interlinear Greek-English New Testament.

[32]. Vine, “Deacon.” Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary. 2:147; Green, ed. Interlinear Greek-English New Testament.

[33]. Jeremias, Jerusalem in the Time of Jesus. 236.

13.04.06 SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS OF THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS CONDEMNED

Bill Heinrich - Dec 22, 2015 - Comments Off

13.04.06 Mt. 23:1-12 (See also Mk. 12:38-40; Lk. 20:45-47)

SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS OF THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS CONDEMNED

It is easier to rule the world than to teach in the presence of two men wrapped in cloaks.

Babylonian Talmud, Sotah 22b

A century later another writer wrote,

Ecclesiastes Rabbath 4:1^{^[2]}

Video Insert >

13.04.06.V1 The Southern Steps of the Temple. Dr. Paul Wright discusses the importance of the southern steps of the temple and its popularity as a teaching site for rabbis in Matthew 23. Click here if Internet connection is available.

In Aboth 1:1 there is an interesting statement that clearly defines the Oral Law. It reads:

Mishnah, Aboth 1:1^{^[7]}

13.04.06.A. THE SEAT OF MOSES. This stone seat was the honored place for any teacher in the synagogue, as he was recognized as speaking for Moses. Photograph by the author.

13.04.06.Q1 How close was Jesus to being a Pharisee, or, how close were the Pharisees to being followers of Jesus (Mt. 23:2-3)?

In Luke 13:31 the Pharisees warned Jesus that Herod Antipas wanted to kill Him.

In Matthew 23:2-3 Jesus said that whatever the Pharisees teach, they should do.

Gamiel argued in defense of Peter and the apostles in the book of Acts.

Furthermore, it was the Pharisees who protested to the high priest when James was martyred.

In Acts 21, many who were devout to the Torah (meaning Pharisees) became His followers.

And spoke

the Lord to

Moses

saying, “Consecrate

to me every first-born

the first issue of every womb of the

Israelites, man

and beast is Mine.”

and Moses said to the people,

“Remember this day

on which you went (free)

from Egypt, house of bondage,

how with a mighty hand

the Lord freed you from it…”

(Exodus 13:1ff)^{^[16]}

13.04.06.C. TRANSLATION OF THE PHYLACTERY / TEFILLIN. Not all phylactery tefillins have the same passage, but most appear to have Deuteronomy 6:4, a passage that is known as the “Shema.”

Video Insert >

13.04.06.V2 The Purpose of the Jewish Phylactery. Messianic scholar Timothy Hegg discusses the phylacteries worn by first century orthodox Jewish men. Introduction by Dr. Bill Heinrich. Click here if Internet connection is available.

They imposed restrictive laws on people which they avoided themselves.

They build beautiful monument tombs for the prophets who were sent by God, but whom they killed.

They kept knowledge of God’s Word essentially for themselves, and they made themselves judge and jury of biblical interpretation.

They were incredibly prideful in dress, in greetings, and in public places such as the market and synagogue.

13.04.06.Q2 In Matthew 23:9-10, why did Jesus say, “Do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ or be called ‘teacher?’”

They shut the Kingdom of heaven in men’s faces (Mt. 23:13),

They were evangelistic to win converts, but then trained the converts in their own evil practices (Mt. 23:15; see comments on evangelism in 09.03.03),

The Pharisees circumvented biblical teaching (Mt. 23:16-22),

They were condemned because they gave tithes without mercy, justice, and faithfulness (Mt. 23:23-24),^{^[30]}

They externalized their religious practices without giving any attention to the condition of

the heart (Mt. 23:25-26),

They had become devout hypocrites (Mt. 23:27-28), and

The Pharisees were like their forefathers who killed previous prophets of God.

[1]. Weinfeld, “The Charge of Hypocristy in Matthew and in Jewish Source.” 56.

[2]. Cited by Weinfeld, “The Charge of Hypocrisy in Matthew 23 and in Jewish Sources.” 57.

[4]. See 06.02.02.A and 06.02.02.B.

[5]. See Ex. 11:5; 12:29; 1 Kg. 1:35, 46; 2:12; 16:11; 2 Kg.15:12; Ps. 132:12; Josephus, Antiquities 7.14.5; 18.1.1.

[6]. Mishnah, Sanhedrin 11.3; Mishnah, Aboth 1.1 ff; Mishnah, Yabamoth 2.4; 9.3.

[7]. See video 02.02.16.V by Messianic Rabbi John Fischer who discusses the term “fence around the Torah” from a first century Jewish perspective. See also Neusner, Rabbinic Judaism. 207.

[8]. Rabbinowitz, “Matthew 23:2-4: Does Jesus Recognize the Authority of the Pharisees and does He Endorse their Halakhah?” 423-47.

[9]. Jeremias, Jerusalem in the Time of Jesus. 258.

[10]. Jeremias, Jerusalem in the Time of Jesus. 259, n42.

[11]. See 02.01.14.Q1.

[12]. Moseley, Yeshua: A Guide to the Real Jesus and the Original Church. 112.

[13]. Bivin, New Light on the Difficult Words of Jesus. 51-52; Vine, “Phylactery.” Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary. 2:470-71.

[14]. Ex. 13:1-10; 13:11-16; Deut. 6:4-9; 11:13-21; Lang, Know the Words of Jesus. 178-79.

[15]. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament. 1:123.

[16]. Maddex, ed. Scrolls from the Dead Sea. 44-47.

[17]. Babylonian Talmud, Zebahim 19a-b.

[18]. Jeremias, Jerusalem in the Time of Jesus. 244.

[20]. Lang, Know the Words of Jesus. 179.

[21]. Babylonian Talmud, Zebahim 19a.

[22]. See video comments messianic scholar Timothy Hegg on the “the Lord is One” as symbolized on the tzi-tzi in video 08.06.05.V.

[23]. Mishnah, Megillah 4:8.

[24]. Mishnah, Bikkurim 3:8.

[25]. Metzger, New Testament. 57.

[27]. Jeremias, Jerusalem in the Time of Jesus. 244.

[28]. Jeremias, Jerusalem in the Time of Jesus. 208-10.

[29]. Stern, Jewish New Testament Commentary. 68; Spangler and Tverberg, Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus. 61-62.

[31]. Vine, “Deacon.” Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary. 2:147; Green, ed. Interlinear Greek-English New Testament.

[32]. Vine, “Deacon.” Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary. 2:147; Green, ed. Interlinear Greek-English New Testament.

[33]. Jeremias, Jerusalem in the Time of Jesus. 236.

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