The P Words

 If you've been in this Torah walk for any amount of time, you've been called a Pharisee. Coming out of traditions and doctrines that are contrary to the word of God usually gets you slapped with the label faster than my nephew can burp the alphabet. For keeping the Commands of God, and teaching others to do the same, you shouldn't be labeled as a Pharisee, its wrong. However, the subject has been on my mind recently, and just yesterday I was scrolling Facebook where there was a "Torah guy" chastising another guy over a kippa. Over a hat. According to the, we'll call him "Hyper Kodesh Guy", A Kippah is a sun disc and wearing one is as worshipping Babylonian sun worship. "HKG" who ive seen wear a cowboy hat, was literally saying that wearing the hat without a brim was on par with worshipping a false god. I'm not a fan of the Talmud or the rabbis, but even I had to step in an say "ITS A HAT, ITS JUST A HAT!!!". Could it be that maybe, THESE are the things that others look at and say "That guy is claiming that He has a true doctrine and he's losing it over a hat, that is not something that is normal, That guy AND WHAT HE BELIEVES, IS in fact being Pharisee" 

The subject of Phariseeism .. Pharisaism...Pharicsism ....  the subject of being Pharisaic doesn't come up too often in the Torah communities because either we've bristled so much over being called that by not Torah people, or as is the occasion- Some have rehabbed the image of the Pharisees as to being the righteous ones who "Judaism" says that "we should be. "

One of the things we need to remember as believers is that these were rebuked by the Messiah. The Pharisees were the ones constantly ripped by the Messiah for being the overly religious instead of the righteous examples.  So what does it mean, what are some examples of being Pharisaic? Well Lets go over it by the numbers 

Matt 9 
Then it happened that as Jesus was reclining at the table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and began dining with Jesus and His disciples. 11 And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to His disciples, “Why is your Teacher eating with the tax collectors and sinners?” 12 But when Jesus heard this, He said, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick.

1. If you're criticizing someone for building relationships with secular people, then you're criticizing the example of the Messiah. 

Matt 12
13 Then He *said to the man, “Stretch out your hand!” He stretched it out, and it was restored to normal, like the other. 14 But the Pharisees went out and conspired against Him, as to how they might destroy Him.

2. If you're talking with your special group about how someone isn't doing things the way your special group thinks they should be done based on your traditions or whatever "Special Wisdom" you may have on a matter not defined in scripture, then you're probably being a Pharisee. 

Matt 12
 Then a demon-possessed man who was blind and unable to speak was brought to Jesus, and He healed him so that the man who was unable to speak talked and could see. 23 And all the crowds were amazed and were saying, “This man cannot be the Son of David, can he?” 24 But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “This man casts out demons only by Beelzebul the ruler of the demons.”

3. If you look at something that is good and righteous and it is a blessing and a service to others, and you attribute it to be evil, Then odds are you need a heart check 

Matt 15
 Then the disciples came and *said to Him, “Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this statement?” 13 But He answered and said, “Every plant which My heavenly Father did not plant will be uprooted. 14 Leave them alone; they are blind guides of blind people. And if a person who is blind guides another who is blind, both will fall into a pit.”

4. If you are often offended and find everything offensive and are constantly policing speech against what COULD be offensive, Then you likely could be as the Pharisees. Leading  everyone around on each whim and wound until you get everyone burdened down with all your custom rules and regulations, its a burden. 

Matt 21
45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard His parables, they understood that He was speaking about them. 46 And although they sought to arrest Him, they feared the crowds, since they considered Him to be a prophet.

5. If someone highlights that your made up rules you're trying to place on others aren't found in scripture,  is your reaction to try and "kill the messenger" so to speak? To try and get rid of whomever shows that even if you have in your mind "inspiring holiness above the biblical standard" that adding rules to another's walk is wrong if they didn't invite or ask you too. 

Matt 23
Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples, 2 saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses. 3 Therefore, whatever they tell you, do and comply with it all, but do not do as they do; for they say things and do not do them. 4 And they tie up heavy burdens and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are unwilling to move them with so much as their finger.

6. To continue off of that last point. Which is more important, looking holy to others or being Holy unto God? People are to work out their own salvation with fear and trembling. People can ask questions in working out that salvation. Others insisting things are done their way on matters that scripture leaves to individual discretion is most often tying burdens on people and doing deeds to be noticed.  Paul notes and warns this style of people in Acts 20: 30 where he says 

 I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; 30 and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things to draw away the disciples after them.

If anyone knew what it meant to be a Pharisee, it was Paul.  He cautioned against people making disciples unto themselves, with their own doctrines and customs. Messiah was constantly rebuking those that set aside the commands of God for their own traditions. Pushing your fence laws or traditions is as adding to the commands of God.  

Matt 24 continued 5 And they do all their deeds to be noticed by other people; for they broaden their phylacteries and lengthen the tassels of their garments. 6 And they love the place of honor at banquets, and the seats of honor in the synagogues, 

7. Modesty is important. God's word says that people are to be clothed and nakedness is an issue. Some people look at the Word of God and they see that people wore robes or tunics and they think that they should wear robes or tunics. THIS IS PERFECTLY FINE. That is, until it gets put into the context that someone is less righteous or spiritual for not wearing a specific garment. If you're going around asserting the opinion that jeans and t-shirt is some how less righteous guess what party you're emulating. 

Luke 18
9 Now He also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt: 10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood and began praying this in regard to himself: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, crooked, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’ 13 But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to raise his eyes toward heaven, but was beating his chest, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’ 

Now one thing that I often notice about people that are dogmatically pushing their customs on others, is that they usually state is as being a "Greater standard of righteousness". What about that one person that is wearing jeans and t-shirt and maybe can't afford the suit or can't afford the extra long linin tunic so that they blend in with everyone else... Should they be hounded with opinions over what they are wearing not being sufficient?   There are doctrines that people disagree over in the Torah. There are things that aren't even doctrines that people disagree over. I never imagined that I would encounter people that were so bothered about a dozen hypothetical "what if "scenarios regarding matchmaking, something as basic as telling two adults in conversation that they might be a good fit. 

Luke 7 
 Now one of the Pharisees was requesting Him to eat with him, and He entered the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. 37 And there was a woman in the city who was a sinner; and when she learned that He was reclining at the table in the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster vial of perfume, 38 and standing behind Him at His feet, weeping, she began to wet His feet with her tears, and she wiped them with the hair of her head, and began kissing His feet and anointing them with the perfume. 39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet He would know who and what sort of person this woman is who is touching Him, that she is a sinner!”

8. Pharisees have a seeming terminal case of "plank eye"

Luke 7 (Continued)

And Jesus responded and said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he replied, “Say it, Teacher.” 41 “A moneylender had two debtors: the one owed five hundred denarii, and the other, fifty. 42 When they were unable to repay, he canceled the debts of both. So which of them will love him more?” 43 Simon answered and said, “I assume the one for whom he canceled the greater debt.” And He said to him, “You have judged correctly.” 44 And turning toward the woman, He said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has wet My feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You gave Me no kiss; but she has not stopped kissing My feet since the time I came in. 46 You did not anoint My head with oil, but she anointed My feet with perfume. 47 For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but the one who is forgiven little, loves little.” 48 And He said to her, “Your sins have been forgiven.”

9. Do you have a sense of Spiritual pride? A pride that masquerades as Holiness. Pharisees did. 

Acts 6
 And Stephen, full of grace and power, was performing great wonders and signs among the people. 9 But some men from what was called the Synagogue of the Freedmen, including both Cyrenians and Alexandrians, and some from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and argued with Stephen. 10 But they were unable to cope with his wisdom and the Spirit by whom he was speaking

Acts 7
 Now when they heard this, they were infuriated, and they began gnashing their teeth at him. 55 But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, looked intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God; 56 and he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” 57 But they shouted with loud voices, and covered their ears and rushed at him with one mind. 58 When they had driven him out of the city, they began stoning him; and the witnesses laid aside their cloaks at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 They went on stoning Stephen as he called on the Lord and said, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!”

 
You don't want to be a Pharisee. You don't want to be one of these guys that has themselves so deluded that they think that they are always righteous. They think that being overbearing is being righteous. They think that they're owed answers and that you're in the wrong for questioning them. They have little patience for people that do not do whatever they see their holy right to be. Do not be these people that are so deserving of condemnation. These people that demand control and often act as if there is no spiritual growth outside of what they cultivate. Ones that seek to be revered as authority but aren't. 

Luke 12
“Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. 2 But there is nothing covered up that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known. 3 Accordingly, whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in the inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops.
 

 1 Corinthians 10:12
Therefore let the one who thinks he stands watch out that he does not fall.