Surely one of the greatest heartaches Jesus faced in His earthly ministry was the sect of the Jews called the Pharisees. There is no doubt that this group took its religion seriously, but sadly, they were seriously misguided. Zeal without knowledge is never a good combination (Romans 10:2).
Background
Of the three “sects” that Josephus lists – Pharisees, Essenes and Sadducees, the Pharisees seemingly appealed to him the most. He admired the Essenes with whom he lived for three years, but he joined the Pharisees. The Pharisees are not mentioned in the Old Testament, and most likely trace their origin back to the Intertestamental Period during the Maccabean interlude. The New Testament refers often to the Pharisees, and usually, if not always, to their faults and hypocrisy. The Talmud lists seven categories of Pharisees, and only the seventh is laudable. There was the shouldering Pharisee who paraded good deeds; there was the delaying Pharisee who let business wait in order to do a good deed; there was the bruised Pharisee who walked into a wall to keep from looking at a woman; there was the pestle Pharisee who with false humility walked with his head down like a pestle on a mortar; there was the ever-reckoning Pharisee who asked what good deeds he might do that would be reckoned as canceling out his neglects, and there was the fearful Pharisee who was in terror of God. Then, there was the loving Pharisee who like Abraham loved God; he was admirable (adapted from https://www.come-and-hear.com/sotah/sotah_22.html). The name Pharisee means “a separate one; separatists.” At their zenith, they are said to have boasted some 6,000 members.
Beliefs
The Pharisees were a strict sect of the Jews, who demanded strict obedience to the Law of Moses and the traditions of the elders. Sadly, they placed tradition on a higher plane than the Law. They believed in the resurrection of the dead, angels, spirits, heaven and hell. They were extremely influential in the synagogues and were viewed as experts in the Law. However, they rejected Jesus because He did not fit into their hypocritical mold. In particular, they hated the fact that Jesus associated with less than perfect people (Matthew 9:11), and He did not follow their traditions (Matthew 15:2).
Boiling It Down
Sometimes today people are referred to as legalistic or Pharisees when they demand a strict adherence to the Bible. However, we must understand that strict adherence to God and His Word is not legalism or Phariseeism. Among other things, saying one thing and doing another is what condemned the Pharisees (Matthew 23:3). Thus, when we boast to believe one thing, but fail to practice it religiously, we are in danger of being just like the Pharisees. We must test ourselves daily (2 Corinthians 13:5) to make sure the things we say and do are in harmony with each other.
