The Pharisees were a sect among the Jews in the time of Christ. It was a group of people who held to very strict traditions and rules for living and for the interpretation of the Law of Moses, and which often found themselves opposing the Lord. Today, it is not uncommon to hear someone accused of being “Pharisaical” or of “Phariseeism.” Let us take a look at the Pharisees of Christ's time, and what traits they held that were condemned by Jesus.
Hypocrisy
In the mean time, when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch that they trode one upon another, he began to say unto his disciples first of all, Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.
Luke 12:1
In this passage the Pharisees are accused, by Jesus, of being hypocritical. That is, they would say one thing, yet do another. Often, they would support a right action, yet for the wrong reasons or they themselves would neglect to act that way. Let us always strive to have our motives, our actions, and our words in accordance with each other and with Christ!
Binding Traditions
For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.
Mark 7:8-9
We see here that the Pharisees were ignoring what the Lord had said, and instead were holding to the rules they had created. We see in other places that they held their own traditions to be of utmost importance, even above the Law. For this, they are condemned by the Lord. Let us always put what God says first! Having traditions is not wrong, but putting them equal to, or above, God's word is condemned!
To Impress Men
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.
Matthew 6:5
We see here that the Pharisees, and those like them, were often focused more on the praise of men than on their service to the Lord. Let us always seek the approval of God more than we seek the approval of men! As Paul later writes, we must please the Lord (Gal. 1:10)
Teaching the Law
All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.
Matthew 23:3
At no time are the Pharisees condemned for teaching and holding to the Law that had been given. Instead, they are condemned for twisting it, for modifying it, and for adding to it. We must not misunderstand the Pharisees to mean that holding the word of God is not important. Rather, we should see in the Pharisees an example of what not to do with it. We must remain true to what the Lord has said, and we must follow it without hypocrisy, without adding our own traditions and laws, and without using it to earn praise for ourselves!
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Sunday, October 19, 2008
The Seven Churches of Asia: Laodicea
As we wrap up the seven churches written to in the book of Revelation, we finally come to the church in Laodicea.
Revelation 3:14-22
And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
The Negative:
Christ has nothing good to say to the church in Laodicea. They are lukewarm. Not warm or cold, just lukewarm. In other words, they just are, without any real zeal. Much like those in the days of Isaiah, they are going through the motions of serving the Lord, but it's simply by rote and not from the heart. We must be careful not to allow our service to God to become habit, but must always remember why we're doing good works.
Because they are lukewarm, the Lord warns them that they will be spit out. They will be rejected. God does not want service by habit and rote. He wants service because we want to serve. If we are to be acceptable to God, we must serve from the heart.
We also say that they see themselves as rich, even though spiritually they are poor. Materially they had much. They lacked nothing physically. However, the Lord tells them that they are “wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked.” We must always remember what is more important. While they were willing to rest and feel secure based on what they had physically, it was what they lacked spiritually that was more important. We must always remember to keep the proper priorities.
We also see that in their wealth, they were giving credit to themselves. We must remember, when we prosper, that it is not ourselves that has earned the wealth, but to give credit to the Lord.
At the end of rebuking the church in Laodicea, the Lord tells them to be zealous and repent. If we fall into the same traps as they did, we too must grow in zeal and repent of our wrongful ways. We must not put the physical things above the spiritual. And we must not take credit for ourselves that rightfully belongs to the Lord. And if we repent when we do so, we learn and important lesson from this passage. That the Lord will take us back and forgive us when we turn back to Him
Hopefully these short articles on the seven churches of Asia have been beneficial.
Revelation 3:14-22
And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
The Negative:
Christ has nothing good to say to the church in Laodicea. They are lukewarm. Not warm or cold, just lukewarm. In other words, they just are, without any real zeal. Much like those in the days of Isaiah, they are going through the motions of serving the Lord, but it's simply by rote and not from the heart. We must be careful not to allow our service to God to become habit, but must always remember why we're doing good works.
Because they are lukewarm, the Lord warns them that they will be spit out. They will be rejected. God does not want service by habit and rote. He wants service because we want to serve. If we are to be acceptable to God, we must serve from the heart.
We also say that they see themselves as rich, even though spiritually they are poor. Materially they had much. They lacked nothing physically. However, the Lord tells them that they are “wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked.” We must always remember what is more important. While they were willing to rest and feel secure based on what they had physically, it was what they lacked spiritually that was more important. We must always remember to keep the proper priorities.
We also see that in their wealth, they were giving credit to themselves. We must remember, when we prosper, that it is not ourselves that has earned the wealth, but to give credit to the Lord.
At the end of rebuking the church in Laodicea, the Lord tells them to be zealous and repent. If we fall into the same traps as they did, we too must grow in zeal and repent of our wrongful ways. We must not put the physical things above the spiritual. And we must not take credit for ourselves that rightfully belongs to the Lord. And if we repent when we do so, we learn and important lesson from this passage. That the Lord will take us back and forgive us when we turn back to Him
Hopefully these short articles on the seven churches of Asia have been beneficial.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
The Seven Churches of Asia: Philadelphia
As we continue looking at the seven churches written to in the book of Revelation, we come to the church in Philadelphia.
Revelation 3:7-13
And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth; I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name. Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee. Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
The Positive:
This passage begins with Christ indicating that He knows the works of the church in Philadelphia. We see that the Lord has opened a door that cannot be shut for them. And why? Because they have a little strength, have kept His word, and have not denied the Lord.
We too recognize that we have some strength, do we not? Perhaps not a great deal, but we each have some. Let us work to grow and develop that strength that we might accomplish more for the cause of Christ!
We also need to keep Christ's word. We must hold to it and practice what it says. Keeping the word is more than knowing what it says and having a copy of it. Keeping the word is actually setting out to do what it says. Let us keep to Christ's word!
The church in Philadelphia did not deny Christ. In a time when trouble was brought upon the church, they remained true and faithful to the Lord. If they can do it in times of distress and persecution, we should be able to do so in our times of mild “persecution.”
We see also that the Lord commended the church for persevering, which really just sums up the above three points, but adds an element to it. When we persevere in something, it means it was not something simple or easy for us to do. Persevering requires effort. It requires effort. Let us persevere in our walk with Christ! Even though at times it seems difficult, persevere!
The church in Philadelphia did not have it easy. They had to work hard at things. They still had room to grow (and thus, they had “a little strength”). But nonetheless, they kept with it and did not give up. Let us follow their example in this!
Next week, Lord willing, we will wrap up our brief look at the seven churches when we look at the church in Laodicea (Rev. 3:14-22)
Revelation 3:7-13
And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth; I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name. Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee. Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
The Positive:
This passage begins with Christ indicating that He knows the works of the church in Philadelphia. We see that the Lord has opened a door that cannot be shut for them. And why? Because they have a little strength, have kept His word, and have not denied the Lord.
We too recognize that we have some strength, do we not? Perhaps not a great deal, but we each have some. Let us work to grow and develop that strength that we might accomplish more for the cause of Christ!
We also need to keep Christ's word. We must hold to it and practice what it says. Keeping the word is more than knowing what it says and having a copy of it. Keeping the word is actually setting out to do what it says. Let us keep to Christ's word!
The church in Philadelphia did not deny Christ. In a time when trouble was brought upon the church, they remained true and faithful to the Lord. If they can do it in times of distress and persecution, we should be able to do so in our times of mild “persecution.”
We see also that the Lord commended the church for persevering, which really just sums up the above three points, but adds an element to it. When we persevere in something, it means it was not something simple or easy for us to do. Persevering requires effort. It requires effort. Let us persevere in our walk with Christ! Even though at times it seems difficult, persevere!
The church in Philadelphia did not have it easy. They had to work hard at things. They still had room to grow (and thus, they had “a little strength”). But nonetheless, they kept with it and did not give up. Let us follow their example in this!
Next week, Lord willing, we will wrap up our brief look at the seven churches when we look at the church in Laodicea (Rev. 3:14-22)
Monday, October 6, 2008
The Seven Churches of Asia: Sardis
As we continue looking at the seven churches written to in the book of Revelation, we come to the church in Sardis.
Revelation 3:1-6
And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead. Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God. Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee. Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy. He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
The Positive:
There are some in the church at Sardis who are doing what they need to be doing. They are Christians who are striving diligently for the cause of Christ. These people are described as being “worthy.” What a wonderful statement from our Lord! That we too might be called worthy should be our goal that we strive for. We also see that those who live this way are the ones who overcome. Let us overcome this world, that we might live for Christ!
The Negative:
Although there are some who are doing what is right in Sardis, the church is generally dead, according to the Lord. They are told that they have a reputation for being alive. That is, they have a reputation of standing strong in the service of the Lord. However, they are also told that in reality, they are dead.
It is a terribly thing to come to rely on a reputation without considering whether it is accurate or not. Or to depend on the reputation to avoid working for Christ. It is certainly good to have a reputation of being strongly on the side of Christ, but that reputation, whether of an individual or congregation, must be accurate.
They are also warned to strengthen that which remains. This is good for any of us to do: to strengthen those things that we do right in the service to God. Serving Christ is not just about not doing wrong and doing right, but also about doing so more strongly and diligently than we have in the past. We must be continually improving in our service to God. Otherwise, we too may face Christ's coming with trepidation and not eagerness.
In emphasis of these points, they are told to repent. Let us all be willing to repent of our sins and strive to push on for the cause of Christ! Let us all be willing to heed correction in our lives that we might strengthen ourselves, strengthen the local congregation, and strengthen the cause of Christ.
Next week, Lord willing, we will examine Revelation 3:7-13, which is directed to the church in Philadelphia
Revelation 3:1-6
And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead. Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God. Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee. Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy. He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
The Positive:
There are some in the church at Sardis who are doing what they need to be doing. They are Christians who are striving diligently for the cause of Christ. These people are described as being “worthy.” What a wonderful statement from our Lord! That we too might be called worthy should be our goal that we strive for. We also see that those who live this way are the ones who overcome. Let us overcome this world, that we might live for Christ!
The Negative:
Although there are some who are doing what is right in Sardis, the church is generally dead, according to the Lord. They are told that they have a reputation for being alive. That is, they have a reputation of standing strong in the service of the Lord. However, they are also told that in reality, they are dead.
It is a terribly thing to come to rely on a reputation without considering whether it is accurate or not. Or to depend on the reputation to avoid working for Christ. It is certainly good to have a reputation of being strongly on the side of Christ, but that reputation, whether of an individual or congregation, must be accurate.
They are also warned to strengthen that which remains. This is good for any of us to do: to strengthen those things that we do right in the service to God. Serving Christ is not just about not doing wrong and doing right, but also about doing so more strongly and diligently than we have in the past. We must be continually improving in our service to God. Otherwise, we too may face Christ's coming with trepidation and not eagerness.
In emphasis of these points, they are told to repent. Let us all be willing to repent of our sins and strive to push on for the cause of Christ! Let us all be willing to heed correction in our lives that we might strengthen ourselves, strengthen the local congregation, and strengthen the cause of Christ.
Next week, Lord willing, we will examine Revelation 3:7-13, which is directed to the church in Philadelphia
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