When the terms "Pharisee" or "Pharisaism" are used, we usually picture hypocritical and arrogant people who considered themselves superior to other Jews of their time. While such ideas are not wrong, they do not get to the heart of the matter of Pharisaism, which has deeper roots than simply poor conduct and a haughty attitude.
The term "Pharisee" derives from the Hebrew "“pharash“, which means “to be separated”.
In doctrinal terms, the Pharisees saw themselves—due to their extreme zeal for Jewish laws and the traditions derived from them—as a group separate from other Jews. They considered that the Torah could be summarized in 613 traditions (developed from their own interpretations of the Law of Moses), and the observance of these traditions was constantly and relentlessly demanded by them from other Jews of their time.
Some of these traditions bordered on the absurd, such as one that forbade a person from looking in a mirror on Saturdays… this was because they might notice they had some gray hair, feel tempted to remove it, and by doing so, would be violating the absolute rest imposed by the Jewish Sabbath.
However, the Pharisees were not only problematic in religious matters: the true source of their harmfulness was their political ambition to maintain the power they held over the people.
Being considered authorities on the Torah, they were obeyed almost unconditionally by many. The few who dared to rebel against such tyranny were frequently summoned to the Sanhedrin and judged, practically always already condemned in advance through the summoning of bribed witnesses.
During Roman rule, the Jewish religion in Israel was treated as Rome treated all the religions of the conquered peoples; that is, it was necessary for the Pharisaic leaders to make concessions to the rulers, accepting certain conditions—including submission to the power of the state—in order to remain in office.
Caiaphas — who belonged to the group of Pharisees and was the high priest at the time Jesus was condemned to crucifixion — certainly maintained good relations with Rome and Pilate, given his long tenure as high priest (about 18 years, something very rare at the time).
This becomes even more evident when one sees that he and his allies were received without any restrictions by the Roman governor when they plotted to hand Jesus over to the state so that he could be crucified (see in Matthew 27:1-2; Mark 15:1 e Luke 23:1).
Jesus was, obviously, a threat to the power of the Pharisees in Israel.
With his preaching centered on the original meaning of Mosaic Law, presenting the necessity of bloodshed for redemption and showing that true faith lay in waiting for the Messiah (see Colossians 2:16-17He discredited the teachings and traditions of the Pharisees, who insisted on fulfilling the law according to their own interpretation (in addition to observing the 613 traditions they added), which only resulted in a heavy burden for the people and the maintenance of their tyranny and power, which were highly financially lucrative for them.
This should be enough to explain their hostility towards Jesus and the apostles…
The result of this ambition was — in addition to the crucifixion of Jesus and the subsequent persecution of the apostles — something that remains to this day: the apostasy of the Jews, who, with the exception of the Messianic Jews, reject Jesus as the Messiah.
All because of these same ambitious Pharisees who, fearing to lose control over the people, bribed the guards to announce that Jesus had not risen from the dead, but that his body had been stolen by the disciples (check in Matthew 28:12-15).
In short, the Pharisees were people who essentially claimed to be followers of God, practitioners of His precepts and observers of His laws, but who, in practice, prioritized their power and political ambition above their declared religiosity. Their supposed fear of God was merely a "facade," a disguise for their real intentions, which were to obtain and maintain their power over the people.
And today, are there any Pharisees left?
The answer is "YES".
Although it is more difficult to perceive the error when one is immersed in it or surrounded by it, the truth is that the Pharisees of modern times continue to act in a manner very similar to those of the early Christian era.
As has been stated, the priority of the original Pharisees was not spirituality, but politics, something that favored them in obtaining and maintaining power over others.
And how could one avoid saying that what is not lacking today are people who use a veneer of religiosity, often invoking the name of God and the Messiah, not because they care about them, but because it makes them more attractive to the electorate, facilitating their access to highly advantageous positions?
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But, frequently and unfortunately, upon reaching their desired positions, they soon reveal that they have no fear of God and, on the contrary, believe they have the right to use their popularity to concentrate more and more power (and, consequently, money) around themselves.
And, to ensure the maintenance of this power, they surround themselves with other Pharisees, who support them almost unconditionally, no matter what they do, because they also seek to have their share of the advantages resulting from the power of these Pharisees.
All of this is supported by a multitude of people who believe they are obeying God by supporting such modern-day Pharisees, when in reality they are nothing more than a source of wealth, power, and prestige for them, while God has no part in it or approval of such attitudes… except as a slogan.
If the consequence of the Pharisaism of Jesus' time was the apostasy of the Jews, what may result from contemporary Pharisaism is the acceptance and exaltation of the Antichrist, whose path has already been followed. It is being paved. by the main world leaders.
O unconditional support from the masses for certain politicians And leaders in the present day only favor the implementation of the New World Order, which has the ambition to establish a single government, a single currency, a single language and — most dangerous of all — a single religion, in which the world leader will be treated as a god.
This leader is the one the Bible identifies as the Antichrist:
Dear Brothers, concerning the return of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together with Him,
(2ⁿᵈ Thessalonians 2:1-4 – KJA)
We implore you not to allow your way of believing to be influenced,
Do not be afraid of any prophecy, word, or letter falsely attributed to us,
as if the Day of the Lord had already arrived.
Don't let yourselves be deceived by anyone, in any way.
For that day will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction.
He who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or is worshiped,
to the point of sitting in God's sanctuary, presenting himself as God.
Believing that they are following God's will by supporting leaders — who, in reality, idolize Many are giving them a sort of "carte blanche" to do and impose whatever they want.
And if the mere crumbs of advantages granted to them by such leaders are enough for them to put their faith in second place, what will become of them when the Antichrist manifests himself and presents the preaching of a "better world," astonishing many with his charisma and influence?
Why would they resist such great political and economic advantages coming from the son of perdition, when they couldn't even resist the "free samples" offered by their predecessors?
Therefore, the Pharisaism of our times is not, in essence, different from that which existed in Israel in the time of Jesus, but its consequences are potentially and exponentially greater, with a reach that can lead not only one nation, but the whole world to turn away from the only Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ.
Political or economic advantages, power, money, and earthly prestige are rarely found in the lives of true children of God; they are much more frequently the mark of the eternal curse that will befall the wicked.
Above all, let every Christian always keep in mind that this world is not their place.
They are not of this world, just as I am not of this world.
(John 17:16 – KJA)
As Jonathan Edwards once said, "The Earth is the only hell believers will endure and the only paradise the wicked will enjoy.".
The Earth was cursed by God the moment humanity fell into sin, and only the creation of New Heavens and a New Earth can truly end this curse.
Then he turned to the man and commanded:
(Genesis 3:17 / Revelation 21:1-4 – KJA)
“"Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, 'You must not eat from it,' cursed is the ground because of you!"
"Through painful toil you will eat your food from the soil all the days of your life."”
(…)
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.
I also saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying:
“"Behold, the tabernacle of God is now among men, and He will dwell with them.".
They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.
He will wipe away every tear from their eyes;
There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away!”
May true Christians receive from the Lord the ability to renounce the privileges of this world, which will not last long: the things that cannot be seen, those are eternal, and it is in them that the reward lies for those who remain faithful to Jesus even in the face of death.
Therefore, we fix our eyes not on what can be seen, but on the things that are unseen;
(2ⁿᵈ Corinthians 4:18 / Revelation 2:10 – KJV)
For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
(…)
Do not fear what you are about to suffer!
Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested,
And you will suffer persecution for ten days.
Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life!
In the Bonds of Calvary
PS. The Pharisees should not be confused with the Sadducees, who were, in fact, their opponents, the latter coming from wealthier families in Israel than the Pharisees. Their name derives from Zadok, a priest whose family, they believed, was to exercise the priesthood in Jerusalem restored after the end of the Babylonian captivity.
The only biblical references to his teachings are the verses from Matthew 22:23, Mark 12:18, Luke 20:27 e Acts 23:8, where it is said that they denied things that the Pharisees recognized, such as the resurrection and the existence of angels and spirits.
The other doctrines of the Sadducees, however, are unknown, as their writings did not survive beyond biblical times.
Coincidences (or not) aside, it seems that the end times are revealing themselves more and more rapidly, and before the Lord returns like a thief in the night, we can already observe signs of the prophesied reign of the Antichrist consolidating not only in Brazil, but throughout the world!
In the 2023 phase of "The Worst Gospel," I decided to use new formats in the hope of helping to increase the reach of content related to the Scriptures—stories, videos, shorter texts, guest authors…—and this publication, which I took the liberty of revising and illustrating, is part of that project.
Thank you for reading this far.
I still need all the help I can get: comments, shares, and reactions help spread this content, which was entirely produced with the intention of contributing to the edification of the Body of Christ in the world.
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