The Pharisees

The Pharisees were one of three major Jewish groups, along with the Sadducees and the Essenes. Unlike some other groups, the Pharisees did not try to gain political power. They began as part of a group called the hasidim (pious ones), who opposed mixing Greek culture and religion with Judaism in the second century BC.

The Pharisees tried to make the Old Testament law practical for Jews who wanted to obey it. They focused on both the written law of Moses (called torah) and oral traditions they said Moses passed down. Their goal was to protect the written law from any violations. They were known for being devout and law-abiding.

The Pharisees shared their interpretations of the law orally from one generation to the next. This created a tradition about legal matters. They made the law relevant by creating specific guidelines for many situations. They believed that if everyone followed the law, the nation would be free of sin, and God would rule over all nations. This future goal motivated their focus on obedience. The Pharisees' traditions later became the rabbinic writings known as the Mishnah and the Talmud.

The Pharisees were a small group. But they had a lot of influence in Israel (see Matthew 15:12–14; see also Josephus, War 2.8.14; Antiquities 13.10.5). They mainly influenced local synagogue communities. The Sadducees, however, were more influential in temple worship in Jerusalem and in the Sanhedrin, the Jewish high council.

Unlike the Sadducees, the Pharisees strongly believed in the resurrection of the dead (see Acts 23:6–8). After Jerusalem's destruction in AD 70, the Pharisees led and guided the people of Israel.

There was often conflict between Jesus and the Pharisees. Jesus accused them of hypocrisy (saying one thing but doing another) and prioritizing human rules over God's righteous standards. He opposed them because they led people away from God's plan for redemption. Although they were Israel's religious leaders, Jesus criticized them as hypocrites for distorting teachings and practices (see Matthew 23). The Pharisees opposed Jesus. They rejected him and his work mainly because he ignored their traditions (see, for example, Matthew 15:1–20).

Passages for Further Study

Matthew 3:7; 5:20; 9:10–14, 34; 12:1–14, 22–24, 38–40; 15:1–14; 16:1–12; 19:3; 21:45; 22:15, 34; 23:1–7, 13–31; 27:62–64; Mark 2:23–25; 3:1–6; 7:1–13; 8:11–12; 12:13–17; Luke 5:17–21, 29–32; 6:6–11; 7:28–30, 36–49; 11:37–54; 12:1–3; 13:31; 14:1–6; 15:1–2; 16:13–15; 17:20–21; 18:9–14; 19:38–40; John 1:24–25; 3:1; 7:31–32, 45–52; 8:3–10, 13; 9:13–34, 40; 11:46–57; 12:17–19, 42; 18:3; Acts 5:27–40; 15:5; 23:6–10; 26:4–5; Philippians 3:5–7