Matthew 23
23
1Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and his disciples: 2“The religious teachers and the Pharisees are responsible as interpreters of the law of Moses,#23:2. Literally, “sit in Moses' seat.” 3so obey them and do everything they tell you. But don't follow what they do, because they don't practice what they preach. 4They tie up heavy burdens, and place them on people's shoulders, but they themselves don't lift a finger to help them. 5Everything they do is to make sure they get noticed. They make themselves large prayer boxes#23:5. Or “phylacteries.” These were leather boxes tied to the forehead and arms containing written texts: Exodus 13:1-6 and Deuteronomy 6:4-9; Deuteronomy 11:13-21. to wear and long tassels on their clothes.#23:5. These tassels were to show their devotion to God. See Numbers 15:37-41. 6They love to have the places of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues. 7They love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, and for people to call them, ‘Rabbi.’#23:7 This is a Hebrew word meaning “my great one,” and was used as a term of respect for religious teachers.
8Don't let people call you ‘Rabbi.’ Only one is your Master Teacher, and you are all brothers. 9Don't call anyone by the title ‘Father’ here on earth. Only one is your Father, who is in heaven. 10Don't let people call you ‘Teacher.’ Only one is your Teacher, the Messiah. 11The greatest among you will be your servant. 12Those who make themselves great will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be made great.
13But what a disaster is coming on you religious teachers and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You slam shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people's faces. You yourselves don't go in, yet you don't let anyone in who is trying to enter. 14#23:14. Verse 14 is not in the most reliable early manuscripts. 15What a disaster is coming on you, religious teachers and Pharisees, you hypocrites! For you travel over land and sea to make a single convert, and when you do, you make him twice a son of Gehenna#23:15. “Gehenna” (see under 5:22). The emphasis here is on the destiny of the wicked. as you are yourselves. 16What a disaster is coming on those of you who say, ‘If you swear by the Temple that doesn't count, but if you swear by the gold of the Temple, then you have to keep your oath.’ What blind guides you are! 17What is greater—the gold, or the Temple that makes the gold holy? 18You say, ‘If you swear on the altar that doesn't count, but if you swear on the sacrifice that's on the altar, then you have to keep your oath.’ 19How foolish and blind you are! What is greater—the sacrifice, or the altar that makes the sacrifice holy? 20If you swear by the altar, you swear by it and by everything that's on it. 21If you swear by the Temple you swear by it and by the one who lives there. 22If you swear by heaven you swear by the throne of God and the one who sits there.
23What a disaster is coming on you religious teachers and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You pay a tithe of mint, aniseed, and cumin, but you neglect the vital aspects of the law—doing good, showing mercy, exercising trust. Yes, you should pay your tithe, but don't forget these other things. 24You blind guides—you strain what you drink to keep out a fly but then you swallow a camel!
25What a disaster is coming on you religious teachers and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside you're full of greed and self-indulgence. 26You blind Pharisees! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, so that the outside will also be clean.
27What a disaster is coming on you religious teachers and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, looking good on the outside, but on the inside full of skeletons and all kinds of rottenness.#23:27. Literally, “uncleanness.” 28You're just the same. On the outside you look like good people to others, but on the inside you're full of hypocrisy and wickedness.
29What a disaster is coming on you religious teachers and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs as memorials to the prophets, and decorate the tombs of the good, 30and you say, ‘If we had lived in the times of our ancestors we would not have joined them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ 31But by saying this you testify against yourselves, proving that you belong to those who murdered the prophets! 32So get on with it—finish it all off using your forefathers' methods! 33You snakes, you brood of vipers, how will you escape the judgment of Gehenna?#23:33. “Gehenna” (see under 5:22). Referring to the end-time judgment.
34That's why I'm sending you prophets, wise men, and teachers. Some of them you will kill, some of them you will crucify, and some of them you will flog in your synagogues, hunting them from town to town. 35As a result, you will be held accountable for the blood of all the good people that has been poured out on the land—from the blood of Abel, who did what was right, to the blood of Zechariah son of Barachiah, whom you killed between the Temple and the altar.
36I'm telling you, the consequences of all this will fall on this generation. 37Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to you! So often I wanted to gather your children as a mother hen gathers her chicks under her wings—but you wouldn't let me. 38Now look—your house#23:38. The word house may refer to the Temple. is left abandoned, totally empty. 39I tell you this: you won't see me from now on until you say, ‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.’”#23:39. Quoting Psalms 118:26.
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Matthew 23: FBV
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Dr. Jonathan Gallagher. Released under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 Unported License. Version 4.3. For corrections send email to jonathangallagherfbv@gmail.com
Matthew 23
23
A Warning Against Hypocrisy
1Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: 2“The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. 4They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.
5 “Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries # 23:5 That is, boxes containing Scripture verses, worn on forehead and arm wide and the tassels on their garments long; 6they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; 7they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others.
8 “But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. 9And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. 10Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah. 11The greatest among you will be your servant. 12For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
Seven Woes on the Teachers of the Law and the Pharisees
13 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to. [14]#23:14 Some manuscripts include here words similar to Mark 12:40 and Luke 20:47.
15 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of hell as you are.
16 “Woe to you, blind guides! You say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gold of the temple is bound by that oath.’ 17You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred? 18You also say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gift on the altar is bound by that oath.’ 19You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred? 20Therefore, anyone who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. 21And anyone who swears by the temple swears by it and by the one who dwells in it. 22And anyone who swears by heaven swears by God’s throne and by the one who sits on it.
23 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. 24You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.
25 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.
27 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. 28In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.
29 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous. 30And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ 31So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. 32Go ahead, then, and complete what your ancestors started!
33 “You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell? 34Therefore I am sending you prophets and sages and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify; others you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town. 35And so upon you will come all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berekiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. 36Truly I tell you, all this will come on this generation.
37 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing. 38Look, your house is left to you desolate. 39For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’#23:39 Psalm 118:26”
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