Are We Any Better Than The Pharisees?

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I am wondering if we have become like the Pharisees before Christ came and hung on the cross?

We 'dig' into the Bible to the point where the Church as been fractured by single lines of scripture-or just the interpretation of a single word.

Are we any better? If the 'Church' was loving the way it was supposed too....wouldn't we be a shining example attracting people like a magnet?

Or do we blame the lost for not opening their eyes?
 
I am wondering if we have become like the Pharisees before Christ came and hung on the cross?

We 'dig' into the Bible to the point where the Church as been fractured by single lines of scripture-or just the interpretation of a single word.

Are we any better? If the 'Church' was loving the way it was supposed too....wouldn't we be a shining example attracting people like a magnet?

Or do we blame the lost for not opening their eyes?

Yes! Completely with you on this. Has been in my thoughts for the last few weeks. Are we any better than them. The more I grow in Christ the more I see the way he see's the lost and its simply amazing!

All the more reason why we need Holy Spirit to guide us with scripture so as to us now mis-reading/mis-interpreting and focusing on something to the point where we start to make up theories etc.
 
I am wondering if we have become like the Pharisees before Christ came and hung on the cross?

We 'dig' into the Bible to the point where the Church as been fractured by single lines of scripture-or just the interpretation of a single word.

Are we any better? If the 'Church' was loving the way it was supposed too....wouldn't we be a shining example attracting people like a magnet?

Or do we blame the lost for not opening their eyes?
Well to answer your question....yes. We are better than the Pharisees. If you are a child of God then you are better than they who Jesus called children of the Devil. Now is it something that we should take credit for? No. We give all the glory to God. We must remember though that there are many who are claim to be Christians but are not and will attempt to deceive others and twist scripture. Then there are examples of true disagreements between true children of God over certain scripture. This is due to the fact that even as children of God we are not perfect...yet. Some of these disputes are over "grey" areas in the scripture.
 
Well to answer your question....yes. We are better than the Pharisees. If you are a child of God then you are better than they who Jesus called children of the Devil. Now is it something that we should take credit for? No. We give all the glory to God. We must remember though that there are many who are claim to be Christians but are not and will attempt to deceive others and twist scripture. Then there are examples of true disagreements between true children of God over certain scripture. This is due to the fact that even as children of God we are not perfect...yet. Some of these disputes are over "grey" areas in the scripture.

You may be right Grappler. Then there may be something a little more sinister involved.

In my experience over the years the arguments tend to focus on those who tend to want the approval of others. To win the approval of others, it becomes important to be right in all arguments. "Right is might".

It seems to me that people who find themselves in arguments a lot and heatadly, are seeking the approval of others and are constaintly living with an idenity crisis. They do not know who they are and they wind up being defined by what others think of them hence the confrontations. The sad part of that is that their security is built on others and they will always be fragmented destined to go from one argument to another.

Do'nt think so??? Go to any Q & A site where their is conversations over situations and see what is happening.
 
Well to answer your question....yes. We are better than the Pharisees. If you are a child of God then you are better than they who Jesus called children of the Devil. Now is it something that we should take credit for? No. We give all the glory to God. We must remember though that there are many who are claim to be Christians but are not and will attempt to deceive others and twist scripture. Then there are examples of true disagreements between true children of God over certain scripture. This is due to the fact that even as children of God we are not perfect...yet. Some of these disputes are over "grey" areas in the scripture.
Yes, I agree. There are those who say they are Christians, but they are really known or knowable by their fruits.
To put things 0n a personal level, Major and I have in the past had some 'humdingers' of arguments. however, I have come to love him as a brother in Christ and I have a lot of respect for him and the spirit I discern within him. That doesn't mean I think the 'old coot' is right all the time though:).
My understanding of the Pharisee is that they were self righteous people who took the law as their standard and rejected the Spirit behind that law.
 
You may be right Grappler. Then there may be something a little more sinister involved.

In my experience over the years the arguments tend to focus on those who tend to want the approval of others. To win the approval of others, it becomes important to be right in all arguments. "Right is might".

It seems to me that people who find themselves in arguments a lot and heatadly, are seeking the approval of others and are constaintly living with an idenity crisis. They do not know who they are and they wind up being defined by what others think of them hence the confrontations. The sad part of that is that their security is built on others and they will always be fragmented destined to go from one argument to another.

Do'nt think so??? Go to any Q & A site where their is conversations over situations and see what is happening.
Sadly, we see that security thing being built through belligerence toward others right here at this forum Major.
There are the 'school yard bully boys', and those who love to sow discord, but they are known by their fruit.
 
You may be right Grappler. Then there may be something a little more sinister involved.

In my experience over the years the arguments tend to focus on those who tend to want the approval of others. To win the approval of others, it becomes important to be right in all arguments. "Right is might".

It seems to me that people who find themselves in arguments a lot and heatadly, are seeking the approval of others and are constaintly living with an idenity crisis. They do not know who they are and they wind up being defined by what others think of them hence the confrontations. The sad part of that is that their security is built on others and they will always be fragmented destined to go from one argument to another.

Do'nt think so??? Go to any Q & A site where their is conversations over situations and see what is happening.
You are probably right as well.
 
Yes, I agree. There are those who say they are Christians, but they are really known or knowable by their fruits.
To put things 0n a personal level, Major and I have in the past had some 'humdingers' of arguments. however, I have come to love him as a brother in Christ and I have a lot of respect for him and the spirit I discern within him. That doesn't mean I think the 'old coot' is right all the time though:).
My understanding of the Pharisee is that they were self righteous people who took the law as their standard and rejected the Spirit behind that law.
(y)
 
Verse 15 seems to identify them as false prophets, so I believe that would mean children of the devil and false Christians, ...they both come from the same loaf, don't they?

Gene
 
Personally, one way I take the book of Matthew is the presentation of Jesus as King of kings, now every kingdom has to have rules and laws that are presented by the king to his subjects for governing the kingdom, hence chapters 5-7 can be considered as the constitution of the Kingdom of God when Jesus comes to rule for 1000 years.

Gene
 
Ahhhhhhh, who can dare to claim to be living by those standards today?

However, those who are indwelt by the Holy Spirit can desire in their spirit (not my will, but Your will be done in my heart) to live by them, ...sometimes we listen to the Holy Spirit's guidance and sometimes we don't, ...that's why we claim His grace is sufficient for us.

Gene
 
Are there 'grey areas' in God's Word? Or are there man-made conundrums for which we try to compromise the Word too?

It seems to me as we [going to us the nasty 'e' word] evolve as a society and culture, the only grey area is one made by man-not God's word. The problems come from a lack f obedience to God's Word, a slipping of the 'Holy' standard-not for the lack of God covering a subject. The more 'independent' we feel we are of God-the more we compromise and slip away from the Word. In my opinion....

Think on Solomon's kingdom and how the world marveled at it-then his son took over.....
 
Are there 'grey areas' in God's Word? Or are there man-made conundrums for which we try to compromise the Word too?

What's a grey area, is it not something man doesn't fully understand? Just because man doesn't understand it doesn't mean God doesn't know it, in fact He's the One who thought/created the subject and if He knows it then the Holy Spirit will reveal it to us in His time.

I have observed that people have grey area's because they aren't ready to understand it it, just like we can't teach trig or calculus to kindergartners, there are foundational truths and principles that need to be learned first.

Gene
 
Okay,

I guess the way I would define a 'grey area' in God's Word would be: something God did not address completely.

Not so much a level of comprehension; the reason I say that is because as 'Christians' following: #1 Christ, #2 Parents, #3 Pastor, #4 Elders, #5 Brothers and Sisters in Christ; comprehension would be dealt with by the 'teachers'.

But since the teachers are not following the same doctrine-confusion, a lack of comprehension and disdain prevail. (Not being of "one accord")
 
Are there 'grey areas' in God's Word? Or are there man-made conundrums for which we try to compromise the Word too?

It seems to me as we [going to us the nasty 'e' word] evolve as a society and culture, the only grey area is one made by man-not God's word. The problems come from a lack f obedience to God's Word, a slipping of the 'Holy' standard-not for the lack of God covering a subject. The more 'independent' we feel we are of God-the more we compromise and slip away from the Word. In my opinion....

Think on Solomon's kingdom and how the world marveled at it-then his son took over.....
Actually the grey area is between our ears. To God nothing is grey...to our limited understanding of reality yes there is a lot of grey out there, I am sure that you have noticed that scriptures don't cover every single aspect of existence.
 
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