June 05, 2006
I'd Make a Good Pharisee
I like rules and structure, so jokingly I told friends that I thought I’d make a good Pharisee. Hindsight told me I really should learn more about the Pharisees before I become a candidate. I found a great book (although it sent me to the dictionary on more than one occasion) Pharisees, Scribes and Sadducees in Palestinian Society, by Anthony J. Saldarini. When the Bible was my only reference, I pictured the Pharisees as highly educated, prominent men. Paul was certainly elevated in my mind because he was “a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee”. However, I quickly pulled Paul off the pedestal after learning Josephus completed all of his training with the Pharisees, Sadducees and Essenes in one year! I’m thinking mail order diploma here.
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2 comments:
Gail;
----I agree, you would make a good Pharasee. But not in the sense of the term that it has come to hold today. There was a time when the term "Pharasee" was a term of great, great, honor. And some of them were good Pharasees, because when they were met by Jesus, in good time they recognized Him, and they turned to Him. I like to think that these were the Pharisess that, although they may have earned their credentials in one year, they continued their studies of the scriptures, godliness, and honest humility as long as they were drawing breathe. I wasn't there, so I don't know if there were many, but the Bible does speak of a few good Pharasees. And from what I know of you, if you were a Pharasee, you would be one of the good ones.
Hey Steve,
Thanks for the endorsement and vote of confidence! As you pointed out, there were some good Pharisees. Even though they were the major source of conflict in Jesus’ ministry, they did agree with Him on some issues, like the resurrection.
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