As we saw, some of the rabbis paid so much attention to the rules and traditions created to assist in the keeping of the law of Moses that they failed to distinguish between the two. After a while, the words of the rabbis gained canonical status; people thought they were as binding as Scripture. In all probability, when the rabbis originally wrote their commentaries, they had no intention of adding to the pages of Scripture. However, their devoted disciples probably [...]
Although the scribes and Pharisees sat in Moses’ seat, their source of authority for religious instruction extended beyond the Old Testament. The law that the Pharisees utilized consisted of biblical interpretations of leading rabbis. These interpretations were not intended to replace the Scriptures but to complement them. At first they circulated orally; later the scribes began to assemble them into books.
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The first official publication of rabbinic law did not appear until the end of [...]
While the scribes and Pharisees appear to be two separate groups who just happened to be lumped together, the scribes were likely a subset of the Pharisees (see Acts 23:9). The Pharisees became a visible group during the time of the Grecian Empire. They are believed to be the remnants of a pious Jewish sect, known as the Hasidim, who helped to fight in the Maccabean revolution against Greece.
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The name Pharisees is derived from [...]
Read for This Week’s Study: Matt. 23:1-7, Matt. 15:1-6, Isa. 29:13, Matt. 5:17-20, Rom. 10:3.
Memory Text: “This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the percepts of men ” (Matthew 15:8-9, RSV).
John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist Church, suggested that one’s theology is influenced by four factors: faith, reason, Scripture, and tradition. He didn’t mean, however, that all sides are equally [...]
Yesuvadian was in his 60s when he first met Jesus through a dream. God called him to serve Him, and Yesuvadian answered. He left his farm to his family and walked away to followed God’s leading.
Yesuvadian courtesy of the General Conference Office of Adventist Mission
For several years he walked from village to village sharing his newfound faith in God with others. In the past 25 years, he has led more than 400 people to Christ, revived three dying [...]
Further Study: For more information on this week’s topic, read Ellen G. White, At the Feast of Tabernacles, pp. 447-454; Among Snares, pp. 455-462, in The Desire of Ages.
Three times a year the Jews were required to assemble at Jerusalem for religious purposes. Enshrouded in the pillar of cloud, Israel’s invisible Leader had given the directions in regard to these gatherings. During the captivity of the Jews, they could not be observed; but when the people were restored to their [...]
[Thought questions for Christ and the Law of Moses April 9, 2014]
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1. Introduction. What is your attitude toward the Mosaic law? When you read the Bible through, how do the descriptions of feasts and sacrifices and other rituals as described in the Old Testament affect you? Are you ever tempted to skim past those chapters and “get on with” the rest of the Bible? Why did Jesus and His earthly family follow the requirements [...]
(Matt 5:17-20)
As we have seen, Jesus was a faithful citizen who fulfilled His responsibilities as a Jewish male, even when His life was in danger (see, for example, John 7:1, 25-26; 10:31). In fact, Jesus makes it clear that it was not His purpose to abolish the Law or the Prophets (Matt. 5:17-20, NKJV).
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How, then, are we to understand John 8:1-11 and Matthew 19:1-9 in light of Deuteronomy 22:23-24 and 24:1-4? What is happening [...]
Sunday’s section of this week’s Sabbath School lesson, mentions circumcision, which some people in Western cultures now classify as barbaric. I have also heard a few good Christians question why God chose circumcision for a sign of belonging to Him? In certain safe circles faithful Christian men have asked, “Why the penis of all places?”
We all know circumcision is no longer a sign of a covenant between God and us, and we’re glad for that. Still it puzzles some believers and unbelievers [...]
(Matt 17:24-27)
As last week’s lesson noted, the law of Moses had both civic and ceremonial components. The ceremonial aspect means that the temple was at the center of Jewish religious life. In fact, by the first century, the temple was probably the only remaining structure that gave the Jews any sense of national identity.
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The temple that stood in Jerusalem was undergoing renovations during Jesus’ ministry. Herod the Great had started the grandiose project in [...]
