Thematic Bible: Admonition against


Thematic Bible




If there arise in the midst of you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and he give you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder come to pass, of which he spoke to you, saying, "Let us go after other gods" (which you have not known) "and let us serve them"; you shall not listen to the words of that prophet, or to that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God proves you, to know whether you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

Whoever, therefore, shall break one of these least commandments, and teach others to do so, shall be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven; but whoever shall do and teach them shall be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.

saying, "Upon the seat of Moses the Pharisees and scribes sit. All which they will say unto you, observe and do; but their works do not do, because they say, and do not do. For they bind heavy burdens that are grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not lift a finger to help them. read more.
But all their works they do to be seen by others. They make their tefillin broad and enlarge the fringe of their garments, and love the place of honor at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, the salutations in the marketplaces, and to be called 'Rabbi' by men. But you are not to be called 'Rabbi,' for one is your Teacher, and all of you are brothers. Call no man on the earth your father, for one is your Father, he who is in heaven. Neither be called masters, for one is your master, the Messiah. But he who is greatest among you will be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. "But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites. Because you shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against men; for you do not enter in yourselves, neither do you allow those who are entering in to enter." 15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites. For you travel around by sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much of a son of hell as yourselves. "Woe to you, you blind guides, who say, 'Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obligated.' You blind fools. For which is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifies the gold? 'Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is on it, he is obligated?' You blind men. For which is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifies the gift? He therefore who swears by the altar, swears by it, and by everything on it. He who swears by the temple, swears by it, and by him who was living in it. He who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God, and by him who sits on it. "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites. For you tithe mint, dill, and cumin, and have left undone the weightier matters of the Law: justice, mercy, and faith. But you ought to have done these, and not to have left the other undone. You blind guides, who strain out a gnat, and swallow a camel. "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites. For you clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the platter, that its outside may become clean also. "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites. For you are like whitened tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but inwardly are full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites. For you build the tombs of the prophets, and decorate the tombs of the righteous, and say, 'If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.' Therefore you testify to yourselves that you are children of those who killed the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers. You serpents, you offspring of vipers, how will you escape the judgment of hell?

"Why do your disciples disobey the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread." And he answered them, "Why do you also disobey the commandment of God because of your tradition? For God said, 'Honor your father and your mother,' and, 'He who speaks evil of father or mother, let him be put to death.' read more.
But you say, 'Whoever may tell his father or his mother, "Whatever help you might otherwise have gotten from me is a gift devoted to God," he shall not honor his father or mother.' You have made the word of God void because of your tradition. You hypocrites. Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying, 'These people honor me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. And in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrine rules made by men.'" He summoned the crowd, and said to them, "Hear, and understand. That which enters into the mouth does not defile the man; but that which proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the man." Then the disciples came, and said to him, "Do you know that the Pharisees were offended, when they heard this saying?" But he answered, "Every plant which my heavenly Father did not plant will be uprooted. Leave them alone. They are blind guides. If the blind guide the blind, both will fall into a pit." Peter answered him, "Explain the parable to us." So he said, "Do you also still not understand? Do you not understand that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the belly, and then out of the body? But the things which proceed out of the mouth come out of the heart, and they defile the man. For out of the heart come forth evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual sins, thefts, false testimony, and blasphemies. These are the things which defile the man; but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile the man."

When the Pharisee saw it, he marveled that he had not first washed himself before dinner. The Lord said to him, "Now you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the platter, but your inward part is full of extortion and wickedness. You foolish ones, did not he who made the outside make the inside also? read more.
But give for gifts to the needy those things which are within, and see, all things will be clean to you. But woe to you Pharisees. For you tithe mint and rue and every herb, but you bypass justice and the love of God. You ought to have done these, and not to have left the other undone. Woe to you Pharisees. For you love the best seats in the synagogues, and the greetings in the marketplaces. Woe to you. For you are like hidden graves, and the men who walk over them do not know it." One of the Law scholars answered him, "Teacher, in saying this you insult us also." He said, "Woe to you Law scholars also. For you load people with burdens that are difficult to carry, and you yourselves won't even lift one finger to help carry those burdens. Woe to you. For you build the tombs of the prophets, and your fathers killed them. So you are witnesses and consent to the works of your fathers. For they killed them, and you build their tombs. Therefore also the wisdom of God said, 'I will send to them prophets and apostles; and some of them they will kill and persecute, that the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation; from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who perished between the altar and the sanctuary.' Yes, I tell you, it will be required of this generation. Woe to you Law scholars. For you took away the key of knowledge. You did not enter in yourselves, and those who were entering in, you hindered."