Thematic Bible: Self-righteousness


Thematic Bible






The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee that I am not as other men are: extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast two meals every sabbath; I give tithes of all that I possess.

No one, when he has lighted a lamp, puts it in a secret place, neither under a bushel, but on a lampstand that those who come in may see the light. The lamp of the body is the eye; therefore when thine eye is sincere, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness. Take heed therefore if the light which is in thee is darkness. read more.
If thy whole body therefore is full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light as when the bright shining of a lamp doth give thee light. And as he spoke, a certain Pharisee besought him to dine with him, and he went in and sat down to food. And when the Pharisee saw it, he marvelled that he had not first washed before dinner. And the Lord said unto him, Now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter; but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness. Ye fools, did not he that made that which is without make that which is within also? But rather give alms of such things as ye have; and, behold, all things are clean unto you. But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs and pass over the judgment and the charity of God; these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. Woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye love the first seats in the synagogues and greetings in the markets. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are as graves which are not seen, and the men that walk over them are not aware of them. Then one of the lawyers answered and said unto him, Master, saying these things, thou dost reproach us also. And he said, Woe unto you also, ye lawyers! for ye burden men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers. Woe unto you! for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and your fathers killed them. Truly ye bear witness that ye allow the deeds of your fathers: for they indeed killed them, and ye build their sepulchres. Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and others they shall 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 unto the blood of Zacharias, who perished between the altar and the temple; verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation. Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and those that were entering in, ye hindered. And as he said these things unto them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to urge him vehemently and to provoke him to speak of many things, laying wait for him and seeking to catch something out of his mouth that they might accuse him.

They answered him, We are Abraham's seed, and we have never served anyone; how sayest thou, Ye shall be set free? Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever commits sin is the slave of sin. And the slave does not abide in the house for ever, but the Son abides for ever. read more.
If the Son therefore shall set you free, ye shall be free indeed. I know that ye are Abraham's seed, but ye seek to kill me because my word has no place in you. I speak that which I have seen with my Father, and ye do that which ye have seen with your father. They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus said unto them, If ye were Abraham's sons, ye would do the works of Abraham. But now ye seek to kill me, a man that has told you the truth, which I have heard of God; Abraham did not do this. Ye do the deeds of your father. Then they said to him, We are not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God. Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would surely love me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither did I come of myself, but he sent me. Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. Ye are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father ye desire to do. He was a murderer from the beginning and abode not in the truth because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks of his own, for he is a liar and the father of it. And because I tell you the truth, ye do not believe me. Which of you reproves me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? He that is of God hears God's words; ye therefore hear them not because ye are not of God. Then the Jews answered, and said unto him, Do we not say well that thou art a Samaritan and hast a demon? Jesus answered, I do not have a demon; but I honour my Father, and ye do dishonour me. And I seek not my own glory; there is one that seeks it and judges. Verily, verily, I say unto you, If anyone keeps my word, he shall not see death forever. Then the Jews said unto him, Now we know that thou hast a demon. Abraham died and the prophets; and thou sayest, If a man keeps my word, he shall not taste death forever? Art thou greater than our father Abraham who died? and the prophets died; whom makest thou thyself? Jesus answered, If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing; it is my Father that glorifies me, of whom ye say that he is your God; yet ye have not known him, but I know him; and if I should say, I do not know him, I shall be a liar like unto you; but I know him and keep his word. Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day, and he saw it and was glad. Then the Jews said unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I AM. Then they took up stones to cast at him, but Jesus concealed himself and went out of the temple, and going through the midst of them, went away.

Then they reviled him and said, Be thou his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. We know that God spoke unto Moses; as for this fellow, we do not know where he is from. The man answered and said unto them, Indeed this is a marvellous thing that ye do not know where he is from, and yet he has opened my eyes. read more.
Now we know that God does not hear sinners, but if anyone should fear God and do his will, him he will hear. Since the world began it has not been heard of that anyone opened the eyes of one that was born blind. If this man were not of God, he could do nothing. They answered and said unto him, Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us? And they cast him out.

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup or of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and incontinence. Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter that the outside of them may be clean also. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whitewashed sepulchres, who indeed appear beautiful outside, but inside are full of dead men's bones and of all uncleanness. read more.
Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

And the Lord said unto him, Now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter; but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness. Ye fools, did not he that made that which is without make that which is within also? But rather give alms of such things as ye have; and, behold, all things are clean unto you. read more.
But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs and pass over the judgment and the charity of God; these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. Woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye love the first seats in the synagogues and greetings in the markets. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are as graves which are not seen, and the men that walk over them are not aware of them.



Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw it, he spoke within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that touches him, for she is a sinner. Verse ConceptsSinnersUncharitablenessChrist Knowing About PeopleSoliloquyWho Is This?What Kind?Jesus The Prophet

And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why does your Master eat with publicans and sinners? But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, Those that are whole need not a physician, but those that are sick. Therefore go ye and learn what this is, I will have mercy and not sacrifice, for I am not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.




who say, Stand by thyself, do not come near to me; for I am holier than thou. These are a smoke in my nose, a fire that burns all the day. Verse ConceptsHypocrisy, Description OfNosesPrejudicePride, Examples OfSmokeHypocrites, Description OfFire Of EvilAll DayHolier Than ThouChanging YourselfsmokingSmoke Used Poetically

And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? Verse ConceptsLawyersInheritance, SpiritualSeeking LifeTesting ChristDoing God's WorksTests


And doubtless I even count all things as loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ and be found in him, not having my own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death, read more.
if by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.

But those things which were gain to me, I counted loss for Christ. And doubtless I even count all things as loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ and be found in him, not having my own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: read more.
That I may know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death,

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whitewashed sepulchres, who indeed appear beautiful outside, but inside are full of dead men's bones and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

Think not in thine heart, after the LORD thy God has cast them out from before thee, saying, Because of my righteousness the LORD has brought me in to inherit this land; rather for the wickedness of these Gentiles the LORD drives them out from before thee. Verse ConceptsRetributionSelf Righteousness, Nature OfWhy It Happened


And Samuel came to Saul, and Saul said unto him, Blessed be thou of the LORD; I have performed the commandment of the LORD. Verse ConceptsLying, Examples OfSalutationsI Keep The Commandmentssaul



and say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. Verse ConceptsSheddingAncestorsKilling ProphetsProphets KilledTimes Of People

Two men went up into the temple to pray, the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee that I am not as other men are: extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast two meals every sabbath; I give tithes of all that I possess.

I will declare thy righteousness, and thy works; for they shall not profit thee. Verse ConceptsUnprofitable Sins

And Samuel came to Saul, and Saul said unto him, Blessed be thou of the LORD; I have performed the commandment of the LORD. Then Samuel said, What means then this bleating of the sheep in my ears and the lowing of the oxen which I hear? And Saul said, They have brought them from Amalek, for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God, and the rest we have utterly destroyed. read more.
Then Samuel said unto Saul, Stay, and I will tell thee what the LORD hath said to me this night. And he said unto him, Say on. And Samuel said, When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the LORD anointed thee king over Israel? And the LORD sent thee on a journey and said, Go and utterly destroy the sinners of Amalek and fight against them until they are consumed. Why then didst thou not hear the voice of the LORD but didst fly upon the spoil and didst evil in the sight of the LORD? And Saul said unto Samuel, But I have obeyed the voice of the LORD and have gone the way which the LORD sent me and have brought Agag, the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the firstfruits of the anathema, to sacrifice them unto the LORD thy God in Gilgal. And Samuel said, Does the LORD have as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in hearing the voice of the LORD? Behold, to hear is better than sacrifice and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is the sin of witchcraft, and to break the word of the Lord is iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he has also rejected thee from being king. Then Saul said unto Samuel, I have sinned; for I have transgressed the commandment of the LORD and thy words because I feared the people and consented unto their voice. Now, therefore, I pray thee, pardon my sin and turn again with me that I may worship the LORD. And Samuel said unto Saul, I will not return with thee, for thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD has rejected thee from being king over Israel. And as Samuel turned about to go away, he laid hold upon the skirt of his mantle, and it rent. And Samuel said unto him, The LORD has rent the kingdom of Israel from thee today and has given it to a neighbour of thine that is better than thou. And also the Overcomer of Israel will not lie nor repent concerning this, for he is not a man, that he should repent. Then he said, I have sinned; yet honour me now, I pray thee, before the elders of my people and before Israel and turn again with me that I may worship the LORD thy God. So Samuel turned again after Saul, and Saul worshipped the LORD.

And he spoke this parable unto some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and despised others: Two men went up into the temple to pray, the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee that I am not as other men are: extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. read more.
I fast two meals every sabbath; I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God, reconcile me, a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for anyone that exalts himself shall be humbled, and he that humbles himself shall be exalted.


If I wash myself with snow water and make my hands never so clean; yet thou shalt plunge me into the pit, and my own clothes shall abhor me.

For they, being ignorant of God's righteousness and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. Verse ConceptsHypocrisy, Description OfLegalismSelf Righteousness, Nature OfSelf Righteousness, And The GospelSpiritual IgnoranceTrusting In WorksSeeking For Abstract ThingsIgnorance of GodignoranceFutile Faith

who say, Stand by thyself, do not come near to me; for I am holier than thou. These are a smoke in my nose, a fire that burns all the day. Verse ConceptsHypocrisy, Description OfNosesPrejudicePride, Examples OfSmokeHypocrites, Description OfFire Of EvilAll DayHolier Than ThouChanging YourselfsmokingSmoke Used Poetically

For they, being ignorant of God's righteousness and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. Verse ConceptsHypocrisy, Description OfLegalismSelf Righteousness, Nature OfSelf Righteousness, And The GospelSpiritual IgnoranceTrusting In WorksSeeking For Abstract ThingsIgnorance of GodignoranceFutile Faith



The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee that I am not as other men are: extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. Verse ConceptsExtortion, Examples OfAttitudes, in prayerHypocrisy, Description OfPrejudiceStandingStatusTax CollectorsHypocrites, Description OfSelf DelusionEvildoersNot Like PeopleAvoid AdulteryWe Thank GodConfession of sin


If I justify myself, my own mouth shall condemn me: if I say, I am perfect, he shall prove me perverse. Verse ConceptsSelf CondemnationHuman ImperfectionPlea Of Innocencecondemnation


For they, being ignorant of God's righteousness and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. Verse ConceptsHypocrisy, Description OfLegalismSelf Righteousness, Nature OfSelf Righteousness, And The GospelSpiritual IgnoranceTrusting In WorksSeeking For Abstract ThingsIgnorance of GodignoranceFutile Faith