Thematic Bible: Self-righteousness


Thematic Bible






The Pharisee stood and prayed like this: God, I thank you, that I am not like the rest of men, extortionists, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice per week. I give tithes of all that I get.

No man lights a lamp and puts it in a cellar or under a bushel. He puts it on a table so those who enter may see the light. The lamp of your body is your eye. When your eye is clear your entire body is full of light. When it is evil your body is full of darkness. Make sure the light that is in you is not darkness. read more.
If your entire body is full of light and has no darkness you will have no part of the dark. Just as a lamp when shinning brightly gives plenty of light. As he spoke a Pharisee invited him to dine with him. He accepted the invitation and went to eat. The Pharisee wondered about Jesus not bathing before dinner. The Lord said: You Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the platter. Yet your inward part is full of extortion and wickedness. You foolish ones. Did he that made the outside also make the inside? Give that which is within as charity. Then all things are clean for you. Woe to you Pharisees! You tithe mint and rue and every herb, and pass over justice and the love of God. You should have done these but you leave them undone. Woe to you Pharisees! You love the prominent seats in the synagogues, and the greetings in the marketplaces. Woe to you! You are as the tombs that do not appear and men walk over them and do not know it. One of the lawyers said to him: Teacher, you also insult us by saying this. Jesus said: Woe to you lawyers also! For you load men with burdens that are difficult to bear. And you will not even touch the burdens with one of your fingers. Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets, and your fathers killed them. Therefore you are witnesses and consent to the works of your fathers. They killed them and you build their tombs. It is for this reason the wisdom of God said, 'I send to them prophets and apostles and they will persecute and kill some of them.' The blood of all the prophets shed from the foundation of the world may be required of this generation. This includes the blood of Abel to the blood of Zachariah, who perished between the altar and the sanctuary. I tell you it will be required of this generation. Woe to you lawyers, for you took away the key of knowledge. You did not enter in yourselves and you hindered those entering. When he left there the scribes and the Pharisees became hostile with him. They tried to quarrel with him about many things. They plotted against him and tried to catch him in something he might say.

They answered him: We are Abraham's seed, and have never been in bondage to any man. How can you say we will be made free? Jesus answered: Truly I tell you every one who commits sin is a slave of sin. The slave does not abide in the house forever. The son abides forever. read more.
If therefore the Son will make you free, you will be free indeed. I know that you are Abraham's seed. Yet you seek to kill me. That is because my word has no place among you. I speak the things that I have seen and heard when I was with my Father. You also do the things that you heard from your father. They answered: Our father is Abraham. Jesus replied: If you were Abraham's children, you would do the works of Abraham. You seek to kill me. I told you the truth! I heard it from God. Abraham did not do this. You do the works of your father. They said: We were not born of fornication. We have one Father, God! Jesus said: If God were your Father you would love me. I came from God! I have not come from myself. He sent me! Why do you not understand what I say? Can you not hear me? You are from your father [Satan] the Devil (slanderer) (false accuser)! You want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning. He does not stand for the truth. There is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks his own lies. He is a liar and the father of the lie! I tell you the truth and you do not believe me. Which of you convicted me of sin? If I speak truth, why do you not believe me? He that is of God hears the words of God. That is why you do not listen. You are not from God! The Jews answered: Do we not speak correctly that you are a Samaritan and have a demon? Jesus answered: I have no demon. I honor my Father and you dishonor me. I do not seek my own glory. There is one that seeks and judges. Truly I tell you if a man obeys my word he will never see death. The Jews said to him: Now we know that you have a demon. Abraham and the prophets died. And you say if a man obeys my word he will never taste of death. Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died! The prophets also died. Who do you make yourself out to be? Jesus answered: If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. My Father glorifies me. He is the one whom you say is your God. You do not know him. I know him. If I say I do not know him I would be like you, a liar! But I know him and obey his word. Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day. He saw it and was glad. The Jews replied: You are not yet fifty years old. Have you seen Abraham? Jesus said: I tell you the truth, I existed before Abraham was born! (Ex 3:14, 15) They took up stones to throw at him. But Jesus hid himself and left the temple.

Then they spoke abusively to him: You are his disciple! We are disciples of Moses. We know that God spoke to Moses. As for this man we do not know where he is from. The man answered: This certainly is a marvel that you do not know where he is from and yet he opened my eyes. read more.
We know that God does not listen to sinners. If any man respects God and does his will, God listens to him. Since the world began no one ever heard of a man opening the eyes of someone born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing. They answered: You were born in sin and you teach us? Then they threw him out.

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You cleanse the outside of the cup and of the platter, yet the inside is full of extortion and excess. You are blind. Clean the inside of the cup and platter first. Then clean the outside. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs that appear beautiful on the outside. They are full of dead men's bones and uncleanness on the inside. read more.
You appear righteous to men. However, inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.

The Lord said: You Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the platter. Yet your inward part is full of extortion and wickedness. You foolish ones. Did he that made the outside also make the inside? Give that which is within as charity. Then all things are clean for you. read more.
Woe to you Pharisees! You tithe mint and rue and every herb, and pass over justice and the love of God. You should have done these but you leave them undone. Woe to you Pharisees! You love the prominent seats in the synagogues, and the greetings in the marketplaces. Woe to you! You are as the tombs that do not appear and men walk over them and do not know it.



The Pharisee saw it and thought to himself if this man were a prophet he would know what kind of woman touched him. She is a sinner. Verse ConceptsSinnersUncharitablenessChrist Knowing About PeopleSoliloquyWho Is This?What Kind?Jesus The Prophet

When the Pharisees saw it, they asked his disciples: Why does your Teacher eat with the tax collectors and sinners? When he heard it, he said: People who are well do not have need of a physician. The sick do. You should learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice'; for I came, not to call the righteous, but sinners.




They say: 'Keep away! Do not come near me, for I am too sacred for you! Such people are smoke in my nostrils, a fire that keeps burning all day.' Verse ConceptsHypocrisy, Description OfNosesPrejudicePride, Examples OfSmokeHypocrites, Description OfFire Of EvilAll DayHolier Than ThouChanging YourselfsmokingSmoke Used Poetically

A lawyer stood up to test him. He asked: Teacher what shall I do to inherit everlasting life? Verse ConceptsLawyersInheritance, SpiritualSeeking LifeTesting ChristDoing God's WorksTests


I count all things to be loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. I suffered the loss of all things. Yet I count them as refuse (garbage) (dung) that I may gain Christ. I want to be united with him. I no longer want a righteousness of my own that is gained by obeying the law. The righteousness from God is by faith in Christ. I want to know him and the power of his resurrection. I want to know the fellowship of his sufferings and become conformed to his death. read more.
I wish to attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Things that offered gain to me I count a loss for Christ. I count all things to be loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. I suffered the loss of all things. Yet I count them as refuse (garbage) (dung) that I may gain Christ. I want to be united with him. I no longer want a righteousness of my own that is gained by obeying the law. The righteousness from God is by faith in Christ. read more.
I want to know him and the power of his resurrection. I want to know the fellowship of his sufferings and become conformed to his death.

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs that appear beautiful on the outside. They are full of dead men's bones and uncleanness on the inside. You appear righteous to men. However, inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.

When Jehovah your God expels these people right before your very eyes, do not say to yourselves: 'Jehovah brought us here to possess this land because we live right (are righteous).' This is not the case. It is because these nations are so wicked that Jehovah is forcing them out of your way. Verse ConceptsRetributionSelf Righteousness, Nature OfWhy It Happened


Samuel went up to Saul. Saul said: Jehovah bless you, Samuel! I have obeyed Jehovah's command. Verse ConceptsLying, Examples OfSalutationsI Keep The Commandmentssaul



You claim that you would not have been involved with your fathers when they spilled the blood of the prophets. Verse ConceptsSheddingAncestorsKilling ProphetsProphets KilledTimes Of People

Two men went to the temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed like this: God, I thank you, that I am not like the rest of men, extortionists, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice per week. I give tithes of all that I get.

I will declare your righteousness and your works, yet they will not profit you. Verse ConceptsUnprofitable Sins

Samuel went up to Saul. Saul said: Jehovah bless you, Samuel! I have obeyed Jehovah's command. Samuel asked: Why do I hear the sound of cows and sheep? Saul answered: The army brought them from the Amalekites. They spared the best sheep and cows to sacrifice to Jehovah your God. But the rest they claimed for God and destroyed them. read more.
Be quiet, Samuel told Saul, Let me tell you what Jehovah told me last night. Speak, Saul replied. Samuel said to Saul: You are little in your own eyes. Even though you are a leader of all of the tribes of Israel that Jehovah anointed king over Israel. Jehovah sent you on a mission. He said: Go and destroy those sinners, the Amalekites. Fight against them until every one is dead. Why then did you not obey the voice of Jehovah? Why did you pounce on the plunder? Why did you do evil in the sight of Jehovah? Then Saul said to Samuel: I did obey the voice of Jehovah. I went on the mission Jehovah sent me. I brought back Agag the king of Amalek. I have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. The people took from the plunder of the flock the best of the sheep and cattle to sacrifice to Jehovah your God in Gilgal. Samuel said: What is more pleasing to Jehovah, burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Obeying is better than sacrifice. To pay attention is better than the fat of rams. The sin of divination is rebellion. Wickedness and idolatry are arrogance. They are evil. Because you rejected the word of Jehovah, he rejects you as king. Then Saul told Samuel: I have sinned by not following Jehovah's command or your instructions. I was afraid of the people and listened to them. But now I beg you, forgive my sin and return with me, so that I can worship Jehovah. I will not return with you, Samuel answered. You rejected Jehovah's command. He has rejected you as king of Israel. Samuel turned to leave, but Saul caught hold of his cloak, and it tore. Samuel said to him: Jehovah has torn the kingdom of Israel away from you today. He gave it to someone who is a better man than you. The Glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind. He is not a mortal who changes his mind. Saul replied: I have sinned! Now please honor me in front of the elders of my people and in front of Israel. Come back with me. Let me worship Jehovah your God! Then Samuel turned and followed Saul. Saul worshiped Jehovah.

He then spoke this illustration to some who trusted in themselves. They were very self-righteous. They looked down on others: Two men went to the temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed like this: God, I thank you, that I am not like the rest of men, extortionists, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. read more.
I fast twice per week. I give tithes of all that I get. But the tax collector stood far away and would not lift up so much as his eyes to heaven. He beat his breast, saying: God, be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you the tax collector and not the Pharisee was right with God when he went home. He who exalts himself will be humbled! He who humbles himself will be exalted!


If I wash myself with snow water, and cleanse my hands with soap, Yet you will plunge me into the pit, and my own clothes will abhor me.

They are ignorant of God's righteousness. They seek to establish their own righteousness and have not submitted to the righteousness of God. Verse ConceptsHypocrisy, Description OfLegalismSelf Righteousness, Nature OfSelf Righteousness, And The GospelSpiritual IgnoranceTrusting In WorksSeeking For Abstract ThingsIgnorance of GodignoranceFutile Faith

They say: 'Keep away! Do not come near me, for I am too sacred for you! Such people are smoke in my nostrils, a fire that keeps burning all day.' Verse ConceptsHypocrisy, Description OfNosesPrejudicePride, Examples OfSmokeHypocrites, Description OfFire Of EvilAll DayHolier Than ThouChanging YourselfsmokingSmoke Used Poetically

They are ignorant of God's righteousness. They seek to establish their own righteousness and have not submitted to 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 like this: God, I thank you, that I am not like the rest of men, extortionists, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. Verse ConceptsExtortion, Examples OfAttitudes, in prayerHypocrisy, Description OfPrejudiceStandingStatusTax CollectorsHypocrites, Description OfSelf DelusionEvildoersNot Like PeopleAvoid AdulteryWe Thank GodConfession of sin


Though I was righteous, my own mouth would condemn me. If I were blameless it would prove me perverse. Verse ConceptsSelf CondemnationHuman ImperfectionPlea Of Innocencecondemnation


They are ignorant of God's righteousness. They seek to establish their own righteousness and have not submitted to the righteousness of God. Verse ConceptsHypocrisy, Description OfLegalismSelf Righteousness, Nature OfSelf Righteousness, And The GospelSpiritual IgnoranceTrusting In WorksSeeking For Abstract ThingsIgnorance of GodignoranceFutile Faith