The Motley Crew Bible Study

Matthew 23:13-22

January 19, 2011

The Questions



1. Great job 2 weeks ago everybody – thank-you!

2. Great job last week Randy and Beth and Pastor Eddie! Ya'll missed a great class – Randy gave out $100.00 to everybody who attended.

Read Matthew 23:13-22

3. How many “woes” are there in this chapter?

4. What does that mean?

5. Have you ever seen Jesus act this way?

6. Isn't anger and hard words a sin?

7. Who is really at work in verse 13?

8. Where is verse 14?

9. In Matthew 5 Jesus tells us to let our “yes” be “yes” and our “no” be “no.” How does that fit here?



All citations from the Holy Bible are from the New International Version, used with permission.







The Motley Crew Bible Study

Matthew 23:13-22

January 19, 2011

Some Suggested Answers



We opened with prayer.



1. Great job 2 weeks ago everybody – thank-you!

2. Great job last week Randy and Beth and Pastor Eddie! Ya'll missed a great class – Randy gave out $100.00 to everybody who attended.

As we all know, there are many translations and paraphrases on the market these days. One of the more interesting paraphrases in my collection has the following:

1 Now when He saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them.

“Once upon a time there was a little wooden doll. His name was Pinocchio.”

I think you all know the rest.



Read Matthew 23:13-22

Woes on the Teachers of the Law and the Pharisees

13 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to. [14]

15 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of hell as you are.

16 “Woe to you, blind guides! You say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gold of the temple is bound by that oath.’ 17 You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred? 18 You also say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gift on the altar is bound by that oath.’ 19 You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred? 20 Therefore, anyone who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. 21 And anyone who swears by the temple swears by it and by the one who dwells in it. 22 And anyone who swears by heaven swears by God’s throne and by the one who sits on it.



3. How many “woes” are there in this chapter?

Seven. A list of six “woes” are found in the story of dinner at the Pharisee's house in Luke 11:42-52 (text below). There are several listings of “Woes” in the Old Testament as well, including:





4. What does that mean?

Pastor Eddie observed that “seven” is a number of perfection, and wondered if this constituted a “perfect” condemnation of the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law by Jesus. In any case, our Lord is “letting them have it”, and doing so “perfectly,” at that!

It was observed that they heard Jesus, but that they never seemed to change. They wanted to keep the status quo. One exception was a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, who was honored by all of the people. In Acts 5, he observed that if this movement was from God, then nothing the Sanhedrin could do would stop them. He said: “... Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.” See Acts 5:38-39.

One of our members remembered that when Jesus was 12, He went to the Temple and “they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers.” Luke 2:46-47. The question was whether the teachers in the Temple at that time were also the teachers in the Temple that were admonished by Jesus on Tuesday of Holy Week. Considering that this would have been some 20+ years later, and also considering the relatively short life span that was enjoyed then, it wasn't considered likely, but, of course, no one knows for sure.

It is interesting that the Pharisees were trying to get around the prohibition of the Second Commandment, taking the name of the Lord in vain. These people – who were in control of things in Jewish life – felt that they were perfectly righteous and that Jesus was wrong in opposing what they were doing. We see this same attitude in government, in colleges, in the seminaries, and in some churches that members have attended, both laymen and pastors.

From these men, we can take a lesson that we need to remain open to teachings that conflict with those we heard when we were young. Sometimes, these new teachings are correct, while the old teachings are incorrect.

It's important to hold Paul's teachings in 1 Cor. 13:12 close to our hearts: “... Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.” That “now I know in part” applies to all of us, right now. Several of us observed that the older we get, the less we seem to know because we understand that there is so much that is known. Jeanne correctly observed that the less we judge, the better.

Pastor Eddie observed that each of us has had the experience of seeing new meanings in verses of Scripture that we've read for years and years.

This leads us to a kind of humility that we see in the actions of Jesus when He washed the feet of His apostles. John 13:1-17. And, we remember that Jesus ate and drank with sinners, people who were ceremonially unclean, which made Him ceremonially unclean in the eyes of the Pharisees. Just as He did, so we should be doing, too.



5. Have you ever seen Jesus act this way?

Yes. One example is in Matthew 21:12:

12 Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves

An even more emphatic story is found in John's Gospel, in the Second Chapter:

13 When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple courts he found people selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money.15 So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. 16 To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!” 17 His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.”

It wasn't just that Jesus was angry that the money changers and dove merchants had turned His Father's house into a market. It was also that they were ignoring the more important purpose of the Temple. Matthew records in verse 13:

“It is written,”he said to them, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’” (Emphasis added)

The Temple should have been for worship, but was being polluted by these people and actions.

Beth recalled hearing recently that sin isn't just a mistake or an error in judgment, but, in the Scriptures, is defined as filth, as dirt. When God sees sin, He does not distinguish between big sins and little white lies. So, in Matthew 23 with the discussion of being “clean,” we see the distinction between true cleanliness and false cleanliness. We see that if we really want to be clean, that we must be cleansed by Jesus.

Pastor Eddie recalled Micah 7:18-19:

Who is a God like you, 
   who pardons sin and forgives the transgression 
   of the remnant of his inheritance? 
You do not stay angry forever 
   but delight to show mercy. 
You will again have compassion on us; 
   you will tread our sins underfoot 
   and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea. 

Our sins will be cast into the sea, and will be remembered no more.



6. Isn't anger and hard words a sin?

It depends. In Matthew 5:21-22, it was written “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment.”

This is the case where the sin of murder is preceded by the sin of anger. But in the case of the cleansing of the Temple, or Jesus' exposition of the Seven Woes, there is a righteous anger that does not lead to sin.



7. Who is really at work in verse 13?

Satan!

Matthew 5:37 “All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.” (Emphasis added)

Dr. Lenski observed that

The sin … is the fact that by their teaching and their hypocritical practices these Jewish leaders “are3 locking the kingdom of the heavens in front of men,” … They lock it by barring men out of it by their false teaching. They are guilty of double sin. They themselves … are not going in, which already means “woe” for them; nor are they letting those go in who, if they were not hindered thus, would go in. … To bar others out of the kingdom is truly the devil's work.” Lenski, pp. 903-904.



8. Where is verse 14?

Some of the earliest translations of the Bible were based on relatively late manuscripts. However, in the last 200 or so years, there have been a number of remarkable discoveries of manuscripts that were much, much older. Those manuscripts did not have the verse 14 that was found in earlier translations.

The Lutheran Study Bible has this note:

“[14] Some manuscripts include here words similar to Mark 12:40 and Luke 20:47.”

Mark 12:38-40. Warning Against the Teachers of the Law
38 As he taught, Jesus said, “Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, 39 and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. 40 They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished most severely.” (Emphasis added)

Luke 20:45-47. Warning Against the Teachers of the Law
45 While all the people were listening, Jesus said to his disciples, 46 “Beware of the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. 47 They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished most severely.” (Emphasis added)



9. In Matthew 5 Jesus tells us to let our “yes” be “yes” and our “no” be “no.” How does that fit here?

Matt. 5:33-37

33 “Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’ 34 But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. 36 And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. 37 All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.

Dr. Lenski observed that “The Pharisees delighted in taking the binding power out of some oaths. One could swear such oaths with all solemnity, yet according to Pharisaic casuistry they meant … not a thing.” Lenski, p. 905.

So again, with the Pharisees, what we see is lie. The better course, of course, is to follow the counsel of our Lord: “All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’”

The conversation turned to inter-denominational strife that has marked American Christianity in the past. Pastor Eddie told us of a visiting South American pastor who was astonished at the trouble between the denominations. In South America – and this is true elsewhere in the world – the denominations seek out each other for spiritual strength and support. That this has been unusual in this country is an understatement. Pastor Eddie was permitted to preach the sermon at his mother-in-law's funeral last week … in a Roman Catholic church. Such a thing would have been unheard of a generation ago (and is not permitted in many places today, to our shame). In the past, members report that they have been told (and Lutheran theologians have written), that a Lutheran shouldn't worship in a non-Lutheran church because “you can't find Christ in a non-Lutheran church.”. This is true, unfortunately, even between Lutheran denominations (some Lutherans won't even pray with other Lutherans, let alone worship with them).

Pastor Eddie observed that poverty and persecutions drive Christians together throughout the world, including Ethiopia where he recently visited. And in this country, lead by such visionary men such as Pastor Ron Reinhardt, we are seeing this foolish attitude become less and less prevalent.

We closed with prayer.

“... Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.”

1 Cor. 13:12.



Parallel Texts

Luke 11:37-54. Woes on the Pharisees and the Experts in the Law

37 When Jesus had finished speaking, a Pharisee invited him to eat with him; so he went in and reclined at the table. 38 But the Pharisee was surprised when he noticed that Jesus did not first wash before the meal.

39 Then the Lord said to him, “Now then, you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. 40 You foolish people! Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also? 41 But now as for what is inside you—be generous to the poor, and everything will be clean for you.

42 “Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone.

43 “Woe to you Pharisees, because you love the most important seats in the synagogues and respectful greetings in the marketplaces.

44 “Woe to you, because you are like unmarked graves, which people walk over without knowing it.”

45 One of the experts in the law answered him, “Teacher, when you say these things, you insult us also.”

46 Jesus replied, “And you experts in the law, woe to you, because you load people down with burdens they can hardly carry, and you yourselves will not lift one finger to help them.

47 “Woe to you, because you build tombs for the prophets, and it was your ancestors who killed them. 48 So you testify that you approve of what your ancestors did; they killed the prophets, and you build their tombs. 49 Because of this, God in his wisdom said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and others they will persecute.’ 50 Therefore this generation will be held responsible for the blood of all the prophets that has been shed since the beginning of the world, 51 from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, this generation will be held responsible for it all.

52 “Woe to you experts in the law, because you have taken away the key to knowledge. You yourselves have not entered, and you have hindered those who were entering.”

53 When Jesus went outside, the Pharisees and the teachers of the law began to oppose him fiercely and to besiege him with questions, 54 waiting to catch him in something he might say.



For Additional Study

Online Resources

Book of Concord in PDF Format, The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod <http://www.lcms.org/graphics/assets/media/LCMS/TrigBOC.pdf> (2MB file)

These texts are in the public domain and may be copied and distributed freely. The source of these translations is Triglot Concordia: The Symbolical Books of the Evangelical Lutheran Church (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921).

A number of important Lutheran texts can be found in the Belief and Practice section of the website of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod: http://www.lcms.org/pages/internal.asp?NavID=112

John S. C. Abbott and Jacob Abbott, Illustrated New Testament
http://www.studylight.org/com/ain/

Albert Barnes, Notes on the New Testament
http://www.studylight.org/com/bnn/

Harold F. Buls
http://www.pericope.org/buls-notes/index.html and
http://www.iclnet.org/pub/resources/text/wittenberg/wittenberg-bul.html
Adapted from Exegetical Notes, Series A, Festival Season Sundays, Gospel Texts, by Harold H. Buls, Concordia Theological Seminary Press: Ft Wayne IN, 1980

The Adam Clarke Commentary
http://www.studylight.org/com/acc/

Burton Coffman, Commentary on the Whole Bible
http://www.studylight.org/com/bcc/

John Darby, Synopsis of the Bible
http://www.ewordtoday.com/comments/matthew/darby/matthew1.htm

The Greek Interlinear Bible,
http://www.scripture4all.org/OnlineInterlinear/Greek_Index.htm
Based on NA26/27. A word-by-word translation of the Greek New Testament.

David Guzik, Commentaries on the Bible
http://www.studylight.org/com/guz/

The Geneva Study Bible
http://www.ewordtoday.com/comments/matthew/geneva/matthew1.htm
John Gill, Exposition of the Bible
http://www.ewordtoday.com/comments/matthew/gill/matthew1.htm
Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible (Complete)
http://www.ewordtoday.com/comments/matthew/mh/matthew1.htm
Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible (Concise)
http://www.ewordtoday.com/comments/matthew/mhc/matthew1.htm
Jamieson, Faussett and Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
http://www.ewordtoday.com/comments/matthew/jfb/matthew1.htm
B.W. Johnson, People's New Testament
http://www.ewordtoday.com/comments/matthew/johnson/matthew1.htm
John Lightfoot, Bible Commentary
http://www.ewordtoday.com/comments/matthew/light/matthew1.htm

Martin Luther, Commentary on Galatians
http://www.studylight.org/com/mlg/

J. W. McGarvey, Original Commentary on Acts
http://www.studylight.org/com/oca/

J. W. McGarvey and Philip Y. Pendleton, The Fourfold Gospel (also known as "Harmony Of the Four Gospels")
http://www.ewordtoday.com/comments/matthew/four/matthew1.htm

Alexander Maclaren's commentaries on the books of the Bible (various titles)
http://www.gutenberg.org/browse/authors/m#a2330

The NET Bible. <http://bible.org/netbible/> A completely new translation of the Bible with 60,932 translators’ notes. It was completed by more than 25 scholars – experts in the original biblical languages – who worked directly from the best currently available Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts. Excellent notes, citing both the Greek and Hebrew, as needed. Greek and Hebrew fonts available without cost.

A.T. Robertson, Word Pictures of the New Testament
http://www.studylight.org/com/rwp/

C. I. Scofield, The Scofield Reference Notes (1917 Edition)
http://www.studylight.org/com/srn/

Charles H. Spurgeon, The Treasury of David
http://www.studylight.org/com/tod/

R.A. Torrey, The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
http://www.studylight.org/com/tsk/

W.E. Vine, Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words
http://www.antioch.com.sg/bible/vines/

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible
http://www.ewordtoday.com/comments/matthew/wesley/matthew1.htm

Other Additional Resources:
http://www.hymnsandcarolsofchristmas.com/SPLC/Motley%20Crew%20Research%20Resources.html

Other Resources

Barker, Kenneth L., ed., TNIV Study Bible (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2006)

Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions. Readers Edition. (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 2006)

Davies, Benjamin, ed., Baker's Pocket Harmony of the Gospels (Baker Book House, 1975). Formerly printed as Harmony of the Four Gospels.

Goodrick, Edward W. and John R. Kohlenberger III, eds., The Strongest NIV Exhaustive Concordance (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1999). This is the second edition, originally published as the Zondervan NIV Exhaustive Concordance. It was originally published as The NIV Exhaustive Concordance. It should be distinguished from The NIV Complete Concordance by the same authors.

Green, Jay P., ed., The Interlinear Greek-English New Testament. Vol. IV. Second Edition. (Hendrickson Publishers, 1985)

Halley, Henry H., Halley's Bible Handbook. New Revised Edition (24th Edition). (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1965)

Hickie, W.J., Greek-English Lexicon to the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1977). This is a reprint of an older edition, originally published by Macmillan, August. 1893. A contemporary review described this as "A handy little volume, compiled on sound principles from trustworthy authorities." The 1911 edition is available online and for download at http://openlibrary.org/b/OL17866849M/Greek-English_lexicon_to_the_New_Testament

Hoerber, Robert G., ed., Concordia Self-Study Bible. NIV (Great Rapids, Zondervan: 1973, 1984).

Lenski, R.C.H., The Interpretation of St. Matthew's Gospel (Minneapolis: Augsburg Publishing House, 1943, reprinted 1964)

The Lutheran Study Bible (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 2009).

Nave, Orville J., ed., Nave's Topical Bible (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1979)

New Bible Dictionary. Second Edition. (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1962)

Nicoll, W. Robertson, The Greek Expositor's Testament. Vol. 1. Five Volumes. (New York: George H. Doran Co., ca. 1910). Excellent notes on the Greek text and summaries of commentators. Available at Google Books ( www.books.google.com ) and the Internet Archive ( www.archive.org - easier to find here than at Google Books).

NIV Archeological Study Bible (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2005)

Alexander Maclaren, Expositions of Holy Scripture (Text from Project Gutenberg)

Robertson, A.T., Word Pictures in the New Testament (Nashville: Holman Reference, 2000). This “Concise Edition” is derived from the six-volume work by Robertson published in 1933. Robertson was also the author of 45 books, including numerous commentaries, a Harmony of the Gospels, etc. Also available online

Rogers, Cleon L. Jr., and Cleon L. Rogers III, eds., The New Linguistic and Exegetical Key to the Greek New Testament (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1998). This is the second edition of the excellent work by Fritz Rienecker, A Linguistic Key to the Greek New Testament, translated and edited by Cleon L. Rogers, Jr.

Strong, James, ed., The New Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible. (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990)

Vine, W.E., Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words: A Comprehensive Dictionary of the Original Greek Words with their Precise Meanings for English Readers (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, no date). Originally published circa 1940.