When you read the Gospels, the Pharisees play a prominent role. So, when you hear the word "Pharisee," what do you think of? The dictionary defines a Pharisee as "a self-righteous person; a hypocrite." But were all Pharisees self-righteous hypocrites? Did all Pharisees reject Jesus? Or is it possible that how we think about the Pharisees is more of a stereotype? Of course, there are good reasons for the stereotype, but does the stereotype ever break down? Join the group as they lean into a few passages that may shine a new light on "The Pharisees."
Who did Jesus seem to be most critical of when He was here on earth? Usually, it was the religious leaders—the Pharisees. But was His necessarily the criticism of an outsider? Or is it possible He saw Himself as one of them, and it was the criticism of an insider? In this episode of Discover the Word, Daniel Ryan Day, Elisa Morgan, Rasool Berry, and Vivian Mabuni continue to explore the connections between both sides of these encounters—Jesus and the Pharisees.
Who are the people that you feel contributed most to shaping the direction of your life? Maybe it is your parents; or former teachers and coaches who made an impact in your life; or spiritual leaders who have guided your faith journey. Well, in this conversation on Discover the Word, the group introduces us to one Pharisee who seemed to be that for a lot of people in Jesus’ day. Come meet the Pharisee, Gamaliel.
From the beginning, Christians have had a lot of questions about what to believe, and how to live life as one of Jesus’ followers. On today’s episode of Discover the Word, Daniel, Elisa, Rasool, and Vivian explore some of the debates and questions that the earliest Christians, and even some of Pharisees, were trying to answer about what it meant to have faith in Jesus. Join us for another great discussion about the Pharisees.
You’ve probably read, or at least heard sermons on, the many letters the apostle Paul wrote that are found in the New Testament. But did you know that the apostle Paul was a Pharisee? In this episode of Discover the Word, we see how the wisdom and legacy of Paul, someone that we admire and respect, is partly shaped by the fact that he was a Pharisee.
Probably the best-known Pharisee of all time was, the apostle Paul. But for Paul, did following Jesus mean turning his back completely on his Pharisee ways? In this episode of Discover the Word, Daniel, Rasool, Elisa, and Vivian wrap up a series on the Pharisees by exploring a fresh way we can look at the role of the Pharisees, using Paul’s example.