Victory Fellowship Bible Study
273 23rd St. S.W., Barberton, OH 44203
Wednesdays at 7pm
Rev. Roderick D. Grabski (330) 858-0223
WEBPAGE: victoryfellowshipministries.com
CLASS TWENTY-FOUR: Jesus Denounces Religious Hypocrites
I. ANNOUNCEMENTS and PRAYER CONCERNS
II. READ / LISTEN to MATTHEW 23:1–39
a. What are your initial impressions or questions? Notable translation differences?
III. Religious Hypocrites Denounced (vv. 1-12)
a. The seat of Moses represents the position of authority in the Synagogue.
b. What does Jesus mean in verse 3?
c. (vs. 4) How did the scribes and Pharisees “tie up heavy loads” for people?
d. (vs. 5) Why would they enlarge their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels?
i. See Exodus 13:9; Deuteronomy 6:4-9; 11:18; and Numbers 15:38-41 regarding these items.
e. (vv. 6-7) What do these verses suggest about the scribes and Pharisees?
f. (vv. 8-10) Is Jesus saying we should not call our dad, “father?”
g. (vv. 11-12) How is this consistent with Jesus’ teaching as recorded by Matthew?
IV. Woe to the Scribes and Pharisees (vv. 13-32)
a. After the manner of the prophets Isaiah (5:8-23) and Habakkuk (2:6-19), Jesus declares seven “woes” in this section.
i. An eighth woe is mentioned in verse 14 but this verse in not in the older manuscripts and was most likely borrowed from Mark 12:40
b. (vv. 13-15) Leading People Astray
i. What is the first woe?
ii. What is the second woe?
c. (vv. 16-24) Perverting God’s Laws
i. What is the third woe?
ii. What is the fourth woe? (OT laws on tithing are found in Leviticus 27; Numbers18; and Deuteronomy 14:22-23)
d. (vv. 25-28) Hiding Evil with Hypocrisy
i. What is the fifth woe?
ii. What is the sixth woe?
e. (vv. 29-32) Murdering God’s Prophets
i. What is the seventh woe?
V. Condemnation to Those Who Murdered the Prophets (vv. 33-36)
a. (vs. 33) This verse is a transition from the woes and pronouncing God’s judgement.
b. What is the implication of verse 34?
c. (vs. 35) The Hebrew bible is arranged in the order from Genesis to 2nd Chronicles. The first innocent person murdered in scripture was Abel (Genesis 4:8) and the last one mentioned in scripture was Zechariah - murdered in 2nd Chronicles 24:20-21. Jesus charged the scribes and Pharisees with the guilt for the bloodshed of every righteous person in scripture.
VI. Jesus Laments Over Jerusalem (vv. 37-39)
a. (vs. 37) What is Jesus’ passion in this verse?
b. (vs. 38) This may foreshadow what event?
c. (vs. 39) Jesus alludes to Psalm 118:26, a reference to the Messiah.
VII. Application
a. We must caution against pride. In his book, Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis said, Pride gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more of it than the next man. (Proverbs 16:18; Philippians 2:3)
b. We must be careful in the way we present our faith to others so as not to inadvertently lead them astray. (1 Timothy 1:5; James 3:17)
c. God has compassion and patience toward the unfaithful, but there will be a day of judgement. (Ezekiel 18:32; 2nd Peter 3:9)
Final Comments and/or Questions. Close in Prayer
No Class Next Week
In Two Weeks: Signs of the End Times - Read Matthew 24:1-51 to prepare.
