Five Rivers Church
Never Again: Pharisees
Using a completely different approach, our final people group chose a completely different way of interacting with Hellenism: they pretty much ignored it. In their effort to never again stray from total obedience to God’s law, they chose to remain completely devoted to it and allow God to deal with Hellenism however he would see fit.
Locations & Times
Five Rivers Church
1450 E Dorothy Ln, Dayton, OH 45429, USA
Sunday 11:00 AM
Characters Series
Tap or click on the link below to see all of the messages in the "Characters" series.
https://fiveriverschurch.churchcenter.com/channels/2857/series/2147340 Days of Prayer
Join us as we prepare to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. You can get all the information about our 40 Days of Prayer by clicking on the link below.
https://fiveriverschurch.churchcenter.com/calendar/event/122267554Hellenism
Humans do not exist to serve and please the gods. Instead humans exist to serve and please themselves.
Humans do not exist to serve and please the gods. Instead humans exist to serve and please themselves.
Five Different People Groups
In Jesus' day, the Jewish people had five different responses to Hellenism that resulted in five distinct people groups. Today we are looking at the Pharisees. We previously studied four other groups: the Sadducees, Herodians, Zealots, and Essenes. We have grouped the first four together as follows:
Snuggle Up - Sadducees & Herodians
These two people groups chose to "snuggle up" with Hellenism. Their response to this new worldview and way of life was to embrace it and take the best that Hellenism had to offer and incorporate it into their Jewish faith and way of life.
Sadducees: Powerful, mafia-like group of priests who exercised religious and political power in the region of Judea. This group is commonly referred to in Scripture as the "chief priests".
Herodians: Common, Jewish people living mostly in the southern region of Judea. While they wielded no official political power, they certainly did have influence in the region.
Fight or Flight - Zealots & Essenes
These two people groups elected to take completely different approaches in their responses to Hellenism. Rather than choose to embrace it, they chose to resist it. While their responses were certainly different from those of the Sadducees and herodians, they were also different from each other.
Zealots - "Fight": This group rejected the hellenistic influence of Jewish culture. They chose the "fight" response and engaged in violent opposition to Rome and anyone that might be working with Rome and Roman causes.
Essenes - "Flight"
Group of priests who also rejected the hellenistic influence on the Jewish priesthood. They choose the "flight" response and relocated into the wilderness where they committed themselves to preserving and living the text of the Jewish Scriptures.
In Jesus' day, the Jewish people had five different responses to Hellenism that resulted in five distinct people groups. Today we are looking at the Pharisees. We previously studied four other groups: the Sadducees, Herodians, Zealots, and Essenes. We have grouped the first four together as follows:
Snuggle Up - Sadducees & Herodians
These two people groups chose to "snuggle up" with Hellenism. Their response to this new worldview and way of life was to embrace it and take the best that Hellenism had to offer and incorporate it into their Jewish faith and way of life.
Sadducees: Powerful, mafia-like group of priests who exercised religious and political power in the region of Judea. This group is commonly referred to in Scripture as the "chief priests".
Herodians: Common, Jewish people living mostly in the southern region of Judea. While they wielded no official political power, they certainly did have influence in the region.
Fight or Flight - Zealots & Essenes
These two people groups elected to take completely different approaches in their responses to Hellenism. Rather than choose to embrace it, they chose to resist it. While their responses were certainly different from those of the Sadducees and herodians, they were also different from each other.
Zealots - "Fight": This group rejected the hellenistic influence of Jewish culture. They chose the "fight" response and engaged in violent opposition to Rome and anyone that might be working with Rome and Roman causes.
Essenes - "Flight"
Group of priests who also rejected the hellenistic influence on the Jewish priesthood. They choose the "flight" response and relocated into the wilderness where they committed themselves to preserving and living the text of the Jewish Scriptures.
Never Again - The Pharisees
Marty Solomon tells us that the Pharisees were the Orthodox Jews of Jesus' day. They were not priests, but were totally devoted to Torah. After the Babylonian exile, this people group said never again. They devoted themselves to keeping Torah.
Their response to Rome was not to fight the Romans, but to obeying Torah so God would bring deliverance. So with the same zeal as the Zealots, they were harsh on sin and sinners.
The Pharisees' Strength - they were totally devoted to the Torah. Jesus generally agreed with their teaching on Torah, but challenged their application of it.
The Pharisees' Weakness - they were judgmental and lacked compassion for people struggling with their sinful nature.
Marty Solomon tells us that the Pharisees were the Orthodox Jews of Jesus' day. They were not priests, but were totally devoted to Torah. After the Babylonian exile, this people group said never again. They devoted themselves to keeping Torah.
Their response to Rome was not to fight the Romans, but to obeying Torah so God would bring deliverance. So with the same zeal as the Zealots, they were harsh on sin and sinners.
The Pharisees' Strength - they were totally devoted to the Torah. Jesus generally agreed with their teaching on Torah, but challenged their application of it.
The Pharisees' Weakness - they were judgmental and lacked compassion for people struggling with their sinful nature.