Pharisees
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Now the Passover and Festival of Unleavened Bread were two days away; and the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to arrest Him covertly and kill Him;
Mark 14:1
Now none of those reclining at the table knew for what purpose He had said this to him. For some were assuming, since Judas kept the money box, that Jesus was saying to him, “Buy the things we need for the feast”; or else, that he was to give something to the poor.
John 13:28-29
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Who Were the Pharisees
The word Pharisees comes from the Hebrew word perushim or parush, meaning “set apart” or “separated.” This term was likely used to describe the group’s distinct practices and dedication to strict adherence to Jewish law and traditions. The Pharisees emerged as a religious and social movement within Judaism during the Second Temple period (circa 2nd century BCE to 1st century CE), advocating for purity laws and detailed observance of Torah commandments.
The Pharisees emphasized the importance of both the Written and Oral Torah (laws passed down through tradition), setting them apart from other groups, such as the Sadducees, who rejected the Oral Law. Pharisees often focused on interpreting and applying the law in daily life, making the Torah accessible to a broader community by stressing ethical living and worship that went beyond the Temple rituals.
Hillel and Shammai
Of the many Pharisees, two were prominent around the time of the Messiah, named Hillel (BC 110-10 AD) and Shammai (BC 50-30 AD), each of whom founded influential schools of thought within Pharisaism. Their differing interpretations of Jewish law and ethics profoundly shaped rabbinic Judaism, with their respective approaches known as the House of Hillel and the House of Shammai.
These two framed the debate in Judaism for centuries and in the minds of some that dualism exists still today. Hillel took the position of a liberal leniency in most maters where Shammai took a more exacting literal interpretation of the Torah. This debate that was bubbling through Jerusalem in the time of Messiah is reflected multiple times in the words of Jesus.
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“In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
Matthew 7:11
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Table of Contents
This reflected the point of view of Hillel who was recorded decades earlier as saying “What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow. This is the whole Torah; the rest is the explanation—go and learn it.”
When it came to divorce Jesus was very firmly in agreement with Shammai’s statement that “The House of Shammai says: A man may not divorce his wife unless he has found unchastity in her, as it is said, ‘Because he has found in her indecency in anything’ (Deuteronomy 24:1).”
As opposed to Hillel who said “[He may divorce her] even if she spoiled a dish for him, as it is said, ‘Because he has found in her indecency in anything.’ Rabbi Akiva says: [He may divorce her] even if he found another woman more beautiful than she, as it is said, ‘And it shall be if she finds no favor in his eyes’ (Deuteronomy 24:1).”
Jesus’ addressed this debate clearly:
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Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, ‘Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?’
‘Haven’t you read,’ he replied, ‘that at the beginning the Creator “made them male and female,” and said, “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh”? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.’
‘Why then,’ they asked, ‘did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?’
Jesus replied, ‘Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.'”
Matthew 19:3-9
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This and other topics made it clear that from God’s perspective no one had it fully correct and both were making laws that were right in their own eyes and not God’s.
Read "Sadducees"
For more information see “Sadducees”.
Read "Nicolaitans"
For more information see “Nicolaitans”.
Read "Desires of the Messiah"
For more information see “Desires of the Messiah”.