The Pharisees are some of the bad guys in the New Testament.
They plotted against Jesus and were resistant to the gospel at every turn. But what did these villains actually look and act like?
According to the first-century historian Josephus, “the Pharisees were the group most influential with the people, were noted for their accurate and therefore authoritative interpretations of Jewish law, and had their own traditions and way of life to which they were faithful. They had a simple standard of living and cultivated harmonious relations with others.” (Harper’s Bible dictionary, 783)
Honestly, when I look at the Pharisees, I think: “They seem to be a lot holier than me…” But in today’s devotional verse, Jesus says something pretty surprising:
