What blinded the Pharisees

timewerx

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What blinded Pharisees from the truth is they will not accept the foundational errors of their doctrine / theological belief.

They could not accept the errors in their teachings. They are overcome with pride and would rather hold on to their lucrative status as elders, religious authorities than relent to the undeniable facts they are wrong.

With many different denominations in Christianity, with different interpretation of Christ's teachings, they can't be all correct and yet, they hold on to their doctrines like they can't be wrong.
 

tdidymas

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What blinded Pharisees from the truth is they will not accept the foundational errors of their doctrine / theological belief.

They could not accept the errors in their teachings. They are overcome with pride and would rather hold on to their lucrative status as elders, religious authorities than relent to the undeniable facts they are wrong.

With many different denominations in Christianity, with different interpretation of Christ's teachings, they can't be all correct and yet, they hold on to their doctrines like they can't be wrong.

The blindness is not just due to self-righteous pride, since that is almost always in conjunction with fear of guilt, fear of judgment, and fear of [eternal] death. If they are wrong about the most fundamental nature of their relationship with God because they are deceived, then nothing is certain for them, and they are not in control of their destiny. This makes for extreme insecurity, and thus their expression of not wanting "their place" to be taken away. So many people are hypocrites because they think their sense of security is under their own control, and they can't trust God enough to let Him have control of them. I think this is what "bondage to the fear of death" means in Heb. 2.
TD:)
 
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dstamps

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What blinded Pharisees from the truth is they will not accept the foundational errors of their doctrine / theological belief.

They could not accept the errors in their teachings. They are overcome with pride and would rather hold on to their lucrative status as elders, religious authorities than relent to the undeniable facts they are wrong.

With many different denominations in Christianity, with different interpretation of Christ's teachings, they can't be all correct and yet, they hold on to their doctrines like they can't be wrong.
The self-serving nature of Man is who blinds him to the truth. Man was created to love a Purpose outside himself of which he is a part--contributing according to his gifts and abilities.

The self-serving nature focuses Man's attention within themselves. Reality's Purpose is not to serve the self-serving desires of Man; but that is what that nature pursues.

No one can see the golden road behind them if they are focused on a path going in the opposite direction.

To see Truth, we must put aside all desires created by our self-serving nature and focus completely on the needs of the body of Christ. John 15
 
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timewerx

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If they are wrong about the most fundamental nature of their relationship with God because they are deceived, then nothing is certain for them, and they are not in control of their destiny. This makes for extreme insecurity, and thus their expression of not wanting "their place" to be taken away. So many people are hypocrites because they think their sense of security is under their own control, and they can't trust God enough to let Him have control of them.

I've seen many Christians behave this way especially if another Christian is challenging their theology.

As another Christian would/should also have intimate knowledge of the scriptures. And if they can stand to challenge your understanding, then it opens up the possibility your understanding of the scriptures may have been wrong.

A lot of Christians could not seem to fathom the possibility they have been wrong. And the many prophecies by Christ and the apostles, many would be deceived. Not just many, in fact, the warnings make it clear that most will be deceived.

Then such mindset makes it all the more possible / easily for someone to be deceived if they can't / too afraid or too proud or even too lazy to even think about their foundational beliefs very carefully.
 
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Sanoy

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It's very interesting that Jesus calls the ultra lawful Pharisees "lawless ones". And I think Jeremiah 7:22-23 tells us which law they obeyed and which law they disobeyed.

"For in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, I did not speak to your fathers or command them concerning burnt offerings and sacrifices. 23But this command I gave them: ‘Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people. And walk in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you."

Denominations are unavoidable, but it's time we Christians start dividing between sheep and goats rather than titles. There will come a time where believers will need to recognize their own, not by what they profess, but by whats in their heart.
 
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timewerx

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The self-serving nature of Man is who blinds him to the truth. Man was created to love a Purpose outside himself of which he is a part--contributing according to his gifts and abilities.

The self-serving nature focuses Man's attention within themselves. Reality's Purpose is not to serve the self-serving desires of Man; but that is what that nature pursues.

No one can see the golden road behind them if they are focused on a path going in the opposite direction.

To see Truth, we must put aside all desires created by our self-serving nature and focus completely on the needs of the body of Christ. John 15

I have to say this is also true!

The Pharisees were also self-serving which is evident by their love of money (as mentioned in the scriptures). If you love money, obviously, you would only use most of your money to help yourself, giving away just enough to look good (in vanity), but not enough to make a difference in this world.

In fact, one other reason why anyone would defend a false teaching or "misinterpretation of scriptures" is because the misinterpretation promoted the love of money which agreed with their love/greed of money.

Jesus most prominently pointed out the pride of the Pharisees and also their love of money. Seems to be closely related. Good find!
 
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timewerx

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You might want to add: "their employment". People get real upset when you talk about taking their income earning job away from them.

Actually, in most cases, you don't have to leave your job. The only reason you have to leave your job is that it is causing you or others to sin - for example: jobs that require you to lie, deceive, seduce, flatter, manipulate the truth/context of facts, jobs that you might idolize / obsess over / love too much, jobs that leads to a strong temptation to sin, jobs that hurt / abuse / bully others (emotionally, physically), etc.

There are many good jobs out there that doesn't subject you to such situation. In fact, the majority of jobs available wouldn't cause you to sin. And there's always exceptions to the rule. You can even be a politician if you can actually make a good difference in this job. This is why Jesus did not make a big deal out of it.

What Christians have a bigger fuzz about is where to the spend their "hard-earned" income. They particularly can't stand the possibility we work hard for our less fortunate brothers and sisters - what you do for the least, you do for "me".

I could quote a long list of Bible verses, that is the case. Even verses that states directly, by where you spend your money/resources, it will be made known whether you love or NOT love or even hate God.

There's a difference between giving away "everything" (not literally everything of course, you keep your clothes, your job, tools you need to do your job, some money.....) vs "giving away in abundance". The latter which isn't enough - you're still withholding too much in order to have a rich and comfortable life here on Earth. It also makes evident you still love the things of this world and that is a very bad thing - according to specific verses in the Bible anyway.

Ironically, many of there verses aren't preached often enough in the Church, there's a great danger in how most Christians live their lives today. Many, evident by their actions that they actually hate God, if you hate God, you will also hate the Son. And if you hate the Son, there's a judge who is reserved for them. It makes no difference even if you genuinely believe yourself to be a Christian. It's all in the Bible, scary stuff.
 
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FireDragon76

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What blinded Pharisees from the truth is they will not accept the foundational errors of their doctrine / theological belief.

They could not accept the errors in their teachings. They are overcome with pride and would rather hold on to their lucrative status as elders, religious authorities than relent to the undeniable facts they are wrong.

With many different denominations in Christianity, with different interpretation of Christ's teachings, they can't be all correct and yet, they hold on to their doctrines like they can't be wrong.

Disagreement with Jesus was not due to theology, so much as who Jesus was. He was a tinkerer/carpenter from Galilee, not a military general. Galilee was marginal in Palestinian Jewish culture, only one step removed from being a diaspora Jew.

It would be equivalent to now days saying the Messiah is a Mexican day-laborer that re-roofs houses. Many people would simply not take it seriously.
 
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timewerx

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Disagreement with Jesus was not due to theology, so much as who Jesus was. He was a tinkerer/carpenter from Galilee, not a military general. Galilee was marginal in Palestinian Jewish culture, only one step removed from being a diaspora Jew.

It would be equivalent to now days saying the Messiah is a Mexican day-laborer that re-roofs houses. Many people would simply not take it seriously.

If the Pharisees were expecting a different Messiah, then their theology is in error concerning the Messiah.
 
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