Matthew 23:13-15

Their Failure To Bring Men Under The Kingly Rule Of Heaven (23:13-15).

The first two woes attack the Scribes and Pharisees for actually preventing people from coming under the Kingly Rule of Heaven. By their teaching and their influence they ‘lock them out' from it, and instead put great efforts into rather making them like themselves, ‘sons of Gehenna'.

Analysis.

a “But woe/alas to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because you shut the kingly rule of heaven against men” (Matthew 23:13 a).

b “For you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering in to enter” (Matthew 23:13 b).

a “Woe/alas to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you compass sea and land to make one proselyte” (Matthew 23:15 a).

b And when he is become so, you make him twofold more a son of Gehenna than yourselves” (Matthew 23:15 b).

Note that in ‘a' the shut the Kingly Rule of Heaven against men, and in the parallel they open up Gehenna for them. In ‘b they refuse to enter and prevent others from entering, while in the parallel what they do strive to accomplish is to make them converts subject to their own teaching.