Matthew 23 - Introduction

Matthew 23. Condemnation of Scribes and Pharisees. This long denunciation appears to have come from Q. Mk., reading it there, epitomised it in three verses (Matthew 12:38 ff.), Lk. (Luke 11:37) abbreviated by omitting points unsuited to Gentile readers. Mt. has probably expanded the original; there are passages which suggest the latter half of the first century rather than the time and thought of Jesus: e.g. Matthew 23:10 recalls the exhortations of Paul, and Matthew 23:15 reflects the activity of Judaisers in Paul's day, even if we do not follow Loisy in seeing in it (as in Matthew 23:9; cf. 1 Corinthians 4:15) a veiled attack on Paul himself, who compassed land and sea to make converts. Though Lk. puts the arraignment at an earlier stage of the ministry and in Galilee, it is more accurately placed here. It would seem that Jesus now realised the impossibility of any agreement or reconciliation with the authoritative exponents and leaders of Judaism, and gave vent to His indignation at their shortcomings and wrongdoing. We have seen how Mt. has been preparing for this denoué ment. Montefiore thinks the greater portion of the diatribe is unjustly ascribed to Jesus; in its unhistoric violence it overreaches itself (cf. p. 666). The terms scribe and Pharisee are almost interchangeable. Most of the Scribes were Pharisees, though of course most of the Pharisees were not Scribes. The chapter falls into three parts: (1) Matthew 23:1, (2) Matthew 23:13, (3) Matthew 23:33.