Matthew 23

King James Bible Main Index:

Matthew 23 [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [19] [20] [21] [22] [23] [24] [25] [26] [27] [28]

MT 23:1 Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples,

MT 23:2 Saying The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat:

MT 23:3 All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.

MT 23:4 For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.

MT 23:5 But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments,

MT 23:6 And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues,

MT 23:7 And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi.

MT 23:8 But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.

MT 23:9 And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.

MT 23:10 Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ.

MT 23:11 But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.

MT 23:12 And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.

MT 23:13 But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.

MT 23:14 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.

MT 23:15 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.

MT 23:16 Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor!

MT 23:17 Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?

MT 23:18 And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty.

MT 23:19 Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift?

MT 23:20 Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon.

MT 23:21 And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein.

MT 23:22 And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon.

MT 23:23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.

MT 23:24 Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.

MT 23:25 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.

MT 23:26 Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.

MT 23:27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.

MT 23:28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

MT 23:29 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous,

MT 23:30 And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.

MT 23:31 Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets.

MT 23:32 Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.

MT 23:33 Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?

MT 23:34 Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city:

MT 23:35 That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.

MT 23:36 Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.

MT 23:37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!

MT 23:38 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.

MT 23:39 For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.

Outline of Matthew Chapter 23

IX. Discussion about the Scribes and Pharisees
A. Pretend religious authority
1. They sin in Moses' seat
2. They bid you observe but they do not
B. They impose burdens
1. Heavy burdens
2. Grievous to be borne
3. But they themselves will not
C. They covet praise
1. They work to be seen of men
2. They enlarge the borders of their garments
3. They want the chief seats
a. At feasts
b. In synagogues
4. They love to be called of men Rabbi, Rabbi
D. Advice given to disciples
1. Be not called Rabbi
a. For Christ is your Master
b. Ye are all brethren
2. Call no man your father for your Father is in heaven
3. Do not be called masters for Christ is your Master
4. The greatest shall be your servant
5. Exalt yourself and be abased
6. Humble yourself and be exalted
E. Woes upon the Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites
1. For they shut up the kingdom of heaven against men
2. They devour windows houses and for pretence make long prayer
3. They shall receive greater damnation
4. They work hard to make a convert and make him twofold more the child of hell
5. They are blind guides
a. They put the gold of the temple over the temple
b. They put the gift on the altar above the altar
c. Swearing by the altar or the temple is swearing by God
6. They pay tithes but omitted the weightier matters
a. Of the law
b. Of judgment
c. Of mercy
d. Of faith
e. They should have paid tithes but not left the others undone
7. These blind guides strain at a gnat and swallow a camel
8. They make clean the outside
a. Inside they are full of extortion and excess
b. Cleanse first the inside that the outside also may be clean
9. They are like whited sepulchres
a. The outside is beautiful
b. The inside is full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness
10. They outwardly appear righteous but are full of hypocrisy and iniquity
11. They say that they would not have killed the prophets like their fathers did
a. They are the children of them that killed the prophets
b. They are serpents
c. They are vipers
d. How shall they escape the damnation of hell
12. Jesus will send prophets, wise men, and scribes
a. They will kill some
b. They will scourge some
c. They will persecute them from city to city
d. The blood of the righteous will come upon them
13. All these things will come to pass on this generation
F. The cry over Jerusalem
1. They killed the prophets that He sent to them
2. How often would He gathered them
3. But they would not
4. Their house is left desolate
5. They will not see Him again until they say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord

The attitudes of the blind teaches in Jesus' day are very much alive and well today. In fact there are more blind guides today than there are true guides.

Jesus says to call no man on earth father and many blind guides today have their flocks call them father.

Jesus clearly teaches in verse 37 that man has a free will. Jesus said that they would not. He did not say they could not. But there are many blind guides today that teach that God chooses and then forces only certain people to get saved.

Blind guides are almost everywhere you look. That is why you need to study the Bible for yourself. You need to know what the Bible says so that you will not fall victim to a blind guide.