Matthew

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Matthew 23 – Skeptic's Annotated Bible answered

A response and reply to the notes on Matthew 23 in the Skeptic's Annotated Bible (SAB).

King James Version

SAB comment

My comment

1 Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples,

2 Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat:

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.

(23:3, 5) "All their works they do for to be seen of men."
Should we let others see our good works?

The author of the SAB lists this verse under the heading “We should not let others see our good works.”. But this verse is not in the first place about letting others see good works, but Jesus says we should not do the works of the Pharisees. And if we read the context, they actually didn't do any good works. So Jesus actually says: we should not follow them in not doing good works. The heavy burdens they put in other men's shoulders, they don't touch themselves. And what they do is frivolous, not a good work in any meaningful sense: what good does it someone that they have the chief seats in the synagogues? That's not a good work. So there is no contradiction is this is not about not doing good works, but the opposite: it warns against doing what they do who don't do good works.

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.

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,

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

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

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

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

"Call no man your father upon the earth."
Not even dear old dad? Was it OK for Elisha to cry out "father, father" as Elijah ascended into heaven? (2 Kg.2:12)
How should parents be treated?
Is it OK to call anyone "Father"?
"Neither be ye called masters."
But elsewhere slaves are told to faithfully serve their masters, and women are told to serve and obey their husbands.
Does God approve of slavery?
Should we serve God alone?

These verse should be seen in the light of verse 8 and the verses following. Calling someone father in a spiritual sense was not uncommon. It was just a title like rabbi. For example in 2 Kg. 2:12 Elijah is called father because he was Elisha's teacher. It is in that sense of teacher that we should not call someone father. But we can call our natural fathers “father”.
And of course the pope wants to be called “Most Holy Father” or “Most Blessed Father” in flagrant contradiction with this verse as so many teachings of that institution are.

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

The author of the SAB asks if God approves of slavery. But this text has only the slightest weight when discussion this issue. The “master” in this text refers to teacher or rabbi. Jesus is again confirming that his disciples should not take titles or names among their brethren.

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

According to the logic of the author of the SAB, verse 10 discusses that slavery is wrong. I suppose this verse therefore discusses that slavery is right. Another contradiction!

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

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.

(23:13-36) "Fools, hypocrites, blind guides, serpents, vipers!"
Jesus calls his critics fools (among other things like hypocrites and vipers), thus making himself eligible for "hell fire." (Mt.5:22)
Is it OK to call someone a fool?

See chapter 5:22.

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.

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.

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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

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.

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

"Ye are the children of them which killed the prophets."
Jesus condemns the Jews for being "the children of them which killed the prophets."

According to the author of the SAB Jesus condemns the Jews here. I'm at a loss to see the justification for this claim. Where are the condemning words? First of all Jesus is speaking to the scribes and Pharisees (verse 27), not to the Jews in general. Secondly he condemns them for their hypocrisy and iniquity (verse 28). He doesn't condemn them because they are the children of them that killed the prophets. Jesus just addresses their claim that they would not have killed the prophets if they had been living at that time.

32 Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.

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

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:

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.

"From the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias"
Jesus blames the Jews (who were then living) for "all the righteous blood" from Abel to Zecharias, who he mistakenly calls "the son of Barachias" (see 2 Chr.24:20)
Who was Zechariah's father?
Has there ever been a righteous person?

The father of Zechariah might have had two names, which is not unusual in the Bible. And as John Gill comments:

besides, these two names signify much the same thing; Jehoiada signifies praise the Lord, and Barachias bless the Lord; just as Eliakim and Jehoiakim, are names of the same person, and signify the same thing, 2 Chr. 36:4.

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

"All these things shall come upon this generation."
Jesus predicts the end of the world within the lifetime of his listeners.
What the Bible says about the end of the world

Careful readers of the preceding verses will be surprised to learn from the author of the SAB that Jesus was actually talking about the end of the world. Honest readers will easily discern that Jesus subject here is the prosecution of his disciples (verse 34) which so happened, see Acts 8:3, and the coming destruction of Jerusalem (verse 38) forty years later. All clearly within this generation.

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!

38 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.

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.