Emanuel Ninger A.K.A. “Jim the Penman”

“Woe To Us If…” (Mat. 23)

Woe to us if we play the hypocrite (Mat. 23:1-4) Woe to us if we play the hypocrite (Mat. 23:1-4). Jesus describes them as religious leaders who: (Matthew 23:1-4) Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, saying: "The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. "Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do. "For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.

“Hypocrite” "hupokrites (hoop-ok-ree-tace') an actor under an assumed character; e.g., stage-player, actor (Strong's)

Woe to us if we play the hypocrite (Mat. 23:1-4) Woe to us if we play the hypocrite (Mat. 23:1-4). Jesus describes them as religious leaders who: “Hypocrites” (23: 13-15, 23, 25, 27, 29) Do not keep God’s word (23:4) Concerned about praises of men (23:5) “Blind Guides” (23:16, 24) “Fools” (23:17) He accuses them of being corrupted (23:25-28) Not Even Honest With Themselves (23:30-31) “serpents” and “brood of vipers” (23:33) Persecutors of God’s messengers (23:34)

Woe to us if we love prominence among men. (Matthew 5:16) "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

Woe to us if we love prominence among men. Wanting to Be Seen For Their Works (Matthew 23:5a) "But all their works they do to be seen by men...

Woe to us if we love prominence among men. Wanting to Be Seen For Their Works (Matthew 6:1-4) "Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. "Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. "But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, "that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.

Woe to us if we love prominence among men. Wanting to Be Seen In the Best Seats (Matthew 23:6) "They love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues”

Woe to us if we love prominence among men. Wanting to Be Seen – The Best Attire (Matthew 23:5b) “…They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments.”

A Phylactery

Equivalent to a “Phylactery” ?

Woe to us if we are controlled by what others think (desiring prominence among men). (Matthew 23:7) "greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, 'Rabbi, Rabbi.' (NKJV)

Wanting to Be Known – Religious Titles Woe to us if we are controlled by what others think (desiring prominence among men). Wanting to Be Known – Religious Titles Pastor (many do not meet this qualification) Reverend “His Holiness” “Doctor” Priest’s called “father” (Matthew 23:9) "Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven.

Woe to us if we are controlled by what others think (desiring prominence among men). Wanting to Be Known For Their Worship (Matthew 6:5-6) "And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. "But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.

Woe to us if we abuse our authority. (Matthew 23:2) "The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat.” (John 12:49) Jesus said, “"For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak.”

Woe to us if our actions prevent ourselves and others from entering the kingdom of Heaven. (Matthew 23:13) "But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. (Matthew 23:15) "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.

Woe to us if we prey on the vulnerable. (Matthew 23:14) "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation.

Woe to us if our word is not our bond. (Matthew 23:16-22) "Woe to you, blind guides, who say, 'Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obliged to perform it.' "Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold? "And, 'Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is on it, he is obliged to perform it.' "Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift? "Therefore he who swears by the altar, swears by it and by all things on it. "He who swears by the temple, swears by it and by Him who dwells in it. "And he who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God and by Him who sits on it.

Woe to us if our word is not our bond. (Matthew 5:37) "But let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No.' For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.”

Woe to us if we diminish obedience to God in any manner. (Matthew 23:23-24) "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. "Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!

Woe to us if we diminish obedience to God in any manner. (Matthew 25:21) “'Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.'”

Woe to us if we not pure both in appearance and in heart. (Matthew 23:25-28) "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. "Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also. "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness. "Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

Woe to us if we reject the messengers of God’s word. (Matthew 23:29-36) "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, "and say, 'If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.' "Therefore you are witnesses against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. "Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers' guilt...

Woe to us if we reject the messengers of God’s word. …"Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell? "Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes: some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city, "that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. "Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.