Playlist: Tradition of Pharisees (topic)
The Pharisees (Part 1)
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughThe Pharisees, a group in the New Testament, receive intense condemnation from Jesus Christ, who pronounces eight woes upon them at once, marking them as a specific target of His rebuke. Emerging from a historical context in Nehemiah 8 during the time of Ezra after the return from Babylon, their origins trace back to a sincere …
The Pharisees (Part 3)
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughThe Pharisees began with admirable intentions, dedicating themselves to meticulous law-keeping to prevent the errors that led to exile, as seen in their commitment in Nehemiah 8. They sought to avoid idolatry and Sabbath-breaking, striving to follow the law perfectly. However, over time, their human nature shifted their focus …
The Pharisees (Part 2)
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughThe Pharisees, as a prominent group in opposition to Jesus during His ministry, often revealed their spiritual blindness through leading questions that demonstrated their inability to grasp the spirit of the law. Over time, they lost their focus on what was truly right, interpreting the law so minutely and rigidly that it became …
The Jerusalem Council's Conclusion
Sermon/Bible Study byThe Council of Jerusalem in Acts 15 addressed whether Gentile converts had to follow Jewish customs and additions to God's law to be saved.
Forms vs. Spirituality (Part 4)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughThe yoke grievous to bear (Acts 15:10) was not God's law, but an entire package of Pharisaic regulations that had been elevated to the level of God's law.
Beware the Leaven
Sermonette byThe Jews establishes a fixed date for Shavuot in contradiction to the instruction for counting to Pentecost. This is part of the leavening of the Pharisees.
Elements of Judgment (Part Four)
Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)We need to learn to judge in a godly manner, putting merciful restraints on our tendency to condemn or jump to conclusions. One size does not fit all.
The Covenants, Grace, and Law (Part Twenty-Five)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughIn Galatians, Paul took issue with the Halakhah, not God's word. Halakhah was a massive collection of human opinion that placed a yoke on its followers.
The Covenants, Grace, and Law (Part Twenty-Eight)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughThe yoke of bondage Paul refers to in Galatians was a combination of the code of regulations added by the Pharisees and Gnostic ritualism, not God's Law.
Matthew (Part Twenty)
Sermon/Bible Study by John W. RitenbaughJesus explains that what truly defiles a person—evil thoughts, murder, adultery—comes from their heart and mind, not from eating with unwashed hands.
Elements of Judgment (Part Five)
Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)We dare not 'do away' anything that is part of God's mind, or we will not be in His image. Acts 15 did not give Gentiles exemption from keeping God's Law.
The Covenants, Grace, and Law (Part Eighteen)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughPaul never taught any Jew to forsake the Law of Moses, but he did warn against Pharisaical additions for the expressed purpose of attaining justification.
God, Obama, and Religous Tolerance
Commentary by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)President Obama endorsed the mosque at Ground Zero, pleading tolerance. Yet God is a jealous God, ordering the extermination of all competing religions.
Clean and Unclean Meats
Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)Nothing about the clean and unclean food laws has changed from the beginning; those statutes continue to transcend the Old and New Covenants.
The Covenants, Grace, and Law (Part Twenty-Four)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughThe days, months, and times of Galatians 4:10 do not refer to God's Holy Days (which are not weak or beggarly), but to pagan rites the Galatians came out of.
The Doctrine of Israel (Part Eight): Romans 10
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughFrom the days of Sinai on, the ancient Israelites fixated on the notion that they were God's chosen people. This perspective proved counterproductive.
The Covenants, Grace, and Law (Part Twenty-Six)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughChrist will empower us, but will not live our lives for us. The marching orders for our pilgrimage derive from God's Word, containing His holy law.
When Actions Contradict Stated Beliefs
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsHypocrisy consists of professing beliefs or virtues that one does not genuinely possess. The primary motivator is pride, and its resulting sin is lying.
The Covenants, Grace, and Law (Part Sixteen)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughRighteousness consists of applying the Law's letter and/or intent. Sin constitutes a failure of living up to the standards of what God defines as right.
Eating Out on the Sabbath
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughIn the gray areas of applying God's Law, extending mercy and easing of burdens trumps legalism and hairsplitting.
Lamentations (Part Seven)
Sermon byThe people suffering under the Babylonians had basked in the privilege of being God's chosen people while also trashing the terms of the Covenant.
Passover (Part Two)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughThe Passover is to be kept on the twilight of the 14th, while the Feast of Unleavened Bread begins on the 15th. The Word of God supersedes tradition and heritage.
Law and Spirit Together
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughOver-emphasis on law produces rigidity and loophole hunters, while over-emphasis on spirit produces emotional imbalance, permissiveness, and lack of structure.
Love and Works
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughGod expects works from all He has called. We show our faithfulness and loyalty to God by our works or conduct - what we produce by what we have been given.
Hypocrisy: The Last Sin of America
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsHaving its roots in a Greek word denoting 'actor', hypocrisy suggests pretending or deceiving—a filthy inside disguised by a clean outside.
Are We Ever Good Enough?
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsIt is necessary to begin with a conviction of sin in order to experience a need for Jesus Christ and to receive the joy in the forgiveness of sin.
Passover (Part Ten)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughAt the time of Christ, because of historical deviation, some kept Passover at home at the start of the 14th and others kept it at the Temple at the end of the 14th.
Matthew (Part Twenty-One)
Sermon/Bible Study by John W. RitenbaughThe Pharisees and Sadducees, who normally opposed each other, joined forces against their common enemy, Jesus. They should have recognized Him as the Messiah.
How Much Leaven Can God Take?
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughThe tares and wheat must coexist until the harvest when the fruit will become clearly seen, at which time a separation and judgment will take place.
John (Part Thirteen)
Sermon/Bible Study by John W. RitenbaughThe myriad opinions of the crowd concerning Jesus were all conditioned from their perspectives and traditions, but hardly ever from God's perspective.
The Healing of a Man Born Blind (Part Three)
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsWe must accept that there are some things for which we do not know the answer, and not all the things we 'know' are necessarily true.
Why the Transfiguration?
Sermonette by Richard T. RitenbaughPeter, James, and John heard the Father's praise of Jesus, declaring Him to be more important than the law (Moses) and the prophets (Elijah).
The Fourth Commandment (Part 2)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughThe Sabbath reminds us that God is Creator and that we were once in slavery to sin. The Sabbath is a time of blessing, deliverance, liberty, and redemption.
Matthew (Part Seventeen)
Sermon/Bible Study by John W. RitenbaughJesus didn't break the Sabbath, but he did break extra-legal fanatical human custom applied to the Sabbath apart from God's Law.