Do you believe the Pharisees testimony or Yahshuas?

I was surprised to learn that I had been taught to believe many of the Lies spouted by the pharisees and their Jewish followers and you will be too. In this study we look at the pharisees claims in light of Messiah's Words.

False Teaching #1
The Jews and Pharisees followed Moses

John 9:28 Then they reviled him, and said, Thou art his disciple; but we are Moses' disciples.
The Pharisees claim to fame was that they knew, followed and even guarded the Law. Many churches would have you think that this was the case. They certainly claimed to be disciples of Moses and their followers certainly believed that to be the case but what did Messiah have to say about that?
John 5:46 For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me.
John 5:47 But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?
This is a very powerful statement by the Savior and it is most certainly applicable to us today, because Moses clearly defines how it is that one needs to believe in the coming Messiah.
Deu 18:18 I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.
Deu 18:19 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.
Yahweh warned through His prophet Moses that those who would refuse to "Hearken"(Shawmah = Obey) to the Words that He would speak through His son, it would be required of them. Peter repeats this in the ears of the people in the book of Acts.
Act 3:22 For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall Yahweh your Elohim raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you.
Act 3:23 And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people.
According to Yahshua, the one that we are commanded to hear in all things, neither the Pharisees nor their followers believed the writings of Moses nor were they keepers of the Law.
Joh 7:19 Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keepeth the law? Why go ye about to kill me?
Stephen, as a disciple of the Messiah, understood this and repeated it in the ears of the Pharisees and Jews with such conviction that they, with one accord, murdered him.
Acts 7:52 Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers:
Acts 7:53 Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it.
Acts 7:54 When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.
The deception of the Pharisee's being keepers of the Law is still prevalent today in both Jewish and Christian religions. This false belief keeps Jews from following the Law of Yahweh by keeping them in bondage to Jewish man made traditions. Reformed Catholicism, by grouping believers that keep the Law with the Pharisees and their evil deeds, are also kept in bondage to Gentile, or even Pagan man made traditions, not realizing that it is through Faith in Yahshua's Gospel that we establish the Law and thereby made free from all deception and sin.

Romans 3:31 Do we then make void the law through faith? By no means: yea, we establish the law.

False Teaching #2

Yahshua claimed to be "God".
Joh 10:33 The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself Elohim.

Contrary to what is taught by the majority of religious organizations, the Messiah never claimed to be the Father and never claimed equality to the Father. I realize that this is a difficult concept to grasp for many because of the power that preconceived ideas, in the form of religious doctrine, can have. In any other realm of thought it would clearly defy logic and reason to believe the total opposite of what a person is clearly saying, assuming that the person speaking is trustworthy. Let's look at the Messiah's response.
Joh 10:34 Yahshua answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are elohim?
Joh 10:35 If he called them elohim, unto whom the word of Elohim came, and the scripture cannot be broken;
Joh 10:36 Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of Elohim?
I don't think that we need to go into the differences between the English word "God" and the Hebrew word "Elohim", since the Messiah provides the context within this text for us to understand that the Hebrew word Elohim is not exclusive to the Father. He points out to the false accusers that the Father Himself uses the very same word "Elohim" in reference to those that were given the Law (Psalms 82)(Yahshua's definition of this word should also be used when interpreting John Chapter 1). After correcting the Jews misapplication of the word He goes on to further clarify that He said "I am the son of Elohim".
I realize that this is a subject that generates much strife and debate. My intention is simply to point people to the Messiah and His teaching, as we will all ultimately be judged by it.

Now let's look at the statement by Yahshua that caused the Jews to falsely accuse Him of claiming to be The Elohim.
Joh 10:30 I and my Father are one.
Strangely enough, it is this very verse that is used to make the same false accusation even though Yahshua corrects this misinterpretation in the following verses! He goes on to say
Joh 10:38 But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him.
Now we know by His correction that he was not claiming to be the Father when He said that He and the Father are one and then goes on to say that the Father is in Him and He is in the Father. Is He now saying that He is the Father after pointing out their error in making that very same claim? That wouldn't make any sense, especially in light of the following statements that He made in prayer.
Joh 17:20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;
Joh 17:21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
Joh 17:22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:
So we are supposed to be one even as Yahshua and the Father are one. Does this mean that we are all the same person? No, of course not, that would be an absurd take away.
Joh 17:3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the ONLY true Elohim, and Yahshua the Messiah, whom thou hast sent.
This is eternal life (This should carry a ton of weight considering it is the author of eternal life praying this to Yahweh The Father), that we would know Him the ONLY true Elohim AND Yahshua the Messiah. Two distinct persons with one being the ONLY TRUE Elohim.
There are many other verses that could be brought up in defense of either side of the argument of whether The Messiah is the Father or not. The intent, in this article and for this website itself, is to point people to the One and Only True Gospel, which is the Doctrine of the Messiah. What He taught is the Truth.

Matt 16:15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?
Matt 16:16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Messiah, the Son of the living Elohim.
Matt 16:17 And Yahshua answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

False Teaching #3

The Messiah's teaching is deception
Joh 7:11 Then the Jews sought him at the feast, and said, Where is he?
Joh 7:12 And there was much murmuring among the people concerning him: for some said, He is a good man: others said, Nay; but he deceiveth the people.
I've found that when I start to echo the Gospel (Messiah's Doctrine), as part of my own belief, in the company of those that identify with what is called Christianity, that many times the response is a correction which is sometimes in the form a question. The interaction might go something like this:
Gospel Believer: "I struggle with forgiveness sometimes but I know that I have to forgive others from my heart in order to be accepted and forgiven."
Response: "You know that we're not saved by our own works right? There is absolutely nothing that you can do in order to be saved."
Gospel Believer: "But the Messiah clearly taught this."
Response: "That's Works salvation, that's deception. I care about you and am getting concerned that you are falling into bondage. Christ died to free us from all of that".
Gospel Believer: "He came to free us from His own teaching? Wouldn't that make His teaching a Lie? Who then are we supposed to place our faith in if not in Him?
Response: "I care about you and will be praying for you but I have to go."
Most Christian organizations do not openly teach that Messiah's teachings are deception, however, through the act of teaching false doctrines that contradict the Gospel it is inferred. This is a very subtle form of deception and it is the subtleness that gives it its power. In the above example the doctrine of "Faith Alone" is so deeply embedded in the foundation of the individual's belief that when they encounter the Truth of the Gospel, they react to it as deception. Messiah's Words also contradicted the Doctrines held by many of the Jews and Pharisees. He likened these doctrines to leaven.
Matt 16:6 Then Yahushua said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.
Matt 16:12 Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.
Any doctrine that contradicts the Truth (Messiah is the Truth) is a lie and is leavening. This leaven will reveal itself as hypocrisy. To say that we are saved Through Faith in Messiah and then go on to completely contradict His doctrine in the very same sentence is most certainly hypocrisy. I realize how harsh that may sound but it's only harsh to the extent that it is true.
Luke 12:1 In the mean time, when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch that they trode one upon another, he began to say unto his disciples first of all, Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.

Eph 4:20 But ye have not so learned Messiah;
Eph 4:21 If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Yahshua:


False Teaching #4

The Messiah Taught and commanded disobedience to the Law

Joh 5:8 Yahshua saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.
Joh 5:9 And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath.
Joh 5:10 The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, It is the sabbath day: it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed.

The image that some might have is of this man being commanded to pick up his bed, his bed being a king size tempur-pedic mattress which he had to drag behind him as he struggled with the awkward weight in the sight of the people. In actuality it was probably more like a simple, roll up, mat that by today's standards would be considered portable.
The Pharisees had added, to the Law, their own commandments. Yahshua addresses these traditions when confronted by them.

Mar 7:2 And when they saw some of his disciples eat bread with defiled, that is to say, with unwashen, hands, they found fault.

No where in what they call the Old Testament is there a commandment to wash your hands before eating, neither is there a commandment to not pick up a mat on the Sabbath Day. These were and still are Jewish traditions.
Mar 7:3 For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands oft, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders.
Mar 7:4 And when they come from the market, except they wash, they eat not. And many other things there be, which they have received to hold, as the washing of cups, and pots, brasen vessels, and of tables.
The Messiah addresses these traditions and points out exactly who it was that was actually teaching against the Law and rebukes them for it, calling them hypocrites.

Mar 7:6 He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.
Mar 7:7 Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
Mar 7:8 For laying aside the commandment of Elohim, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.
Mar 7:9 And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of Elohim, that ye may keep your own tradition.
Mar 7:10 For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death:
Mar 7:11 But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free.
Mar 7:12 And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother;
Mar 7:13 Making the word of Elohim of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.

The overwhelming majority of christian organizations teach against the Law of Yahweh, some going so far as to say that the Messiah broke the Sabbath and taught against the commandments of His Father.

Could the Messiah have broken the Sabbath? Well to do so would have been to transgress the Law which would mean that He had sinned. If that's the case, then, we're still in our sins and with no hope of salvation. Either this was a false accusation by Religious zealots or their way of keeping the Sabbath was based in tradition and not according to the whole council of Yahweh. We cannot fall prey to the testimony of the Pharisees that is alive and well in "churches" today.

Mat 5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
Mat 5:18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
Mat 5:19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
Mat 5:20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

When one places their faith in the one and only true Gospel, it is only then that we can begin to understand what Paul wrote concerning faith and the Law.

Rom 7:7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Elohim forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.

False Teaching #5

Messiah was a friend of sinners
Mat 11:19 The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children.
Luk 5:30 But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners?
Luk 5:31 And Yahshua answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick.
Luk 5:32 I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

If a sinner hears the call of the Gospel and wishes to hear more and is in the process of turning from his wicked ways and turning to righteousness is that person still a sinner?

Luk 7:30 But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of Elohim against themselves, being not baptized of him.
Luk 7:31 And the Master said, Whereunto then shall I liken the men of this generation? and to what are they like?
Luk 7:32 They are like unto children sitting in the marketplace, and calling one to another, and saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned to you, and ye have not wept.
Luk 7:33 For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine; and ye say, He hath a devil.
Luk 7:34 The Son of man is come eating and drinking; and ye say, Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners!
Luk 7:35 But wisdom is justified of all her children.
Luk 7:36 And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee's house, and sat down to meat.
Luk 7:37 And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Yahshua sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment,
Luk 7:38 And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.
Luk 7:39 Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner.
Luk 7:40 And Yahshua answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on.
Luk 7:41 There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty.
Luk 7:42 And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most?
Luk 7:43 Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged.
Luk 7:44 And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head.
Luk 7:45 Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet.
Luk 7:46 My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment.
Luk 7:47 Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.
Luk 7:48 And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.

Is calling sinners to repentance the same as being a friend of sinners? If the phrase as defined by Pharisees and modern Christianity stands then perhaps, however, it does not stand in light of Messiah's definition.

Joh 15:14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.
Joh 15:15 Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his Master doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.

Only those that can truly call Him Master and do those things which He commands are the ones that He calls friends. Those that are in the process of starting to Hear the True Gospel of Messiah and becoming obedient to His Words are most certainly forgiven and should no longer identify with their former sinful state.

1Co 6:9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall NOT inherit the kingdom of Elohim? Be NOT deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
1Co 6:10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of Elohim.
1Co 6:11 And such WERE some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Master Yahshua, and by the Spirit of our Elohim.

False Teaching #6

Fault Finding in the Messiah
Mat 12:10 And, behold, there was a man which had his hand withered. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days? that they might accuse him.

We've all witnessed religious arguments at one time or another. People of one faction voicing opposition towards another's beliefs. Sometimes these arguments devolve into backbiting and fault finding against individuals which we are commanded to love. The Religious leaders of Yahshua's day, and their followers, would try to find fault against the Messiah, specifically concerning the Law.

Mat 26:59 Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Yahshua, to put him to death;
Mat 26:60 But found none: yea, though many false witnesses came, yet found they none. At the last came two false witnesses,

No church claiming to be believers in the Messiah would ever hold to doctrines that accuse the Son of Yahweh of the very same things that Pharisees did... Right? Below are some popular beliefs that do just that:

1. He broke the Sabbath.
   This was addressed in False Teaching #4 of this article.

2. He declared all foods clean.
   Many bible versions have the added phrase "Thus He declared all foods clean" to the

   end of Mark 7:19, however, this text is not found in the earliest manuscripts. Neither is it found in the Textus Receptus nor subsequently in the King James Version of the Bible.
   This Phrase not appearing in the earlier manuscripts or being included in the Textus Receptus is of extreme significance. Especially when coupled with the obvious in-congruence with the context of the discourse between Yahshua and the Pharisees. The entire discourse is found in Mark Chapter 7 and above under False teaching #4 so I will only post the necessary passages below.
   
   Mar 7:6 He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.

   Mar 7:7 Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

   Mar 7:8 For laying aside the commandment of Elohim, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.

   Mar 7:9 And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of Elohim, that ye may keep your own tradition.
   
   It's clear by the above verses that the Pharisees were not just being rebuked for disobedience but for holding to and teaching doctrines that lay aside the commandments of Elohim. Their worship was in vain! Think about the profound implications of that statement. Yahshua then goes on to clarify for His disciples.
   
   Mat 15:15 Then answered Peter and said unto him, Declare unto us this parable.

   Mat 15:16 And Yahshua said, Are ye also yet without understanding?

   Mat 15:17 Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught?

   Mat 15:18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.

   Mat 15:19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:

   Mat 15:20 These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.
   
   The context is eating with unwashed hands. It is not about eating pork or shellfish. It is also about disobedience to the commandments. Yahshua adds clarity by listing evil deeds that defile, all of which are contrary to the Law and specifically stating that eating with unwashed hands does not defile a man.
   It is those things that proceed out of the mouth that originate in the heart that defile. Notice Evil Thoughts, False Witness and Blasphemies are among them. Is it not evil, blasphemous and False to twist the Messiah's words into something so vile as to say that He was teaching to commit what the Father calls an abomination?
   It's also interesting to note that the clarification was made specifically in response to Peter who 10 years later still stated that he had never eaten anything unclean (Acts 10:14). This is also of extreme significance.
   
   3. He took the Law and Nailed it to His "Cross".
   Col 2:14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
   It's typically Paul's letters that are used to teach doctrines that are contrary to the Law of Yahweh (Peter warns of this) and in the above verse we see that Paul was addressing something written by hand that was against us that Yahshua nailed to His Execution Stake.
   
   Did Yahshua say to do and to teach the very least of the commandments found in the Law and rebuke those who taught disobedience to the Law only to take the Law out of the way and nail it to His execution Stake? Does that even make sense? Let's look at what Paul was saying to the Colossian assembly.
   
   Col 1:13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
   
   According to this verse Paul is telling the Colossians that they have been delivered from darkness and been translated into the Kingdom of Yahshua. Paul goes on to say that Yahshua is the Head of the body.
   
   Col 1:18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
   
   Yahshua is the Head and should be given preeminence in all things. It makes sense that if we are apart of His Kingdom that He would be the Head and have the preeminence as the King. Paul is not teaching doctrines that are contrary to the Gospel of the Kingdom.
   
   Col 2:3 In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
   Col 2:4 And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words.
   Col 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
   
   Paul is constantly pointing to Messiah in whom are hidden the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. They truly are hidden as most people will cast away His Gospel which is the Hope of Salvation. His Gospel is the safeguard against deception.
   
   When the ancient Romans would crucify men they would write the transgression that the malefactor had committed and nail it above the head of the person being crucified. This is evident in the below verse.
   Mat 27:37 And set up over his head his accusation written, THIS IS YAHSHUA THE KING OF THE JEWS.
   The chief priests and the Jews wanted a transgression placed over the Messiah's head but there was none. It is our transgression of the Law that was against us... It is our transgressions that He died for and therefore our transgressions that were nailed to His execution stake, not the Law or His own Teachings.