Okay, Matthew chapter 23, 13
through 15. All of these are the words of
our Lord. He is the speaker in all of it. Here we go. But woe unto you,
scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you shut up the kingdom of
heaven against men, For ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer
ye them that are entering to go in. Woe unto you, scribes,
Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye devour widows' houses, and for
a pretense make long prayer. Therefore ye shall receive the
greater damnation. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees,
hypocrites, for ye accomplish sea and land to make one proselyte. When he is made, ye make him
twofold more the child of hell than yourself." Now, again, the
subject, the making of proselyte. Now, in reading in the Gospels,
Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John, and their record of the events
of our Lord during His public ministry, Those things that he
said, those things that he did, his interaction between himself
and others, particularly the religious leaders and people
of that day. As you look here at the public
ministry of the Lord, we cannot deny that our Lord did severely
criticize and severely rebuke one class of people that He dealt
with more than any others. His strongest words that he spoke
went out against this one group of people. We look and find that
he verbally chastised them, not sparing them with his scathing
words. And no, it was not the Gentiles
that were the recipients of our Lord's Word. It was not the pagan
or the worshiper of idols and of false gods that that heard
the wrath of our Lord? Neither was it the Romans and
their brutal regime at that particular time. Well then, who was it that
felt the particular wrath, the verbal wrath, of the Holy Teacher
come from God? And the answer of course is,
it was the Jews in general and the religious Jewish leaders
in particular. The Pharisees, the scribes, the
teachers and the leaders, the religious leaders of that day
felt the scorn of our Lord. They are the ones that sat in
Moses' seat, as you see in the second verse of this very same
chapter. It was they who were charged
with interpreting, teaching, and applying and opening up the
law. It was they that were supposed
to be teaching to the people the truth of the things of God,
but it was these that our Lord singled out for 39 lashes verbally. So let's take a look here in
Matthew chapter 23. It contains, the chapter does,
what Lange's commentary referred to, and I quote, the great denunciatory
discourse against the Pharisees and the scribes, and then addressed
to the people, unquote. Now, this covers verses 1 through
12 of this chapter. as the Lord exposes their leaders
as being nothing more than self-serving demagogues who served in that
capacity. They loved the praises of men,
and they sought and received the praises of men, all how they
loved titles of honor when they went forth into public and out
into the marketplaces to be called teacher and rabbi and doctor
and such like. But then we notice, beginning
with verse 13, that our Lord begins to turn and to direct
His words directly to the scribes and the Pharisees. Notice what
He calls them. He calls them hypocrites. He
calls them blind guides. He calls them fools. He calls
them whited supplicants, that is, grave, and pronounces a series,
some say seven and some say eight woes, against these particular
people. Now, he begins by charging them,
in the text we read, with three transgressions and the effect
that their actions in the lives of those whose sins are perpetrated,
and the three offenses. I'll call them quickly if you
want to settle in on the third one. Number one, if you look
at verse 13, They kept the people in ignorance, deliberately or
being ignorant themselves, whichever. They did so by taking away the
key of knowledge. Luke 11 and verse 52. They opposed the people hearing
the Lord Jesus Christ. They tried to keep them from
hearing and listening to the Lord Jesus Christ. For when Christ
appeared, the kingdom of heaven was at hand. Matthew 3 and verse
2. And yet the leaders of Israel
opposed the Christ of God. They set aside that stone that
God had provided, which God eventually made to be the head of the corner. Now, the second sin that our
Lord condemns, you'll find that in verse 14, they in their sanctimonious
hypocrisy went about and devoured widows' houses. They took possession
of what the poor widows had, took their money, took their
property, and what else? Taking advantage of the most
weak and the most vulnerable that there were among them. One commentator noted, that this
was damnable enough in itself to deprive a widow of her living. To do so, however, under a cloak
of false pretended hypocrisy piety is worse than ever." Notice
what the Lord said, they made long flowery prayers as if they
were godly men, as if they were spiritual men, then their hypocrisy
actually reaches its height when a liar will rob a widow while
spouting out flowery prayers and platitude as if they were
godly men. We hear of this regularly in
our day. I guess you've heard it. Some
false prophets there are. on TV and radio, encouraging
the widows to will their money unto their ministry, while this
preacher lives in a mansion, maybe one on each coast, drives
a shiny limousine, wears thousand-dollar suits, flies about the country
in a private jet, all we can say for them is the lowest hell
for such a person. To make merchandise of the people,
and particularly of widows and the poor, is a grievous sin indeed. Compare 2 Timothy chapter 3 and
verse 6. We won't look there now. But
then thirdly, we settle in here, their fanatical proselytization
is next mentioned by our Lord, wherein they went to great extremes
to convince and to convert others to their position and persuasion. In other words, they went about
seeking to make converts. Now, a proselyte, we could also
use the word convert or converts in the plural. The word proselyte
is four times in the New Testament, at least it is in the King James
Version. Here they are. In our text Matthew
23 and 15, Acts chapter 2 and 10, there were proselytes there,
Acts 6 and 5, and Acts 13 and 43. Now the word proselyte is from a word meaning to come
from or to cross over or to pass over onto another side. In these instances, we simply
call them convert. And in these places in the New
Testament, they refer to one usually that crossed over from
Gentilism or paganism into Judaism. and forsaking their paganism,
they came to espouse Judaism in some degree or in some measure. Hence we read in Acts 2 and verse
10 that at Pentecost there were strangers of Rome and proselytes. And in Acts 6 and verse 5 of
Nicholas, a proselyte of Antioch. Now this man was one of the seven
chosen to minister unto the widows. not only had earlier been converted
unto Judaism, but then had also been converted unto Christianity. This was the natural order for
such a one in that time, that if a heathen had forsaken his
idol and had espoused Judaism, become a proselyte unto Judaism,
then he should also forsake Judaism for Christianity when the message
of the gospel came, when Christ appeared and brought in the new
covenant. Upon hearing it, he would receive
the gospel and receive Christianity as well. Now again in Acts 13
and verse 43, We read that religious, that
is, devout proselytes were hearing Paul and Barnabas when they preached
at Antioch, and they followed Paul because they desired to
hear more the next Sabbath day. Now, these are twice identified
as Gentiles in Acts 13 in verse 42, then again down in verse
48. They had become proselytes or
slash converts unto Judaism prior to Paul and Barnabas bringing
the gospel into their area. They were not turned from paganism
to Judaism under Paul's ministry, for he labored to bring men and
women only to a knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. So let's
make the point in relationship unto this. That is that it was
not necessary for a Gentile, that is for a pagan or an idolater,
it was not necessary for them to pass through Judaism on their
way to the Gospel, to Christ and to Christianity. They need
not become Jews to become Christians. They could go directly from their
paganism to Christian salvation. Many of them did, many of them
had. So we repeat, it was not necessary
for a Gentile to first become a Jew in order then to become
a Christian and a follower of our Lord. However, not a few
Gentiles did over the century. They converted over to Judaism,
either in whole or in part, persons such as the woman called Rahab
the harlot in Joshua, the second chapter. She received, remember,
the Israeli spies in peace. She hid them. She even lied to
protect them. and saved their life and sent
them safely on their way. Now, Methinks that they are right
who think and say that Rahab was no longer practicing the
trade of a harlot because it is clear she had come to fear
the Lord God. She had heard what the Lord God
did for their people and for the Jew, Joshua chapter 2 and
verse 8 through 11. Then in Hebrews 11 and verse
31, it says that Rahab acted in faith when she received the
spot and hid them in peace. Then we mention another proselyte. This one's a famous one as well. And that would be the Moabitess
Ruth that we read about in the book of Ruth that has her name. a Moabite by birth, a Gentile
by practice, of a people that served and worshipped false gods,
and yet we read that Ruth became a proselyte, a convert, to the
God of heaven and to Judaism, a convert hearing the name of
God and her very famous words, Thy God shall be my God, she
said unto Naomi in Ruth chapter 2 and verse 16. Let me mention
another proselyte. That would be Naaman the Syrian
in 2 Kings chapter 5. who after being directed by the
prophet Elisha to go deep into cure his leprosy, then said in
2 Kings chapter 5, I believe it's verse 15, Now I know that
there is no God in all the earth but in Israel. Now before, he may have been
a worshiper in the house of Rimen. 2 Kings. 5 and verse 18, that
as Joseph Hall wrote, while Naaman's body was tainted with leprosy,
his soul was tainted with the God-rimmon. And yet his leprosy
became the occasion of his conversion out of his idolatry and to Judaism. We mention now only in passing
other such well-known proselyte as Cornelius in Acts chapter
10, Lydia of Purple in Acts chapter 16. Now in the case of these mentioned
above, they were such as in whole or in part. I keep saying that
because different degrees of proselytes were known. But either
in whole or in part. forsook their idols and espoused,
in whole or in part, to some degree, the worship of the God
of Israel. Which, by the way, we can say
certainly was a good advance in their life and experiment. Now, how many there are who live
and die in false religion? They inherited it from their
father. They were born into it. They
were raised in it. They were trained in it. And
they refuse to consider whether or not it is true with and aligns
with the Scripture, the Word of God. They won't listen to
any criticism about it. They're absolutely wedded unto
their religion. They don't even care. I think
sometimes if it is wrong, we hear them say, I was born and
I was raised blank so-and-so and I'll die a blank or a so-and-so. That's just the way that some
people are. Coming more generally to the
passage now in Matthew 23 and verse 15, and the strong rebuke
which our Lord gives to the scribes and the Pharisees concerning
their making of proselyte. We would think, would we not,
that our Lord might commend them for the seeking or attempting
to make proselyte. But He speaks of two things unto
them. Number one, He talks about the
effort, the effort that they put into their proselytizing,
in that they spared no effort. Perhaps the Lord uses here a
form of hyperbole in discussing this as if to say you do, as
Charles Spurgeon put it, drag the net of the sea or the seine
in the whole world. in hope of entangling one proselyter
convert in its meshes, meshes, meshes, unquote, or net. They troll on land and sea. No place is off limits for them
to seek to make a convert. They spare neither time nor trouble
and seeking to bring men unto their persuasion. Though the
prospect is small to make one proselyte, this you do to make
even one." Does the question enter into our mind now, what
is the criticism? Is it not a good thing? Is it
not a noble thing to win one away from their former era or
idolatry? Is it not a good thing, as it
were, to snatch some away from idolatry to make them worshipers
of God? Is it not good to pluck a brand
out of the burning and to bring one into the knowledge of the
God of heaven? That's what the Lord does first,
the effort they put into it. Secondly, however, notice the
slander which the Lord then puts upon their proselytes or slash
convert. That when they are made, when
you have dragged the net and when you have lowered the bait,
when you have been successful, you make him twofold more the
child of hell than yourself." Now, the word hell is the word
Gehenna, or the Valley of Hinnom, which was that place outside
where trash and refuge was dumped outside of Jerusalem and burned
constantly day and night. What Jesus said, the convert
is made a son or a child of Gehenna. In fact, notice twice, the son
of Gehenna as yourself. This gives us reason then to
consider the question, what was the spiritual state of those
scribes and Pharisees? Must we reckon them to be Christian
men or not? One meaning of the word hypocrite
is one that plays a part, one that assumes a role not real
and plays a part. It's like an actor who goes on
the stage and acts out a pretense, a part that is not real. Notice the Lord called them blind
guides. and fools as well. And here in verse 15, the Lord
in essence is calling them, is he not, sons of hell or sons
of Gehenna, who then make converts and make those converts in their
very own image, sons of Gehenna. Please consider the words of
the Lord to them in Matthew 23. Down in verse 33, ye serpents,
ye generation of vipers, how can you escape the damnation
of hell? Literally, how can you escape
the judgment of Gehenna? I recall a recent statement that
the scribes and the Pharisees who went to great extremes to
make a proselyte slash convert made them in their own image. That is, they stamped them with
their doctrine, their tradition, and their teaching. A Pharisee
would lead a convert to become a Pharisee like himself. Some have said that the Pharisees
even proselytized among the other sects of Judaism, for example,
to bring the Sadducees and such like over and to make Pharisees
of the Sadducees and of the Essenes and such like. This is always
the case. This is always the intention
and the purpose to build up one's numbers or to build up one's
membership, to build up their influence, to build up their
power, and of course, to build up their offerings, to build
a following that they can claim as their own. This might gain
the respect of others who see them as great leaders of men,
to have the largest church in the city or even in the nation
is the goal of some. This the Pharisees did. But the
words of Jesus are, and when they are made, they are twofold
more the child of Gehenna than the Pharisee. So that it becomes
a case of the blind leading the blind. Think of the words of
Jesus in Matthew 5 and verse 20, a part of the Sermon on the
Mount. As He tells His listeners, quote,
I say unto you that except your righteousness shall exceed the
righteousness of the scribes and the Pharisees, you will in
no case enter into the kingdom of heaven, unquote. Now what
does the Lord Why does the Lord use the Pharisee as a point of
reference? Were they not the most strict
in their day? Were they not the most religious
of all of the Jews in that day? Actually, the name Pharisee means
a separated one, the one who is separated. But as David Brown
wrote about it, The Pharisees were zealots of outward, literal,
legal Judaism, not, however, as represented in Scripture,
but as interpreted, or rather perverted, by the traditions
which had grown up around them. It perpetrated to its core and
eaten into the life of Judaism." The words of another. For the
Pharisee, you see, did not seek to bring the Gentiles to Messiah,
but sought to bring them to their putrid self-righteousness, which
is like a filthy rag in God's sight according to the prophet
Isaiah. They desired to circumcise. the Gentile, that they might
glory in the flesh of them." Galatians 6 and verse 13. Now the conclusion of Jesus is
this, to be a proselyte, that is, converted to Phariseeism,
makes a Gentile nothing better than what he was, just another
child of Gehenna. Now let's grant something as
we move along. that we know to be true. As examples
were given earlier, there were not a few over the years Gentiles
who became proselytes, converts to Judaism, and even submitting
to the physical rite of circumcision, keeping the law, observing the
feasts, keeping the holy day, attending a synagogue, observing
the dietary laws, etc. However, this did not of itself
save them. Simply because they observed
them did not in itself save them. It did not save the seed of Abraham,
did it? No. Simply because they did those
things, did not save them. Simply being an outward Jew did
not save them, the Scriptures teach us. Neither would a Gentile
becoming a Jew outwardly, that is, circumcision, the ceremonies
of the rite and such like, save them. Now, concerning proselyte,
two things seem to be true. Number one, some hold to their
birth religion or their first religion all the days of their
life. They are wed to it. They never
question it. They never weigh it in the teachings
of the scripture. They don't care what the Bible
said. They are satisfied with their
own religion. They are comfortable with it
and say, in essence, leave me alone. Secondly, others do change
their religion or their church or their views of worship. They
become converts to a different kind of religion, even changing
from one denomination unto another, sometimes under persuasion from
a strong proselyter, sometimes to accommodate a husband or a
wife, sometimes One will marry one who goes to a particular
church and, oh well, I'll just become that too, to keep peace
in the family. Now, in such cases, it has nothing
to do with truth. Those have nothing to do with
grace. They have nothing to do with the Word of God. We must
understand that fallen human nature can be somewhat and to
an extent refined to a degree. Human nature can be reformed
and up to a point can be enlightened on some matters. without becoming
regenerate, without having a new life put within them. And in
our text here, the Lord speaks of some who were made proselytes
to Judaism, who yet were children of Gehenna, for they became outward
Jews only, and Pharisees, as to their practice and to their
sect. By the same token, if the most
devout and the most sincere moralist should espouse Christianity in
a mere and bare outward profession, he is no better off than the
Gentile in our text. who espoused the spin that the
Jew had put upon Judaism in their particular day and time. Now, speaking of some who compass
sea and land that they might make a proselyte slash convert,
consider if you might, think in your mind, of some of the
cults in our day, many of the cults in our day. They go street
to street. They go door to door, passing
out their religious doctrine and propaganda. They troll their
nets in the sea of Christendom, dragging their nets in every
corner, telling unsound professors how to have eternal families,
as the Mormons do. Or offering to discuss current
events in the light of the Scripture, as the Jehovah Witnesses do.
Making converts that are, sad to say, two-fold more the children
of hell than they themselves. Then let me speak to you of something
you may remember, a phenomenon in some of our lifetime. It occurred,
I guess, 50s, 60s, and into the 70s. And that was the great soul
winning movement of that day and that generation. When instant
salvation only took 10 minutes to make one a Christian, and
to win them unto the Lord. And these churches were the ones
that resorted to games and to gimmicks and contests and buses
picked up hundreds of kids and they came very close to practicing
infant baptism in their day. fill their churches up, and they
baptized little children whose parents didn't even know it.
They brought them to church, got a confession, put them in
the baptismal water. Little kid got home, said, Mommy,
Daddy, guess what? I was baptized this morning.
And the mother and father knew absolutely. And it caused a lot
of problems in some places, as you might see. Pardon the little
levity. But this week as I was preparing
this message, I thought about something that me and Brother
Joe did, and I wonder if he remembers this, but we were soul winners.
We'd go out and we'd catch a stranger on the corner. One day we caught
a lady at a bus stop. We stopped. We went up to that
lady and started witnessing her, telling her about Jesus and salvation. She began to get nervous and
shake. She stepped out on the curb to see if the bus was coming.
She wanted to get rid of us. We didn't win her to the Lord,
but that's what we did. We were in a man's home one night.
Supper was on the table. I mean, his wife was fixing supper
in the kitchen. We got this man down between
the couch and the coffee table on his knees. We got him right
up to the point, would you repeat after me, please? The wife was
banging stuff in the kitchen. Supper was ready. It was getting
cold. We got him to say, would you
repeat after me? He jumped up, shook himself,
said, no, I ain't gonna do it. And that was the end of our visit.
But you see, that's soul winning for you. That's soul winning
for you. Just repeat after me. Well, okay, you're a Christian.
See you Sunday. Thousands of them. Never even
came to church next Sunday. Many of them were baptized, never
seen again. This is making proselytes in
a way that does them absolutely no good. I'll just close by saying,
be very careful how we give here the strange doctrine. And let
me say this in the last thing, that the only real ground of
conversion and the new life is sovereign regeneration. Without it, there can be no turning
to God. Without it, there can be no conversion.
And as Goodwin wrote, all continue in the state of death until the
work of regeneration is wrought." And that's the only thing that
will cause a person to genuinely be a new creature in Christ and
turn unto the Lord with the whole heart. So there are many proselytes
around, but many of them are but the children of hell, and
that is a sad thing.