DID JESUS CALL THEM SCUM?
                          by Carl McCaskey
(A brief scriptural study of a claim that Jesus called the Pharisees
"scum.")

On various discussion groups and computer networks there is a certain
person many Christians are very familiar with who has some very unorthodox
teachings. Rather than name him in this article, I will use his initials
"SW." The reason I do not feel it necessary to use his name is because I
will address what he teaches and not him personally. SW calls himself a
Christian, but many of his words and actions are definitely of an
unChristian nature. SW also calls himself a "Reverend", but he never
clarifies who ordained him nor answers any questions about the validity of
this title. 

SW also has a bad habit of constantly refers to those whom he considers
non-Christians as "false christian scum" in his writings. He offers as his
justification Matthew 23:27 which quotes Jesus saying,

     "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are
     like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful
     outward, but are full of dead men's bones and of all
     uncleanliness."

SW claims that Jesus is directly calling the Pharisees scum in this verse.
Did Jesus _really_ do this? Let's examine this claim Biblically. 

First of all, let's examine this verse a little more closely in terms of
grammar and meaning. Jesus is clearly referring to the scribes and
Pharisees as hypocrites. What exactly is a hypocrite? 

According to Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary a hypocrite is "one
who affects virtues or qualities he does not have." In other words, a
person who outwardly appears in one fashion, but inwardly is something
completely different. Jesus was calling the scribes and Pharisees
hypocrites because outwardly they gave the appearance of being righteous
and holy, but because of Jesus' divine knowledge, He knew that inwardly
they were neither righteous nor holy. 

This leads up to another question; how did Jesus illustrate the scribes'
and Pharisees' hypocrisy? In this verse, Jesus _compared_ them to the
whited sepulchres (which in layman's terms is a type of tomb) which can
appear beautiful on the outside, but on the inside are full of bones and
uncleanliness. It is obvious that Jesus was comparing them to the
_sepulchres_ because He used the comparative phrase "...for ye ARE LIKE
UNTO..." which in more modern language is equivalent to saying "...you are
like a...". This figure of speech comparing two unlike things (in this
case, the Pharisees and the sepulchres) often introduced by _like_ or _as_
is called "simile." 

Therefore by closely examining this verse alone, it becomes extremely
obvious that Jesus was _NOT_ calling them "scum" as SW claims, but
actually He is calling them hypocrites and illustrating the point by using
simile to _COMPARE_ them to the white sepulchres. However let's _continue_
with the next verse (Matthew 23:28) in which Jesus continues "Even so ye
also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of
hypocrisy and iniquity." This reinforces the fact that Jesus is calling
the Pharisees hypocrites, not scum. 

Now instead of prooftexting as SW has done, let's look at this verse cited
by SW, but in context of the verses surrounding it to determine if Jesus
was consistent in regards to calling the scribes and Pharisees hypocrites.
To begin, let's back up a couple of verses to Matthew 23:25,26 where Jesus
is quoted as saying,

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

Once again, Jesus is using simile to make the point that the scribes and
Pharisees are appearing to others as being righteous, but He knows that
within they are not righteous. 

If you read all the previous verses in Matthew Chapter 23, you will find
the same consistency of Jesus illustrating his point that the scribes and
Pharisees are hypocrites using simile. 

What else was Jesus teaching in the 23rd chapter of Matthew? Starting with
verse 2, Jesus says,

      "The scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses' seat: All
      therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and
      do; but do not ye after their works: for they say and do
      not." (Matthew 23:2,3)

In other words, the Pharisees' traditions as well as their interpretations
and applications of the laws had become as important to them as the Law
itself and even though some of their laws were not all bad, Jesus rightly
called them what they were - hypocrites. The problems arose when the
religious leaders took man-made rules as seriously as God's laws, told the
people to obey these rules but did not do so themselves and/or obeyed the
rules not to honor God but to make themselves look good. For example, in
Matthew 23:14, Jesus mentions that the scribes and Pharisees "devour your
widow's houses." This refers to the common practice of the scribes and
Pharisees of extorting money from the helpless to bring them into debt and
bondage while making an outward show of pious religion. 

Therefore, in Matthew 23:2, Jesus instructed the multitudes and His
disciples to listen to what the scribes and Pharisees for they were indeed
adequately teaching God's commandments, yet in the same breath Jesus
warned the multitudes not to imitate the scribes and Pharisees's actions
since those actions were contrary to God's commandments. Jesus then
explains to the multitudes and His disciples that the scribes and
Pharisees place themselves above others because of their position and that
such self-importance is wrong. [Matthew 23:4-12]

In essence, the 23rd Chapter of Matthew shows Jesus exposing the scribes
and Pharisees as the hypocrites they actually were and warning the
multitudes of their teachings. Nowhere in this chapter nor anywhere else
in the New Testament does Jesus directly or indirectly call the scribes
and Pharisees (or anyone else for that matter) "scum", but instead exposes
them as "hypocrites" and refers to them as "serpents" and "a generation of
vipers" (John the Baptist also referred to them in the same way). Jesus
Christ was rightly reminding the multitudes of the scribes' and Pharisees'
wickedness. 

Therefore, SW's use of the 23rd chapter of as justification of calling
whom he considers nonChristians "false christian scum" falls flat by
examining the very verse that he constantly cites. 

Fortunately the Holy Scriptures clearly give guidance on how we, as
Christians, are supposed to act. For example concerning abusive language: 

     "If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not
     his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion
     is vain." (James 1:26)

Jesus gave us direct instructions on how we are to treat others:

     "And just as you want people to treat you, treat them in the
     same way. And if you love those who love, what credit is
     that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And
     if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is
     that to you? For even sinners do the same." (Luke 6:31-33)

     "Therefore, however you want people to treat you, so treat
     them, for this is the Law and the Prophets." (Matthew 7:12)

     "Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy
     neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love
     your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them
     that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you,
     and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your
     Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on
     the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and
     on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what
     reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if
     ye salute your bretheren only, what do ye more than others?
     do not even the publicans also?" " (Matthew 5:43-47)

Now some have tried to argue that this love applies to loving brethren
only. I refute this with Jesus's own words as found in Matthew 5:43-47 and
elsewhere, but Paul has clearly clarified whom we should love in a
Christian manner by writing: 

     "And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one
     toward another, and toward _ALL_ men, even as we do toward
     you:" (1 Thessalonians 3:12)   [Emphasis mine -- CM]

The most appropriate question that arises from the three quotes above is
"What is a neighbor?" Good question. One which Jesus answers in a parable: 

     "But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And
     who is my neighbour? And Jesus answering said, A certain man
     went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves,
     which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and
     departed, leaving him half dead. And by chance there came
     down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he
     passed by on the other side. And likewise a Levite, when he
     was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on
     the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed,
     came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on
     him, And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in
     oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him
     to an inn, and took care of him. And on the morrow when he
     departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host,
     and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou
     spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. Which
     now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him
     that fell among the thieves? And he said, He that shewed
     mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou
     likewise." (Luke 10:29-37)

Did the Samaritan inquire whether this man in need believed in God? No.
Did the Samaritan inquire whether this man was brethren? No. Why? Because
it didn't matter. We, as Christians, are to show compassion and love to
_ALL_ and help them with kindness and gentleness regardless of their
background. 

Also, please note that Jesus calls loving thy neighbor as thyself a
commandment. Jesus also makes it quite clear what would happen to those
who broke such a commandment, but still try to teach God's Word: 

     "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." (Matthew 5:19)

     "He that saith, I know Him, and keepeth not His
     commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him."
     (1 John 2:4)

Even though SW may continue to call others "false christian scum" or worse
in clear violation of the Holy Scriptures, we, as Christians are to
continue to forgive him, continue to show him brotherly love and continue
to pray for him. As a Christian, I will always do so and I hope you will
too.