Pharisees and Sadducees
Today's study covers just one verse, Matthew 3:7. Yet it is rich in lessons for those who would presume to be the arbitrators of righteousness. These arbitrators of the Law were the Pharisees and Sadducees, who truly had little in common. Pharisees were ritualists; Sadducees were rationalists. Pharisees were legalists; Sadducees were liberals. Pharisees were separatists; Sadducees were compromisers and political opportunists. Yet they were united together in their opposition to the coming Messiah whom the Voice In The Desert proceeded. John knew all about them, and this is why he publicly chastised them as vipers who needed to repent.
But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
Matthew 3:7
The doctrine John the Baptist preached was that of repentance, in consideration of the kingdom of heaven being at hand. Today’s lesson we see that doctrine put to use, in the application of the life of preaching. Thus in John’s teachings we learn a great lesson from one single verse. I’ll dwell upon four portions of this verse;
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