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He answered and said to them, “When it is evening you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red’; and in the morning, ‘It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times.

Matthew 16:2-4

A modern day Pharisee can be described as a member of a sect, noted for observance of their own rites and ceremonies and for insistence on the validity of their own traditions, of what they believe to be replacement for God’s laws. Jesus Himself, describes the vivid characteristics of a Pharisee in the Holy Bible.

They Love To Be Praised By Men

A Pharisee is a person loved to be praised by men. They like to be seated at the front row at every gathering, church or any public place. A modern Pharisee loves people to address them with titles like prophet, reverend or even pastor and they call themselves as one.

But all their works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments. They love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, ‘Rabbi, Rabbi.’ Matthew 23:5-7

They Are Deceivers

A Pharisee is a person who deceive unsaved souls (widows without a Bridegroom) and they make themselves appear to be holy and righteous before them. A Pharisee technically prevents people from knowing the real Christ.

“But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation. Matthew 23:13-14

They Are Thieves

A Pharisee is a person who misuse church money and they teach people that putting money into their pockets is holy and is the same as giving to God.

“Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obliged to perform it.’ Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold? And, ‘Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is on it, he is obliged to perform it.’ Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift? Therefore he who swears by the altar, swears by it and by all things on it. Matthew 23:16-20

They Are Hypocrites

A Pharisee is a person who teach people the urgency of giving to make them rich but they leave out important issues of God’s law that teaches real justice, true mercy and authentic faith.

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel! Matthew 23:23-24

They Practice Subtle Coercion

A Pharisee is a person who say things like “if you don’t love us, you are not loving God.” They are hypocrites who self indulge and who practices spiritual extortion.

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also. Matthew 23:25-26

They Are Unrighteous

A Pharisee is a person who appears to be righteous outwardly but inside them, are found all kinds of corruption, wickedness and evil.

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. Matthew 23:27-28

They Are Slanderers

A Pharisee is a person who shuts off people that speaks the truth, they look at the deeds of their fathers, blamed the righteous and insist they are not like the righteous whom they claim are the ones who killed the true prophets.

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, and say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.’ Matthew 23:29-30

They Are In This Generation

A modern day Pharisee is a person living in this generation, who shall bear the sins of evildoers and murderers, for it is them who taught others hypocrisy and led them astray.

“Therefore you are witnesses against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers’ guilt. Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell? Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes: some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city, that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation. Matthew 23:31-36