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Originally Posted by Rhoni
Most of us will agree that the Pharisees were Godly men, at least from observation of their strict adherence to the Law. Even in their times the Jews were able to recognize the hypocrisy that often times accompanies the Pahrisee's pious attempts at religious perfection. I find it interesting the Talmud's distinction of the seven different types of Pharisees and wonder if we can recognize oursleves in any one of the types or bits and pieces of several of the types it lists:
I find myself in almost all categories at on time or another in my life. Jesus was not so kind as he denounced the Pharisees and their pious attempts at self-induced holiness. Jesus ripped of the facade of the Pharisees religiosity, and called the Pharisees "whitewashed tombs...full of dead men's bones" [Matthew 23-27].
Whitewashed tombs were common in Jesus' day, especially during the Passover or other religious festivals. Graves were painted white so nobody would trip over them and become unclean and unfit to worship. These tombs looked beautiful on the outside but inside were filled with dead, rotting things and everything unclean. Jesus himself advise us to ignore the outside because what is on the inside is what really counts.
The Whitewashed Tomb Syndrome -is defined as the dangerous belief that we can somehow make ourselves presentable to God through our own human effort. Not only are such efforts pointless, and fruitless...but they are not necessary...
How many times are we caught up in the outer manifestations of what we consider holiness to be only to have the outward appearnace of a tomb and inside everything is dead or dying in us.
Sincerely, Rhoni |
I want to address this portion of your post:
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How many times are we caught up in the outer manifestations of what we consider holiness to be only to have the outward appearnace of a tomb and inside everything is dead or dying in us.
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This is a strawman.
I don't know anybody who believes that only outward issues are relevant to holiness. I certainly don't believe, teach, or example that.
The idea, however, that we can be holy on the inside without it ever manifesting outwardly is bogus and unScriptural.
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