Guno צְבִי
We fight, We win, Am Yisrael Chai
I have that subhuman intellect on ignore with his other 2 socks
Why were the Pharisees consistently depicted as the bad guys in the Christian gospels?
- Thread starter Guno צְבִי
- Start date
Into the Night
Verified User
So you worship AI, even when it is wrong.
So you worship AI, even when it is wrong.
So you worship AI, even when it is wrong.
Into the Night
Verified User
I have no socks, Gunky.
You are describing Sybil.
He is wrong so consistently and so frequently that he provides comic relief to the board!
Matt Dillon
Retardium User
Because they actually were the bad guys when the books were being written?1. The Gospels Use the Pharisees as Narrative Foils to Jesus
The Gospels depict the Pharisees as:
This is especially concentrated in Matthew 23, where Jesus unleashes the “seven woes” against them.
- “nitpicky enforcers of Jewish scriptures”
- obsessed with the letter of the law rather than its spirit
- hypocrites who “strain out a gnat but swallow a camel”
This literary framing makes them the perfect ideological contrast to Jesus’ message of mercy, justice, and inner righteousness.
By the time the Gospels were written (70–100 CE), the Pharisees had become the dominant group shaping Rabbinic Judaism after the destruction of the Temple.
2. The Gospels Were Written After Conflict Between Early Christians and Pharisaic Judaism
Early Christians and Pharisees were competing for:
As Amy‑Jill Levine notes, the negative portrayal reflects later polemics, not the historical reality of the Pharisees themselves.
- authority
- interpretation of scripture
- the future direction of Judaism
Historically, the Pharisees were:
Jewish tradition sees them as the ancestors of Rabbinic Judaism, not villains.
- flexible interpreters of Torah
- egalitarian in status
- living among the people rather than withdrawing to sectarian communities
- known for simple living and ethical teaching
The Gospel stereotype — hypocritical, elitist, legalistic — is a later Christian construction.
Even the Gospels and Acts acknowledge:
The HowStuffWorks article notes that Jesus “had friends (and followers) who were Pharisees”.
- Jesus had followers who were Pharisees
- Paul himself was a Pharisee
- Some Pharisees defended early Christians in the Sanhedrin
This complicates the simplistic “bad guy” image.
The Gospels often show Pharisees:
These scenes heighten drama and reinforce the message that Jesus represents a new, superior interpretation of God’s will.
- plotting against Jesus
- trying to trap him
- persecuting early Christians
BibleHub’s topical summary highlights how the Gospels depict Pharisees as persecutors and conspirators, including plotting Jesus’ death.
Amy‑Jill Levine emphasizes that:
The Gospel portrayal is theological rhetoric, not a neutral historical account.
- demonizing the Pharisees is “bad history”
- it has fueled centuries of antisemitic stereotypes
- the real Pharisees were ethical, community‑oriented teachers
The Pharisees are depicted as “the bad guys” in the Gospels because:
In Short
Reason Explanation Narrative contrast They serve as foils to Jesus’ teachings Post‑70 CE conflict Early Christians and Pharisees were rival Jewish movements Theological polemic Gospel authors emphasized conflict to define Christian identity Historical simplification Real Pharisees were diverse, respected, and not uniformly opposed to Jesus Later interpretation Centuries of Christian teaching amplified the negative ima
www.justplainpolitics.com/whats-new/posts/1392451/
It's a shocka!
It was Pharisees that murdered Jesus on false pretenses. I doubt his Father liked that, but he knew it was gonna happen.
It was always going to happen. That's why Jeremiah stashed the Ark right under where Jesus' cross was 400 years prior and God cracked the ground open so Jesus' blood could hit The Mercy Seat and complete God's sacrifice to man.
He was testing if it was worth it with Abraham. Glad ol' Abe passed that test or things would be different.
Guno צְבִי
We fight, We win, Am Yisrael Chai
According to the xtian bible, no where elseBecause they actually were the bad guys when the books were being written?
It's a shocka!
It was Pharisees that murdered Jesus on false pretenses. I doubt his Father liked that, but he knew it was gonna happen.
It was always going to happen. That's why Jeremiah stashed the Ark right under where Jesus' cross was 400 years prior and God cracked the ground open so Jesus' blood could hit The Mercy Seat and complete God's sacrifice to man.
He was testing if it was worth it with Abraham. Glad ol' Abe passed that test or things would be different.
