Study Desk

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees—hypocrites!—because you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and of everything unclean!

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees—hypocrites!—because you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous,

For this reason, behold, I am sending to you prophets and wise men and scribes. Some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will flog in your synagogues and will pursue from town to town,

Now those who had arrested Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders had gathered.

In the same way also the chief priests, along with the scribes and elders, were mocking him, saying,

And they were amazed at his teaching, because he was teaching them like one who had authority, and not like the scribes.

Now some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts,

And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, began to say to his disciples, "Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?"

And the scribes who had come down from Jerusalem were saying, "He is possessed by Beelzebul!" and "By the ruler of the demons he expels the demons!"

And the Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered to him.

And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, "Why do your disciples not live according to the tradition of the elders, but eat their bread with unclean hands?"

Human Traditions and God's Commandments And the Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered to him. And they saw that some of his disciples were eating their bread with unclean—that is, unwashed—hands. (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands ritually, thus holding fast to the traditions of the elders. And when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other traditions which they have received and hold fast to—for example, the washing of cups and pitchers and bronze kettles and dining couches.) And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, "Why do your disciples not live according to the tradition of the elders, but eat their bread with unclean hands?" So he said to them, "Isaiah prophesied correctly about you hypocrites, as it is written, ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far, far away from me. And they worship me in vain, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.' Abandoning the commandment of God, you hold fast to the tradition of men." And he said to them, "You splendidly ignore the commandment of God so that you can keep your tradition. For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother,' and, ‘The one who speaks evil of father or mother must certainly die.' But you say, ‘If a man says to his father or to his mother, "Whatever benefit you would have received from me is corban" (that is, a gift to God), you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or his mother, thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down, and you do many similar things such as this." And summoning the crowd again, he said to them, "Listen to me, all of you, and understand: There is nothing outside of a person that is able to defile him by going into him. But the things that go out of a person are the things that defile a person."

And he began to teach them that it was necessary for the Son of Man to suffer many things and to be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and to be killed, and after three days to rise.

And they asked him, saying, "Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?"

And when they came to the disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and scribes arguing with them.

And he said to them, "Truly I say to you, that there are some of those standing here who will never experience death until they see the kingdom of God having come with power." And after six days, Jesus took along Peter and James and John, and led them to a high mountain by themselves alone. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothing became radiant—extremely white, like no cloth refiner on earth can make so white. And Elijah appeared to them together with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. And Peter answered and said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good that we are here! And let us make three shelters, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah." (For he did not know what he should answer, because they were terrified.) And a cloud came, overshadowing them, and a voice came from the cloud, "This is my beloved Son. Listen to him!" And suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them but Jesus alone. And as they were coming down from the mountain, he ordered them that they should tell no one the things that they had seen, except when the Son of Man had risen from the dead. And they kept the matter to themselves, discussing what this rising from the dead meant. And they asked him, saying, "Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?" And he said to them, "Elijah indeed does come first and restores all things. And how is it written concerning the Son of Man that he should suffer many things and be treated with contempt? But I tell you that indeed Elijah has come, and they did to him whatever they wanted, just as it is written about him." And when they came to the disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and scribes arguing with them. And immediately the whole crowd, when they saw him, were amazed, and ran up to him and greeted him. And he asked them, "What are you arguing about with them?" And one individual from the crowd answered him, "Teacher, I brought to you my son who has a spirit that makes him mute. And whenever it seizes him, it throws him down and he foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth and becomes paralyzed. And I told your disciples that they should expel it, and they were not able to do so. And he answered them and said, "O unbelieving generation! How long will I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring him to me!" And they brought him to him. And when he saw him, the spirit immediately convulsed him, and falling on the ground, he began to roll around, foaming at the mouth. And he asked his father how long it was since this had been happening to him. And he said, "From childhood. And often it has thrown him both into fire and into water, in order that it could destroy him. But if you are able to do anything, have compassion on us and help us!" But Jesus said to him, "If you are able! All things are possible for the one who believes!" Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, "I believe! Help my unbelief!" Now when Jesus saw that a crowd was running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, "Mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him, and enter into him no more!" And it came out, screaming and convulsing him greatly, and he became as if he were dead, so that most of them said, "He has died!" But Jesus took hold of his hand and raised him up, and he stood up. And after he had entered into the house, his disciples asked him privately, "Why were we not able to expel it?" And he said to them, "This kind can come out by nothing except by prayer." And from there they went out and passed through Galilee. And he did not want anyone to know, for he was teaching his disciples and was telling them, "The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he is killed, after three days he will rise." But they did not understand the statement, and they were afraid to ask him. And they came to Capernaum. And after he was in the house, he asked them, "What were you discussing on the way?" But they were silent, because they had argued with one another on the way about who was greatest. And he sat down and called the twelve and said to them, "If anyone wants to be first, he will be last of all and servant of all." And he took a young child and had him stand among them. And taking him in his arms, he said to them, "Whoever welcomes one of the young children such as these in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me, but the one who sent me." John said to him, "Teacher, we saw someone expelling demons in your name, and we tried to prevent him because he was not following us." But Jesus said, "Do not prevent him, because there is no one who does a miracle in my name and will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. For whoever is not against us is for us. For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in my name because you are Christ's, truly I say to you that he will never lose his reward. "And whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it is better for him if instead a large millstone is placed around his neck and he is thrown into the sea. And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off! It is better for you to enter into life crippled than, having two hands, to go into hell—into the unquenchable fire!

And he said to them, "Truly I say to you, that there are some of those standing here who will never experience death until they see the kingdom of God having come with power." And after six days, Jesus took along Peter and James and John, and led them to a high mountain by themselves alone. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothing became radiant—extremely white, like no cloth refiner on earth can make so white. And Elijah appeared to them together with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. And Peter answered and said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good that we are here! And let us make three shelters, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah." (For he did not know what he should answer, because they were terrified.) And a cloud came, overshadowing them, and a voice came from the cloud, "This is my beloved Son. Listen to him!" And suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them but Jesus alone. And as they were coming down from the mountain, he ordered them that they should tell no one the things that they had seen, except when the Son of Man had risen from the dead. And they kept the matter to themselves, discussing what this rising from the dead meant. And they asked him, saying, "Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?" And he said to them, "Elijah indeed does come first and restores all things. And how is it written concerning the Son of Man that he should suffer many things and be treated with contempt? But I tell you that indeed Elijah has come, and they did to him whatever they wanted, just as it is written about him." And when they came to the disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and scribes arguing with them. And immediately the whole crowd, when they saw him, were amazed, and ran up to him and greeted him. And he asked them, "What are you arguing about with them?" And one individual from the crowd answered him, "Teacher, I brought to you my son who has a spirit that makes him mute. And whenever it seizes him, it throws him down and he foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth and becomes paralyzed. And I told your disciples that they should expel it, and they were not able to do so. And he answered them and said, "O unbelieving generation! How long will I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring him to me!" And they brought him to him. And when he saw him, the spirit immediately convulsed him, and falling on the ground, he began to roll around, foaming at the mouth. And he asked his father how long it was since this had been happening to him. And he said, "From childhood. And often it has thrown him both into fire and into water, in order that it could destroy him. But if you are able to do anything, have compassion on us and help us!" But Jesus said to him, "If you are able! All things are possible for the one who believes!" Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, "I believe! Help my unbelief!" Now when Jesus saw that a crowd was running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, "Mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him, and enter into him no more!" And it came out, screaming and convulsing him greatly, and he became as if he were dead, so that most of them said, "He has died!" But Jesus took hold of his hand and raised him up, and he stood up. And after he had entered into the house, his disciples asked him privately, "Why were we not able to expel it?" And he said to them, "This kind can come out by nothing except by prayer." And from there they went out and passed through Galilee. And he did not want anyone to know, for he was teaching his disciples and was telling them, "The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he is killed, after three days he will rise." But they did not understand the statement, and they were afraid to ask him. And they came to Capernaum. And after he was in the house, he asked them, "What were you discussing on the way?" But they were silent, because they had argued with one another on the way about who was greatest. And he sat down and called the twelve and said to them, "If anyone wants to be first, he will be last of all and servant of all." And he took a young child and had him stand among them. And taking him in his arms, he said to them, "Whoever welcomes one of the young children such as these in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me, but the one who sent me." John said to him, "Teacher, we saw someone expelling demons in your name, and we tried to prevent him because he was not following us." But Jesus said, "Do not prevent him, because there is no one who does a miracle in my name and will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. For whoever is not against us is for us. For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in my name because you are Christ's, truly I say to you that he will never lose his reward. "And whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it is better for him if instead a large millstone is placed around his neck and he is thrown into the sea. And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off! It is better for you to enter into life crippled than, having two hands, to go into hell—into the unquenchable fire! And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off! It is better for you to enter into life lame than, having two feet, to be thrown into hell!

"Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles.

And the chief priests and the scribes heard it, and began considering how they could destroy him. For they were afraid of him because the whole crowd was astounded by his teaching.

And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your sins." And they came again to Jerusalem. And as he was walking in the temple courts, the chief priests and the scribes and the elders came up to him and said to him, "By what authority are you doing these things, or who gave you this authority that you do these things?" So Jesus said to them, "I will ask you one question. Answer me and I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. The baptism of John—was it from heaven or from men? Answer me!" And they began to discuss this with one another, saying, "What should we say? If we say ‘From heaven,' he will say, ‘Why then did you not believe him?' But if we say, ‘From men'"—they were afraid of the crowd, because they all looked upon John as truly a prophet. And they replied to Jesus saying, "We do not know." And Jesus said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things."