We are currently in Matthew 23, reading about Jesus’ denunciation of the scribes and Pharisees. Here, Jesus brought seven woes down upon the Jewish authorities, and at this point we’re looking at the third woe, where Jesus condemned their missionary work throughout the world. It may come as a surprise to folks today, but the Jews had a thriving preaching ministry prior to the destruction of the Temple and their nation in AD 70. One doesn’t often hear of Jewish missionaries today. However, we may have heard about the Jewish anti-missionary outreach, which is done to counteract any Christian missionary work done among the Jews. The anti-missionaries seek to recover their brethren from Christianity and bring them back to Judaism. Nevertheless, there was a large Jewish missionary outreach during Jesus’ day, similar to what Apollos was doing in the name of John the Baptist (Acts 18:24-25).
Keep in mind that, just prior to his ascension into heaven, Jesus sent his disciples out into the world to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:18-20). However, in Matthew 23:15 Jesus condemned the fact that the Jewish authorities, vis-à-vis the scribes and the Pharisees did the same. As far as **their** ministry was concerned, the proselytes,[1] they made, were children of hell! What made their preaching labor build up the Kingdom of Hell, while Jesus, by sending out his disciples, built up the Kingdom of Heaven? After all, everyone involved in both missionary efforts were Jews, who preached about the same God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Did they not? What, then, was behind Jesus’ condemnation of the scribes and Pharisees in this matter?
In a previous study, I pointed out that the scribes and Pharisees “shut up the Kingdom of Heaven… (not permitting) “those who are entering to go in (Matthew 23:13). In other words, they preached against the Gospel, which brings believers into the Presence of God. Adam was cast out of God’s Presence, because he favored deciding by himself, what was good, and what was evil. In other words, not permitting God’s word to affect our walk in righteousness made our lives rebellious, because it is not in man to know his way (Jeremiah 10:23; cp. Joshua 3:3-4; Psalm 143:8). Coming into God’s Presence, is necessary to know and understand the truth. However, the scribes and Pharisees believed their eyes were already open to knowledge (John 9:40-41).
Therefore, it is in this context that Jesus’ words must be understood. The Jewish authorities made proselytes throughout the world, converting gentiles to Judaism. Nevertheless, their ministries didn’t bring gentile converts into a sense of walking with God, vis-à-vis being sensitive to his word. Instead, their proselytes were loyal to them, the Jewish leaders.[2] They zealously pursued doing the will of the scribes and Pharisees. Their proselytes were generally wealthy and of some influence (cp. Luke 7:3-5; Acts 12:1). The Jewish authorities were empowered by their influence with powerful proselytes, whom they used to satisfy their wicked treatment of those who preached the Gospel (cp. Acts 13:50; 14:2, 19; 17:5-6).
Thus, what we understand to occur in the events referred to above, the Jews united themselves with political leaders of the cities, where the Gospel was preached, and with violence expelled the disciples of Jesus from the city, if, indeed, they were unable to slay them. The Jews’ “gospel” was preached in an effort to build up their own political power. Disciples were used to empower the will of the Jewish authorities, whatever that was at the time. Simply put, gentiles were not brought into Judaism to become subject to God. On the other hand, when Paul converted certain political officials, he didn’t use his influence with them to violently suppress those who opposed him. Instead, whatever influence Paul had, he used to calm the evil doers and restore peace to a tumultuous event (cp. Acts 19:31, 35-41). Therefore, it seems, Jesus’ condemnation of the missionary efforts of the scribes and Pharisees, was that they used their ministry efforts to build up their own numbers and, thereby, their own political influence in the cities and towns, where they labored. Just as the money changers in the Temple were there to empower and make the Jewish authorities wealthy, so the missionary efforts of the Jewish authorities did likewise. It was all about them, all about their own power and influence, all about their own wealth. Just as it is today in many Christian ministries, which seek political power. They, too, seek to treat folks with violence, having them arrested and punished for what they call crimes against humanity. No mercy is extended to those who disagree, unless their victims convert over to their wicked point of view. Therefore, Christian ministries that do this sort of thing, empower themselves to build up the Kingdom of Hell, while claiming to serve God and building up the Kingdom of Heaven.
[1] Proselytes were gentile converts or disciples. There were two types, those who fully embraced Judaism, who were both circumcised and baptized, and those who, likewise, renounced their pagan superstitions and worshiped with the Jews in their synagogues, but these didn’t fully embrace Judaism. They were not circumcised or baptized, but were considered God fearers.
[2] During the Hasmonean Dynesty, John Hyrcanus forcefully converted the Edomites to Judaism, making them submit to circumcision.
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