Some of the sects that existed in the days of Christ

His Holiness Pope Shenouda III speaks about the sects and groups that existed in the time of the Lord Christ, and explains the role of each sect, its characteristics, and its influence on the people and the Church.

📜 About the Scribes

• His Holiness Pope Shenouda III explains that the scribes were the writers of the Holy Scriptures and interpreters of the law; because of their frequent writing they became the most able people to know what was written and became teachers of the people.

• Nevertheless, they were criticized because they did not teach correctly and did not walk according to what was written, so the Lord Jesus rebuked them for that.

🕊️ About the Pharisees

• The Pharisees were famous for their exactness in executing the letter of the law, but they lacked the spirit of the commandment.

• His Holiness Pope Shenouda III cites examples from the Gospel of Luke (the story of the sinful woman, the Pharisee and the tax collector) to show that the humble heart is better than outward appearances and mere literal observance.

• The Pharisees showed a tendency to hypocrisy and seeking appearances, so they left the weightier matters of the commandments such as mercy and love.

⚖️ About the Sadducees

• The Sadducees did not believe in spirits nor in angels nor in the resurrection, and therefore they tried to argue with Christ to prove the doctrines of the resurrection wrong.

• His Holiness Pope Shenouda III mentions that some high priests were from the Sadducees, and this explains the reason for their differing positions.

🧭 Their Influence on Emerging Christianity

• Some scribes and Pharisees entered Christianity and then tried to “Judaize” it by introducing Jewish rites such as circumcision, the Sabbath, the feasts, and laws of clean and unclean foods; Paul the Apostle confronted them and defended the freedom of Christ from the shadow of the old things.

🪧 Spiritual Warning

• The core message of His Holiness Pope Shenouda III is the warning against literal adherence without an established heart, and against religious hypocrisy, with emphasis that the spirit and intention are the standard of true Christian life.

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