Daily Writing

Saturday, 10 October 2026

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves. Matthew 23:15

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at the “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen)

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you traverse the sea and the arid to make one proselyte, and when he might become, you make him ‘son, Gehenna’ two-fold yourselves.” (CG)

In the previous verse, Jesus pronounced a second woe on the scribes and Pharisees because they devoured widows’ houses and made a pretense of long prayers. He explained to them that they would receive superabundant judgment. He next pronounces a third woe on them, saying, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!”

The repetition of the same words forms a pointed stress, calling attention to their misdeeds before God. With that stated, He next says, “For you traverse the sea and the arid to make one proselyte.”

A new word is seen, prosélutos, one who arrives from a foreign religion. Strong says it is from the alternate of proserchomai, to approach. Thus, he approaches the new faith and becomes a worshipper of God in the manner prescribed by his teachers.

The idea of “traversing the sea and the arid” is “going to any length” to secure converts. They made a great deal of effort to gain new adherents to their faith. One can think of the Jehovah’s Witnesses actively going out and striving to share their misguided faith. The same applies to the Mormons, who render a two-year service wherever they are told to go, including foreign lands.

The Pharisees would go to these great lengths to have a single convert they could boast in. It wasn’t that they had new adherents who were saved and pleasing to God that they cared about. Rather, it was that they had done the work to secure the person’s allegiance, as if they were a pin in the hat to revel in. Paul’s words to the Galatians reveal this same type of attitude among the Judaizers –

“As many as desire to make a good showing in the flesh, these would compel you to be circumcised, only that they may not suffer persecution for the cross of Christ. ¹³ For not even those who are circumcised keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh.” Galatians 6:12, 13

As for the proselytes of the Pharisees and Sadducees, Jesus says, “and when he might become, you make him ‘son, Gehenna’ two-fold yourselves.”

Another new word is seen, diplous, two-fold or double. It is from dis, twice, and possibly the base of pleion, more in quantity or number. Jesus is saying that these adherents to the new faith would have been better off had they not come to the new faith at all. The same superabundant condemnation that Jesus referred to in the previous verse was set to come upon their new adherents.

Life application: Jesus’ words are spoken to the scribes and Pharisees, but they can be equated to some degree to any religion apart from true Christianity. We can think of someone growing up in a nominal Christian home. He never really believed anything, but he went to church and had an idea of what the preacher was talking about.

However, he meets a Mormon, Jehovah’s Witness, imam, shaman, Buddhist priest, Jewish rabbi, or whatever. He becomes enamored with their charisma, zeal, doctrine, or whatever, and he converts to that faith. He has now completely left behind the only possibility of being saved, having rejected the appeals of the pastor he grew up under.

What a sad situation this is. Humanity is lost in a sea of works. Wherever you look, these people are saying you must do something to be pleasing to God or to achieve the release from this world that the teacher claims.

Go through all of these religious expressions. Find out what they teach. When you do, you will see that it always comes back to what one must do to earn the promise. Only true Christianity breaks this mold. It says God reached out to us, doing everything necessary to save us. All we need to “do” is to receive it as a gift through belief.

Wherever you go, remember the lesson of the gospel. You are not a part of the equation, except to believe. If you are told anything else, it is not the gospel. Trust Jesus, have faith that what He did is sufficient to save you, and be grateful to God for His kindness toward you. In this, you will do well. Heaven’s doors will be thrown open to receive you, all because of what Jesus did. What a wonderful God, what a tender, kind, and perfect Savior!

Lord God, how grateful we are for the simplicity of the gospel. We thank You for what You have done for us. Be glorified in us as we set aside all our efforts and trust solely in the merits of Christ for our reconciliation with You. And then, may we be pleasing to You with lives dedicated to You all our days. Amen.

Friday, 9 October 202

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation. Matthew 23:14

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at the “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen).

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“Woe, also, to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour the ‘houses, the widows’, and pretense – lengthy praying. Through this, you will receive superabundant judgment.” (CG)

In the previous verse, Jesus told the scribes and Pharisees that they were hypocrites who shut up the kingdom of heaven against men. They don’t go in, and they don’t allow those entering to go in. Next comes a second woe from Jesus, saying, “Woe, also, to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!”

Depending on the source text, the words contain the de, also, in either verse 23:13 or 23:14. Some texts omit verse 14 altogether. Therefore, some new translations don’t include it either. It makes sense that it would read “Woe to you” in verse 13 and then “Woe, also, to you” in verse 14, but others will argue it is the other way around. Either way, Jesus continues, saying, “For you devour the ‘houses, the widows’.”

Barnes gives sound commentary on this clause –

“The word ‘houses’ is used here to denote ‘property’ or possessions of any kind. You take away or get possession of the property of widows by improper arts and pretences. This was done in two ways:

1. They claimed a very exact knowledge of the law and a perfect observance of it. They pretended to extraordinary justice toward the poor, friendship for the distressed, and willingness to aid those who were in embarrassed circumstances. They thus induced ‘widows’ and poor people to commit the management of their property to them as guardians and executors, and then took advantage of them and defrauded them.
2. They put on the appearance of great sanctity, and induced many conscientious but credulous women to give them much, under pretence of devoting it to religious purposes.”

Jesus continues, saying, “and pretense – lengthy praying.” A new word is seen here, prophasis, an outward showing. It is derived from pro, fore or in front of, and phaino, to lighten or shine. One gets the sense of these men standing in the public and radiating their religiosity outward for everyone to see.

Lengthy prayers spoken aloud have always been a call to direct attention to the one praying, as if he is worthy of note for his ability to pray and his pious nature reflected in the substance of his prayer.

The specific reference may be to the Amidah, a collection of 18 short blessings (later 19) that formed the heart of daily Jewish worship. The Pharisees and the Men of the Great Assembly helped institute the core text and the practice of reciting it daily. Faithful Jews recited these blessings standing up, multiple times a day. After the Temple was destroyed in AD 70, Jewish religious leaders formalized the exact wording used in synagogues today.

In such a situation, these are just rote prayers that have no personal connection between the one praying and God who is being prayed to. This is no different than people standing in church and reciting the same code or creed week after week.

It is true that by doing this, what is said becomes ingrained in the mind of those saying it, but without reflection on what is said, the words have no more significance than prepping for a test at school. As for the ill treatment of widows and the lengthy prayers that are a mere pretense of holiness, Jesus says, “Through this, you will receive superabundant judgment.”

God is not pleased with con artists. Nor is He pleased with self-righteous showoffs. The scribes and Pharisees were both. Because of their self-centered, greedy-hearted, and outwardly boastful conduct, they could expect a heavy hand of judgment.

Life application: We have the words of Jesus recorded in the Bible. And yet, nothing has changed in the attitudes and conduct of people. The Jews still act in the same way in their synagogues, and Christian churches are flooded with people who look at their positions as an opportunity to enrich themselves while appearing as holy and respectable men of God.

Most televangelists are shameless opportunists who take advantage of whatever gift they possess, be it oration, charisma, confidence, emotional intensity, perceived authority, storytelling ability, stage presence, or any combination of such things.

None of these qualities is inherently bad. When from a pure heart, they can serve truth very effectively. However, the danger arises when the attractiveness of the messenger begins to substitute for careful evaluation of the message, or when emotional attachment makes accountability seem unnecessary.

This is especially true when the heart of the person is directed toward personal gain from money, sex, control, etc. Unfortunately, because the ministry is a place where people go to find cures to the woes of life, many people are already in a position where their defenses are weak.

How easy it is for those who prey on others to do so with people facing the straits of life. The scribes and Pharisees were champions at this. Nothing has changed in the hearts of many to this day.

Lord God, help us from getting misdirected from a pure and personal relationship with You. Keep us from those whose intent is to draw attention to themselves, even if their appearance seems to be directed toward You. They were there during Jesus’ ministry, and they still fill the world today. Keep us from such people by giving us the wisdom to see through their guises. Amen.

Thursday, 8 October 2026

“But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. Matthew 23:13

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at the “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen).

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you close the ‘kingdom, the heavens’ before the ‘men’. You, indeed, neither enter, nor those entering you permit to enter.” (CG)

In the previous verse, Jesus noted that the one who will elevate himself will be humbled, and the person who humbles himself will be elevated. Jesus next directly addresses those He has been speaking about, saying, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!”

This is the first of eight times Jesus will proclaim woe in Chapter 23. The words are directed to the scribes and Pharisees who were supposedly the religious elite of society. And yet, Jesus directly charges them for their hypocritical attitude. In this first charge, He continues, saying, “Because you close the ‘kingdom, the heavens’ before the ‘men’.”

The words are similar to those of Luke 11 –

“Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge.” Luke 11:52

In other words, they are supposed to be the ones leading people into a right relationship with the Lord, thus receiving the benefits of the kingdom of the heavens. Instead of this, they essentially walked up to the doors of the gate, then closed and locked them, thus keep any from gaining access. Their actions and instructions took over in place of proper instruction.

What mirrors so many in the world today is that they were so filled with their religious life that they thought it was the way to gain God’s favor. They so deluded themselves that they couldn’t imagine God not simply fawning over them. And yet, Jesus tells them directly that, “You, indeed, neither enter, nor those entering you permit to enter.”

Again, it is similar to the second half of Luke 11:52 –

“You did not enter in yourselves, and those who were entering in you hindered.”

Think of anyone who is in a position of religious authority, be it the Pope in Rome, a Jewish rabbi, an Islamic imam, a Buddhist monk, etc. They dedicate their lives to what they are doing, certain that they have the keys to whatever religious reward they expect to receive. And yet, not only do they not possess the necessary access allowance, which is the shed blood of Christ, but their teachings lead others away from the truth so that none of their adherents will be saved.

Suppose an Islamic imam is presented with the gospel. He then rejects it, and he continues teaching the doctrines of Islam. In doing so, he will keep those who listen to him from salvation. This is exactly what was going on with the scribes and Pharisees. They had the law. The law pointed to Christ. Christ had come, and yet they failed to acknowledge Him. This continues in Israel to this day.

Life application: The Pope is mentioned in the main section above. God alone knows if the current Pope or any Pope along the way is saved. The point is that they have the necessary information to lead people to salvation. They have the Bible. They have the doctrines of the virgin birth, the sinless nature of Christ, the fulfilling of the law, the all-sufficient atonement, the substitution for sin, the imputation of righteousness, the resurrection, etc.

All of this is right before them. And yet, they add in heaps and heaps of religiosity that has nothing to do with the Christian faith, just as the scribes and Pharisees did. They add in the immaculate conception, Mary as the co-mediatrix, prayers to the saints, etc. They also deny that Christ’s atonement covers all sin apart from any works, even after salvation, and so on.

Just like those scolded by Jesus, it is as if they walk up to the doors of heaven, slam them shut, lock them, and throw away the key. Those who follow them will be just as shut out as they are. This is true with innumerable denominations and sects. Think of the loss of humanity because people are unwilling to pick up the word of God, accept it for what it is, and believe the simple gospel.

It is a tragedy of unimaginable proportions. Multitudes of humanity are lost forever because of rejecting that God has done everything necessary for us to be reconciled to Him through Jesus. The debt is paid, the path is cleared, and all we have to do is believe. Pray that people will put away their stubbornness and look to Jesus.

Lord God, the greatest tragedy of all is when the gospel is rejected. We may have many troubles in this life, but if we have Jesus, we have everything we will ever need. Houses, jobs, bank accounts, large families, and long vacations won’t matter at all when our final breath is taken. If we don’t have Jesus, it will have been a pointless existence. Help us to share the good news that there is more than this futile, temporary life. Amen.

Wednesday, 7 October 2026

And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. Matthew 23:12

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at the “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen).

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“Who, also, he will elevate himself, he will be humbled, and who, he will humble himself, he will be elevated.” (CG)

In the previous verse, Jesus said that the greatest among them shall be their servant. He next says, “Who, also, he will elevate himself, he will be humbled.”

This truth in God’s economy is not to be missed. Adonijah exalted himself, claiming he would be king in place of his father, David. That didn’t work out so well for him. The king of Babylon said that he would ascend above the heights of the clouds and be like the Most High (Isaiah 14), but the Lord said he would be brought down to Sheol, to the lowest depths of the pit. Tyre exalted itself (Ezekiel 28), and the Lord judged it.

Israel had the temple, an edifice which was intended to exalt the Lord, but the Lord told them what would happen if they failed to do so –

“And as for this house, which is exalted, everyone who passes by it will be astonished and will hiss, and say, ‘Why has the Lord done thus to this land and to this house?’ ⁹ Then they will answer, ‘Because they forsook the Lord their God, who brought their fathers out of the land of Egypt, and have embraced other gods, and worshiped them and served them; therefore the Lord has brought all this calamity on them.’” 1 Kings 9:8, 9

Israel failed to humble themselves before the Lord. The temple was destroyed, and the people went off to Babylon. These are just a smattering of examples where this truth is presented in Scripture. On the other hand, Jesus next says, “and who, he will humble himself, he will be elevated.”

Jesus says that the reciprocal of the first clause will likewise be true. Moses was humble, and the Lord exalted him. Where Saul failed to humble himself, David humbled himself before the Lord, and the Lord established his kingdom forever. King Josiah had a humble heart, and the Lord promised to keep him from seeing the disaster He was going to pour out on the land. Again and again this truth is seen in Scripture.

Jesus wanted to make this point clear, and so this is not the only time He said it. The words are substantially repeated in Luke 14:11 & 18:14. As was seen in the previous commentary, though this is a truth that exists in God’s relationship with man, the words ultimately point to the greatest spiritual battle of all.

As noted, verse 8 said that the Christ is their Guide (or Teacher, depending on the text used), rather than them being called “Rabbi.” Verse 9 referred to focusing on the “Father in the celestial,” rather than an earthly father. In verse 10, they were told not to be called “guide” because they had one Guide, who is Christ. Each of those thoughts focused on God, be it the Father or the Son. This one ultimately does as well.

Satan exalted himself above God and His word. Because of this, there is a bad end set for him –

“The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.” Revelation 20:10

On the other hand, Jesus humbled Himself, leaving heaven’s glory to serve humanity and His Father in the process of redemption. He upheld the word of God and always did what pleased the Father. Because of this, God honored Him for it. This is recorded in Philippians 2:5-11. In verse 9, it says –

“Through which, also, the God – Him He hyper-elevated [huperupsoó], and He granted Him the ‘Name, the above every name’.” Philippians 2:9 (CG)

Jesus’ words tell a truth concerning self-exaltation and humility before God, which can be expected for all people. But the ultimate meaning of Jesus’ words points back to Him and His position before the Father.

Life application: Reading various translations is a good thing. Preferring a translation is fine, but getting captivated by a single translation can lead to misunderstandings of what is going on in the text. For the casual reader of the Bible, this isn’t a problem.

But if you are doing studies, especially if you are doing them to share with others, it is good to have a better sense of what is being said than what just a single translation says. Although not necessarily an error, the King James translation of this verse is exceptionally poor. As seen in the NKJV and the CGT, the verbs are set uniformly in the Greek. Even a subpar translation should get this –

Who, also, he will elevate [hupsoó] himself, he will be humbled [tapeinoó],
and who, he will humble [tapeinoó] himself, he will be elevated [hupsoó].

The KJV, for whatever reason, fails to give this harmony in its rendering –

“And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased;
and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.”

Be sure to check various translations as you do personal studies or prepare for classes. Referring to the original Hebrew and Greek is always a plus if you have the time and the ability.

Lord God, thank You for Your precious word. Indeed, it is a love story about You toward Your creatures. We are the ones who walked away from You, but You have pursued us even to the point of the cross of Christ. All hail the Name of Jesus! Thank You, O God, for what You have done. Amen.

Tuesday, 6 October 2026

But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant.  Matthew 23:11

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at the “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen).

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“The ‘also Greater’ of you, He will be your Attendant.” (CG)

In the previous verse, Jesus told His hearers not to be called guides because there is One Guide, Christ. He next says, “The ‘also Greater’ of you, He will be your Attendant.”

The words are reminiscent of what He said in Matthew 20 –

“Not thus, also, it will be in you, but whoever, if he wills in you to ‘great, become’, let him be your attendant.” Matthew 20:26

In this verse, the adjective great is in the comparative form, greater rather than greatest, which would be the superlative. Despite this, Jesus’ words are probably referring to Himself, not necessarily those He is speaking to.

In other words, verse 8 said that the Christ is their Guide (or Teacher, depending on the text used), rather than them being called “Rabbi.” Verse 9 referred to focusing on the “Father in the celestial,” rather than an earthly father. In verse 10, they were told not to be called “guide” because they had one Guide, who is Christ. As such, the focus of each of these has been on God, be it the Father or the Son.

Therefore, Jesus is most likely continuing this thought. He is telling them that the evidence of His ministry being greater than that of the scribes and Pharisees is that He would be their Attendant. If this is so, it would logically follow that the word Jesus uses, diakonos, will later be ascribed to Him. And it is. Paul uses it in Romans 15 –

“I say, indeed, Christ, ‘Attendant [diakonos], He has become’ of circumcision for ‘truth, God’, to the ‘confirm the promises, the fathers’.” Romans 15:8

This is just what Jesus came to do. To guide the people through the time of the law and into the time of the promises given to the fathers. He is that Attendant. As this is so, He is giving those He is addressing the ultimate example for them to follow.

Life application: Whether or not the translation above is correct, which assumes the words are directly speaking of Jesus, they convey the truth that Jesus is the greater among them and that He did, in fact, become their Attendant.

This is the point of all of Scripture: that God Himself was willing to do for His creatures what they could not do for themselves. And He did it in a manner that demonstrates the greatest humility and servanthood ever to be found.

This is because Jesus is God. And yet, God incarnate humbled Himself, even to the point of death, the most humiliating aspect of human existence. This is because death is the penalty for sin. Jesus’ death, however, was not for His own sin, but in an even more self-deprecating manner, He took on our sin.

The world of lies, murders, adulteries, and every other wicked design of man was laid upon the sinless Christ. As Paul says in 2 Corinthians –

“For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” 2 Corinthians 5:22

He became our sin so that we could become the righteousness of God in Him! Imagine that. Consider the humility of the Christ. How could God be so good to us to do what He did? Is He not worthy of all honor, praise, and glory for what He has done?

Let us never fail to return to God what He is due for the magnificence of Christ Jesus our Lord. Forever and ever may we glory in God and in His marvelous and tender love for His creatures.

Lord God, the story in the Bible is Your story. We are told of the most wonderful of all events in the coming of Jesus Christ. And the culmination of that time is when He was crucified for our sins and then when He rose from the dead without our sins. Total restoration has been realized for Your people because of what You have done. Praise You, O God, forever and ever. Amen.