The Scribes

Luke 6:7, "And the scribes and the Pharisees
watched him, whether he would heal on the
sabbath day, that they might find an
accusation against him."

MATTHEW 12:1-14;
MARK 2:23-3:6;
LUKE 6:1-11

The scribes were copiers of the holy
scriptures.
They preserved in written form the oral law,
and faithfully handed down the Hebrew
scriptures.

In New Testament times, they were students,
interpreters, and teachers of the Old
Testament.
They were to teach the law, develop it and
use it in any connection with the Sanhedrin
and various local courts.
They were ambitious for honor, which they
demanded, especially from their pupils, as
well as from the general public.
This homage was paid to them
(Matthew 23:5-11).

Ezra was a scribe during the Babylonian
captivity of the Jews, and he was a very
godly man.
The office of a scribe was a worthy one, but
the scribes of Jesus' day were often rebuked
by Him for having gone beyond the job of
copying the scriptures.
They had a large volume of interpretations
that they had added to the scriptures based
on traditions, and had made "the word of God
of none effect" (Mark 7:13).

The scribes became an independent company
of interpreters of the law and leaders of the
people.
Even they, themselves, sought to evade
certain of their own precepts.
(Matthew 23:2-4)
They clashed with Jesust because He taught
with authority and condemned the external
formalism that they caused.
(Matthew 7:28-29)

They persecuted Peter and John (Acts 4:3-7)
and had a part in Stephen's martyrdom
(Acts 6:12).
The majority opposed Christ, some did
believe (Matthew 21:15).
Jesus exposed the hypocrisy of the scribes
by dealing with issues of the heart.
They appeared to be holy outwardly, but
their hearts were far from God.
It is important for us to keep our hearts
tender and receptive to His Word, and give
ourselves to Him in worship.
Think about the good things he has done
today and be thankful.