Bible Figure
Pharisees
The Pharisees were an influential Jewish religious movement in the Second Temple period, known in the New Testament for concern with the Law, ancestral traditions, ritual practice, and belief in resurrection and angels. The Gospels frequently portray disputes between some Pharisees and Jesus, while Acts also shows diversity within the movement.
Biography
The Pharisees emerged within Judaism before the New Testament period and exercised influence especially through teaching and interpretation of the Law. The Gospels record repeated controversies over Sabbath observance, purity, fasting, tithing, and the relationship between written Scripture and tradition. Jesus strongly criticized hypocrisy, self-righteousness, and traditions that nullified God's commands, but the narratives also show Pharisees inviting Jesus to meals, warning Him of danger, and engaging Him in serious questions. Nicodemus is identified as a Pharisee, and Paul later describes himself as having been a Pharisee. Acts contrasts Pharisaic belief in resurrection and spiritual beings with Sadducean denial of them. The group should therefore not be reduced to a caricature in which every Pharisee held identical motives or behavior.
Biblical Significance
The Pharisees are essential for understanding the Jewish religious setting of Jesus and the early church. Their debates with Jesus illuminate questions of law, mercy, purity, tradition, resurrection, and genuine righteousness. Paul's Pharisaic background also helps explain important features of his life before and after his encounter with Christ.