Editing Pharisees (section)

==Relations with Christianity==
[[File:JesusPharisees.jpg|thumb|[[Gustave Doré]]: Disputation between Jesus and the Pharisees]]
[[File:Christus im Hause des Pharisäers Jacopo Tintoretto.jpg|thumb|''Jesus at the house of the Pharisean'', by [[Tintoretto]], Escorial]]
{{See also|Jewish Christian#Split of early Christianity and Judaism|Paul the Apostle and Jewish Christianity|Christianity and Judaism|Law and Gospel}}

The Pharisees appear in the [[New Testament]], engaging in conflicts with [[John the Baptist]]<ref name="ReferenceA">{{bibleverse||Matthew|3:1–7|9}}, {{bibleverse||Luke|7:28–30|9}}</ref> and with [[Jesus]], and because [[Nicodemus]] the Pharisee ([[John 3]]:1) with [[Joseph of Arimathea]] entombed Jesus' body at great personal risk. [[Gamaliel]], the highly respected rabbi and, according to Christianity, defender of the apostles, was also a Pharisee, and according to some Christian traditions [[Gamaliel#Veneration|secretly converted to Christianity]].<ref>[[Acts 5]] merely reads: "33 When they heard this, they were furious and plotted to kill them. 34 Then one in the council stood up, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in respect by all the people, and commanded them to put the apostles outside for a little while. 35 And he said to them: "Men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what you intend to do regarding these men. 36 For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody. A number of men, about four hundred, joined him. He was slain, and all who obeyed him were scattered and came to nothing. 37 After this man, Judas of Galilee rose up in the days of the census, and drew away many people after him. He also perished, and all who obeyed him were dispersed. 38 And now I say to you, keep away from these men and let them alone; for if this plan or this work is of men, it will come to nothing; 39 but if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it—lest you even be found to fight against God."" ([[New King James Version]])</ref>

There are several references in the New Testament to Paul the Apostle being a Pharisee before converting to Christianity,<ref name="ReferenceB">Apostle Paul as a Pharisee {{bibleverse|Acts|26:5|9}} See also {{bibleverse|Acts|23:6|9}}, {{bibleverse|Philippians|3:5|9}}</ref> and other members of the Pharisee sect are known from [[Acts 15]]:5 to have become Christian believers. It was some members of his group who argued that gentile converts must be [[Circumcision|circumcised]] and obliged to follow the Mosaic law, leading to a [[Circumcision controversy in early Christianity|dispute within the early Church]] addressed at the [[Council of Jerusalem|Apostolic Council in Jerusalem]]<ref>Acts 15</ref> in 50 CE.

The New Testament, particularly the [[Synoptic Gospels]], presents especially the leadership of the Pharisees as obsessed with man-made rules (especially concerning purity) whereas Jesus is more concerned with God's love; the Pharisees scorn [[sin]]ners whereas Jesus seeks them out. (The [[Gospel of John]], which is the only gospel where Nicodemus is mentioned, particularly portrays the sect as divided and willing to debate.) Because of the New Testament's frequent depictions of Pharisees as self-righteous rule-followers (see also [[Woes of the Pharisees]] and [[Legalism (theology)]]), the word "pharisee" (and its derivatives: "pharisaical", etc.) has come into semi-common usage in English to describe a hypocritical and arrogant person who places the [[Letter and spirit of the law|letter of the law above its spirit]].<ref>[http://www.thefreedictionary.com/pharisee ''"pharisee"''] The Free Dictionary</ref> Jews today typically find this insulting and some consider the use of the word to be [[Antisemitism|anti-Semitic]].<ref>Michael Cook 2008 ''Modern Jews Engage the New Testament'' 279</ref>

[[Hyam Maccoby]] speculates that Jesus was a Pharisee and that his arguments with Pharisees is a sign of inclusion rather than fundamental conflict (disputation being the dominant narrative mode employed in the Talmud as a search for truth, and not necessarily a sign of opposition).<ref>H. Maccoby, 1986 ''The Mythmaker. Paul and the Invention of Christianity''</ref> However, Maccoby's views have been widely rejected by scholars.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gregerman |first=Adam |date=2012-02-09 |title=It's 'Kosher' To Accept Real Jesus? |url=https://forward.com/culture/151028/its-kosher-to-accept-real-jesus/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160427064939/http://forward.com/culture/151028/its-kosher-to-accept-real-jesus/ |archive-date=2016-04-27 |access-date=2023-03-10 |website=The Forward |language=en}}</ref>

Examples of passages include the [[Mark 2#Jesus heals a paralyzed man|story of Jesus declaring the sins of a paralytic man forgiven]] and the Pharisees calling the action [[blasphemy]]. In the story, Jesus counters the accusation that he does not have the power to forgive sins by pronouncing forgiveness of sins and then healing the man. The account of the Paralytic Man<ref>{{bibleverse||Mark|2:1–1|9}}</ref> and Jesus's performance of miracles on the Sabbath<ref>{{bibleverse||Mark|3:1–6|9}}</ref> are often interpreted as oppositional and at times antagonistic to that of the Pharisees' teachings.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Hooker |first1=Morna D. |title=The Gospel according to St. Mark |date=1999 |publisher=Hendrickson Publishers |isbn=1565630106 |pages=83–88, 105–108 |edition=3rd}}</ref>

However, according to [[E. P. Sanders]], Jesus' actions are actually similar to and consistent with Jewish beliefs and practices of the time, as recorded by the rabbis, that commonly associate illness with sin and healing with forgiveness. Jews (according to Sanders) reject the New Testament suggestion that the healing would have been critical of, or criticized by, the Pharisees as no surviving rabbinic source questions or criticizes this practice,<ref name="Sanders">E.P. Sanders 1993 ''The Historical Figure of Jesus'' 213</ref> and the notion that Pharisees believed that "God alone" could forgive sins is more of a rhetorical device than historical fact.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Sanders |first1=E. P. |title=Jesus and Judaism |url=https://archive.org/details/jesusjudaism00sand |url-access=limited |date=1985 |publisher=Fortress Press |isbn=0800620615 |page=[https://archive.org/details/jesusjudaism00sand/page/n287 273] |edition=1st Fortress Press}}</ref> Another argument from Sanders is that, according to the New Testament, Pharisees wanted to punish Jesus for [[Mark 3#Healing on the Sabbath|healing a man's withered hand]] on [[Biblical Sabbath|Sabbath]]. Despite the Mishna and Gemara being replete with restrictions on healing on the Sabbath (for example, Mishna Shabbat, 22:6), Sanders states that no Rabbinic rule has been found according to which Jesus would have violated Sabbath.<ref>E.P. Sanders 1993 ''The Historical Figure of Jesus'' 215</ref>

According to Chris Keith, there have been many scholars on both sides who were either highly critical of the historicity of the controversy narratives between Jesus and the scribes and Pharisees or found the stories to be historically credible. Some of the former went as far as to claim that these narratives tried to hide the truth that Jesus in actuality was a Pharisee. Keith agrees with the latter and agrees that conflicts between Jesus and the literate interpreters of the text happened as the Gospels say and can be traced back to the [[historical Jesus]], disputing Sanders in particular. While he acknowledges that the Gospels' stories are a "product of the time(s) in which they were formed" and were affected by later struggles between Christians and Jews, he argues that such symbolism that drapes the Gospel narratives does not mean they are not historical and that there are convincing arguments Jesus did have such debates.<ref>{{cite book |last= Keith |first= Chris |year= 2020 |title= Jesus against the Scribal Elite: The Origins of the Conflict |publisher= T&T Clark |page= 27-28, 187, 190, 191, 197-202 |isbn= 978-0567687098}}</ref>

Paula Frederiksen and Michael J. Cook believe that those passages of the New Testament that are seemingly most hostile to the Pharisees were written sometime after the destruction of the Temple in 70&nbsp;AD.<ref>Paula Frederiksen, 1988 ''From Jesus to Christ: The Origins of the New Testament Images of Jesus''</ref><ref>Michael J. Cook, 2008 ''Modern Jews Engage the New Testament''</ref> Only Christianity and Pharisaism survived the destruction of the Temple, and the two competed for a short time until the Pharisees emerged as the dominant form of Judaism.{{Citation needed|date=March 2022}} When many Jews did not convert, Christians sought converts from among the Gentiles.<ref>e.g., {{bibleverse|Romans|11:25}}{{Dubious|Turning to the Gentiles|date=May 2025}}</ref> Some scholars have found evidence of continuous interactions between Jewish-Christian and rabbinic movements from the mid to late 2nd century to the 4th century.<ref>See for instance: Lily C. Vuong, ''Gender and Purity in the Protevangelium of James'', Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament 2.358 (Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2013), 210–213; Jonathan Bourgel, [https://www.academia.edu/34049435/Bourgel_The_Holders_of_the_Word_of_Truth_The_Pharisees_in_Pseudo-Clementine_Recognitions_1.27_71_JECS_25.2_2017_.pdf?auto=bookmark&campaign=weekly_digest "The Holders of the "Word of Truth": The Pharisees in Pseudo-Clementine Recognitions 1.27–71,"] ''Journal of Early Christian Studies'' 25.2 (2017) 171–200.</ref><ref>Philippe Bobichon, "Autorités religieuses juives et 'sectes' juives dans l'œuvre de Justin Martyr", ''Revue des Études Augustiniennes'' 48/1 (2002), pp. 3–22 [https://www.academia.edu/29309756/Autorit%C3%A9s_religieuses_juives_et_sectes_juives_dans_loeuvre_de_Justin_Martyr_Revue_des_%C3%89tudes_Augustiniennes_48_1_2002_p_3_22 online]; Philippe Bobichon, ''Dialogue avec Tryphon (Dialogue with Trypho), édition critique'', Editions universitaires de Fribourg, 2003, Introduction, pp. 73–108 [https://www.academia.edu/7280008/JUSTIN_MARTYR_Dialogue_avec_Tryphon_Dialogue_with_Trypho_%C3%A9dition_critique_VOLUME_I_Introduction_Texte_grec_Traduction_Coll_Paradosis_%C3%A9ditions_universitaires_de_Fribourg_Suisse_no_47_1_2003_563_pages online]</ref>