Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-07-07

Was there any good Pharisee? Was
there anything good in the Pharisees?
You have gained your impression OF
them from the story of the Pharlsee
and the publican, Hom the severe de-
nunciation of their hypocrisy by
Jesus, and from the story OF Paul
before his conversion-and all of that
picture is very black. Before pass
ing judgment let US see further.
There were in Palestine three politl-
cal parties. They had grown up dur
ing the struggle of the Maccabeanns
for the political independence of the
Jewish race.
The Essences were those who were
the active supporters of Judas Mac
cabeaus, until he made treaty with
Rome which act was distasteful to
the loyalists. They got their name
from the word "hasidhim" or saints.
Some think it came from 'asiya,
which may mean either doors" or
"healers," according to the direction
were very loyal party. They were
close students of scripture; they be-
lieved in the resurrection of the body,
the immortality of the soul; they
were strict in their observance of
the Sabbath, and were fatalists in
their belief in Gods preordination OF
all the events of life. They had
large community near the Dead
sea, and there were groups of them
in almost every city of Palestine.
Admission to the party was by bap-
tism, and the taking of an oath of
allegiance. They dressed in white
linen usually, and shared everything
in common. Whenever one came to
city he would inquire who in the
city was worthy, and there abide
of course, the worthy ones were those
of his own order.
A little later in the history Of that
period and struggle Il group separated
from .the Essences because of their
difference and attitude toward Rome.
These "separatists" or Pharisees (for
so the word means) grew strong
enough to become the leading politi-
cal party numerically, and counted
among their number some of the
strongest men Of the nation. They
| were primarily religious, secondarily
political. They were more democratic
than the Sadducees, who recruited
their ranks largely from the priests
and the aristocracy.
The Sadducees got their name from
zadok the priest: They constituted
came religious ,oligarchy. for
| though smaller in numbers than the
| Pharisees they held the majority of
| power in the Sanhedrin. They sided
with the Herodians, the group who
| They were materialistic; they did
not believe, as the Pharisees and the
| Essences, in the resurrection Of the
| body or the immortality of the soul;
neither did they believe in angels or
| spirits. They were boorish and cruel
| in their manners and judgments.
| There were very few of them outside
| of Jerusalem. hence they took no no.
| tice Of Jesus until He began to in
terfere with their political power by
proclaiming Himself the Messiah:
| When there seemed to be danger of
the people accepting Him as such
and and thus breaking the rule of
| Rome, they began to take steps to
put Him out Of their way, and fl
nally did..so they, thought. They
terly devoid Of it's spirits.
The Pharisees
| The Pharisees differed from the
| Sadducees in being intensely reli-
| gious. Like the Puritans of Eng
lnad n the Seventeenth century and
| were people Of high ideals, and rev.
| erenced character and learning more
| than wealth and rank. Our impress
| sions Of them have been gained from
| their conflicts with Jesus, who de-
| nounced them more severely than He
did any ather class-much more
| than He did the Sadducees. But
| that does not mean, that they had no
good qualities. In fact, the reason
| why he denounced them SO severely
| was because it was necessary in or
der to sharply define the differences
between them and Him. No one
would have COMPOUNDED His belief
and teaching with the Sadducees-
! the difference was too great. But
! both Jesus and the Pharisees be-
| lieved in many things in common
the Sabbath, the Scriptures, the res
! direction Of the body. the immortali-
ty of the soul, angels, spirits, the
| greater Importance of character than