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Explanation for:
Matthew
23
:
15
Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; because you go round about the sea and the land to make one proselyte; and when he is made, you make him the child of hell twofold more than yourselves.
9
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{"arr":[{"author-name":"Jerome of Stridon","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88dcd3432c6dd41375498_Jerome%20of%20Stridon.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"In our pursuit, we do not exercise the same diligence in safeguarding the truths we discover. The scribes and Pharisees travel widely in their quest for commerce or the accumulation of riches, whether through their followers or outward displays of piety. They meticulously seek to gain converts, integrating them into the covenant community of God's people. Yet, one who previously wandered in error as a Gentile might observe the moral failings of his mentors, recognizing that their actions contradict their teachings. Such a person may revert to his former impurities, as noted in Scripture (cf. 2 Pet. 2:22), and, having fully embraced a Gentile existence, he becomes a traitor deserving of even harsher judgment. He is referred to as the son of Gehenna, paralleling the terms 'son of perdition' and 'son of this age.' It is understood that anyone who performs the deeds of another is regarded as their child."},{"author-name":"John Chrysostom","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88ea76859f9f8e2ffd3ee_John%20Chrysostom.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"Following this, another reprimand arises: \\"You travel across land and sea to make a single convert; and when you succeed, you make him a child of hell, twice as much a son of perdition as yourselves\\" (Matthew 23:15). This emphasizes that despite the immense effort you expend to bring someone to faith, you still fail to lead them to salvation. While one might think that the labor invested in converting others would inspire greater diligence, the opposite is true. Here, Christ presents two accusations against the scribes and Pharisees: firstly, they achieve nothing towards the salvation of many, and it takes considerable effort for them to even attract a single soul; secondly, they show no concern for the wellbeing of those they have converted. Not only do they neglect their care, but they also betray them by leading them astray through their own immoral conduct. Indeed, a disciple can be adversely influenced by corrupt mentors, as he often fails to recognize the extent of his teacher’s depravity. Conversely, a good teacher inspires imitation in his disciples, while a worse teacher encourages them to follow even darker paths, as it is all too easy to deteriorate morally. By designating him as a \\"child of hell,\\" Christ equates such individuals directly with that fate. His reference to them as \\"the worst of you\\" serves to instill fear in the wicked disciples and to chastise the scribes more harshly, given their roles as instigators of wrongdoing. Moreover, this condemnation arises from their intent to instill even greater wickedness in their followers, pushing them towards a depravity that surpasses their own – a clear indication of a deeply corrupt spirit. Christ further admonishes the scribes and Pharisees for their foolishness, pointing out how they undermine respect for the most crucial commandments. Although He previously indicated otherwise, stating that they \\"tie up heavy burdens\\" (Matthew 23:4), they nonetheless utilized this contradiction to corrupt their followers, imposing strict expectations in trivial matters while neglecting the weightier responsibilities of faith."},{"author-name":"Theophylact of Bulgaria","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8989296bafed9104677d7_Theophylact%20of%20Bulgaria.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":11,"exegesis-text":"Not only do you lead the Jewish people astray, but you also misguide those who abandon idolatry to embrace the Jewish faith, known as proselytes. You seek to persuade individuals to adopt the Jewish customs and the rite of circumcision, yet when someone becomes Jewish, they face ruin, tainted by your corruption. A 'son of Gehenna' refers to one deserving of being cast into the depths of Gehenna, sharing a spiritual connection with that place of judgment."},{"author-name":"Euthymios Zigabenos","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":11,"exegesis-text":"Cross over - navigate through. The law identifies as a foreigner those who turn from paganism to embrace the Jewish faith. Therefore, Christ remarks, \\"You gain one foreigner after immense effort, yet you fail to retain him; you are ineffective in bringing salvation to idolaters and negligent in nurturing the foreigner; furthermore, you act as traitors, leading him astray through your unsuitable conduct and transforming him into a child of Gehenna, that is, similar to Gehenna and deserving of it. I mentioned subhubeisha, for anyone with an inappropriate mentor typically does not remain at the same level of moral decay but often descends further."},{"author-name":"Michail (Lusin)","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c89550c567e172d15b3055_Michail%20(Lusin).png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"\\"Travel across the land and the sea,\\" indicating a full commitment to bring someone to faith. The aim is to secure even a single convert, known as a proselyte, who transitions from paganism to belief in the Jewish faith. There are two categories of proselytes: 1) proselytes of righteousness, who fully embrace the Jewish faith, undergo circumcision or baptism, and adhere entirely to the Mosaic law, and 2) proselytes of the gate, who, while renouncing their former pagan practices, do not fully accept the Mosaic law and remain uncircumcised and unbaptized. \\n\\nThe phrase \\"You make him a son of Gehenna\\" refers to someone deserving the destiny of eternal punishment (as noted in Matthew 5:22); a son of Gehenna is defined as one whose actions merit being condemned in Gehenna (as stated by Theophilus). When it is said that someone is \\"twice as bad as you,\\" it reflects the Jewish perspective that proselytes are considered detrimental to Israel, hindering the arrival of the Messiah. The Pharisees welcomed such individuals, driven by both fervor for their religious conviction and personal gain, yet they neglected to guide these converts in their faith or to correct their moral failings. Instead, they further corrupted them through their own hypocritical behavior.\\n\\nIn this way, Christ illustrates the stringent accountability of the scribes and Pharisees: first, they are unable to aid anyone's salvation, making it an arduous task to draw even one person to their cause; second, they show complete disregard for the spiritual wellbeing of those they have brought in, not only ignoring their care but also betraying them by leading them into worse moral decay through their own sinful lifestyles. A disciple witnessing the corrupt actions of their teachers may fall into even greater depravity than the teachers themselves because they overlook the extent of the evil their instructors embody. The statement \\"twice as bad as you\\" serves to alarm and corrupt the students, as these scribes, who are meant to guide, not only lead lives devoid of righteousness but also encourage their students toward deeper wickedness, showcasing the profound corruption within their souls."},{"author-name":"Abbot Panteleimon about the Trinity","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"While you strive to project a fervent devotion to the glory of the God of Israel, woe to you, O scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites. You traverse both the sea and the dry land, seemingly exerting every effort to convert even a single Gentile to your faith. Yet despite all your toil, you fail to guide the convert to salvation. And WHEN THAT OCCURS, when he embraces Judaism, you transform him into a child of Gehenna, making him twice as wretched as yourselves. Your hypocritical conduct taints his understanding, leading him to be deserving of the fires of Gehenna, twice as lost as you! He becomes unable to grasp the truth of God and faces eternal ruin. Furthermore, it is your actions that contribute to this downfall, as you distort God's commandments, instructing him to evade the divine law."},{"author-name":"Gladkow B.I.","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88bf0ceef8c96e09a6521_Gladkow%20B.I..png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"Beware, scribes and Pharisees, pretenders, for your efforts to convert even a single outsider often lead to destruction. Do you believe that you are performing a righteous act? In truth, you are inflicting great harm upon the convert, as you guide him along a misguided path that ultimately results in everlasting condemnation."},{"author-name":"Paul Matwejewski","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8969f5be0d592d5a10576_Paul%20Matwejewski.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"The third lamentation pertains to the moral decay and demise of those they led from paganism to Judaism. The scribes and Pharisees, fervently seeking to acquire new followers, showed little concern for the ethical guidance and spiritual growth of their converts. Instead, through their hypocritical behavior, they misled these individuals towards inevitable ruin. \\"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because ye pass over sea and land to make one convert, and when he is made, ye make him the child of Gehenna,\\" as it is noted that “when a disciple,” in the words of St. John Chrysostom, “observes immoral teachers, he becomes worse than they are, for he does not reflect on the depths of corruption his teacher has reached.” The term \\"child of Gehenna\\" describes one who performs actions deserving of judgment in Gehenna."},{"author-name":"Bogolepow D.P.","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"The scribes and Pharisees, who were highly committed to converting Gentiles to Judaism, did not pursue this for the genuine purpose of guiding individuals away from idol worship towards devotion to the one true God for their inner transformation. Instead, the Pharisees, along with their followers, aimed to enlarge the ranks of those who superficially identified with Judaism, thereby broadening their spiritual influence. This led to a blending of pagan elements with Jewish beliefs and practices within these converts. When the Pharisees engaged in teaching proselytes, their goal was not to instill true faith and righteous living in them but rather to mold them into Pharisees, transferring their own misconceptions and shortcomings, which often manifested even more pronouncedly in the lives of their students than in the teachers themselves."}]}
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