What does the word pharisee mean?

Answer 1

See the Related Link for "Modern Day Pharisees" to the bottom for the answer. Someone that attends church every time the doors are open,yet doesn't put what is taught into practice. they may know The Bible front to back, and back to front, but not really get the meaning of it all. They look at others, and wonder why they don't know as much as they do about God.Their hearts are not in it, although their actions are doing all the right things, so they think. Jesus said they were clean on the outside, but dirty on the inside. ==new answer== The modern day pharisee looks only to keeping to the letter of the law rather than looking to understand how and why it works, just like in the days of Jesus. Jesus represents the knowing quality in each of us. My real education did not begin until I said seriously to myself, "I will know". Only then, did I connect with the people who had the information I needed.

Answer 2

The Jewish group that concentrated on the study, teaching and application of the Torah in every century was and is the Torah-sages and their many disciples, from Abraham down to today.

The word "Pharisees," which is based on a Greek misspelling used by Josephus, doesn't convey the meaning which it should. It actually refers to the Sages of the Talmud. (The Hebrew word "p'rushim," to which he referred, means people of temperance; the opposite of epicurean.) People get the mistaken impression from Josephus that the Pharisees were just a "sect" among others, when in fact Josephus himself admits that they with their disciples constituted the majority of the Jewish people.

Although the Christian Testament portrays them poorly, in fact the Pharisees were very egalitarian. They believed that all men were equal and that all had the same rights, and the same right to an education, etc. They were devoted to the study of Torah and the education of all people, regardless of status in society. They detested hypocrisy and actively sought it out and criticized it whenever they encountered it. The Pharisees were the only movement to survive the destruction of the Second Temple and were the ancestors of modern Judaism.

Our traditional Jewish beliefs today, including the afterlife and the resurrection, are traditions continuing from the Prophets and the Sages of the Talmud ("Pharisees").

The Sadducees, who abandoned various parts of Judaism, claimed no earlier source for their attitudes; and they (like the miniscule group called Essenes) disappeared at the time of the Second Destruction, just like the earlier Jewish idolaters had disappeared at the time of the First Destruction.

Answer 3

The pharisee was a group of Jewish religious people. They known for being self righteous. They are strict observes the Jewish law and was outwardly very religious. Jesus referred to them as hypocrites. they pretended to be one thing on the outside but inside their heart were evil.they always thought that they were better than the others. they were the poorer priests.

Answer 4

The Pharisees were a sect of Judaism several thousand years ago. The word comes from ancient Hebrew (some sources say Aramaic) and it means "separate," or "the ones who are separate." In other words, these were religious Jews who believed in preserving their religion's ancient traditions in the face of assimilation. Sadly, in the New Testament, the Pharisees are presented very negatively, as excessively rigid and legalistic, as well as the enemies of Jesus. (The adjective "pharisaic" reflects this widely-disseminated Christian myth-- it is a negative word, referring to one who is too unbending and excessively strict.)

Many historians reject this view, however. While it is undoubtedly true that there were legalistic Pharisees, there is not much evidence that the Pharisees as a group "rejected" anyone. They saw their duty as protecting Jewish laws and customs, and they would probably have been upset about any of the younger Jews who wanted to change the way Judaism was practiced. It should also be noted that in their time, the Pharisees were known for their hospitality and their works of charity. And their efforts to preserve Jewish tradition helped the religion to survive in the face of those who were trying to eradicate it.