“Then they understood that he did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” – Matthew 16:12
The Pharisees and Sadducees were well-respected, scholarly religious leaders and teachers. People admired them and gave them prominent roles in society. But Jesus warned His disciples to beware of the infectious nature of their Bible teaching. We too must beware of Bible teaching by well-known teachers and scholars who aren’t actually teaching what Jesus taught.
Pharisees were meticulous about rule-following and zealous for God’s Law, but did so to save themselves. They taught and labored so they could be good enough to not need a Savior and it was a fraud! Christian teachers can fall into the same trap, encouraging moralism, good works, and onerous rule following without explaining and embracing the beautiful truth of the gospel: none of us can ever be good enough to save ourselves, yet God in His grace and mercy provided a Savior through the life, death, and resurrection of His Son Jesus. Beware of the Pharisees who teaches that you can do it yourself, to wash your face, clean up your act, and be the best you without confronting your own sin and ongoing need for a Savior. Seek teachers who humbly embrace the Gospel in their own lives and invite you to do the same!
Sadducees served as the priests of the people, but edited out the parts of the Bible they didn’t like: Old Testament prophets, angels, and the resurrection of the dead. We live in an era where many pastors and teachers also want to edit out part of the Bible they don’t agree with: the Old Testament, God’s moral law, the miraculous, the substitutionary atonement of Jesus on the cross. Beware of the Sadducees who teach what you want to hear. Seek teachers who will embrace and teach all of Scripture!