History of the Pharisees in Christianity

History of the Pharisees in Christianity Much of what is known about the Pharisees arguably comes from Biblical sources, specifically from the Christian tradition. There were many instances in the Gospels when Jesus was confronted by the Pharisees and vice versa. For the Pharisees, the â€Å"meticulous observance of the Torah and its commandments †¦ reflects the highest form of divine service.†1 From this perspective the self-righteous stance of the Pharisees is very much evident and it is contrasted with the humility exhibited by the common people of that era.2Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on History of the Pharisees in Christianity specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The Pharisees are hated and reviled by those who condemn a narrow-minded approach to applying traditions. But a close examination of their history and belief system will reveal that they are not evil people and that they have many things in common with religious conservative s of today. There are those who may read the Christian Bible and make the conclusion that the Pharisees were the top religious party when it comes to Judaism but there are those who argue that this group were simply one of the several sects â€Å"each of limited membership, competing for the attention of the unaffiliated majority.†3 Nevertheless, a conservative assessment of the extent of their power and influence had to give way to the realization that the Pharisees were â€Å"the largest and ultimately most influential of all the sects present during the 1st century.4 Nevertheless, the group’s rise to prominence was due in part to the spirit of the times when the masses wanted to break free from the oppression of the Roman Empire and the lack of satisfaction they felt with their religion. Furthermore, scholars like Smith pointed out the necessity of entrusting the Jewish population to the control of the Pharisees after the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD also expl ains their rise to power even after the time of Christ.5 Thus, it can be argued that the religious and political party of the Sadducees was established first. Afterwards the Pharisees came into the picture in the hopes of instituting reforms in Jewish society. They strengthened their position so that they were able to overshadow the Sadducees in later years so much so that â€Å"the active period of Pharasaism, the most influential movement in the development of Orthodox Judaism, extended well into the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD.6 But during time of Christ the Pharisees were on equal footing with the Sadducees. If the politics of 1st century Jewish society can be reduced to two dominant parties then the Sadducees and the Pharisees takes the top two positions.Advertising Looking for research paper on religion theology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Before going any further it is important to pinpoint the early begin nings of Pharisaism and the emergence of the Pharisees. There are scholars who believe that the rise of the Pharisees can be traced back to the return of the Judean exiles from Babylon.7 It was during this period when the Pentateuch was canonized.8 The breakaway group was steadily formed when certain Jews lament the fact that not all the laws practiced by before the Babylonian captivity were included in the Pentateuch. The Sadducees – the political party of the high priesthood – cannot accept any teaching or rule that cannot be found in the Pentateuch or the written law.9 It is easy to understand why the Sadducees would not give in because in their mind, traditions and the written code are the basis for any action or decision-making process. There is stability to traditions and there is a level of certainty when one adheres to something that has been in use for hundreds of years. In other words the Sadducees founded their belief system on the written law while the Phar isees wanted to expand the scope to include both written and oral laws. The Sadducees are in a formidable position because they can point to Moses as the giver of laws. Furthermore, the written law that they have covers a broad spectrum of social, religious and moral issues. The Pharisees, however, insisted that the oral laws are as important as the written laws because the oral laws clearly explain the spirit of the law. The Pharisees did not conjure these ideas out of thin air; using the written law they were able to prove that indeed oral laws must be used side-by-side with the written law. Consider the following examples: In the book of Jeremiah it is stated that when the prophet bought a field from Hanamel he wrote a deed in the presence of witnesses who affixed their signatures. There is no mention in the Pentateuch of the requirement of a deed and witness in the transfer of a real property. In the book of II Kings we learn that if a man did not pay his debts his creditors had the right to take him into servitude. If he died and left the debt unpaid the creditor could enslave his children †¦ it is stated in the book of Haggai that God told the prophet to examine the priests on the laws of sanctity and impurity. These two laws are not found in the Pentateuch.10 The examples given provide a clear overview as to why the Pharisees insisted on the importance of the oral laws and to be respected as having equal importance as the written law. If the oral laws that were found in the book of Jeremiah, II Kings and Haggai are indeed part of a collection of oral laws that was intentionally lost after the canonization of the Pentateuch, then there is good reason for the emergence of the Pharisees. The examples given cover social and religious aspects of Jewish life.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on History of the Pharisees in Christianity specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Therefore it ca n be argued that without the aid of oral laws the Jews would then have to contend with their present situation using laws that are antiquated because these were established during the time of Moses and several centuries removed from the circumstances surrounding 1st century Judaism. It does not mean that the written law was not able to resolve many of the problems of Jewish contemporary society but a close examination of the oral laws mentioned earlier reveals the importance of oral laws when it comes to providing information to correctly interpret the Pentateuch and helps in the application of the written law. Consider for instance the circumstances surrounding Judea during the time of Christ. It was vastly different from the circumstances that surrounded Moses and his mission to rescue slaves from Egypt and bring them to their ultimate destination. In the first century AD the Jews had to contend with an occupying force that threatened to transform their religion and culture with a n equally powerful force which was the Greco-Roman culture. Based on the historical background provided it is now easier to understand why the Pharisees had to form another religious party to oppose the Sadducees. In a time of national crisis, it was imperative to have a clear and full understanding of the law. The Pharisees believed that it can only be achieved if the Jews study both the written and oral laws. In other words the Sadducees view the Pentateuch as a core foundation that every legal and moral statute can be hinged on. The Pharisees on the other hand sees it differently, in their opinion it is an incomplete set of laws and without the balancing effect of the second part (oral laws) they can never be assured that they are truly obedient to the laws of God. The Pharisees’ insistence for Jews to observe oral laws goes beyond the need to deal with the contemporary society. In the book of Haggai and oral law regarding purification and impurity was mentioned. If one on ly values the Pentateuch then it is easy to forget the statute embedded in the book of Haggai because it is not found in the written law. However, the issue mentioned there is of grave importance to the Pharisees because it talks about purity. In other words the Pharisees could never feel the assurance that they have carefully observed the laws of God if they will only rely on the written law. They needed both.Advertising Looking for research paper on religion theology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Conclusion For many people the Pharisees are nothing more than religious fanatics. Their many confrontations with Jesus Christ revealed the dark side of this particular religious party. But upon closer examination of the historical data, one tends to agree that the Pharisees simply wanted to obey the laws of God. Their insistence to observe both the written and oral law is not based on the desire to create something new. They contended that contemporary society has to be guided by oral laws and the written law. The oral laws provide insight into the application of written law. But more importantly the Pharisees believed that Jews cannot have the assurance that they have carefully observed the laws of God if they neglect the oral laws. Bibliography Cadbury, Henry. â€Å"Review: Christianity’s Treatment of the Pharisees.† The Journal of Religion 9 no. 2 (1929): 299-302. Goodblatt, D. â€Å"The Place of the Pharisees in First Century Judaism: The State of the Debate.â₠¬  Journal for the Study of Judaism 20 no. 1 (2004): 12-30. Skeel Jr., David. â€Å"What were Jesus and the Pharisees Talking About when they talked about the Law?† Journal of Law and Religion 23 no.1 (2007): 141-146. Pharisee, Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2011, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Pharisee Zeitlin, Solomon. â€Å"The Pharisees: A Historical Study.† The Jewish Quarterly Review 52 no.2 (1961): 97-129. Footnotes 1 David Skeel, Jr., â€Å"What were Jesus and the Pharisees Talking About when they talked about the Law?† Journal of Law and Religion 23 no.1 (2007): 141. 2 Henry Cadbury, â€Å"Review: Christianity’s Treatment of the Pharisees,† The Journal of Religion 9 no. 2 (1929): 300. 3 D. Goodblatt, â€Å"The Place of the Pharisees in First Century Judaism: The State of the Debate,† Journal for the Study of Judaism 20 no. 1 (2004): 13. 4 Goodblatt, 13 5 Ibid. 6 â€Å"Pharisee,† Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2011 7 Ibid. 8 Solomon Zeitlin, â€Å"The Pharisees: A Historical Study,† The Jewish Quarterly Review 52 no.2 (1961): 100 9 Pharisee. 10 Zeitlin, 100

Which Font Should You Use on Your Resume

Which Font Should You Use on Your Resume Individuals who are writing their resumes are swamped with a variety of fonts to choose from, including italic fonts, fonts with fancy curlicues and plain block fonts. Added to that confusion, the font size has to be chosen and resume writers want to find that perfect font that will impress the recruiter but is easy to read. Since you expend enough effort writing your resume and searching job classifieds, you don’t need to stress over what font to use. By using the following tips for the worst and best fonts to use, you can find an appropriate font to use for your resume and spend more time concentrating on that perfect content. CalibriCalibri may be a good choice for a resume for several reasons. It isn’t as commonly used as Arial and using Calibri 12-point will give you an easily read resume that is nicely laid out. Since a good-looking resume is your aim, Calibri may be a good choice.RELATED:Â  Revamp Your Resume: How to Choose FontsHelveticaHelvetica is a Swiss fon t that is highly favored by typographers and designers. It’s clean lines and clarity can be found in a number of corporate logos, including Microsoft. While it comes with Mac, you will have to purchase it as an extra font to use with your Windows program.GeorgiaThis is a traditional looking font and a good change from Times New Roman, which has been overused. Georgia gets a high score for readability, and it was designed to be read on a computer screen and works with both Windows and Mac.GaramondAnother good alternative to Times New Roman, Garamond looks like a classic style with a modern edge to it. It also lets you fit more onto a page without looking like the text is forced into too small a space. Garamond is definitely a good choice for a resume.CambriaIf you have Word, you may have noticed that Cambria is one of the fonts included with the program. Cambria is another font that was designed to be easily read on a computer screen and because of the letter construction, it works well for both printed and online resumes.Gill SansThis English font has been around for many years but was rediscovered and became popular again around 2000. The classic yet modern styling looks good in a resume and is available for Mac OS X and offers several versions in Microsoft Word.Times New RomanThis font is commonly used, but there are reasons to steer clear from it on a resume. One reason is that so many other people use it. Because they do, it won’t stand out from the rest of the applications. That’s reason enough to not use it. In addition, it can be difficult to read when you use a smaller type size.CourierSince Courier was designed to look like you typed it, that is reason enough to stay away from it. In addition, because of its monospacing, it can look a little strange when reading it since all the letters are spaced equally.Comic SansUnless you are applying for a job with a comic book company, leave Comic Sans to use another time. Comic Sans falls i nto the flashy, over-the-top category you should stay away from.Brush ScriptScript is a no-no to start with, but Brush Script is the worst. This font, designed in 1942, is sadly out of date compared to many other fonts and may date you as well if you use it.Choosing the right font can be an important consideration when writing a resume since you want your resume to look neat and easily readable without being too flashy. Searching for a job itself also requires consideration and there are numerous ways to conduct a job search such as checking out daily job ads. TheJobNetwork does the work for you, freeing your time for other pursuits while you search. After you fill out a list of your job interests and qualifications, TheJobNetwork goes to work around the clock to find job listings that might interest you and sends them to you as email alerts. Sign up with TheJobNetwork to get started.