Changes

====Reasons for Pharisaic Hatred of Christ====

====Reasons for Pharisaic Hatred of Christ====

The opposition of the Pharisees to Jesus was intensified by another reason. They were the "Democratic Party" of their day; their whole power lay in the reputation they had with the people for piety. The Lord denounced them as hypocrites; in one of the most powerful denuciations of a religious sect, Jesus rails against them in ''Matthew'' 23, accusing them of deliberately keeping people from the Kingdom of Heaven and a relationship with God:

The opposition of the Pharisees to Jesus was intensified by another reason. They were the "[[Democratic Party]]" of their day; their whole power lay in the reputation they had with the people for piety. The Lord denounced them as hypocrites; in one of the most powerful denuciations of a religious sect, Jesus rails against them in ''Matthew'' 23, accusing them of deliberately keeping people from the Kingdom of Heaven and a relationship with God:

:''"But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in."''  

:''"But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in."''  

:''"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation."''  

:''"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation."''