NEWSLETTER
CUSTOMS AND CULTURES (BIBLE INSIGHTS)
Throughout the Word of God, the Bible writers made many references to things that were instantly understood by the local inhabitants of their day, but now five thousand years down the track, not only has our language and culture changed, but so have most of our customs.
The problem is that many modern day saints are totally mind-boggled and confused with some of the things they read in their daily devotions and make comments such as, “I read the Bible all the time, but I don’t understand what it is saying.”
One of the main purposes for the NEWSLETTERS to our friends and partners is to teach or bring enlightenment on some of these mysteries.
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness. (Matthew 23:27).
On many occasions the Lord referred to the Pharisees as hypocrites, as we do today with people who have lifestyles that promote double standards. In New Testament times the people didn’t have the variety of entertainment we do today. In fact, most people during the time of Christ had probably never visited a library, let alone read a book. However, they loved being amused by the actors that would occasionally come to town and perform acts.
Being a travelling performer was an expensive business during the time of Christ and most groups limited their production cast to just a few men. Each actor would play up to three or four roles and would take a number of different masks onto the stage with them. These masks were attached to a thin pole and would be interchanged when the actor changed characters.
The people in those days didn’t call these visiting entertainers ‘actors’ and neither did they say to their children “let’s go down to the theatre tonight.” Instead, the common vernacular was “Let’s go down and see the Hypocrites tonight.”
The Jewish people saw these actors as ‘Two Faced’ entertainers, because of their changing from one face to another on stage. They understood that the whole thing was nothing but a charade.
When Jesus was accosted by the religious fraternal of his day, He had no qualms or misgivings in calling it as it was. He boldly referred to the Pharisees as nothing but a bunch of two-face deceiving hypocrites who lived lives of double standards.
Greg Biddell
I trust that you were blessed by reading this section on Customs & Cultures. In the next NEWSLETTER I will expound on the rest of Matthew 23.27 were Jesus called these religious leaders ‘whitewashed tombs.’
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