Matthew 23:3
so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
{ "author": "Traditionally Matthew the Apostle, though some scholars suggest an earlier source or different author.", "location": "Written from Galilee, likely to a Jewish Christian audience in Palestine or the Diaspora.", "dateTime": "Likely between 70 and 100 AD, following the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple.", "literaryStyle": "Gospel (narrative with teachings), featuring strong use of dialogue and parables." }
Jesus is addressing the crowds and his disciples, cautioning them about the scribes and Pharisees. He acknowledges that they hold positions of authority as interpreters of God's Law, so their teaching of it should be respected. However, he immediately contrasts this respect for their teaching with a strong warning against imitating their behavior, because their lives are hypocritical and do not align with the commands they preach.
Jesus tells us to obey religious leaders, even the hypocrites! How can this be? It's about separating the message from the messenger.
In Matthew 23:3, Jesus gives a crucial instruction: 'so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do.' He's addressing the scribes and Pharisees who sat in the 'chair of Moses,' meaning they were the official interpreters of God's Law.
Why Obey Hypocrites?
Jesus isn't endorsing their sin. Instead, he's safeguarding the authority of God's Word itself. Think of it like this: a valuable medicine doesn't lose its healing power just because the doctor prescribing it is unhealthy. The scribes and Pharisees, despite their personal failings, were still the official conduits for the Law of Moses.
Separating the Source
Jesus wants us to respect the divine authority behind the Law, even when it's delivered by flawed people. This means we should listen to and follow the teachings that align with God's Word, but we must reject the sinful actions and hypocrisy that accompany them. It's a call to discern between God's truth and human failing.
Ask a follow-up
Ask Sola things like:
Live chat about Matthew 23:3 is available in the Sola app.
Hypocrisy is a spiritual disease that poisons both the one who practices it and those who witness it. Jesus calls it out directly.
The sharpest critique in Matthew 23:3 is the reason given: 'For they preach, but do not practice.' This highlights the profound disconnect Jesus saw in the religious leaders of His day.
The Two Pillars of Faith
Genuine faith rests on two pillars: sound doctrine ('saying') and consistent action ('doing'). When these are separated, the spiritual structure crumbles.
Why It Matters
This hypocrisy isn't just a personal failing; it's a dangerous example. It gives people permission to ignore God's commands, creating a culture of spiritual apathy and disobedience. Jesus exposes this so people wouldn't be led astray by the actions of these leaders, even while they were meant to learn from their words.
Jesus' words here were a crucial intervention during His public ministry, aiming to uphold the authority of God's Law even when taught by flawed leaders, while simultaneously warning people against imitating their corrupt practices.
c. 458 BC
Ezra Reintroduces the Law
Ezra the scribe leads a group of Judean exiles back from Babylon, re-establishing the Law of Moses as the authoritative guide for community life and worship in Jerusalem.
c. 200 BC - AD 30
Rise of the Scribes and Pharisees
Groups like the scribes (lawyers, teachers of the Law) and the Pharisees gain prominence, interpreting and applying the Law in Jewish society, often emphasizing oral traditions alongside the written Torah.
c. AD 25-30
Jesus' Public Ministry Begins
Jesus begins teaching and ministering in Galilee and Judea, challenging established religious authorities and their interpretations of the Law.
c. AD 30-33— this verse
Jesus Confronts Religious Leaders
Jesus engages in public disputes with the scribes and Pharisees, criticizing their hypocrisy, their burdensome interpretations of the Law, and their ostentatious piety.
This passage directly echoes Jesus' condemnation of the Pharisees' hypocrisy, highlighting how they 'lay burdens hard to bear' on people while not lifting a finger to help, mirroring the 'say and do not' attitude.
Romans 2:21-23Paul's rebuke of the religious leaders in Rome for their hypocrisy directly parallels Jesus' critique, asking how they can teach others not to steal while they themselves steal, and honor God while dishonoring Him through their actions.
Micah 6:8This foundational prophetic passage contrasts the hollow religious observances of the people with what God truly desires: to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with God—a call to authentic practice that stands in stark opposition to mere words.
Matthew 15:8-9Jesus quotes Isaiah here, criticizing those who 'honor me with their lips, but their heart is far from me,' which perfectly captures the essence of the Pharisees' disconnect between their religious pronouncements and their actual lives.
calvinMatthew 23:1-12: "Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples,"
- Then Jesus spoke to the multitude, and to his disciples, 2. Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in the chair of Moses. 3. Observe and do, therefore, all things whatever they command you to observe; but do not according to their works; for they say and do not. 4. For they bind heavy and intolerable burdens, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they refuse to touch them with their finger. 5. And they do all their…
ellicottMatthew 23:3: "All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not."
(3) All therefore whatsoever . . . —Followed, as the words are, by repeated protests against special and grave errors in the teaching of the Pharisees, it is obvious that they must be received with an implied limitation. So far as they really sit in Moses’ seat, and set forth his teaching—as, e.g., the scribe had done whose answer has been just recorded—…
{ "author": "Traditionally Matthew the Apostle, though some scholars suggest an earlier source or different author.", "location": "Written from Galilee, likely to a Jewish Christian audience in Palestine or the Diaspora.", "dateTime": "Likely between 70 and 100 AD, following the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple.", "literaryStyle": "Gospel (narrative with teachings), featuring strong use of dialogue and parables." }
Jesus is addressing the crowds and his disciples, cautioning them about the scribes and Pharisees. He acknowledges that they hold positions of authority as interpreters of God's Law, so their teaching of it should be respected. However, he immediately contrasts this respect for their teaching with a strong warning against imitating their behavior, because their lives are hypocritical and do not align with the commands they preach.
Jesus is addressing the crowds and his disciples, cautioning them about the scribes and Pharisees. He acknowledges that they hold positions of authority as interpreters of God's Law, so their teaching of it should be respected. However, he immediately contrasts this respect for their teaching with a strong warning against imitating their behavior, because their lives are hypocritical and do not align with the commands they preach.
"so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice." — { "author": "Traditionally Matthew the Apostle, though some scholars suggest an earlier source or different author.", "location": "Written from Galilee, likely to a Jewish Christian audience in P…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
