People & groups
Pharisee
A member of a Jewish group concerned with interpreting and observing the law and inherited traditions.
Also called Β· Pharisees
What it means
The Gospels show Pharisees questioning Jesus about washing hands before meals and observing the Sabbath. In Matthew 23, Jesus mentions their tithes and tells them also to observe the weightier matters of the law.
Acts 23 says that Pharisees acknowledge resurrection, angels, and spirits. In the same chapter, Paul identifies himself as a Pharisee.
How it appears in the Bible
The Pharisee and tax collector in Luke 18 belong to a parable addressed to people who trust their own righteousness and despise others. Acts 5 also records the Pharisee Gamaliel urging the council to consider carefully how it treats the apostles.