Be Not A Pharisee! That means don’t be like the Pharisees that are mentioned in the New Testament. Pharisees were the scholars of the day. They were philosophers, the type of people who liked to sit around and ponder and discuss all kinds of topics but never do anything about them.
They liked to discuss things and then leave it at that. They were men of conversation rather than action. You no doubt know of people like this. Many so-called “intellectuals” of today are like this. They believe they are smarter than others but they really don’t understand. They don’t see the whole picture.
In short, they are hypocrites. They speak about things and don’t do them. They tell others what to do but don’t follow their own rules. Perhaps the saying “Do as I say, not as I do” originated with the Pharisees. Don’t be like them.
Referenced Verses:
Joshua 1:8
Matthew 23:1-15
John 13:17
James 1:22