Browse Bible Study Resources

Intermediate Sunday School : Lesson 140

Text: Matthew 23:13-15
16 March 2025

INTERMEDIATE SUNDAY SCHOOL 15 March 2024
STUDIES IN THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

Text: Matthew 23

13 “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.
14 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation.
15 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.

Matthew 23:13-15

A WORD OF WARNING CONCERNING FALSE PROPHETS

15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.
16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?
17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.
18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.
19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them.

Matthew 7:15-20

1. False prophets

a) They include false teachers
b) These are purveyors of that which is false

2. They will disguise themselves

a) They are dressed in sheep’s clothing
b) But they are ravenous wolves

3. They will be known by their fruits

a) A bad tree bears bad fruits
b) A bad tree cannot bear good fruits

A SERIES OF “WOES” PRONOUNCED

1. Three woes are pronounced this segment

2. A “Woe”

a) A denunciation
b) A rebuke
c) A strong warning

3. These woes were directed

a) To the scribes
b) To the Pharisees

4. A strong word was used by the Lord

They were called “hypocrites!”

a) Insincere people
b) False in their ways

THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN

1. They shut up the way to heaven

a) They will not enter in
b) They prevent others from entering

 

2. They are hypocrites

a) They make long prayers for widows
b) But they devour (rob) the houses of widows
i) They cheat
ii) They intimidate
iii) They steal things from widows who do not know better

3. They win proselytes

a) They spare no efforts making disciples
b) They become their followers
c) These proselytes (converts) become worse than their teachers
d) The new proselytes become “twice as much the son of hell”

VITAL LESSONS

1. To be wise and not naïve

2. To be discerning

3. To be aware of false prophets/ teachers

4. To stand fast in faith