In regard to the opinions of the Pharisees, the New Testament affords only fragments of in formation,which are, however, in accordance with the fuller particulars furnished by Josephus. From Acts xxiii:6, 8, we learn that they believed in the existence of higher created beings than man, doubtless the good and bad spirits of the Chaldee philosophy. The same places also instruct us that they held a resurrection of the dead (comp. Matt. xxii sq.)• It thus appears that the Pharisees were in general a powerful religious party, or rather the predominant influence. in the Jewish state, who aspired to the control of the civil and religious institutions, affected popularity among the people, exerted influence in the councils of kings, queens, and people of rank; were the recognized teachers and guides of the national mind, proud of their ortho.doxy, pluming themselves on their superior sanctity,. practicing austerities outwardly, but in wardly indulging their passions and descending to unworthy and shameful acts; and withal of narrow spirit, contracted views, seeking rather their own aggrandisement than the public good, of which they used the name merely as a pretext and a cover.
We are not to suppose that there were no individuals in the body free from its prevailing vices. There did not fail to be upright and pure minded men, who united inward piety to outward correctness of conduct, and were indeed superior to the principles of their sect; such was Nico demus (John iii rt); such also Gamaliel may have been (Acts v:34; comp. Bcrach. Xiii, 2; Sota, xx, 3; Babyl. Sota, xxii. 2). Of men of this kind many were led to embrace the Gospel (Acts xv :5).
In general, however, their power was all di rected against Jesus and his work. With what force they must have acted appears obvious from the preceding remarks. Nor is the reader to im agine that they were merely a few learned men, congregated together in the capital, engaged in learned pursuits or religious practices, and in con sequence leaving our Lord at liberty to pursue his ordinary duties up and down the land. The capi
tal was doubtless their headquarters, but they pervaded the entire country in considerable num bers (six thousand are referred to above), and were therefore prescit in all parts to withstand the publication of the Gospel of that kingdom every feature of which they hated (Luke v:17); and as they constituted a large portion of the Sanhedrim (Acts v:34; xxiii:6, sq.), and had an almost unlimited influence with the people, great indeed was the power which they wielded in their conflict with the infant church. Perhaps there never was an instance in any social condition in which the elements of power supplied by religion, politics, high life, and humble condition weremore thoroughly or more densely combined in order to oppose and destroy the growing power of new ideas and lofty aims. The victory. however, was for man, because it was also of God. Darkness, indeed, prevailed for three days, covering the land, and casting a thick shadow over the world. But the Sun of Righteousness arose, and still shines.
Pharisaism, how compact soever might be its appearance outwardly, and as against a com mon enemy, had its own internal dissensions. The question of more or less of moderate or extreme views, of what on one side would be called tem porizing and on the other consistency, agitated this school as it has agitated most others. In the age of our Lord there were two leading parties, that of Hillel and that of Schammai, the former representing a moderate Pharisaism, the latter 'the straitest sect,' to which Paul had probably belonged.
Some of the extracts from Josephus show clearly that the Greek philosophy had an influence on the doctrines of the Pharisees. (Milman. Hist. of the Jews; Edersheim, Life of Jesus; Farrar, Life of Christ; Geike, Life of Christ.) J. R. B.