The Authority of the Scribes

The Scribes considered themselves to be the true teachers of the law. Because the language of the Jews was no longer what it had been, the Aramaic dialect was being spoken more often than the Hebrew, people were losing their ability to truly read the Scriptures for themselves. It was even thought unlawful for anyone to translate the Torah unless he was an authorized Scribe.

The Scribes were needed to read and explain the Scriptures to the people. This certainly caused the Scribes to rise in importance, and they sought to rule in all sacred things, and they formed a class that was very strong in ecclesiastical power.

The Scribes were also called rabbis and they demanded from their students absolute reverence, even more so than the pupils honor for his own father. It was taught that:

"respect to a teacher should exceed respect for a father, for both father and son owe respect to a teacher" (Kerithoth 6.9).

Their influence with the people was exceedingly great. That influence was mainly due to the fact that they appeared to be so learned, they were expounders of the law and they occupied a leading place in the worship of the synagogue (Matt 23:5). Thus all religious instruction of the day was in their hands. They taught in schools, in chambers, in the outer courts of the temple, in the synagogues, and even in the streets. In fact we can be certain that we have an accurate picture of one of their sittings, when we are told of the time when Jesus at a young age was found by his parents in the temple, "sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them and asking them questions." (Luke 2:46). In a situation like this the Scribes would sit on an elevated platform, and their students would sit around them in a semicircle being literally trained at their feet (see Acts 22:5).

Jesus had often said that the rabbis wanted first place in everything (Matt 23:6-7; Mark 12:38-39; Luke 11:43; 20:46). The Scribes were determined to oppose the teachings of Christ.