15. And he charged them, saying, Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod.
KJV Luke 12:1
1. In the mean time, when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, inasmuch that they trod one upon another, he began to say unto his disciples first of all, Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.
This is one of the few acted parables requiring the study of two texts at the same time to gain a complete understanding. Mark 8 shows Jesus warning His disciples about both the Pharisees and Herod. The proper interpretation of leaven must describe a feature possessed by both. Luke 12 adds detailed information showing leaven spiritually represents hypocrisy. The first step is to find out exactly what the word hypocrisy means.
Strong’s Ref. # 5272
hupokrisis
from GSN5271; acting under a feigned part, i.e. (figuratively) deceit (“hypocrisy”):
Strong’s Number: 5271
Transliterated: hupokrinomai
Phonetic: hoop-ok-rin’-om-ahee
Text: middle voice from 5259 and 2919; to decide (speak or act) under a false part, i.e. (figuratively) dissemble (pretend): –feign.
Strong’s Number: 2919
Transliterated: krino
Phonetic: kree’-no
Text: properly, to distinguish, i.e. decide (mentally or judicially); by implication, to try, condemn, punish: –avenge, conclude, condemn, damn, decree, determine, esteem, judge, go to (sue at the) law, ordain, call in question, sentence to, think.
Since this is a parable in which Jesus identifies the spiritual meaning of a key word, this parable will also identify a rule of interpretation. When looking up the definition of a word, follow the word through to its root meaning to gain a complete definition and understanding. The word hypocrisy, Strong’s number 5272 lead us to the Greek word number 5271, which lead us to 2919, giving us the definition. Hypocrisy comes from a root word meaning to try, condemn and punish.
Leaven = hypocrisy = try, condemn and punish.
Does the definition of hypocrisy describe an event shared by the Pharisees and Herod? We need to identify scripture showing both were involved in trying, condemning and punishing a person.
KJV Mark 12:13-14
13. And they send unto him certain of the Pharisees and of the Herodians, to catch him in his words. 14. And when they were come, they say unto him, Master, we know that thou art true, and carest for no man: for thou regardest not the person of men, but teachest the way of God in truth: Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar, or not?
KJV Luke 23:8-12
8. And when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding glad: for he was desirous to see him of a long season, because he had heard many things of him; and he hoped to have seen some miracle done by him. 9. Then he questioned with him in many words; but he answered him nothing. 10. And the chief priests and scribes stood and vehemently accused him. 11. And Herod with his men of war set him at nought, and mocked him, and arrayed him in a gorgeous robe, and sent him again to Pilate. 12. And the same day Pilate and Herod were made friends together: for before they were at enmity between themselves.
KJV Acts 4:26-28
26. The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ. 27. For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, 28. For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.
The Bible clearly indicates Herod and the Pharisees were involved in the trial of Jesus. As Mark records, the two had joined forces to undermine Jesus. This may have occurred for some time. Not only the Pharisees but the followers of Herod plotted against Jesus, a fact not often considered when studying this subject.
It is one thing to look up the definition of a word in order to gain a better understanding. It is a completely different matter to rely upon the Bible to supply a much deeper spiritual meaning for the entire text. Since this acted parable was interpreted by Jesus we must use only texts from the Old Testament to see where Jesus may have found this information. As we examine the Old Testament texts we will find the words hypocrisy and hypocrite will lead us to a number of prophetic text. The New Testament text recording a fulfillment of these prophecies has been added to clarify these texts are referring to Jesus.
KJV Isaiah 32:66. For the vile person will speak villany, and his heart will work iniquity, to practise hypocrisy, and to utter error against the Lord, to make empty the soul of the hungry, and he will cause the drink of the thirsty to fail.
KJV Matthew 27:1212. And when he was accused of the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing.
KJV Matthew 27:34-35
34. They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink. 35. And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots.
KJV Job 13:16-1916. He also shall be my salvation: for an hypocrite shall not come before him. 17. Hear diligently my speech, and my declaration with your ears. 18. Behold now, I have ordered my cause; I know that I shall be justified. 19. Who is he that will plead with me? for now, if I hold my tongue, I shall give up the ghost.
KJV Luke 2:30-3330. For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, 31. Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; 32. A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel. 33. And Joseph and his mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of him.
KJV Matthew 27:12
12. And when he was accused of the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing.
KJV Luke 23:46
46. And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.
KJV Job 15:34-3534. For the congregation of hypocrites shall be desolate, and fire shall consume the tabernacles of bribery. 35. They conceive mischief, and bring forth vanity, and their belly prepareth deceit.
KJV Matthew 24:1-21. And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple. 2. And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.
KJV Luke 17:29-30
29. But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. 30. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.
KJV Matthew 23:33-35
33. Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? 34. Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city: 35. That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.
KJV Job 20:4-74. Knowest thou not this of old, since man was placed upon earth, 5. That the triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment? 6. Though his excellency mount up to the heavens, and his head reach unto the clouds;
7. Yet he shall perish for ever like his own dung: they which have seen him shall say, Where is he?
KJV Luke 20:46-4746. Beware of the scribes, which desire to walk in long robes, and love greetings in the markets, and the highest seats in the synagogues, and the chief rooms at feasts; 47. Which devour widows’ houses, and for a shew make long prayers: the same shall receive greater damnation.
KJV Job 27:7-87. Let mine enemy be as the wicked, and he that riseth up against me as the unrighteous. 8. For what is the hope of the hypocrite, though he hath gained, when God taketh away his soul?
KJV Matthew 16:44. A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed.
KJV Matthew 22:18
18. But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites?
KJV Romans 1:18
18. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
KJV Romans 3:5
5. But if our unrighteousness commend the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance? (I speak as a man)
KJV Job 34:29-3129. When he giveth quietness, who then can make trouble? and when he hideth his face, who then can behold him? whether it be done against a nation, or against a man only: 30. That the hypocrite reign not, lest the people be ensnared. 31. Surely it is meet to be said unto God, I have borne chastisement, I will not offend any more:
KJV John 11:49-5249. And one of them, named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all, 50. Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not. 51. And this spake he not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation; 52. And not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad.
KJV Luke 23:22-23
22. And he said unto them the third time, Why, what evil hath he done? I have found no cause of death in him: I will therefore chastise him, and let him go. 23. And they were instant with loud voices, requiring that he might be crucified. And the voices of them and of the chief priests prevailed.
KJV Psalms 35:15-1715. But in mine adversity they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together: yea, the abjects gathered themselves together against me, and I knew it not; they did tear me, and ceased not: 16. With hypocritical mockers in feasts, they gnashed upon me with their teeth. 17. Lord, how long wilt thou look on? rescue my soul from their destructions, my darling from the lions.
KJV Luke 11:53-5453. And as he said these things unto them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to urge him vehemently, and to provoke him to speak of many things: 54. Laying wait for him, and seeking to catch something out of his mouth, that they might accuse him.
KJV Matthew 26:2
2. Ye know that after two days is the feast of the passover, and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified.
KJV Proverbs 11:99. An hypocrite with his mouth destroyeth his neighbour: but through knowledge shall the just be delivered.
KJV Luke 23:1-21. And the whole multitude of them arose, and led him unto Pilate. 2. And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying that he himself is Christ a King.
KJV Isaiah 9:16-1816. For the leaders of this people cause them to err; and they that are led of them are destroyed. 17. Therefore the Lord shall have no joy in their young men, neither shall have mercy on their fatherless and widows: for every one is an hypocrite and an evildoer, and every mouth speaketh folly. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still. 18. For wickedness burneth as the fire: it shall devour the briers and thorns, and shall kindle in the thickets of the forest, and they shall mount up like the lifting up of smoke.
KJV Matthew 15:1414. Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.
KJV Mark 15:3-4
3. And the chief priests accused him of many things: but he answered nothing. 4. And Pilate asked him again, saying, Answerest thou nothing? behold how many things they witness against thee.
KJV Mark 15:11-13
11. But the chief priests moved the people, that he should rather release Barabbas unto them. 12. And Pilate answered and said again unto them, What will ye then that I shall do unto him whom ye call the King of the Jews? 13. And they cried out again, Crucify him.
KJV John 15:6-7
6. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. 7. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
KJV Isaiah 10:66. I will send him against an hypocritical nation, and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge, to take the spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets.
KJV Luke 23:1-21. And the whole multitude of them arose, and led him unto Pilate. 2. And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying that he himself is Christ a King.
KJV Matthew 25:32
32. And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
KJV Colossians 2:8-9
8. Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. 9. For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
KJV Luke 10:19
19. Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
Jesus warned His disciples about the Pharisees and Herod using the word hypocrisy which means to try, accuse and condemn. This is exactly what the Pharisees and Herod did to Jesus.
There are two key words in this study, leaven and hypocrisy. Thus far, the word hypocrisy has led to a number of prophetic texts describing the trial of Jesus, which is the exact definition of the word Jesus used to describe the Pharisees. For this interpretation to hold true, the word leaven must also lead us to scripture relating to the trial if Jesus.
Leaven
KJV Exodus 12:15
15. Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses: for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel.
The Passover feast was designed to remind God’s people they were once in bondage in Egypt. During this ceremony a lamb without blemish was sacrificed. This lamb was prepared for the evening meal. The blood was spread over the top and sides of the door posts. The entire lamb was to be eaten before sunrise. Many other details are involved but the one we are interested in at this point describes the bread eaten at the meal. God was very specific, stating the bread was to be unleavened.
KJV John 13:1
1. Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.
KJV 1 Corinthians 5:6-8
6. Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? 7. Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: 8. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
Jesus was sacrificed on the Passover.
KJV Leviticus 2:4
4. And if thou bring an oblation of a meat offering baken in the oven, it shall be unleavened cakes of fine flour mingled with oil, or unleavened wafers anointed with oil.
KJV Leviticus 2:11
11. No meat offering, which ye shall bring unto the Lord, shall be made with leaven: for ye shall burn no leaven, nor any honey, in any offering of the Lord made by fire.
KJV Leviticus 6:16
16. And the remainder thereof shall Aaron and his sons eat: with unleavened bread shall it be eaten in the holy place; in the court of the tabernacle of the congregation they shall eat it.
KJV Leviticus 7:12
12. If he offer it for a thanksgiving, then he shall offer with the sacrifice of thanksgiving unleavened cakes mingled with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil, and cakes mingled with oil, of fine flour, fried.
KJV Leviticus 8:2
2. Take Aaron and his sons with him, and the garments, and the anointing oil, and a bullock for the sin offering, and two rams, and a basket of unleavened bread;
The use of unleavened bread was a requirement for two major ceremonies, the Passover and the sacrifice. Both of these events were designed to point to the sacrifice of Christ. It is not by mere chance Jesus used both of these words, leaven and hypocrite in the same parable. When searched within the Bible, each word reinforces the spiritual meaning of the other. The probability of this happening by chance is astronomical. This parable is a testimony of the authenticity of the Bible.
KJV Matthew 16:11-12
11. How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees? 12. Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.
Jesus did not agree on many points with either the Pharisees or the Sadducees. They often fought a battle of words. Originally the Pharisees and Sadducees were opponents, competing against one another. Both viewed Jesus as such a threat. They teamed up in an effort to do away with Jesus. The Pharisees and Sadducees took turns matching wits on doctrine. For the first time they put their differences aside, tolerating each others doctrine in an attempt to put away the threat Jesus posed to each of them. Jesus referred to the false doctrines of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees as leaven.
Matthew 16 tells us leaven represents the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees. How do we properly interpret the word doctrine as used in Matthew 16? Do we follow the most popular belief and assume it means the rules and laws of the Pharisees and Sadducees? Looking at how the Pharisees and Sadducees used these doctrine will answer this question.
KJV Matthew 12:10
10. And, behold, there was a man which had his hand withered. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath days? that they might accuse him.
KJV Mark 3:2
2. And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the Sabbath day; that they might accuse him.
KJV Luke 11:53-54
53. And as he said these things unto them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to urge him vehemently, and to provoke him to speak of many things: 54. Laying wait for him, and seeking to catch something out of his mouth, that they might accuse him.
KJV John 8:6
6. This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not.
KJV Matthew 27:12
12. And when he was accused of the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing.
KJV Mark 15:3
3. And the chief priests accused him of many things: but he answered nothing.
KJV Luke 23:2
2. And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying that he himself is Christ a King.
All of the above texts have one detail in common, the Pharisees and Sadducees used their doctrines to accuse Jesus. The question begs to be asked, was Jesus concerned about the beliefs of the Pharisees and Sadducees or the use of those beliefs?
When correctly studied, Matthew 16:12 reveals a warning concerning the use of doctrine much more profound than popular interpretations normally dictate. It is clear to see, the misuse of these doctrines resulted in the trial and death of Jesus. Today many churches use twisted forms of evangelism in an attempt to attract new members. They spend an enormous amount of time and money accusing others of not adhering to their doctrine. What is the difference between the Pharisees and Sadducees and the churches of today using doctrine to accuse others?
KJV 1 Corinthians 5:6-8
6. Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? 7. Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: 8. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
