"Evangelical Pharisees" (Michael Reeves)

TITLE: Evangelical Pharisees: The Gospel as Cure for the Church's Hypocrisy
AUTHOR: Michael Reeves
PUBLISHER: Wheaton, IL: Crossway Publishers, 2023, (128 pages).

During Jesus' time, some of Jesus' harshest criticisms were leveled at the Pharisees and religious leaders. The key reason: Hypocrisy. Jesus uses words like "blind guides," "fools," "leaven," "vipers," "whitewashed tombs," and "hypocrites." If there is any one word that would sum up how Jesus saw the religious establishment then, it would be the latter: Hypocrites. Author Michael Reeves adds to this pot of nouns with "hidden cancer," and points out the three major theological problems with the Pharisees; namely, their approach to Scripture; their understanding of salvation; and their disregard for regeneration. Reeves then introduces the three Rs to correct these three problems: Revelation, Redemption, and Regeneration. Each chapter is then devoted to unpacking each of these Rs. Embedded within these chapters are frequent comparisons of modern evangelicals with the Pharisees of old as well as warnings not to make the study and interpretation of Scripture become an end in itself. We need to gospel to correct our lens of interpretation. We need to get the salvation message clear that we are saved not by works but by grace alone. Each of these Rs parallels the members of the Triune Godhead. The Revelation of the Bible is to be seen in the light of God the Father who graciously reveals Himself to the world through the Word of God. The Redemption according to the Bible is about Christ coming down to earth to rescue us from our sins. The Regeneration aspect refers to the work of the Holy Spirit to enable us to do the will of God. 

On Revelation of the Bible, Reeves points out that the problem with the Pharisees' way of interpreting the Scriptures lies with their problematic hearts. In wanting to control the texts for their purposes, they lose sight of the bigger picture, that the Scriptures point people to God. Just like the Pharisees who added stuff to the law, there is a danger of evangelicals doing the same with the Bible. He warns us about biblicists who hide their rationalism, experimentalism, and pragmatism under the guise of  being "biblical." Evangelicals need to avoid: Treating Bible reading as an end in itself; adding things to Scripture; and the danger of self-reliance.

On Redemption, Reeves addresses the way to understand salvation, the non-Pharisaic way. The Pharisees see their way of life as self-reliance and personal accomplishments. In the same way, some evangelicals adopt self-improvement as their motivation and base their salvation on the basis of works, performance, and self-actualization. He points out how "self-dependence" easily becomes a "fertile ground for discontentment and anxiety." The key problem with such hypocrisy is this: On the one hand, one claims salvation by faith. On the other hand, one lives as if salvation is based on self. This is a tricky area that can slip into the Calvinist-Arminian debate over "Once Saved Always Saved?" Reeves's focus is on hypocrisy which occurs when one claims dependence on God but lives as if he is dependent on self. Evangelicals need to avoid the danger of works as salvation.

On Regeneration, we are warned about the dangers of "outward holiness, inward lovelessness." We need God to heal us from the inside out. Without the regeneration needed for our Christian living, we will not be able to be transformed by God into the new person that God has called us to be. 

My Thoughts
Hypocrisy remains one of the most common accusations the public has against the Christian Church. I believe many of us have heard people saying, "I don't go to Church because there are so many hypocrites in the Church!" This could lead to unhealthy responses such as radical defensiveness or overprotectiveness. On the defensive side, we open ourselves to the danger of pride. On the overprotective side, we might even go on the offensive by telling accusers to go look into the mirror if they want to see hypocrites. These temptations to be defensive or protective might even blind us to our own sins. In such times, it is good to adopt the way of Jesus, who lets spiritual discernment guides the way he responds. Such discernment comes via prayer and frequent moments alone with God. What do we do with such accusations? Be prayerful and humble about it. Acknowledge that the Church has made mistakes over the years. There is no perfect Church community in the world. If anyone claims his or her Church is perfect, it is better not to join it, lest we make her imperfect. The point is this: We all have the potential to be hypocrites. Jesus takes a particularly strong stand against hypocrisy of old. He will surely do the same for the modern Church. With this book, we take the initiative to judge ourselves first through regular periods of self-examination. We acknowledge that the temptation to be hypocrites is always there and we need to have a spiritual radar to guard against falling into these traps.

The main problem I have with regard to the book is essentially the subtitle that says the gospel is the "cure" for hypocrisy. I think it is not just a cure. The gospel saves. A saved person will demonstrate "gospel integrity." This must be matched by both the mind and the heart. An honest mind acknowledges the Truth, even when we are judged. A humble heart to learn from our mistakes, especially when we are corrected. Honesty and humility are the hallmarks of a spiritual force field against the rise of hypocrisy. In summary, this book offers two important contributions. First, it offers an important reminder to beware of the dangers of Pharisaic hypocrisy that project a righteousness that is devilish, fleshly, and worldly. Second, it gives us a way toward "gospel integrity" to bring together the primacy of Revelation, Redemption, and Regeneration. May we learn the ways of honesty and humility to combat the dangerous hypocrisy creep that lurks in many places.

Michael Reeves (PhD, King’s College, London) is President and Professor of Theology at Union School of Theology in the UK (www.ust.ac.uk). He is a Senior Fellow of Newton House, Oxford, Director of the European Theologians Network, and speaks and teaches regularly worldwide. Previously he has been Head of Theology for the Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship and an associate minister at All Souls Church, Langham Place, London.

Rating: 4.25 stars of 5.

conrade

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This book has been provided courtesy of Crossway Publishers and NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.