Hill Of Crosses, Lithuania
What Would Jesus Do?

End Notes
  1.       These scribes (experts in the law) were experts in the knowledge and application of the
    Pentateuch (written Torah), the Hebrew Bible, and the oral Torah (oral traditions of the elders)
    handed down over generations.
  2. Mark 3:23b-26. All excerpts from the New Testament are taken from the New English Translation
    of the Holy Bible.
  3.  Kenneth Cloke recognizes this truth when he writes: “Organizations can be ground to a halt by
    conflicts or transformed by them.” (Resolving Personal and Organization Conflicts: Stories of
    Transformation and Forgiveness, p. 124).
  4.  Matthew 10:34-35.
  5.  Kenneth Cloke.  Mediating Dangerously: The Frontiers of Conflict Resolution.  Jossey-Bass.  
    2001.  Page 8.
  6.  A generation prior to the public ministry of Jesus of Nazareth existed two distinct schools of
    Pharisaic thought – the Bet Hillel and the Bet Shammai. In general, Shammai followed a more
    stringent and literal interpretation of the law given to Moses while Hillel expounded a more flexible
    application of its demands.  I will make no attempt to identify or distinguish these schools in their
    discourses with Jesus of Nazareth.  I will simply refer to them as “The Pharisees” since they are
    identified broadly like that in the New Testament.
  7.  “Pharisees.”  Wikipedia.
  8.  Lecture Notes.
  9.  First five books in the Hebrew Bible written by Moses: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and
    Deuteronomy.
  10.  According to Josephus’ The Antiquities of the Jews, John Hyrcanus was originally a disciple and
    supporter of the Pharisees. However, a Pharisee named Eleazer opposed Hyrcanus serving as high
    priest because of doubts about his genealogy. Eleazer alleged that his mother had been raped
    during the persecution of Antiochus Epiphanes, calling Hyrcanus' lineage into question. When
    Hyrcanus proved that this story was a lie, a Pharisaic court recommended a lenient punishment of
    lashes for the slanderer. This angered Hyrcanus, who, with the encouragement of a Sadducean
    friend, quit the popular Pharisees and became a Sadducee. He even went so far as to abolish the
    Pharisaic practices that had been enacted into law and punish those who observed them. The
    Hellenistic Sadducees consequently amassed considerable power during his reign.
  11.  The Maccabees were a Jewish priestly family that led revolt begun in 168 B.C. against Roman
    occupation and the increasing influence of Greek culture.
  12.  Paul Johnson.  A History Of The Jews.  Page 106.
  13.  The reign of the Maccabees over Israel and Judah from 142 B.C. to 63 B.C.
  14.  Elias Bickerman.  The Maccabees.  Page 93.
  15.  Kenneth Cloke.  Mediating Dangerously: The Frontiers of Conflict Resolution.  Jossey-Bass.  
    2001.  Page 6.
  16.  Josephus Flavius records that the Pharisees were meticulous about observing the law, both in its
    written and oral forms; affirmed the immortality of the soul and the resurrection of the body; and
    had a greater influence on the common people than did the other sects including the Sadducees,
    the Essenes, and the Zealot.  Antiquities of the Jews, XVIII, 1.
  17.  Corban is a Hebrew loanword referring to something that has been set aside as a gift to be given
    to GOD at some later date, but which is still in the possession of the owner. According to
    contemporary Jewish tradition the person who made this claim was absolved from responsibility to
    support or assist his parents.
  18.  A quotation from Exodus 20:12 and Deuteronomy 5:16 of the written Torah.
  19.  A quotation from Exodus 21:17 and Leviticus 20:9 of the written Torah.
  20.  Louis Feldman, “Is The New Testament Antisemitic?” Moment, December, 1990, pp. 32-35, 50-52.
  21.  Brad T. Huie writes: “During the first-century, the Pharisees are thought to have been relatively
    small with about 6,000 members.”  “Who Were the Pharisees and the Sadducees?”  2002.
  22. Ibid.
  23.  Paul Johnson.  A History Of The Jews.  Page 106.  See also Dr. Brad Young who writes of the oral
    law: “The Oral Torah clarified obscure points in the written Torah, thus enabling the people to
    satisfy its requirements. If the Scriptures prohibit work on the Sabbath, one must interpret and
    define the meaning of work in order to fulfill the divine will. Why is there a need for an oral law? The
    answer is quite simple: Because we have a written one. The written record of the Bible should be
    interpreted properly by the Oral Torah in order to give it fresh life and meaning in daily
    practice…Moreover, it should be remembered that the Oral Torah was not a rigid legalistic code
    dominated by one single interpretation. The oral tradition allowed a certain amount of latitude and
    flexibility. In fact, the open forum of the Oral Torah invited vigorous debate and even encouraged
    diversity of thought and imaginative creativity. Clearly, some legal authorities were more strict than
    others, but all recognized that the Sabbath had to be observed.” Jesus the Jewish Theologian.  
    Page 105.
  24. Dr. Brad Young.  Jesus the Jewish Theologian.  Page 100.
  25. Ibid.  Pages 184, 188.
  26. Douglas Stone, Bruce Patton, and Sheila Heen.  Difficult Conversation: How to Discuss What
    Matters Most.  Penguin Books.  1999.  Page 111-112.
  27. James Hastings.  “Sadducees.”  Hastings Dictionary of the Bible.  Volume IV.  Page 351.