바리사이파와 예수의 율법 논쟁

Abstract

According to the majority opinion Pharisees were legalists who sought to observe literally the Law. Jesus, the founder of Christianity opposed their formalism and tried to argue Jews into abrogating the Law. I examined this view basing on recent scholarship which viewed the movement of Jesus as an inner reform of Judaism and Pharisees as true leaders who interpreted the Law practically and reduced the burdens of Law in the first century. This paper focused on the debate of Sabbath and the Oral Torah of Pharisees. Scholars who uphold the majority opinion argue that Jesus violated the rules of Sabbath by healing the sick on the Sabbath. There are 8 cases which are related to the matter of Sabbath in the New Testament. In each case Pharisees asked whether it was lawful to heal on the Sabbath. Jesus answered by healing the sick. If the acts of Jesus had been not to be allowed by the Law, Pharisees would have lodged strong protests and laid formal complaints before the Sanhedrin. But Pharisees did not lay any formal complaint against the teaching of Jesus on the Sabbath. This showed the teaching of Jesus was done within the parameters of Judaism. Therefore in the debates on the Sabbath Jesus didn't have any intention to abrogate the Law. Pharisees argued that they have the Oral Torah and interpreted the written Torah with the Oral Torah. Their tries were desirable and necessary because the written Torah was made in old times and was behind the times. Furthermore there were many ambiguities because the written Torah did not regulate the details of daily life. Because Pharisees cleared up these ambiguities, the common people of the Jews respected them. Jesus recognized the virtue of the Oral Torah but protested the abuse of Oral Torah. Some of Pharisees made many additional regulations and violated the original intents of the written Law. Furthermore some who were taught by Pharisees violated the Law on the pretext of Oral Torah. For example as someone did not do anything for his father or his mother, he said he offered it to God. Jesus opposed the abuse of Oral Torah. In sum Jesus did not showed any intention to abrogate the Law in the debates on the Law.