The Pharisees in Matthew 23 Reconsidered

Scholarly and historical challenges to the canon of Scripture have been ongoing since before the Council of Nicea in 325, and they continue to this day. A growing number of Matthean scholars contest the historicity of Matthew 23 and its validity for inclusion in the Gospel narrative. They view Jesus's condemnation of the Pharisees and the polemical language as a reflection of growing opposition to Judaism within the Matthean community of post-70 CE and therefore regard the chapter as ha