Matthew 23:2

Sunday, 27 September 2026

saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. Matthew 23:2

“saying, ‘Upon the ‘Moses’ bench’, they sat, the scribes and the Pharisees.’” (CG).

In the previous verse, it said that Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples. That continues with, “saying, ‘Upon the ‘Moses’ bench’, they sat.’”

In the Bible, the seat signifies the situation in which one exists. A great example of this is found in Exodus 12:40 –

“And seat, sons Israel, who they sat in Egypt: thirty year and four hundreds year.” (CG)

Thus, the situation Israel found itself in was sitting in Egypt for a lengthy period of time. Understanding this, the bench of Moses, his seat, signifies the situation of their occupying the authority of Moses in relation to the law. Moses was the lawgiver. In addition to that, people would come to him for judgment in matters related to the law –

“And so it was, on the next day, that Moses sat to judge the people; and the people stood before Moses from morning until evening. 14 So when Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he did for the people, he said, ‘What is this thing that you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit, and all the people stand before you from morning until evening?’
15 And Moses said to his father-in-law, ‘Because the people come to me to inquire of God. 16 When they have a difficulty, they come to me, and I judge between one and another; and I make known the statutes of God and His laws.’” Exodus 18:13-16

Jethro saw that this was too much for one man and recommended he choose able men from the multitudes to judge the people. Only when a matter was too difficult was it elevated to Moses.

Within this structure, a more refined leadership was organized in Numbers 11, where seventy men were consecrated to assist Moses in leading the people. This body eventually became known as the Sanhedrin. In Jesus’ time, He recognized that such a set authority was comprised of “the scribes and the Pharisees.”

Whether this is exactly what Jesus is referring to, or the general authority given to those who made up the Sanhedrin (for example, not all Pharisees were members of the Sanhedrin, and there were Sadducees within the Sanhedrin), the point is that there was an understood authority within the Scribes and Pharisees that the people were to submit to in religious matters. Jesus calls this authority “Moses’ bench.”

Life application: Within the church, there are positions of authority that have been designated by Paul in the pastoral epistles. These positions were set within individual churches. There is nothing in Scripture to suggest that a body existed or would exist that had authority over the Christian faith.

But this is exactly what large denominations began to do. The Roman Catholic church, for example, claimed special authority derived from the seat of Peter, as if Peter were the leader of the early church and his authority then transferred to other men throughout the years.

Because of this unbiblical claim, such large denominations began to claim authority over the word of God, as if they had the sole right to interpret it, translate it, and decide what the word actually says when texts with conflicting words or phrases arose.

No such body is hinted at in Scripture. No such authority was ever granted to Peter. And there is no line of succession authorized by Scripture. These are all false claims intended to trap adherents of various denominations into believing that the ticket to their salvation rests in the denomination, not in the finished work of Jesus Christ.

Jesus’ words about the scribes and Pharisees will acknowledge their positions of authority, but He will excoriate them for their abusive lifestyles. The only marked difference between the scribes and Pharisees and the leaders of these large denominations is that they do not possess biblical authority for the positions they sit in.

Take time to read the pastoral epistles, see what God has determined through Paul’s hand concerning church leaders and church structure, and then be content to ignore anything that does not fit into the simple model set forth there.

Other than the quality and conduct of the men chosen to lead a local body, there is very little set forth as guidelines for the church to operate. The main thing you will notice is that there is a heavy stress on honoring God through Jesus and carefully handling the word of God. If a church is not doing this, you should not waste your time with it.

Lord God, may our time in church be filled with honoring You and learning Your word. Help us not to get misdirected from these priorities. May our time there be a time of true fellowship with others and growth in our walk with You. Amen.