Were the Pharisees really the bad guys? | The Real World of the Gospels, pt. 3

Were the Pharisees really the bad guys?

Who were the Pharisees? Ask that question in a Bible study at pretty much any church and you’re likely to hear answers like:

“Hypocrites.”

“Legalists”

“Self-righteous religious leaders who opposed Jesus.”

In short, the Pharisees are the “bad guys.”

In Christian circles to describe someone as a “pharisee” is no compliment. It’s usually a way of criticizing them for being self-righteous and legalistic.

But all of this paints a caricature of the Pharisees in Jesus’ day. So, who were the Pharisees, really?