¹⁵ “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.

23:15

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!

This third “woe” shows their misdirected religious zeal.

For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.

Religious leaders prosecuted a zealous search to win one proselyte. They went to incredible lengths to win converts. Proselytes made by religiously lost leaders are twice the son of Gehenna as the leaders themselves; they doubly learn lessons of deception from their teachers.

PRINCIPLE:

False teaches employ every effort to subvert the souls of men and nail their fate in a Christless eternity.

APPLICATION:

False teachers teach a phony faith. The idea of Christians sitting blithely by while cults and false teachers spread their spiritual poison is greatly disturbing. God has given us the authority and a command to spread the faith. Note chapter 28:

Mt 28:18  And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. ¹⁹ Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.