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Accidental Pharisees: Avoiding Pride, Exclusivity, and the Other Dangers of Overzealous Faith
Zealous faith can have a dangerous, dark side. While recent calls for radical Christians have challenged many to be more passionate about their faith, the down side can be a budding arrogance and self-righteousness that “accidentally” sneaks into our outlook.
In Accidental Pharisees, bestselling author Larry Osborne diagnoses nine of the most common traps that can ensnare Christians on the road to a deeper life of faith. Rejecting attempts to turn the call to follow Christ into a new form of legalism, he shows readers how to avoid the temptations of pride, exclusivity, legalism, and hypocrisy,
Larry reminds us that attempts to fan the flames of full-on discipleship and call people to Christlikeness should be rooted in love and humility. Christians stirred by calls to radical discipleship, but unsure how to respond, will be challenged and encouraged to develop a truly Christlike zeal for God.
In Accidental Pharisees, bestselling author Larry Osborne diagnoses nine of the most common traps that can ensnare Christians on the road to a deeper life of faith. Rejecting attempts to turn the call to follow Christ into a new form of legalism, he shows readers how to avoid the temptations of pride, exclusivity, legalism, and hypocrisy,
Larry reminds us that attempts to fan the flames of full-on discipleship and call people to Christlikeness should be rooted in love and humility. Christians stirred by calls to radical discipleship, but unsure how to respond, will be challenged and encouraged to develop a truly Christlike zeal for God.
209 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 9, 2012
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April 17, 2017
I had difficulty rating this book. The message is crucial to Christians, but I felt the delivery was at times poor.
There are numerous ways Christians elevate themselves and their spirituality above other Christians', and the danger is that they don't even realize it because it all started with good intentions (hence, "accidental" in the title). "Accidental Pharisees" gives many examples of the traps into which the well intentioned fall. Scripture is used to refute the various pitfalls; usually the wrong thinking is from taking a passage out of context. For example, in the section about the "Money Police", Larry Osborne demonstrates how those who feel called to live on the bare minimum--and think others ought to also--love the passage of the rich, young ruler, but ignore when Paul says that God gave the rich their riches--in part--to enjoy.
My favorite section was "Gift Projection". It is one people so often do, but I think seldom realize it. I've done it. Osborne used the gift of evangelism as an example. I think it is the most fitting of our time to use because "evangelical" Christianity is what is and what has been popular for the past several decades. The assumption is that everyone ought to be evangelizing at every opportunity. If you aren't, it's because you aren't sold out enough for Christ! Never mind that Paul says evangelism is a gift, and different people have different gifts; and not everyone has the gift of evangelism. (By the way, I do *not* possess the gift of evangelism.)
I went back and forth between giving the book 2 stars, 3 stars, and 4 stars. The reason I contemplated a 2-star rating was because at times Osborne's tone was overwhelmingly critical and harsh, seeming to lack charity, but full of negative assumptions.
In one part of the book, in the section titled "Pride", Osborne says to (page 53) "Give the following list to any gathering of people. Ask them to rate themselves in each area, answering the simple question, 'Are you above or below average in each of the following areas'?
- My ability to get along with other people
- My honesty
- My work ethic
- My basic intelligence
- My morality
Here's what you'll find. One hundred percent of people will rate themselves as being above average in every category."
The problem with his assumption, is that I didn't rate myself that way. First, if you're asking a Christian to rate his morality compared to everyone else in the world, wouldn't you hope it'd be better since the Holy Spirit indwells him? That goes for all of the questions, other than the one about basic intelligence, to which I responded "I don't know", because how on earth could I gauge my intelligence against the intelligence of 6 billion other people I know nothing about? I understand the point he was trying to make, but he did not do it well. There were other parts of the book where he was certain of some negative attitude, assumption, or motive in others that he really couldn't know because he cannot see the heart.
Later in the book he reminds the reader how Paul, when addressing the infamous church at Corinth, started off praising it; and really, in the letter to Corinth, one can see that Paul truly loved and cared for that church despite its obvious short-comings. Paul praised this church before confronting it for the rampant sin present; and even while confronting, he did it with love. Osborne's use of this biblical example is to counter the way many Christians today criticize and tear each other apart; but I felt that Osborne's tone at times was no different. He overall did not seem to love the Accidental Pharisee, but showed disdain for him.
Concluding this review, I say that despite the negative tone to the book, the lessons to be learned are invaluable. We would all do well to examine ourselves a little more closely, and to show grace and understanding to those who make different choices than we do. "Accidental Pharisees" does well to open ones eyes to those spots to which he was formerly blind.
There are numerous ways Christians elevate themselves and their spirituality above other Christians', and the danger is that they don't even realize it because it all started with good intentions (hence, "accidental" in the title). "Accidental Pharisees" gives many examples of the traps into which the well intentioned fall. Scripture is used to refute the various pitfalls; usually the wrong thinking is from taking a passage out of context. For example, in the section about the "Money Police", Larry Osborne demonstrates how those who feel called to live on the bare minimum--and think others ought to also--love the passage of the rich, young ruler, but ignore when Paul says that God gave the rich their riches--in part--to enjoy.
My favorite section was "Gift Projection". It is one people so often do, but I think seldom realize it. I've done it. Osborne used the gift of evangelism as an example. I think it is the most fitting of our time to use because "evangelical" Christianity is what is and what has been popular for the past several decades. The assumption is that everyone ought to be evangelizing at every opportunity. If you aren't, it's because you aren't sold out enough for Christ! Never mind that Paul says evangelism is a gift, and different people have different gifts; and not everyone has the gift of evangelism. (By the way, I do *not* possess the gift of evangelism.)
I went back and forth between giving the book 2 stars, 3 stars, and 4 stars. The reason I contemplated a 2-star rating was because at times Osborne's tone was overwhelmingly critical and harsh, seeming to lack charity, but full of negative assumptions.
In one part of the book, in the section titled "Pride", Osborne says to (page 53) "Give the following list to any gathering of people. Ask them to rate themselves in each area, answering the simple question, 'Are you above or below average in each of the following areas'?
- My ability to get along with other people
- My honesty
- My work ethic
- My basic intelligence
- My morality
Here's what you'll find. One hundred percent of people will rate themselves as being above average in every category."
The problem with his assumption, is that I didn't rate myself that way. First, if you're asking a Christian to rate his morality compared to everyone else in the world, wouldn't you hope it'd be better since the Holy Spirit indwells him? That goes for all of the questions, other than the one about basic intelligence, to which I responded "I don't know", because how on earth could I gauge my intelligence against the intelligence of 6 billion other people I know nothing about? I understand the point he was trying to make, but he did not do it well. There were other parts of the book where he was certain of some negative attitude, assumption, or motive in others that he really couldn't know because he cannot see the heart.
Later in the book he reminds the reader how Paul, when addressing the infamous church at Corinth, started off praising it; and really, in the letter to Corinth, one can see that Paul truly loved and cared for that church despite its obvious short-comings. Paul praised this church before confronting it for the rampant sin present; and even while confronting, he did it with love. Osborne's use of this biblical example is to counter the way many Christians today criticize and tear each other apart; but I felt that Osborne's tone at times was no different. He overall did not seem to love the Accidental Pharisee, but showed disdain for him.
Concluding this review, I say that despite the negative tone to the book, the lessons to be learned are invaluable. We would all do well to examine ourselves a little more closely, and to show grace and understanding to those who make different choices than we do. "Accidental Pharisees" does well to open ones eyes to those spots to which he was formerly blind.
December 29, 2022
Potentially the best book I have read.
This book picked me apart on almost every page. Terribly convicting and humbling to see how accurately the author was able to vocalize (in a sense) the thoughts that subconsciously regularly play through my brain. I am very prone to being exactly what the author describes.
I also loved the tone of the book. Humorous, authentic, straight to the point, and from a place of the humility. The author constantly referenced his own struggles and showed his own propensities towards the very things he was calling out. Refreshing read that I will need to come back to many times. I will be repenting of these things for a while.
Praise God for this book! I’d recommend it to anyone with a half decent spiritual resume.
5/5 stars
This book picked me apart on almost every page. Terribly convicting and humbling to see how accurately the author was able to vocalize (in a sense) the thoughts that subconsciously regularly play through my brain. I am very prone to being exactly what the author describes.
I also loved the tone of the book. Humorous, authentic, straight to the point, and from a place of the humility. The author constantly referenced his own struggles and showed his own propensities towards the very things he was calling out. Refreshing read that I will need to come back to many times. I will be repenting of these things for a while.
Praise God for this book! I’d recommend it to anyone with a half decent spiritual resume.
5/5 stars
October 13, 2012
Are you a Pharisee, or better yet am “I” a Pharisee?
Why do we always see our motives as sincere, but others’ as vengeful or just plain wrong? Why, when we do something wrong, is it an accident or we misspoke, but when others do the same thing, we consider them sinful,mean-spirited or Judgmental?
This is the main subject of "Accidental Pharisees". We all, whether we admit it or not have a tendency to act like Pharisees. It is in our fallen nature to cover up our sin. Look at Adam and Eve.
Pharisees were the main religious leaders of New Testament times. They had knowledge of the Bible and a fervor for living a Godly life. In hindsight, we see all of their faults, but people living in that time looked up to them.
In reality, their fervor was misplaced and they hated the very Messiah they proclaimed to wait for. Much like us, they saw themselves as guardians of truth while those who oppose them were the enemy.
I really enjoyed this book. It not only rebukes the reader, but also encourages them. Like a masterful surgeon, Osborne uses a scalpel to cut out the tumor but patches us back up and uses salve to heal the wound. He uses illustrations and scripture to show how there is an Accidental Pharisee in all of us. We do not even realize we are Pharisees, but everyone else does.
When we think of Pharisees, we think of people who are against make-up and jewelry or believe that Christians should not go to movies. But we know the Pharisee and He is us.
I saw so many areas where I have become a Pharisee. God help me see these things and give me the Grace to change.
I loved this book and highly recommend it. I would even suggest that you buy a few copies and give to your friends and family.
I give it 5 out of 5 stars.
*This book was provided free by Cross Focused Reviews and Zondervan in exchange for an honest review.
Why do we always see our motives as sincere, but others’ as vengeful or just plain wrong? Why, when we do something wrong, is it an accident or we misspoke, but when others do the same thing, we consider them sinful,mean-spirited or Judgmental?
This is the main subject of "Accidental Pharisees". We all, whether we admit it or not have a tendency to act like Pharisees. It is in our fallen nature to cover up our sin. Look at Adam and Eve.
Pharisees were the main religious leaders of New Testament times. They had knowledge of the Bible and a fervor for living a Godly life. In hindsight, we see all of their faults, but people living in that time looked up to them.
In reality, their fervor was misplaced and they hated the very Messiah they proclaimed to wait for. Much like us, they saw themselves as guardians of truth while those who oppose them were the enemy.
I really enjoyed this book. It not only rebukes the reader, but also encourages them. Like a masterful surgeon, Osborne uses a scalpel to cut out the tumor but patches us back up and uses salve to heal the wound. He uses illustrations and scripture to show how there is an Accidental Pharisee in all of us. We do not even realize we are Pharisees, but everyone else does.
When we think of Pharisees, we think of people who are against make-up and jewelry or believe that Christians should not go to movies. But we know the Pharisee and He is us.
I saw so many areas where I have become a Pharisee. God help me see these things and give me the Grace to change.
I loved this book and highly recommend it. I would even suggest that you buy a few copies and give to your friends and family.
I give it 5 out of 5 stars.
*This book was provided free by Cross Focused Reviews and Zondervan in exchange for an honest review.
November 21, 2024
Top 5 all time books. So good, so humbling.
November 4, 2012
No one sets out to be a Pharisee, well, almost no one. There was a time before and during the life of Christ where a certain group of religious leaders were actually called Pharisees – and they were proud of it. They thought they were doing God and all His people a spiritual service by making all kinds of extra biblical rules. They were making laws for God’s laws and they believed God loved them all the more because of it. They were zealous about their faith.
Fast forward to today. Being a Pharisee is not cool. One kind of wanders if it ever really was, but to the self-identified Pharisees it was for sure. Though we would never proudly identify ourselves as Pharisees, we can all be one at some time or another over one thing or another. This is what Larry Osborne calls being an accidental Pharisee. In his new book Accidental Pharisees: Avoiding Pride, Exclusivity, and the Dangerous of Overzealous Faith, Osborne goes right for the gut in all of us. In a Carl Trueman sort of way, he goes after everyone for becoming Pharisees. Simply put, in a zealous attempt to live Scripture more scripturally, we then judge everyone else’s faith according to ours and become the thing no one wants to be – a Pharisee. But we did it accidentally. Osborne identifies an accidental Pharisee as
"People like you and me who, despite the best of intentions and a desire to honor God, unwittingly end up pursuing an overzealous model of faith that sabotages the work of the Lord we think we’re serving." (p. 17)
Sound familiar? Maybe it describes someone you know and maybe it describes you. Truth be told, we can all become Pharisees, accidentally of course. You know who they are. The person who comes home from camp high on Jesus. The person who just led someone to Christ. The college freshman Bible studies major who comes back to his home church for summer break with all their new found knowledge seeking to solve the churches problems. Even the bookworm Christian who just read the latest book everyone is talking about and they are dead set on changing their entire Christian life in order to do what this or that book has taught them. We’ve seen them and we’ve probably been them at one time or another. Lest we think we are immune to this trap Osborne reminds us that
"As long as my only image of a Pharisee is that of a spiritual loser and a perennial enemy of Jesus, I’ll never recognize the clear and present danger in my own life. I’ll never realize that its often a very short and subtle journey from being zealous for God to being unintentionally opposed to God." (p. 27)
Through seven steps, Osborne walks us through the many ways in which a person can become the Pharisee no one wants to be. As with many sins it begins with pride. In this regard, we compare our zealous Christian life to the Christian life of others and judge them as less of Christians because they are not where we are at when we are there. Once we have justified our comparison towards other Christians of lower spiritual status we begin to exclude them from our lives and God’s grace. This exclusion leads to legalism. Of course we don’t intend to become legalists because they have such a bad reputation. But then again, we do so accidentally. Then, as our new found zealous Christian life travels on we begin to look to the past and worship it. We all do this with high school and college memories but its very dangerous with our spiritual lives. Akin to legalism is our desire for uniformity among Christians within our Christian lives and every aspect of our doctrinal beliefs. Finally, for those whose gifts might lead them to be studying Scripture more than most Christians, be it a teacher, pastor or missionary, we can tend to project our gifts onto others and expect the same from them. We can have the gift of evangelism and expect everyone else to be like us. We can have the gift of teaching and expect everyone else to study Scripture as much as we do and know as much of it as we do.
As I stated earlier, Osborne sounds a bit like Carl Trueman in this book as he goes after some of the current trends in contemporary evangelicalism when it comes to living zealously for God. Here are some examples from the book to give you an idea:
"If you spend more time than most thinking deeply about theology, read books written by dead guys, and do your Bible study in the original Greek and Hebrew, you’ll be sorely tempted to look down on those who think the last book in the Bible is called Revelations, and on those who think the last book in the Old Testament was written by an Italian prophet named Ma-la-chi." (p. 48)
"The same goes if you identify yourself as Spirit-led, missional, incarnational, gospel-centered, or some other current Christian buzzword. You’ll find it hard not to look down on those who don’t even know there’s a buzzword to conform to." (p. 48)
"We’ve coined words like radical, crazy, missional, gospel-centered, revolutionary, organic, and a host of other buzzwords to let everyone know that our tribe is far more biblical, committed, and pleasing to the Lord than the deluded masses who fail to match up." (p. 90)
"I’m concerned that the new boundary markers and litmus tests of today are not leading us back to New Testament Christianity; they’re leading us back to New Testament Phariseeism. They’re simply the newest iteration of old-school legalism." (p. 91)
"We become accidental Pharisees when we lay down boundary markers that are narrower than the ones laid down by Jesus and then treat people who line up on the wrong side of our markers as if they were spiritual imposters or enemies of the Lord. Our goal may be to protect the flock. Bur boundary markers that are narrower than the ones Jesus laid down don’t protect the flock; they divide the flock." (p. 142-43)
Now reading some of this may jar you back in your seat and make you think Osborne is just not spiritual. After all, how are some many of the things he goes after not Scriptural or spiritual to be pursuing? Some of you may need to read some sections a few times over several days to really let what is being said sink in. To be honest, I was myself initially a bit put off by some of the things said but the more I thought about it the more it made sense. Osborne is not saying being missional or gospel-centered is unbiblical, but we must be careful to look down on those who have not incorporated what is biblical into their thinking, Christian or church life. All these things have Biblical truth to them but none of them has it all on their own.
Accidental Pharisees will put you in your place, take your excuses away, make you dump your pride and have you on your knees repenting it before God. This is a book anyone can benefit from. For those who seem themselves looking into a mirror to those who are not there yet. Get the book and then get a copy for your overzealous Christian friend. I had a few quibbles with how Osborne interpreted some texts and he could have incorporated more of the NT than mostly the Gospels and the teaching of Jesus. Overall, the point of the book is sound.
NOTE: I received this book for free from Zondervan through Cross Focused Reviews in exchange for an honest review. The words and thoughts expressed are my own.
Fast forward to today. Being a Pharisee is not cool. One kind of wanders if it ever really was, but to the self-identified Pharisees it was for sure. Though we would never proudly identify ourselves as Pharisees, we can all be one at some time or another over one thing or another. This is what Larry Osborne calls being an accidental Pharisee. In his new book Accidental Pharisees: Avoiding Pride, Exclusivity, and the Dangerous of Overzealous Faith, Osborne goes right for the gut in all of us. In a Carl Trueman sort of way, he goes after everyone for becoming Pharisees. Simply put, in a zealous attempt to live Scripture more scripturally, we then judge everyone else’s faith according to ours and become the thing no one wants to be – a Pharisee. But we did it accidentally. Osborne identifies an accidental Pharisee as
"People like you and me who, despite the best of intentions and a desire to honor God, unwittingly end up pursuing an overzealous model of faith that sabotages the work of the Lord we think we’re serving." (p. 17)
Sound familiar? Maybe it describes someone you know and maybe it describes you. Truth be told, we can all become Pharisees, accidentally of course. You know who they are. The person who comes home from camp high on Jesus. The person who just led someone to Christ. The college freshman Bible studies major who comes back to his home church for summer break with all their new found knowledge seeking to solve the churches problems. Even the bookworm Christian who just read the latest book everyone is talking about and they are dead set on changing their entire Christian life in order to do what this or that book has taught them. We’ve seen them and we’ve probably been them at one time or another. Lest we think we are immune to this trap Osborne reminds us that
"As long as my only image of a Pharisee is that of a spiritual loser and a perennial enemy of Jesus, I’ll never recognize the clear and present danger in my own life. I’ll never realize that its often a very short and subtle journey from being zealous for God to being unintentionally opposed to God." (p. 27)
Through seven steps, Osborne walks us through the many ways in which a person can become the Pharisee no one wants to be. As with many sins it begins with pride. In this regard, we compare our zealous Christian life to the Christian life of others and judge them as less of Christians because they are not where we are at when we are there. Once we have justified our comparison towards other Christians of lower spiritual status we begin to exclude them from our lives and God’s grace. This exclusion leads to legalism. Of course we don’t intend to become legalists because they have such a bad reputation. But then again, we do so accidentally. Then, as our new found zealous Christian life travels on we begin to look to the past and worship it. We all do this with high school and college memories but its very dangerous with our spiritual lives. Akin to legalism is our desire for uniformity among Christians within our Christian lives and every aspect of our doctrinal beliefs. Finally, for those whose gifts might lead them to be studying Scripture more than most Christians, be it a teacher, pastor or missionary, we can tend to project our gifts onto others and expect the same from them. We can have the gift of evangelism and expect everyone else to be like us. We can have the gift of teaching and expect everyone else to study Scripture as much as we do and know as much of it as we do.
As I stated earlier, Osborne sounds a bit like Carl Trueman in this book as he goes after some of the current trends in contemporary evangelicalism when it comes to living zealously for God. Here are some examples from the book to give you an idea:
"If you spend more time than most thinking deeply about theology, read books written by dead guys, and do your Bible study in the original Greek and Hebrew, you’ll be sorely tempted to look down on those who think the last book in the Bible is called Revelations, and on those who think the last book in the Old Testament was written by an Italian prophet named Ma-la-chi." (p. 48)
"The same goes if you identify yourself as Spirit-led, missional, incarnational, gospel-centered, or some other current Christian buzzword. You’ll find it hard not to look down on those who don’t even know there’s a buzzword to conform to." (p. 48)
"We’ve coined words like radical, crazy, missional, gospel-centered, revolutionary, organic, and a host of other buzzwords to let everyone know that our tribe is far more biblical, committed, and pleasing to the Lord than the deluded masses who fail to match up." (p. 90)
"I’m concerned that the new boundary markers and litmus tests of today are not leading us back to New Testament Christianity; they’re leading us back to New Testament Phariseeism. They’re simply the newest iteration of old-school legalism." (p. 91)
"We become accidental Pharisees when we lay down boundary markers that are narrower than the ones laid down by Jesus and then treat people who line up on the wrong side of our markers as if they were spiritual imposters or enemies of the Lord. Our goal may be to protect the flock. Bur boundary markers that are narrower than the ones Jesus laid down don’t protect the flock; they divide the flock." (p. 142-43)
Now reading some of this may jar you back in your seat and make you think Osborne is just not spiritual. After all, how are some many of the things he goes after not Scriptural or spiritual to be pursuing? Some of you may need to read some sections a few times over several days to really let what is being said sink in. To be honest, I was myself initially a bit put off by some of the things said but the more I thought about it the more it made sense. Osborne is not saying being missional or gospel-centered is unbiblical, but we must be careful to look down on those who have not incorporated what is biblical into their thinking, Christian or church life. All these things have Biblical truth to them but none of them has it all on their own.
Accidental Pharisees will put you in your place, take your excuses away, make you dump your pride and have you on your knees repenting it before God. This is a book anyone can benefit from. For those who seem themselves looking into a mirror to those who are not there yet. Get the book and then get a copy for your overzealous Christian friend. I had a few quibbles with how Osborne interpreted some texts and he could have incorporated more of the NT than mostly the Gospels and the teaching of Jesus. Overall, the point of the book is sound.
NOTE: I received this book for free from Zondervan through Cross Focused Reviews in exchange for an honest review. The words and thoughts expressed are my own.
August 12, 2023
Such a good book; an easy and quick read. Very convicting yet simultaneously encouraging. Would recommend to any fellow Pharisees 😉
July 11, 2023
If only you could give this book to people without being wildly offensive 😂 I appreciate this book so much- it was very timely for me- definitely needed it right now!
November 10, 2012
The Pharisees generally get a bad rap in Christianity today, and it’s not hard to see why since they were subject to Christ’s hardest and harshest words. Having grown up in the Church, I have seen modern Pharisees parade around like they know everything as if “knowing” everything was the essence of what biblical Christianity is. What is often missed in all of this is the fact that the Pharisees were one of the most if not the most well-educated group of Jewish believers trained thoroughly in the Hebrew Scriptures. While they “knew” a lot about the Bible even they got things wrong as they paraded around what they “knew” instead of being humbled by how God has revealed His Truth to His people in and through His Word. As Christians we can fall into the trap of pretending like we “know” everything also, but when we do so we aren’t just Pharisees intentionally but “accidental Pharisees”, Pharisees “who despite the best of intentions and a desire to honor God, unwittingly end up pursuing an overzealous model of faith that sabotages the work of the Lord we think we’re serving” (17). In his helpful new book seasoned Pastor Larry Osborne writes Accidental Pharisees Avoiding Pride, Exclusivity, And the Other Dangers of overzealous Faith to take on six of the most common dangers of overzealous faith and then shows how to avoid these mistakes.
In high school I acted like a know it all even though I didn’t think I did. I’ve had many people who knew me in high school who’ve I’ve stayed in contact with tell me that in high school I would jam the Bible down their throats with what I “knew”. What I described in the first paragraph of this review isn’t just some hypothetical or theoretical piece of information I fit the bill in every way, and often still do (pride is very subtle!). Being an “accidental Pharisee” may not be intentional, but it’s as easy as using the Bible to “judge” someone while at the same time not having all the information about the person or the situation and thus not only bear false witness against a brother or sister but also dishonoring the Lord of glory. In this and many other ways, Pastor Larry Osborne holds up the Truth of God’s Word in this insightful book to shine the light of Jesus Christ before our eyes so that we would behold Jesus as more precious than our sin and truly delight in Him alone.
Accidental Pharisees is a much needed book in the American Church today. This book is likely to generate a great deal of conversation in the blogosphere and rightly so. Some will accuse Larry and likely question his motives but the truth of the matter is Larry has been a Christian leader for a long time and as such has been there and done that in the Christian life and ministry. As a seasoned man of God and Pastor, Larry has learned what it means to stand on the edge and proclaim the difficult truths of God’s Word to God’s people. Every single one of us has religion in us, and a there is a lot of it in the church. This book will help expose the religion in our hearts, and in our lives which is why I recommend this helpful resource for recovering Pharisees like me.
This book is biblical, and will likely be controversial as it steps on people’s toes by confronting their religion and pride, but as it painfully exposes people's sin; the book rightly points people towards the truth and beauty of Jesus Christ. This book will help us to give pause to examine our motives, and ministries in light of Scripture and to live out the gospel in fresh and liberating ways.
Title: Accidental Pharisees: Avoiding Pride, Exclusivity, and the Other Dangers of Overzealous Faith
Author: Larry Osborne
Publisher: Zondervan (2012)
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Zondervan book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
In high school I acted like a know it all even though I didn’t think I did. I’ve had many people who knew me in high school who’ve I’ve stayed in contact with tell me that in high school I would jam the Bible down their throats with what I “knew”. What I described in the first paragraph of this review isn’t just some hypothetical or theoretical piece of information I fit the bill in every way, and often still do (pride is very subtle!). Being an “accidental Pharisee” may not be intentional, but it’s as easy as using the Bible to “judge” someone while at the same time not having all the information about the person or the situation and thus not only bear false witness against a brother or sister but also dishonoring the Lord of glory. In this and many other ways, Pastor Larry Osborne holds up the Truth of God’s Word in this insightful book to shine the light of Jesus Christ before our eyes so that we would behold Jesus as more precious than our sin and truly delight in Him alone.
Accidental Pharisees is a much needed book in the American Church today. This book is likely to generate a great deal of conversation in the blogosphere and rightly so. Some will accuse Larry and likely question his motives but the truth of the matter is Larry has been a Christian leader for a long time and as such has been there and done that in the Christian life and ministry. As a seasoned man of God and Pastor, Larry has learned what it means to stand on the edge and proclaim the difficult truths of God’s Word to God’s people. Every single one of us has religion in us, and a there is a lot of it in the church. This book will help expose the religion in our hearts, and in our lives which is why I recommend this helpful resource for recovering Pharisees like me.
This book is biblical, and will likely be controversial as it steps on people’s toes by confronting their religion and pride, but as it painfully exposes people's sin; the book rightly points people towards the truth and beauty of Jesus Christ. This book will help us to give pause to examine our motives, and ministries in light of Scripture and to live out the gospel in fresh and liberating ways.
Title: Accidental Pharisees: Avoiding Pride, Exclusivity, and the Other Dangers of Overzealous Faith
Author: Larry Osborne
Publisher: Zondervan (2012)
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Zondervan book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
November 10, 2012
I thought that would get your attention. But in truth, you might not be able to handle this volume called “Accidental Pharisees” by Larry Osborne and published by Zondervan. I say this not because it isn’t good, but because it is so good! It tackles many preconceived notions with, of all things, what the Bible actually said. Novel approach? Well, you might not like it when you realize you have believed something yourself that the Bible doesn’t say.
I’ve reviewed several books at this point, yet I barely know what to say. There is so much challenge here, so much to consider, so much to answer for. By the way, don’t assume that you know what he is going to say since he speaks of Pharisees. It’s not just an attack on legalism as you expect, but an expose of the Pharisee that lurks somewhere down inside us all.
I loved every chapter, except when I hated it because it seemed to me that he pegged me exactly. You may seem filleted, but then again, it will be refreshing as you can’t help but believe that it is exactly what Christ would want you to think. I can only hit a few highlights though deep insights fly off of every page.
He describes Pharisaism as an overzealous faith. It’s a faith with a good beginning, as were the Pharisee’s dedication, that somewhere goes awry. He shows the depths of our dark hearts in our desire to make Christianity more exclusive, or with the bar raised ever higher, to lift ourselves up. He calls it “thinning the herd”, and shows how that becomes bigger to us than the mission Christ actually gave us. Putting litmus tests to distinguish the inferior Christians from me is part of it too. This is all part and parcel of being a Pharisee and Jesus fought it at every turn. If He didn’t like it then, He doesn’t like it in me.
He shows how extra rules are used to distinguish Christians even farther. Not clear Bible commands, but extra rules to make us even better is what he speaks of. Something could make us better than what God said? It all really is absurd. The worst of it is that it throws mercy along the wayside–you know, that mercy that so defines our God!
I love how He discusses what Jesus actually said. He attacks head on our stated interpretations that can actually run contrary to what was actually said. This is, to my mind, the most challenging part of the book. Do we derive our beliefs from Scriptures themselves, or spotty interpretation from the past? If our goal is to follow God’s Word, this should in no way make us afraid. Watch him look freshly at the Early Church in Acts.
Then he explains how we’ve high jacked the Biblical admonition of unity and replaced with the much inferior uniformity. Uniformity kills unity. It’s this idea that unity must be based on thinking exactly like me. That doesn’t exactly sound like unity, does it? Then he shames us for taking this uniformity to the extreme of picking our own favorite teacher or demonination as the standard. That leaves no place for the Lord and His Word, does it? Ouch.
Finally he talks about gift projection. That’s where I make my gift the essential one and judge every Christian on that one criteria. He’s right–that’s wrong and it makes no sense to do it.
The book isn’t perfect. You will not agree with every detail. You likely will be mad here and there. At times when he tells us to be easier on struggling Christians, he could almost sound like great dedication isn’t important. I’m sure that is not what he meant, but he waxes eloquent at times. Still, he provokes thought, real thought down avenues you might never have thought of before. What more could a book give us?
I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 .
I’ve reviewed several books at this point, yet I barely know what to say. There is so much challenge here, so much to consider, so much to answer for. By the way, don’t assume that you know what he is going to say since he speaks of Pharisees. It’s not just an attack on legalism as you expect, but an expose of the Pharisee that lurks somewhere down inside us all.
I loved every chapter, except when I hated it because it seemed to me that he pegged me exactly. You may seem filleted, but then again, it will be refreshing as you can’t help but believe that it is exactly what Christ would want you to think. I can only hit a few highlights though deep insights fly off of every page.
He describes Pharisaism as an overzealous faith. It’s a faith with a good beginning, as were the Pharisee’s dedication, that somewhere goes awry. He shows the depths of our dark hearts in our desire to make Christianity more exclusive, or with the bar raised ever higher, to lift ourselves up. He calls it “thinning the herd”, and shows how that becomes bigger to us than the mission Christ actually gave us. Putting litmus tests to distinguish the inferior Christians from me is part of it too. This is all part and parcel of being a Pharisee and Jesus fought it at every turn. If He didn’t like it then, He doesn’t like it in me.
He shows how extra rules are used to distinguish Christians even farther. Not clear Bible commands, but extra rules to make us even better is what he speaks of. Something could make us better than what God said? It all really is absurd. The worst of it is that it throws mercy along the wayside–you know, that mercy that so defines our God!
I love how He discusses what Jesus actually said. He attacks head on our stated interpretations that can actually run contrary to what was actually said. This is, to my mind, the most challenging part of the book. Do we derive our beliefs from Scriptures themselves, or spotty interpretation from the past? If our goal is to follow God’s Word, this should in no way make us afraid. Watch him look freshly at the Early Church in Acts.
Then he explains how we’ve high jacked the Biblical admonition of unity and replaced with the much inferior uniformity. Uniformity kills unity. It’s this idea that unity must be based on thinking exactly like me. That doesn’t exactly sound like unity, does it? Then he shames us for taking this uniformity to the extreme of picking our own favorite teacher or demonination as the standard. That leaves no place for the Lord and His Word, does it? Ouch.
Finally he talks about gift projection. That’s where I make my gift the essential one and judge every Christian on that one criteria. He’s right–that’s wrong and it makes no sense to do it.
The book isn’t perfect. You will not agree with every detail. You likely will be mad here and there. At times when he tells us to be easier on struggling Christians, he could almost sound like great dedication isn’t important. I’m sure that is not what he meant, but he waxes eloquent at times. Still, he provokes thought, real thought down avenues you might never have thought of before. What more could a book give us?
I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 .
October 30, 2022
This is a really good book. A must read for Christians; especially for Christians who think they couldn't be accidental Pharisees. The subtitle says it all. Inside are all the scriptures, applications and caveats. Buy it and read it anyway.
What makes this books so amazing to me is that our pastor made it his "book-of-the-month", encouraging every member of our congregation to read it. That takes courage . . . and humility. Because the second thing you see after you see that all this applies to you is that it also applies to your church. By urging us all to read it, our pastor tells us we don't want to fall into this trap here.
A good read the first time. Probably merits repeat reading periodically . . . every time you start feeling that your fellow congregate isn't keeping up.
What makes this books so amazing to me is that our pastor made it his "book-of-the-month", encouraging every member of our congregation to read it. That takes courage . . . and humility. Because the second thing you see after you see that all this applies to you is that it also applies to your church. By urging us all to read it, our pastor tells us we don't want to fall into this trap here.
A good read the first time. Probably merits repeat reading periodically . . . every time you start feeling that your fellow congregate isn't keeping up.
November 5, 2012
Excellent book. It is thought-provoking and incredibly convicting! I had my doubts at first that it would be anything more than fluff - but boy was I wrong!
November 4, 2025
Whenever Larry Osborne speaks, I listen. I have gleaned much practical and unconventional wisdom from his books on church leadership and teamwork. I was hoping that Accidental Pharisees would provide the same level of insight and wisdom. Unfortunately, I felt that this book really missed an opportunity to communicate an important topic with nuance and wisdom.
To be clear, his warnings against legalism are warranted. Drift toward pharisaical legalism is slow, gradual, even accidental. This book reminded me that it is crucial to be cautious about judging the heart and motives of people. His chapter on gift projection was vital. To be fair, there are valuable cautions in the book, but they need to be fleshed out further with a more careful approach. An example is the section on Biblical knowledge becoming a source of pride. No disagreement there. Unfortunately the delivery made it sound as though it was preferable to be ignorant of Biblical knowledge and doctrine because you are more likely to be prideful. He does not make this argument with wealthy Christians.
At times his tone seemed to contradict his warnings about being judgmental. There was little to no solution provided if anyone had found themselves displaying the pharisaical tendencies that he described. That is where I thought the book fell short the most.
I think this book has good advice for seasoned Christians. My concern with this book is that, if in the wrong hands, could encourage cynicism toward fellow believers. If one is interested in the topic of Pharisees, I would highly recommend Extreme Righteousness. It provides a more nuanced and Biblically sound account.
To be clear, his warnings against legalism are warranted. Drift toward pharisaical legalism is slow, gradual, even accidental. This book reminded me that it is crucial to be cautious about judging the heart and motives of people. His chapter on gift projection was vital. To be fair, there are valuable cautions in the book, but they need to be fleshed out further with a more careful approach. An example is the section on Biblical knowledge becoming a source of pride. No disagreement there. Unfortunately the delivery made it sound as though it was preferable to be ignorant of Biblical knowledge and doctrine because you are more likely to be prideful. He does not make this argument with wealthy Christians.
At times his tone seemed to contradict his warnings about being judgmental. There was little to no solution provided if anyone had found themselves displaying the pharisaical tendencies that he described. That is where I thought the book fell short the most.
I think this book has good advice for seasoned Christians. My concern with this book is that, if in the wrong hands, could encourage cynicism toward fellow believers. If one is interested in the topic of Pharisees, I would highly recommend Extreme Righteousness. It provides a more nuanced and Biblically sound account.
February 19, 2017
Books on the Pharisees make many people nervous or defensive. No one wants to be labeled a Pharisee, and we're all sure that whatever they were, they weren't us. Larry Osborne approaches this from a more gracious angle, he describes people as "accidental Pharisees" in his new book "Accidental Pharisees: Avoiding Pride, Exclusivity, and the Other Dangers of Overzealous Faith." If you're already suspicious of that title, let me encourage you to give it some thought. With everything in the Gospels about the Pharisees, perhaps God really does want us to take some time and study their unique problems and learn how not to be like them.
Osborne's writing style is light yet direct, he communicates with analogies from modern day life and personal anecdotes and has a mastery of humor. Yet his message is serious and at times, he spares no punches. His book attacks pride, exclusivity and the tribalism which characterizes so much of contemporary Christianity, whether we realize it or not. He shows the dark side of movement-based Christian movements such as "Spirit-led, missional, incarnational, gospel-Centered, or some other current Christian buzzword." As Osborne puts it, "You'll find it hard not to look down on those who don't even know there's a buzzword to conform to" (pg. 48).
Perhaps the best way to explain how close to home Osborne's analysis is will be to string together some quotes which capture the essence of both his style and his message. Fundamentalist Christianity such as I hail from, will be eager to write off Osborne's critique as extreme, unloving, or errant. I wish that conscientious fundamentalists would put down their defense, however, and give Osborne an ear. It never hurts to subject oneself to scrutiny. They might just find that his critique is restorative, and his objections spur them on toward a closer conformity to Scripture and a more holistic approach to spirituality that recognizes the need to encourage the weak and guards against the all-too-natural pull toward pride and exclusivity.
What follows then, are several hard-hitting quotes from Osborne:
"Gold-Package Fences
"The gold-package fences were designed to keep sin out.... Apparently, God's fences werent' good enough. So we added some extra ones to help him out. For instance, God had a fence that said, "Don't get drunk," so we added one that said don't drink. He had another fence that said, "Don't fornicate," so we added one that said don't dance. he also had one that said, "Don't love money," so we added one that limited the size of the house you could live in and the price of the car you could drive.... It didn't take me long to sign up for the gold package. I wanted to be the best Christian possible. The extra rules and fences provided a track to run on and a great way to show God and everyone else that I was serious about following Jesus. I gave it my best shot. But I noticed that all the rules and fences didn't do much to make me more like Jesus. I still struggled with all the same sins as [I] did [with] the stripped-down model. Well, actually, I had one more to deal with: pride." (pg. 96)
"Legalism vs. Mercy
"The absolute worst thing about legalism is what it does to mercy. It casts it aside, then walks away. It leaves people who need mercy most to fend for themselves and castigates those who offer mercy as spiritual compromisers who water down the gospel.... Legalists offer mercy. But the mercy they offer has limits. They have plenty of mercy for those overseas, mercy for those who face tough odds, mercy for those who don't yet know Jesus. But there's very little mercy for struggling brothers and sisters in Christ. There's not much sympathy for people who are weak and faltering. For those folks, there's nothing but a harsh rebuke and stinging exhortations to catch up with the rest of us, often with a disclaimer that they're probably not even real Christians anyway." (pg. 103, 107)
"Theological Uniformity
"Ironically, the more fervently we pursue theological uniformity, the more the Bible takes a back seat, even among people who pride themselves on having the Bible in the navigator's seat. that's because the lens of uniformity insists that everyone interpret difficult or controversial Scripture passages exactly the same way. there's no room for differing opinions, blind spots, or simply being wrong. Those who don't toe the company line are cast aside. The result is that every time a tough biblical question comes up, we have to consult the tribal manual for the "correct" answer. Instead of our answers and theology flowing out of the Bible, we end up with answers and theological systems superimposed upon the Bible and read back into it. Eventually the Bible becomes nothing more than a proof text for what our tribe already believes.... But let's be honest. most of our most heated disputes are not about matters that, when we get them wrong, will send us to hell. Granted, many are about important things-very important things-but it's a stretch to call them eternal. And that's why it's also a stretch to think that God approves when we let our pursuit of theological uniformity escalate to the point that it tears apart his family or closes up the Bible." (pg. 146, 149)
I could go on and on quoting Osborne's insights. He speaks of idolizing the past, spiritual gift projection, drive-by guiltings and more. He also speaks of the importance of bearing one another's burdens and fighting for real unity in the church. Frankly, at times, Osborne hits too close to home, for comfort!
After hearing Osborne and his passion, let me insist that there is more to the book than harsh criticism of the harsh legalism that abounds in today's Christianity. Osborne lovingly helps those who see these tendencies in themselves, and he frankly admits that many of these traits were first discovered in his own heart. Ultimately this book offers hope and inoculates believers from a Christianity that is more about scoring points for the home team, then about pointing people to Jesus Christ. I hope you'll pick up this book and add it to your "must-read" pile for 2013. Or after reading it yourself, you may consider giving it to a friend who might appreciate this encouragement too.
Disclaimer: This book was provided by Zondervan. I was under no obligation to offer a favorable review.
Osborne's writing style is light yet direct, he communicates with analogies from modern day life and personal anecdotes and has a mastery of humor. Yet his message is serious and at times, he spares no punches. His book attacks pride, exclusivity and the tribalism which characterizes so much of contemporary Christianity, whether we realize it or not. He shows the dark side of movement-based Christian movements such as "Spirit-led, missional, incarnational, gospel-Centered, or some other current Christian buzzword." As Osborne puts it, "You'll find it hard not to look down on those who don't even know there's a buzzword to conform to" (pg. 48).
Perhaps the best way to explain how close to home Osborne's analysis is will be to string together some quotes which capture the essence of both his style and his message. Fundamentalist Christianity such as I hail from, will be eager to write off Osborne's critique as extreme, unloving, or errant. I wish that conscientious fundamentalists would put down their defense, however, and give Osborne an ear. It never hurts to subject oneself to scrutiny. They might just find that his critique is restorative, and his objections spur them on toward a closer conformity to Scripture and a more holistic approach to spirituality that recognizes the need to encourage the weak and guards against the all-too-natural pull toward pride and exclusivity.
What follows then, are several hard-hitting quotes from Osborne:
"Gold-Package Fences
"The gold-package fences were designed to keep sin out.... Apparently, God's fences werent' good enough. So we added some extra ones to help him out. For instance, God had a fence that said, "Don't get drunk," so we added one that said don't drink. He had another fence that said, "Don't fornicate," so we added one that said don't dance. he also had one that said, "Don't love money," so we added one that limited the size of the house you could live in and the price of the car you could drive.... It didn't take me long to sign up for the gold package. I wanted to be the best Christian possible. The extra rules and fences provided a track to run on and a great way to show God and everyone else that I was serious about following Jesus. I gave it my best shot. But I noticed that all the rules and fences didn't do much to make me more like Jesus. I still struggled with all the same sins as [I] did [with] the stripped-down model. Well, actually, I had one more to deal with: pride." (pg. 96)
"Legalism vs. Mercy
"The absolute worst thing about legalism is what it does to mercy. It casts it aside, then walks away. It leaves people who need mercy most to fend for themselves and castigates those who offer mercy as spiritual compromisers who water down the gospel.... Legalists offer mercy. But the mercy they offer has limits. They have plenty of mercy for those overseas, mercy for those who face tough odds, mercy for those who don't yet know Jesus. But there's very little mercy for struggling brothers and sisters in Christ. There's not much sympathy for people who are weak and faltering. For those folks, there's nothing but a harsh rebuke and stinging exhortations to catch up with the rest of us, often with a disclaimer that they're probably not even real Christians anyway." (pg. 103, 107)
"Theological Uniformity
"Ironically, the more fervently we pursue theological uniformity, the more the Bible takes a back seat, even among people who pride themselves on having the Bible in the navigator's seat. that's because the lens of uniformity insists that everyone interpret difficult or controversial Scripture passages exactly the same way. there's no room for differing opinions, blind spots, or simply being wrong. Those who don't toe the company line are cast aside. The result is that every time a tough biblical question comes up, we have to consult the tribal manual for the "correct" answer. Instead of our answers and theology flowing out of the Bible, we end up with answers and theological systems superimposed upon the Bible and read back into it. Eventually the Bible becomes nothing more than a proof text for what our tribe already believes.... But let's be honest. most of our most heated disputes are not about matters that, when we get them wrong, will send us to hell. Granted, many are about important things-very important things-but it's a stretch to call them eternal. And that's why it's also a stretch to think that God approves when we let our pursuit of theological uniformity escalate to the point that it tears apart his family or closes up the Bible." (pg. 146, 149)
I could go on and on quoting Osborne's insights. He speaks of idolizing the past, spiritual gift projection, drive-by guiltings and more. He also speaks of the importance of bearing one another's burdens and fighting for real unity in the church. Frankly, at times, Osborne hits too close to home, for comfort!
After hearing Osborne and his passion, let me insist that there is more to the book than harsh criticism of the harsh legalism that abounds in today's Christianity. Osborne lovingly helps those who see these tendencies in themselves, and he frankly admits that many of these traits were first discovered in his own heart. Ultimately this book offers hope and inoculates believers from a Christianity that is more about scoring points for the home team, then about pointing people to Jesus Christ. I hope you'll pick up this book and add it to your "must-read" pile for 2013. Or after reading it yourself, you may consider giving it to a friend who might appreciate this encouragement too.
Disclaimer: This book was provided by Zondervan. I was under no obligation to offer a favorable review.
May 14, 2025
Had a lot of thoughts as I read this. Ended up being mostly what I expected. Started reading after hearing Larry Osborne at our district conference. I think I appreciate a book written for those (including myself at times) who have taken what Jesus did and called us to and stretched it beyond. It’s good to have a “call out” moment. Checking the pride and exclusion and even fostered disunity of the spiritual “elite”. We are ALL in need of grace. Literally all of us. At all times. Being apart of and EFCA church where we “major on the majors and minor on the minors”, I know that we don’t do that perfectly. We turn so many things into majors that don’t need to be. I appreciated the gentle (and sometimes brutally honest) conviction that comes from a book like this. A pastor talking to the church people: get it together, you need grace as much as the next guy and your inability to offer it is one of the greatest sins itself.
I’d recommend. I listened to it which was a good move for me but it’s not long. And he’s not a perfect writer and not all of his examples are perfect but it’s a good shot at reminding us that the playing field… it’s level. And we all have a God who loves us and desires unity among His children, no matter how “holy” we think our brother is.
Bookclubbed with Garrett.
I’d recommend. I listened to it which was a good move for me but it’s not long. And he’s not a perfect writer and not all of his examples are perfect but it’s a good shot at reminding us that the playing field… it’s level. And we all have a God who loves us and desires unity among His children, no matter how “holy” we think our brother is.
Bookclubbed with Garrett.
January 17, 2025
I really enjoyed this book. It’s super convicting and thought-provoking. It made me consider what qualifications I put on others to assess for genuine faith rather than biblical conditions for being a believer. As we mature in Christ, it can be easy to forget the grace the Lord had for us at the beginning of our sanctification. Osborne does well pointing out biblical truths and Jesus’ loving reaction to those struggling or newer in faith, though only at the end did he acknowledge that there are certain things a believer SHOULD be doing to give evidence of their faith. I wish it was more practical and fleshed that out a bit more, but overall I loved the book and it will be one I come back to time and time again!
January 11, 2018
"When the radicalness of my commitment, the intensity of my zeal, or the extent of my personal sacrifices become the means to receive or maintain God's acceptance and approval, the good news of the gospel is no longer good news to anyone except those of us who excel."
This book was painful in the best ways. My heart frequently dropped as I read these words and recognized so many evidences of Pharisaism in my life--and God's grace was made bigger as my sin was made evident. This book is not only for people in ministry but I think it is especially important for those of us who are in a ministry-employed role.
This book was painful in the best ways. My heart frequently dropped as I read these words and recognized so many evidences of Pharisaism in my life--and God's grace was made bigger as my sin was made evident. This book is not only for people in ministry but I think it is especially important for those of us who are in a ministry-employed role.
September 11, 2025
4⭐️
i see noah’s beef with this book but i enjoyed it!
i see noah’s beef with this book but i enjoyed it!
April 10, 2021
Someone gave me this book and told me for the second time that I needed to read it... I told them I wish they had bought it second-hand for me. They proceeded to tell me I definitely needed to re-read it.
All joking aside, it is probably worth it to read this book once a year.
All joking aside, it is probably worth it to read this book once a year.
December 19, 2025
Seriously so good. Discussion questions are really helpful for personal reflection
March 18, 2017
If I had to pick just one word to describe this book, I'd pick the word RELEVANT.
This is possibly THE MOST IMPORTANT BOOK Christians from all backgrounds and denominations could read today. Even though it's been out for 5 years, I pray it becomes a best seller because so many of us believers are in desperate need of the timely message that's within its pages. If I ever become one of those pesky persons who give out books for believers to read like those annoying, nosey relatives who hand out unsolicited advice during holiday get-togethers, this one will be at the top of my "Sharing List."
Just read it! Read it today!
Some quotes -
"If we fail to understand how spiritually impressive the Pharisees were, we will remain blind to the danger of becoming like them. We'll assume that their tragic transformation from passionate defenders of God into mortal enemies of God could never happen to us." (Pg 27)
"...as long as my only image of a Pharisee is that of a spiritual loser and a perennial enemy of Jesus, I'll never recognize the clear and present danger in my own life. I'll never realize that it's often very short and subtle journey from being zealous for God to being unintentionally opposed to God." (pg 27)
"Spiritual arrogance is not a back-of-the-line-sin; it's a front-of-the-line sin. So much so that sometimes I think of it as an occupational hazard of zealous faith, serious discipleship, and biblical scholarship." (Pg 46)
"When we use the Bible as a prop, every issue and doctrinal disagreement becomes a flash point, an opportunity to show off our superior knowledge and understanding, a way to set us apart. We forget that the entrance exam to heaven is a blood test, not a Scantron. We forget that pride and a lack of love nullifies our knowledge,even if it's a full and complete understanding of all the mysteries in the Bible." (Pg 59)
"No one wants to be called a Pharisee anymore. The word no longer connotes the idea of being different and separate. It now signifies someone who is self-righteous and hypocritical. So we've come up with new phrases to describe ourselves as more committed than most. We've coined words like radical, crazy, missional, gospel-centered, revolutionary, organic, and a host of other buzzwords to let everyone know that our tribe is far more biblical, committed, and pleasing to the Lord than the deluded masses who fail to match up." (Pg 90)
"Litmus test Christianity is never a good thing. It causes us to ask the wrong questions. It pits one part of the body of Christ against another. It plays to pride, fosters exclusivity, and flows out of a heart of legalism. I'm concerned that the new boundary markers and litmus tests of today are not leading us back to New Testament Christianity; they're leading us back to New Testament Pharisee-ism. They're simply the newest iteration of old school legalism." (Pg 91)
"Don't miss the distinction between judging people and showing contempt. It is important. It still happens today. Those of us who have a bent toward a rigid rule-based expression of our faith tend to judge and condemn those who don't follow our rules or match up to our standards. At times, we can even wonder if they are genuinely saved. Meanwhile those of us who consider these rules and standards unnecessary tend to look with disgust and contempt upon those who insist on keeping them. We chalk them up as uptight and narrow-minded.
"According to Paul's exhortations, both responses are dead wrong. We have no right to judge people who God accepts. We have no right to look with contempt upon people whom God loves." (Pg 101)
This is possibly THE MOST IMPORTANT BOOK Christians from all backgrounds and denominations could read today. Even though it's been out for 5 years, I pray it becomes a best seller because so many of us believers are in desperate need of the timely message that's within its pages. If I ever become one of those pesky persons who give out books for believers to read like those annoying, nosey relatives who hand out unsolicited advice during holiday get-togethers, this one will be at the top of my "Sharing List."
Just read it! Read it today!
Some quotes -
"If we fail to understand how spiritually impressive the Pharisees were, we will remain blind to the danger of becoming like them. We'll assume that their tragic transformation from passionate defenders of God into mortal enemies of God could never happen to us." (Pg 27)
"...as long as my only image of a Pharisee is that of a spiritual loser and a perennial enemy of Jesus, I'll never recognize the clear and present danger in my own life. I'll never realize that it's often very short and subtle journey from being zealous for God to being unintentionally opposed to God." (pg 27)
"Spiritual arrogance is not a back-of-the-line-sin; it's a front-of-the-line sin. So much so that sometimes I think of it as an occupational hazard of zealous faith, serious discipleship, and biblical scholarship." (Pg 46)
"When we use the Bible as a prop, every issue and doctrinal disagreement becomes a flash point, an opportunity to show off our superior knowledge and understanding, a way to set us apart. We forget that the entrance exam to heaven is a blood test, not a Scantron. We forget that pride and a lack of love nullifies our knowledge,even if it's a full and complete understanding of all the mysteries in the Bible." (Pg 59)
"No one wants to be called a Pharisee anymore. The word no longer connotes the idea of being different and separate. It now signifies someone who is self-righteous and hypocritical. So we've come up with new phrases to describe ourselves as more committed than most. We've coined words like radical, crazy, missional, gospel-centered, revolutionary, organic, and a host of other buzzwords to let everyone know that our tribe is far more biblical, committed, and pleasing to the Lord than the deluded masses who fail to match up." (Pg 90)
"Litmus test Christianity is never a good thing. It causes us to ask the wrong questions. It pits one part of the body of Christ against another. It plays to pride, fosters exclusivity, and flows out of a heart of legalism. I'm concerned that the new boundary markers and litmus tests of today are not leading us back to New Testament Christianity; they're leading us back to New Testament Pharisee-ism. They're simply the newest iteration of old school legalism." (Pg 91)
"Don't miss the distinction between judging people and showing contempt. It is important. It still happens today. Those of us who have a bent toward a rigid rule-based expression of our faith tend to judge and condemn those who don't follow our rules or match up to our standards. At times, we can even wonder if they are genuinely saved. Meanwhile those of us who consider these rules and standards unnecessary tend to look with disgust and contempt upon those who insist on keeping them. We chalk them up as uptight and narrow-minded.
"According to Paul's exhortations, both responses are dead wrong. We have no right to judge people who God accepts. We have no right to look with contempt upon people whom God loves." (Pg 101)
November 29, 2012
The Pharisees
What were they thinking?
The Son of God himself shows up full of grace and truth, and all they wanted to do is argue over weekends and hand washing! Glad I'm not like those sinners. I wouldn't have been so foolish. It just goes to show that some people, just don't get it!
Wow, I'm starting to sound a little Pharisaical myself. It seems that even when we have the best of intentions to love and obey God, we can sometimes end up fighting against him.
This is exactly the sort of thing Larry Osborne discusses in his book Accidental Pharisees: Avoiding Pride, Exclusivity, and the Other Dangers of Overzealous Faith. It seems that it is often those who earnestly seek God the most, that succumb to the same errors that have made the Pharisees infamous.
I'm not going to lie. At times, I found myself becoming a little uncomfortable while reading this one. Osborne takes on some of today's most popular ideas, explaining how that by taking even "good" ideas too far, they can lead us into the life of the Pharisees. He covers the topics of pride, exclusivity, legalism, idolizing the past, the quest for uniformity, and gift projection. Each of these are approached with a loving, yet critical eye through the lens of scripture.
To highlight a few points, his treatment of exclusivity was rather well done. It seems we can sometimes be more preoccupied with thinning the herd as opposed to expanding the kingdom. Another topic Larry Osborne expounded upon, was the difference between unity and uniformity. As Christians we find our unity in our belonging to and life in Christ. The problem arises when we insist on uniformity instead of unity. While there are non-negotiable beliefs to be defended, there are less detrimental doctrines where it is acceptable to agree to disagree.
The topic I most appreciated was part five, Idolizing the Past: When Idealism Distorts Reality. Were the good old days, all that good? By taking an honest look at the church throughout history, Larry shows us that today's mess of a church, isn't all that much different. So often we lament the current state of affairs, not realizing that God has always "drawn straight lines with crooked sticks."
But a strange thing happens with the passage of time. The farther removed we get from the stick, the more likely we are to credit the stick (rather than the divine artist) as the reason for the straight line. And the closer we are to a crooked stick, the harder it is for us to the straight line being drawn.
One last thing I'd like to address is gift projection. This can cause many problems. We can begin to look down on anyone who doesn't share our God given gifts. Those who are blessed with say, the gift of evangelism, can sometimes look at those without it as less committed Christians, or maybe not even Christian at all. It can also lead to an over emphasis of one particular gift that may currently be the most popular, to the neglect of all others. Going right along with the dangers of uniformity, we think everyone should be just like us.
Everyone one needs to read this one. I don't think anyone can deny that we all suffer from at least some of these temptations.
I'd like to thank Cross Focused Reviews for sending me this free copy for review.
What were they thinking?
The Son of God himself shows up full of grace and truth, and all they wanted to do is argue over weekends and hand washing! Glad I'm not like those sinners. I wouldn't have been so foolish. It just goes to show that some people, just don't get it!
Wow, I'm starting to sound a little Pharisaical myself. It seems that even when we have the best of intentions to love and obey God, we can sometimes end up fighting against him.
This is exactly the sort of thing Larry Osborne discusses in his book Accidental Pharisees: Avoiding Pride, Exclusivity, and the Other Dangers of Overzealous Faith. It seems that it is often those who earnestly seek God the most, that succumb to the same errors that have made the Pharisees infamous.
I'm not going to lie. At times, I found myself becoming a little uncomfortable while reading this one. Osborne takes on some of today's most popular ideas, explaining how that by taking even "good" ideas too far, they can lead us into the life of the Pharisees. He covers the topics of pride, exclusivity, legalism, idolizing the past, the quest for uniformity, and gift projection. Each of these are approached with a loving, yet critical eye through the lens of scripture.
To highlight a few points, his treatment of exclusivity was rather well done. It seems we can sometimes be more preoccupied with thinning the herd as opposed to expanding the kingdom. Another topic Larry Osborne expounded upon, was the difference between unity and uniformity. As Christians we find our unity in our belonging to and life in Christ. The problem arises when we insist on uniformity instead of unity. While there are non-negotiable beliefs to be defended, there are less detrimental doctrines where it is acceptable to agree to disagree.
The topic I most appreciated was part five, Idolizing the Past: When Idealism Distorts Reality. Were the good old days, all that good? By taking an honest look at the church throughout history, Larry shows us that today's mess of a church, isn't all that much different. So often we lament the current state of affairs, not realizing that God has always "drawn straight lines with crooked sticks."
But a strange thing happens with the passage of time. The farther removed we get from the stick, the more likely we are to credit the stick (rather than the divine artist) as the reason for the straight line. And the closer we are to a crooked stick, the harder it is for us to the straight line being drawn.
One last thing I'd like to address is gift projection. This can cause many problems. We can begin to look down on anyone who doesn't share our God given gifts. Those who are blessed with say, the gift of evangelism, can sometimes look at those without it as less committed Christians, or maybe not even Christian at all. It can also lead to an over emphasis of one particular gift that may currently be the most popular, to the neglect of all others. Going right along with the dangers of uniformity, we think everyone should be just like us.
Everyone one needs to read this one. I don't think anyone can deny that we all suffer from at least some of these temptations.
I'd like to thank Cross Focused Reviews for sending me this free copy for review.
April 22, 2013
No one wants to be a Pharisee. They were harsh, unloving, unforgiving. They killed prophets and they spent an incredible amount of time baiting Jesus in an attempt to trip him up. Jesus offered Grace, the Pharisees demanded obedience. Jesus offered forgiveness, the Pharisees demanded consequences. And yet, the road to Pharisee Land is hard to avoid.
"We're all susceptible (to becoming accidental Pharisees) in different ways. ... But in the end, the pathway to becoming an accidental Pharisee always starts with the same three steps.
It begins with a failure to grasp the true gravity and depths of my own sin.
It's followed by a a heightened disgust for the sins of others.
It's then justified by a cut-and-paste theology that emphasizes some of the hard sayings of Jesus while pretty much ignoring those that speak of his compassion, mercy, and grace." Accidental Pharisees, L. Osborne p.194
This book is one of my favorites this year.
If you're concerned this is a book that whitewashes sin, fear not. It isn't a promoter of soft Christianity, but it certainly reveals some hard truths. The Pharisees were interested in setting the bar high, narrowing the gate, putting a bunch of qualifiers into the mix that God never intended. The Pharisees sacrificed and worked hard to obey every law, and made new ones so they could avoid even getting close to breaking the REAL law.
And then along came Jesus... and Jesus lowered the bar. It really ticked the Pharisees off... here they were working so hard and Jesus was handing out grace to the weaklings of law adherence. Just look at how he built his church and who he used to fulfill scripture.
He built his church on Peter, who caved under pressure and publicly denied him. John Mark, who ran away when the going got tough, wrote one of the gospels. Joseph of Arimathea, who hid his belief because of what it might cost him, was the means to fulfilling scripture. He expanded the Kingdom instead of culling the herd. And truly, that's what's at stake with Accidental Pharisees.
Self Deception
"It's no wonder that we're prone to look down on others. Our natural tendency toward self-deception causes us to think we're in the top percentile of everything important. And from that perspective, it's hard not to be a little (or a whole lot) arrogant." Accidental Pharisees, p. 54
And perhaps that's the most eye opening consideration. If we don't really know who WE are, what can we possibly know about what someone else SHOULD be?
Everyone should read this book. Everyone? Yes, everyone.
I received a free copy of Accidental Pharisees by Larry Osborne from BookSneeze.com in exchange for my honest review.
"We're all susceptible (to becoming accidental Pharisees) in different ways. ... But in the end, the pathway to becoming an accidental Pharisee always starts with the same three steps.
It begins with a failure to grasp the true gravity and depths of my own sin.
It's followed by a a heightened disgust for the sins of others.
It's then justified by a cut-and-paste theology that emphasizes some of the hard sayings of Jesus while pretty much ignoring those that speak of his compassion, mercy, and grace." Accidental Pharisees, L. Osborne p.194
This book is one of my favorites this year.
If you're concerned this is a book that whitewashes sin, fear not. It isn't a promoter of soft Christianity, but it certainly reveals some hard truths. The Pharisees were interested in setting the bar high, narrowing the gate, putting a bunch of qualifiers into the mix that God never intended. The Pharisees sacrificed and worked hard to obey every law, and made new ones so they could avoid even getting close to breaking the REAL law.
And then along came Jesus... and Jesus lowered the bar. It really ticked the Pharisees off... here they were working so hard and Jesus was handing out grace to the weaklings of law adherence. Just look at how he built his church and who he used to fulfill scripture.
He built his church on Peter, who caved under pressure and publicly denied him. John Mark, who ran away when the going got tough, wrote one of the gospels. Joseph of Arimathea, who hid his belief because of what it might cost him, was the means to fulfilling scripture. He expanded the Kingdom instead of culling the herd. And truly, that's what's at stake with Accidental Pharisees.
Self Deception
"It's no wonder that we're prone to look down on others. Our natural tendency toward self-deception causes us to think we're in the top percentile of everything important. And from that perspective, it's hard not to be a little (or a whole lot) arrogant." Accidental Pharisees, p. 54
And perhaps that's the most eye opening consideration. If we don't really know who WE are, what can we possibly know about what someone else SHOULD be?
Everyone should read this book. Everyone? Yes, everyone.
I received a free copy of Accidental Pharisees by Larry Osborne from BookSneeze.com in exchange for my honest review.
November 2, 2012
Accidental Pharisees is about radically extreme believers who are strict on others who aren't living up to the notion of being a true follower of Christ. The based their whole demeanor on the passages of scripture and they expected others to follow the rules. The Pharisees were addicted to legalism and they condemned people who weren't as zealous at following the law. Pride is a big factor of an accidental Pharisees. We must avoid making comparisons with other believer and thinking we're living the more Godly life than they currently are. It's important to deal with the log in our own eyes instead of focusing on someone else's speck in their eye.
Larry Osborne explored the concepts that some of us are still Pharisees. Many churches are struggling to accept people who they consider still sinners and they believe they haven't changed yet. One of the biggest problems areas, Larry Osborne has seen are the popular preachers, authors, and radically Christians attempting to convince their followers that they must step up their game, and become a Christian who is serving and becoming a disciple. His point was that we have to be careful to not exclusive others, who the accidental Pharisees claim are struggling to arrive at that high level of being a committed Christian.
I would recommend this fundamental resource to anyone who is feeling like they can't measure up to the high standards being placed on them. Many are feeling pressured to be a hard core Christian who helps and serves everyone. If you're feeling like a failure because you can't be all things to all people and you can't devote a lot of time to join every single mission, then this book is for you. This book portrayed the real effects of being an accidental Pharisees and looking down on others who aren't at the level, you believe you're at. An important thing to remember is we can't judge others who aren't just like us. This book will open reader's eyes into shunning all the legalism in religion.
"I received this book for free from Cross Focused Reviews / Zondervan for this review".
Larry Osborne explored the concepts that some of us are still Pharisees. Many churches are struggling to accept people who they consider still sinners and they believe they haven't changed yet. One of the biggest problems areas, Larry Osborne has seen are the popular preachers, authors, and radically Christians attempting to convince their followers that they must step up their game, and become a Christian who is serving and becoming a disciple. His point was that we have to be careful to not exclusive others, who the accidental Pharisees claim are struggling to arrive at that high level of being a committed Christian.
I would recommend this fundamental resource to anyone who is feeling like they can't measure up to the high standards being placed on them. Many are feeling pressured to be a hard core Christian who helps and serves everyone. If you're feeling like a failure because you can't be all things to all people and you can't devote a lot of time to join every single mission, then this book is for you. This book portrayed the real effects of being an accidental Pharisees and looking down on others who aren't at the level, you believe you're at. An important thing to remember is we can't judge others who aren't just like us. This book will open reader's eyes into shunning all the legalism in religion.
"I received this book for free from Cross Focused Reviews / Zondervan for this review".
January 1, 2015
Every Christian needs to read this book. Period.
Good Points:
1. And it’s at this point that your personal pursuit of holiness can morph into something dangerous: a deepening sense of frustration with those who don’t share your passionate pursuit of holiness. (loc 103)
2. If you continue farther and farther down the path of contempt for those who fail to keep up, you’ll end up in a place of arrogance. Fewer and fewer people will measure up to your definition of genuine disciple. Inevitably, being right will become more important than being kind, gracious or loving (loc 115).
3. When Jesus says to leave everything behind, die to self, and follow him, what does it mean to us today? For people who focus primarily on Jesus’ words in red, it’s a no- brainer. Jesus wants all of us to forego the comforts of home and head overseas or into the inner city. If we can’t do that, we should at least take some short- term mission trips and ratchet down our lifestyle so that we can more generously support those who go. But is that really what Jesus wants? Is that really his calling for the vast majority of us? (loc 269)
4. The more we know, the more we’re tempted to look down on people who don’t know what we know (623).
5. Legalists never see themselves as legalists. They see themselves as obedient (1105).
6. But no matter how strong my personal convictions may be, at the end of the day, my own application of the text is just that - my own application (1194)
7. Our biblical unity is rooted solely in our relationship with Jesus. It’s not depended on shared religious practices, patterns or preferences. It’s not contingent on agreeing on every point of theology. It exists even when we wished it didn’t (loc 1690
Good Points:
1. And it’s at this point that your personal pursuit of holiness can morph into something dangerous: a deepening sense of frustration with those who don’t share your passionate pursuit of holiness. (loc 103)
2. If you continue farther and farther down the path of contempt for those who fail to keep up, you’ll end up in a place of arrogance. Fewer and fewer people will measure up to your definition of genuine disciple. Inevitably, being right will become more important than being kind, gracious or loving (loc 115).
3. When Jesus says to leave everything behind, die to self, and follow him, what does it mean to us today? For people who focus primarily on Jesus’ words in red, it’s a no- brainer. Jesus wants all of us to forego the comforts of home and head overseas or into the inner city. If we can’t do that, we should at least take some short- term mission trips and ratchet down our lifestyle so that we can more generously support those who go. But is that really what Jesus wants? Is that really his calling for the vast majority of us? (loc 269)
4. The more we know, the more we’re tempted to look down on people who don’t know what we know (623).
5. Legalists never see themselves as legalists. They see themselves as obedient (1105).
6. But no matter how strong my personal convictions may be, at the end of the day, my own application of the text is just that - my own application (1194)
7. Our biblical unity is rooted solely in our relationship with Jesus. It’s not depended on shared religious practices, patterns or preferences. It’s not contingent on agreeing on every point of theology. It exists even when we wished it didn’t (loc 1690
May 1, 2025
I have never read anything from Larry Osborne before, but have heard good things. Turns out the things I’ve heard are true: he is a very clear communicator, uses excellent examples to clarify his position, gets to the point quickly, and has a good grasp of what is important and what is not. This book was convicting in many ways about how I set up artificial boundaries that are “narrower” than God’s and judge people according to my way of living and not Christ’s. My only concern with this book, however, is that I see our Christian cultural moment erring in the other direction more often than not. I see a lack of “confrontation” and conviction between believers and a lack of real Christian community where we honestly and sincerely call each other to something greater. Is this because of the Pharisee in my own heart? I’m not sure, but it is a question I will be wrestling with as I seek to understand myself and my fellow believers better.
August 12, 2021
I would recommend this book to anyone seeking to radically follow Jesus. I have two cautions if you read it.
1. Don't use this book as a binoculars to identify and criticize modern-day Pharisees. Rather, use it as a mirror to take a deep inward look.
2. Don't let this book discourage you from wholeheartedly following Jesus. Rather, let it be a warning against pride and Pharisaism.
1. Don't use this book as a binoculars to identify and criticize modern-day Pharisees. Rather, use it as a mirror to take a deep inward look.
2. Don't let this book discourage you from wholeheartedly following Jesus. Rather, let it be a warning against pride and Pharisaism.
May 26, 2021
This was my second time reading this book guiding students through it. Osborne’s take on the modern Pharisees is just as convicting and eye opening as the first time I read it. Hypocrisy and pride come in all forms no matter how long you’ve been a Christian and what camp you fall in.
September 27, 2023
Extremely important and convicting. Highly recommend.
February 21, 2025
I wish someone gave me this book sooner. I would recommend it to anyone, the depth of each chapter are applicable and needed for every Christian. Will definitely read again!
April 7, 2013
It might come as a surprise that a mega church pastor would write a book warning Christians not be be overzealous in their faith during a time in which secular humanism is growing more dominant, but yet, the book is as relevant as it is timely. Those that are familiar with the story of Jesus know that the ancient sect known as “Pharisees” were singled out for strong criticism by Jesus and his followers. They had a reputation for being very legalistic in their interpretations of religious teachings.
This book warns modern day Christians of several ways they can be unwittingly trapped into becoming like the Pharisees of old. Osborne discusses pride, exclusivity, legalism, idolizing the past, the quest for uniformity, and what he terms “gift projection” in major sections of the book.
It is divided into seven parts, with three short chapters in each part. At the end of every part, there are one or two pages of discussion questions, making this book suitable for small group study. Osborne writes in a casual but direct style, making his points plain for the reader to pick up on.
Not content to point out deficiencies he sees in others, Osborne also confesses to several of the faults being addressed in the book. He explains that his views on several topics have changed over the years, as he has developed his faith and relationship with Jesus.
Christians everywhere can learn lessons from this short book, which earns it 5 stars out of 5 in this review.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
This book warns modern day Christians of several ways they can be unwittingly trapped into becoming like the Pharisees of old. Osborne discusses pride, exclusivity, legalism, idolizing the past, the quest for uniformity, and what he terms “gift projection” in major sections of the book.
It is divided into seven parts, with three short chapters in each part. At the end of every part, there are one or two pages of discussion questions, making this book suitable for small group study. Osborne writes in a casual but direct style, making his points plain for the reader to pick up on.
Not content to point out deficiencies he sees in others, Osborne also confesses to several of the faults being addressed in the book. He explains that his views on several topics have changed over the years, as he has developed his faith and relationship with Jesus.
Christians everywhere can learn lessons from this short book, which earns it 5 stars out of 5 in this review.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
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