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Evangelical Pharisees: The Gospel as Cure for the Church's Hypocrisy
In This Follow-Up to Gospel People, Michael Reeves Calls Evangelicals Away from Pharisaism to True Reformation
Scripture warns believers of hypocrisy—called the “leaven of the Pharisees”—and its potential to spread quickly in the church. Outwardly appearing as devout religion, this legalism hides destructive pride, idolatry, and even apostasy. Unfortunately, pharisaism is still a problem among evangelicals today. How does Jesus instruct the church to recognize and defeat one of its deepest theological issues?
In this clear, compelling call to spiritual reformation, Michael Reeves helps believers reject pharisaism and embrace gospel integrity. Studying 3 essentials of Christian doctrine that the Pharisees misunderstood—their approach to Scripture, understanding of salvation, and disregard of regeneration—Reeves shows readers how to embrace a biblical, Trinitarian, and creedal understanding of the gospel necessary for true reformation.
Explains the 3 Essential Rs of the Gospel: Teaches readers about revelation, redemption, and regeneration
A Great Resource for Pastors and Congregations: Addresses the threat of hypocrisy in the church, and tackles in-house issues from partisanship to pragmatism
A Follow-Up to Gospel People: Reeves continues his study of timely evangelical topics
Scripture warns believers of hypocrisy—called the “leaven of the Pharisees”—and its potential to spread quickly in the church. Outwardly appearing as devout religion, this legalism hides destructive pride, idolatry, and even apostasy. Unfortunately, pharisaism is still a problem among evangelicals today. How does Jesus instruct the church to recognize and defeat one of its deepest theological issues?
In this clear, compelling call to spiritual reformation, Michael Reeves helps believers reject pharisaism and embrace gospel integrity. Studying 3 essentials of Christian doctrine that the Pharisees misunderstood—their approach to Scripture, understanding of salvation, and disregard of regeneration—Reeves shows readers how to embrace a biblical, Trinitarian, and creedal understanding of the gospel necessary for true reformation.
Explains the 3 Essential Rs of the Gospel: Teaches readers about revelation, redemption, and regeneration
A Great Resource for Pastors and Congregations: Addresses the threat of hypocrisy in the church, and tackles in-house issues from partisanship to pragmatism
A Follow-Up to Gospel People: Reeves continues his study of timely evangelical topics
112 pages, Paperback
First published February 14, 2023
33 people are currently reading
588 people want to read
About the author
Michael Reeves
79 books578 followersMichael Reeves (PhD, King's College, London) is President and Professor of Theology at Union School of Theology in the UK (www.ust.ac.uk). He is Director of the European Theologians Network, and speaks and teaches regularly worldwide. Previously he has been Head of Theology for the Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship and an associate minister at All Souls Church, Langham Place, London.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews
April 14, 2023
This sequel to “gospel people” applies the principles of the first little book to the problem of religious hypocrisy. This is beautifully written, well-organized, and punchy in the best of ways. I rate this book more highly than that which it follows up. Rich in trinitarian reflection and truly Christ-centered delighting in God, this book will both humble and uplift sincere readers. There is a crying need in our day to unmask the hypocrisy of Phariseeism in the church, and this short read from Michael Reeves is a welcome aid in the work.
February 27, 2023
Reeves does a good job of comparing the Pharisees to church goers today. I am gonna use his breakdown for where the Pharisees missed it: Revelation, redemption and regeneration. It will help me explain upcoming passages I am preaching in Matthew. Good stuff
February 18, 2023
Evangelicals can be accused of many things. But of the most offensive things to be accused of is being a Pharisee. These ancient “high-brow theologians” knew their Bibles and worked hard at being religious, yet Jesus called them, “white-washed tombs.”
Evangelical Pharisees: The Gospel as a Cure of the Church’s Hypocrisy by Michael Reeves tackles this subject in a straightforward and biblical fashion. The author remarks, “Pharisaism, after all, is the sort of heartless formal religion that marks the first subtle step in the spiritual decline of a church before it ever flies into outright hypocrisy.”
Reeves argues that the Pharisee's primary problem was with the gospel: “The Pharisees were as they were and acted as they did because they denied the gospel … Their character was a manifestation of their theology.”
According to Reeves, the critical theological mistakes of the Pharisees lay in three areas: 1) Their approach to Scripture, 2) Their understanding of salvation, and 3) Their disregard of regeneration. The core of the book focuses on these three areas, namely - revelation, redemption, and regeneration.
Anyone familiar with Michael Reeves will attest that his treatment of a given topic is always fair, thought-provoking, and most importantly - biblical. After exploring the three theological mistakes of the Pharisees, he summarizes his central argument:
I’ve never known a Christian who didn’t bristle at the thought of being labeled as a Pharisee. However, Reeve’s book shines the spotlight on sinful hearts and reveals that lurking beneath is the spirit of the ancient Pharisee. Evangelical Pharisees is the proper response to the problem that plagues us all. May we return to the heart of the gospel, which is the cure for our hypocrisy.
I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review.
Evangelical Pharisees: The Gospel as a Cure of the Church’s Hypocrisy by Michael Reeves tackles this subject in a straightforward and biblical fashion. The author remarks, “Pharisaism, after all, is the sort of heartless formal religion that marks the first subtle step in the spiritual decline of a church before it ever flies into outright hypocrisy.”
Reeves argues that the Pharisee's primary problem was with the gospel: “The Pharisees were as they were and acted as they did because they denied the gospel … Their character was a manifestation of their theology.”
According to Reeves, the critical theological mistakes of the Pharisees lay in three areas: 1) Their approach to Scripture, 2) Their understanding of salvation, and 3) Their disregard of regeneration. The core of the book focuses on these three areas, namely - revelation, redemption, and regeneration.
Anyone familiar with Michael Reeves will attest that his treatment of a given topic is always fair, thought-provoking, and most importantly - biblical. After exploring the three theological mistakes of the Pharisees, he summarizes his central argument:
In the gospel we receive the revelation of the Father, the redemption of the Son, and the regeneration of the Spirit. Through the gospel shines the light of the knowledge of the glory of a speaking God, a merciful and gracious God, a God who is love and who therefore looks more on the heart than the appearance. The gospel brings us to enjoy him.
I’ve never known a Christian who didn’t bristle at the thought of being labeled as a Pharisee. However, Reeve’s book shines the spotlight on sinful hearts and reveals that lurking beneath is the spirit of the ancient Pharisee. Evangelical Pharisees is the proper response to the problem that plagues us all. May we return to the heart of the gospel, which is the cure for our hypocrisy.
I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review.
June 20, 2024
Convicting. Full stop.
April 12, 2023
Michael Reeves has been tremendously influential in both the shaping and refining of my understanding of the nature and character of God. This particular book turns the tables slightly and served to help me better understand the sinful tendencies of my own nature and character that make me prone to pharisaism. Reeves wields the scalpel of truth about the human heart to expose the sickness that plagues the Pharisees (of both yesterday and today) and then applies the truth about God’s character as a soothing remedy for healing.
I find it rare to be convicted and encouraged in such equal measure, but this book achieves that balance in its 5 short chapters. I highly recommend it to any Christian struggling under the heavy yoke of self-righteousness and finding themselves desperate for the relief and rest offered in the love and mercy God.
I find it rare to be convicted and encouraged in such equal measure, but this book achieves that balance in its 5 short chapters. I highly recommend it to any Christian struggling under the heavy yoke of self-righteousness and finding themselves desperate for the relief and rest offered in the love and mercy God.
June 25, 2025
A sobering and somewhat depressing book in how familiar it is. Reeves describes the many ways we redefine Gospel terms so that everything looks correct outwardly, but inwardly, we're still stuck in the same old self-centered, outward religion that prefers the glory of man rather than the glory that belongs to God. This would be a great book for a group study, but it would also be an incredibly hard pill to swallow. The book is rich in Gospel sentiment, but it's also extremely pointed and must be read with humility.
February 18, 2023
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review. But I would have gladly paid full price for it! Michael Reeves is my favorite living Christian author, and his books are always worth reading. No matter what problem he’s tackling or subject he’s exploring, Reeves always brings the reader to the contemplation of the beauty of God, stirring the heart and encouraging one’s faith.
This particular book deals with the problem of hypocrisy, since the same errors committed by the Pharisees are still a danger in the modern church. Reeves writes, “Pharisaism is not just the crankiness that comes with a hardening of the spiritual arteries. First and foremost, it is a theological issue.”
Reeves argues that the Pharisees—both ancient and modern—fail to truly understand revelation, redemption, and regeneration. He structures his book around unpacking these three areas. His analysis is deeply biblical, with Bible verses on almost every page. And because Reeves is so steeped in the writings of historical Christians, his pages are also littered with quotes from the early church fathers, Reformers, Puritans, and others. So even though the book is only about 100 pages long, it’s jam-packed with wisdom.
“Small wonder evangelicalism is too often known for its superficiality: the gravitational pull of our hearts and our culture strains hard against such an apparently bleak verdict. Who wants to hear that we are dead in sin? Yet when that is relinquished, what else have we to offer? Jesus as a guru or butler? The Spirit as a spiritual endorphin? A self-help book and a glass of port can do all that.”
“[The Pharisee’s] real problem was with the nature and character of God. The god he perceived was a merciless being for whom holiness was little more than a show. His god was, at best, a conditionally loving god. Small wonder that his idea of godliness was unyielding and harsh: it reflected his understanding of God. So it must be for all hypocrites. They do not love their god, or find satisfaction in him, yet still they become like him (and not like the living God). They become like what they worship, in the image of their proud and closefisted deity.”
“The glory of God in the face of Christ has always been the lodestar or guiding light of reformation and refreshment in the church. When Christians have appreciated and adored God as all-necessary, all-sufficient, all-beautiful, and all-satisfying, they have been awakened and made fruitful.”
This particular book deals with the problem of hypocrisy, since the same errors committed by the Pharisees are still a danger in the modern church. Reeves writes, “Pharisaism is not just the crankiness that comes with a hardening of the spiritual arteries. First and foremost, it is a theological issue.”
Reeves argues that the Pharisees—both ancient and modern—fail to truly understand revelation, redemption, and regeneration. He structures his book around unpacking these three areas. His analysis is deeply biblical, with Bible verses on almost every page. And because Reeves is so steeped in the writings of historical Christians, his pages are also littered with quotes from the early church fathers, Reformers, Puritans, and others. So even though the book is only about 100 pages long, it’s jam-packed with wisdom.
“Small wonder evangelicalism is too often known for its superficiality: the gravitational pull of our hearts and our culture strains hard against such an apparently bleak verdict. Who wants to hear that we are dead in sin? Yet when that is relinquished, what else have we to offer? Jesus as a guru or butler? The Spirit as a spiritual endorphin? A self-help book and a glass of port can do all that.”
“[The Pharisee’s] real problem was with the nature and character of God. The god he perceived was a merciless being for whom holiness was little more than a show. His god was, at best, a conditionally loving god. Small wonder that his idea of godliness was unyielding and harsh: it reflected his understanding of God. So it must be for all hypocrites. They do not love their god, or find satisfaction in him, yet still they become like him (and not like the living God). They become like what they worship, in the image of their proud and closefisted deity.”
“The glory of God in the face of Christ has always been the lodestar or guiding light of reformation and refreshment in the church. When Christians have appreciated and adored God as all-necessary, all-sufficient, all-beautiful, and all-satisfying, they have been awakened and made fruitful.”
June 12, 2023
The book was okay. While some of it was encouraging, I left the book with a sense of unclear distinctions, perhaps some false dichotomies, and not much practical advice on how to root out Pharisaism in your own heart.
The part that made me think the most was the Pharisees' approach to revelation. How can the Christian tell when their Bible reading is with the right heart and for the right reason? Can a Christian not be reading the Bible merely for intellectual knowledge and still read it wrongly?
The Pharisees had 3 theological mistakes related to revelation, redemption, and regeneration (18).
Revelation
"Where Scripture is an end in itself, preaching becomes a matter of making our people experts in Scripture. It may even make them more scrupulously moral, but it creates scribes, not disciples. It creates a people aware of their own biblical knowledge, but unaware of the depth of their problem" (26).
"Does our reading of Scripture drive us to Christ? Specifically, does it drive us to him in private prayer?"
Reeves compares the difference between a purely intellectual faith and true Christianity to C. S. Lewis's famous analogy of "looking at" versus "looking along" (29). My question is... how does someone know the difference? What is the difference between reading God's word and "letting the word of Christ dwell in you richly..."? (Col. 3:16). Is it up to you to read with a correct heart?
"O living Christ, make this a living word to me. Thy word is life, but not without the Holy Spirit. I may know this book of thine from beginning to end, and repeat it all from Genesis to Revelation, and yet it may be a dead book, and I may be a dead soul. But, Lord, be present here; then will I look up from the book to the Lord; from the precept to him who fulfilled it; from the law to him who honoured it; from the threatening to him who has borne it for me, and from the promise to him in whom it is 'Yea and Amen.'" (31) - Charles Spurgeon
Redemption
Pharisees tend "to be intolerant of weakness in others... not only does their self-sufficiency make them personally anxious; it is breeding ground of toxicity for the culture around them" (51).
Regeneration
[No major quotes].
The part that made me think the most was the Pharisees' approach to revelation. How can the Christian tell when their Bible reading is with the right heart and for the right reason? Can a Christian not be reading the Bible merely for intellectual knowledge and still read it wrongly?
The Pharisees had 3 theological mistakes related to revelation, redemption, and regeneration (18).
Revelation
"Where Scripture is an end in itself, preaching becomes a matter of making our people experts in Scripture. It may even make them more scrupulously moral, but it creates scribes, not disciples. It creates a people aware of their own biblical knowledge, but unaware of the depth of their problem" (26).
"Does our reading of Scripture drive us to Christ? Specifically, does it drive us to him in private prayer?"
Reeves compares the difference between a purely intellectual faith and true Christianity to C. S. Lewis's famous analogy of "looking at" versus "looking along" (29). My question is... how does someone know the difference? What is the difference between reading God's word and "letting the word of Christ dwell in you richly..."? (Col. 3:16). Is it up to you to read with a correct heart?
"O living Christ, make this a living word to me. Thy word is life, but not without the Holy Spirit. I may know this book of thine from beginning to end, and repeat it all from Genesis to Revelation, and yet it may be a dead book, and I may be a dead soul. But, Lord, be present here; then will I look up from the book to the Lord; from the precept to him who fulfilled it; from the law to him who honoured it; from the threatening to him who has borne it for me, and from the promise to him in whom it is 'Yea and Amen.'" (31) - Charles Spurgeon
Redemption
Pharisees tend "to be intolerant of weakness in others... not only does their self-sufficiency make them personally anxious; it is breeding ground of toxicity for the culture around them" (51).
Regeneration
[No major quotes].
April 8, 2023
Fantastic book! Michael Reeves came through again. Although I have to give it 4 ⭐️, the last chapter was 5 ⭐️ quality. Definitely would recommend (as with all his books)!
_____
My ⭐️ rating criteria
- 1 star: I absolutely did not like or totally disagreed with the book and would recommend that no one else read it
- 2 stars: the book was below average style or content, wouldn’t read it again, but wouldn’t beg people not to read it necessarily
- 3 stars: a fine book, some helpful information (or a decent story, for the handful of novels I read), didn’t disagree with too much, enjoyed it decently well
- 4 stars: a very good book, information was very helpful, mostly agreed with everything, was above-average enjoyable to read
- 5 stars: life-changing book, I enjoyed it more than most other books, I want to read it again in the future, I will be telling everyone to read it for the next few weeks
_____
My ⭐️ rating criteria
- 1 star: I absolutely did not like or totally disagreed with the book and would recommend that no one else read it
- 2 stars: the book was below average style or content, wouldn’t read it again, but wouldn’t beg people not to read it necessarily
- 3 stars: a fine book, some helpful information (or a decent story, for the handful of novels I read), didn’t disagree with too much, enjoyed it decently well
- 4 stars: a very good book, information was very helpful, mostly agreed with everything, was above-average enjoyable to read
- 5 stars: life-changing book, I enjoyed it more than most other books, I want to read it again in the future, I will be telling everyone to read it for the next few weeks
November 9, 2023
Outstanding. Cuts to the heart and then relieves the pain with hope from the glory that shines in the light of the face of Christ. I would love to have a box of these books to give away to others.
**Husband read aloud to family Nov. 2023. Another five stars
**Husband read aloud to family Nov. 2023. Another five stars
January 10, 2024
Reading Evangelical Pharisees brought to mind the classic mom adage: "Every time you point, there are three fingers pointing back at you." This book is the three fingers. It's searching, convicting, and downright unsettling at times, in a good way. I don't want to have a cold and heartless faith, and I appreciated the reminder to continually look to Christ as the author of my salvation. The biblical image of whitewashed tombs, lovely on the outside but full of dried, old bones, is chilling and convicting. Reeves appeals to the image several times. The last line of the book sums up his argument up nicely: "The loveless spirit of Pharisaism has spread its self-satisfied human-centered, tribalizing stain all around us, but there is still hope. One hope. The gospel of the glory of Christ. So, look to him, 'and may the Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you; The Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace'"(Num 6: 24-26).
I didn't disagree with anything Reeves argued in this book, but I did have a few questions.
For example, when considering verses like Psalm 119:104 ("Through your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way"), where is the line between God-honoring zeal for biblical truth and a smug and arrogant attitude toward those with whom we disagree, especially other Christians? How might I know if I have crossed the line?
Another angsty question: Reeves stresses the importance of right affections toward God as the mark of true faith and warns readers against Bible reading and prayer that are lifeless and rote. I agree, but what about seasons of relative spiritual dryness? Is it not better to continue one's spiritual disciplines even when affections are tepid, as a way of looking to Christ and demonstrating reliance upon him? How do I know whether I am working "out my own salvation with fear and trembling" (Philippians 2:12) or dangerously relying solely on myself to do what only God can do? What does it look like in the Christian life to avoid Pharisaism but to "keep your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life?" (Proverbs 4:23).
This is my second Reeves book. I really like his writing, which, I think stirs up the right emotions in me. But, ahhh!
I didn't disagree with anything Reeves argued in this book, but I did have a few questions.
For example, when considering verses like Psalm 119:104 ("Through your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way"), where is the line between God-honoring zeal for biblical truth and a smug and arrogant attitude toward those with whom we disagree, especially other Christians? How might I know if I have crossed the line?
Another angsty question: Reeves stresses the importance of right affections toward God as the mark of true faith and warns readers against Bible reading and prayer that are lifeless and rote. I agree, but what about seasons of relative spiritual dryness? Is it not better to continue one's spiritual disciplines even when affections are tepid, as a way of looking to Christ and demonstrating reliance upon him? How do I know whether I am working "out my own salvation with fear and trembling" (Philippians 2:12) or dangerously relying solely on myself to do what only God can do? What does it look like in the Christian life to avoid Pharisaism but to "keep your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life?" (Proverbs 4:23).
This is my second Reeves book. I really like his writing, which, I think stirs up the right emotions in me. But, ahhh!
May 4, 2024
I will reread this book regularly. This book had me shouting repeatedly 😂 It is deeply convicting, edifying, refining.. it exposes deep roots of hypocrisy and self trust and gently (yet boldly and clearly) redirects you back to the basics: through faith in Christ ALONE.
Not only was this book good for convicting my own heart in ways I had no idea I was like the Pharisees, but it was also intensely comforting to traumatic wounds I have been sitting in caused by Christians. For the years I spent in environments saying “this doesn’t reflect Jesus,” attempting to advocate for the vulnerable and attempting to challenge the power holders who continuously turned “blind” eyes of willful ignorance because they didn’t have capacity or desire to tend to their flocks… this book AFFIRMED what my heart was pleading. For the years of gaslighting and being told I was just “stirring the pot” when I attempted to point out that maybe something wasn’t in alignment to Jesus, for the effects of their stubborn dismissals and being left feeling crazy (or like I was the problem)… this book felt like stable ground helping me find which way is up. It was like getting a diagnosis after years of saying “something is wrong” and only having doctors tell you you’re fine. No. Something is truly wrong here, and this book gave a backbone to my convictions (all based in the authority of scripture) and validated what I saw.
If you have desire to be refined personally, I recommend this book. If you have sat under Christian leadership and felt like something was off, I recommend this book. If you are someone who has rejected Christianity because of some asshole Christians, I really recommend this book. If you are a leader in a Christian circle who wants to reflect Jesus more accurately, I recommend this book.
Not only was this book good for convicting my own heart in ways I had no idea I was like the Pharisees, but it was also intensely comforting to traumatic wounds I have been sitting in caused by Christians. For the years I spent in environments saying “this doesn’t reflect Jesus,” attempting to advocate for the vulnerable and attempting to challenge the power holders who continuously turned “blind” eyes of willful ignorance because they didn’t have capacity or desire to tend to their flocks… this book AFFIRMED what my heart was pleading. For the years of gaslighting and being told I was just “stirring the pot” when I attempted to point out that maybe something wasn’t in alignment to Jesus, for the effects of their stubborn dismissals and being left feeling crazy (or like I was the problem)… this book felt like stable ground helping me find which way is up. It was like getting a diagnosis after years of saying “something is wrong” and only having doctors tell you you’re fine. No. Something is truly wrong here, and this book gave a backbone to my convictions (all based in the authority of scripture) and validated what I saw.
If you have desire to be refined personally, I recommend this book. If you have sat under Christian leadership and felt like something was off, I recommend this book. If you are someone who has rejected Christianity because of some asshole Christians, I really recommend this book. If you are a leader in a Christian circle who wants to reflect Jesus more accurately, I recommend this book.
May 14, 2025
could not recommend and rate any higher.
i was recommended this book from a crossway rep after asking,"if i could read just one book from crossway, what would it be?" you know that feeling when you're listening to a sermon, and all of a sudden, it feels like the pastor is talking directly to you? this is that feeling in book form. it was cutting, convicting, and searching. i think if you consider yourself conservative, reformed, evangelical, or to some degree, theologically-inclined, this is a must-read. if you like conferences and somewhat keep up with christian teaching ministries, this is a must-read.
michael reeves is able to contextualize the sin of pharisaism and really bring it home to proudly biblical folk. he talks about how pharisaism is not just a "tempermental weakness" or simply just crankiness, but a theological issue that even those that pride themselves in theology fall into.
though evangelicals are wary of ritualism, they fall into the same trap. "while others go on pilgrimages and perform penances, evangelicals perform their regular reading rituals." we ignore our own sin and seek to improve through knowledge, reading, and study.
though evangelicals preach grace and Christ, justification can be a message seen as only for beginners or outsiders. what then results is a subconscious self-righteousness that leads to a "workaholic, hamster-wheel Christianity." these people then tend "to be intolerant of weakness in others." "why don't people come to prayer meetings? where are the disciple-makers? why aren't you serving in church? why do they travel so much and miss so many sundays? people don't care about fellowship. they're too busy now." they might ask and say.
"their high sense of self also makes them equate the gospel with their own particular style of preaching the gospel: their buzzwords, their mannerisms, their particular culture. not only pitiless but partisan, they eye others with suspicion for the minor differences that are deemed to represent different gospels."
virtually every page is filled with probing thoughts such as these. but reeves does not leave the reader in a place of guilt, but calls the humbled to receive Christ as he truly is for the cure to our hypocrisy.
it's so good.
i was recommended this book from a crossway rep after asking,"if i could read just one book from crossway, what would it be?" you know that feeling when you're listening to a sermon, and all of a sudden, it feels like the pastor is talking directly to you? this is that feeling in book form. it was cutting, convicting, and searching. i think if you consider yourself conservative, reformed, evangelical, or to some degree, theologically-inclined, this is a must-read. if you like conferences and somewhat keep up with christian teaching ministries, this is a must-read.
michael reeves is able to contextualize the sin of pharisaism and really bring it home to proudly biblical folk. he talks about how pharisaism is not just a "tempermental weakness" or simply just crankiness, but a theological issue that even those that pride themselves in theology fall into.
though evangelicals are wary of ritualism, they fall into the same trap. "while others go on pilgrimages and perform penances, evangelicals perform their regular reading rituals." we ignore our own sin and seek to improve through knowledge, reading, and study.
though evangelicals preach grace and Christ, justification can be a message seen as only for beginners or outsiders. what then results is a subconscious self-righteousness that leads to a "workaholic, hamster-wheel Christianity." these people then tend "to be intolerant of weakness in others." "why don't people come to prayer meetings? where are the disciple-makers? why aren't you serving in church? why do they travel so much and miss so many sundays? people don't care about fellowship. they're too busy now." they might ask and say.
"their high sense of self also makes them equate the gospel with their own particular style of preaching the gospel: their buzzwords, their mannerisms, their particular culture. not only pitiless but partisan, they eye others with suspicion for the minor differences that are deemed to represent different gospels."
virtually every page is filled with probing thoughts such as these. but reeves does not leave the reader in a place of guilt, but calls the humbled to receive Christ as he truly is for the cure to our hypocrisy.
it's so good.
January 20, 2025
I really enjoyed reading this. Reeves does a good job of diagnosing our problem (“heartless formal religion that marks the first subtle step in the spiritual decline of a church before it ever slides into outright apostasy” [p. 12]) and giving us the solution. Even those of us in the gospel-centered camp might be swayed toward evangelical pharisaism more than we realize.
The antidote to being a Pharisee? Grasping the doctrine of revelation, redemption, and regeneration as evidenced in the gospel. Pharisees had misunderstood the doctrine of Scripture, salvation, and regeneration. “No truth can be higher than God’s word of revelation. No works can be added to Christ’s work of redemption. No hope is there for us without the Spirit’s work of regeneration” (p. 102). This is the idea he develops throughout the book.
There are a lot of punchy, memorable statements; lots for pastors to use in their sermons to bring application to life through illustration; lots of references to those who have gone before us (church fathers, Reformers, Puritans, Particular Baptists, etc.).
Loved it.
The antidote to being a Pharisee? Grasping the doctrine of revelation, redemption, and regeneration as evidenced in the gospel. Pharisees had misunderstood the doctrine of Scripture, salvation, and regeneration. “No truth can be higher than God’s word of revelation. No works can be added to Christ’s work of redemption. No hope is there for us without the Spirit’s work of regeneration” (p. 102). This is the idea he develops throughout the book.
There are a lot of punchy, memorable statements; lots for pastors to use in their sermons to bring application to life through illustration; lots of references to those who have gone before us (church fathers, Reformers, Puritans, Particular Baptists, etc.).
Loved it.
November 22, 2025
So good. He shows how needful it is today for those who call themselves Christians and gospel people to actually be looking to Christ and not to themselves and their own religious observance and right ideas. There is joy and life radiating from those who have been filled with Christ, and there is emptiness and tightness in those who are seeking their own righteousness.
January 3, 2024
Simply good.
August 15, 2025
This was so good I finished it in a day.
April 7, 2023
One of the most convicting books I have read in awhile. I need to root some of these things out of my own heart and mind to be a better follower of Jesus, let alone lead my family and church well. I would highly recommend every believer read this easy accessible and short read.
April 17, 2024
This is a short book with some great and truthful points, and for those with ears to hear, it contains some challenges and rebukes. In some ways, it felt like it was too short as it lacked some development of some very important points, and just when you felt like it was warming up for a more detailed discussion or practical application, it often just stopped, so it felt underdone. Overall, insightful look at church culture and practice, as well as personally thought provoking.
November 16, 2025
A fantastic read that encouraged me and confronted me. A great examination of how the church has and can so easily get swept into Pharisaism and the author calls the church back to a Christ-centered reformation. Reeves writes about the leaven of the Pharisees and notes how it can spread into the church where people can act religious and devout, hiding behind that, while also hiding their arrogance/pride and idolatry. The book is only 103 pages long and the five chapters examine: 1) The leaven of the Pharisees; 2) The Pharisees and Revelation; 3) The Pharisees and Redemption; 4) The Pharisees and Regeneration; and 5) The Pharisees and God. Each section pinpoints the fundamental problem with the Pharisees of Jesus' day and, by extension, the fundamental problem of the Pharisees within the church today. An excellent read indeed.
November 8, 2024
Fantastic book.
“Tribalism is the inevitable consequence of allowing tradition—or anything else—parity with the word of God. As soon as we adopt any rallying banner other than the gospel, we sacrifice evangelical unity. Such elevation of tradition rebuilds the old dividing walls of tribal hostility broken down at the cross (Eph. 2:14-16), promoting blocs of uniformity instead of unity… And on it goes: the more comfortable the uniformity, the more familiar the culture, the more Scripture is forced to take a back seat.”
Every Christian should hear this with great conviction. Michael Reeves paints an urgent message for believers in this book and I think it continues to show he is one of the most profound voices in theology in this generation.
“Tribalism is the inevitable consequence of allowing tradition—or anything else—parity with the word of God. As soon as we adopt any rallying banner other than the gospel, we sacrifice evangelical unity. Such elevation of tradition rebuilds the old dividing walls of tribal hostility broken down at the cross (Eph. 2:14-16), promoting blocs of uniformity instead of unity… And on it goes: the more comfortable the uniformity, the more familiar the culture, the more Scripture is forced to take a back seat.”
Every Christian should hear this with great conviction. Michael Reeves paints an urgent message for believers in this book and I think it continues to show he is one of the most profound voices in theology in this generation.
May 28, 2024
Such a good and gospel-centered look at hypocrisy in the church. Reeves shows that the solution is not “doing better” - getting more Bible knowledge or trying harder to not sin - but gazing upon the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. We become what we look at. Gazing upon the glory of God in the gospel will transform us from the inside out. Super convicting and encouraging!
June 28, 2023
“The loveless spirit of Pharisaism has spread its self-satisfied, human-centered, tribalizing stain all around us, but there is still hope. One hope: “the gospel of the glory of Christ. (2 Cor. 4:4)”” - Reeves, pg. 101
July 18, 2023
A quick read, but an important one!
August 3, 2023
I needed to read this book. Too often I am a Pharisee. Thankful for books like this that point us to a better way - Jesus.
November 1, 2024
Very good little book that tackles the idea of legalism and tribalism. Super solid.
January 13, 2026
Anything Michael Reeves writes is always pure gold
May 8, 2025
A fine antidote to the tendency to Pharisaism present in all. God only is our joy, in Christ. Keeping that in focus is key. Truly we are to glorify Him and enjoy him forever.
April 10, 2023
This book should be read alongside Sinclair Ferguson’s “the whole Christ”. Reeves is a master at bringing his readers to see Christ and this point out hypocrisy that so easily festers in all believers. Highly recommend this short book.
March 16, 2023
Very good explanation of the pharisees and how we can fall into the same kinds of disillusionment about who we are and who God is. I think he intentionally was vague on application, but I found that to be lacking. Great to read in a group though!
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