He rebukes them for the hardness of their hearts, for the blind ignorance with which they read the Scriptures, while they boasted of their superiority over every other people. They who assume to be teachers of the Scriptures and expounders of the law are themselves basely ignorant of its claims. He denounces their worldliness, their love of praise and power, their avarice and want of compassion. He charges them with disbelieving the Scriptures which they profess to revere, carrying out its forms and ceremonies while ignoring the great principles of truth that are the foundation of the law. He declares that they have rejected the word of God, inasmuch as they have rejected him whom God has sent. He commands them to “search the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life; and they are they which testify of me.” {2SP 171.1}

Han straffer dem for deres hjertes hårdhed og for den blinde uvidenhed, hvormed de læste skrifterne, medens de roste sig af, at de var større end alle andre mennesker. De, som gav sig ud for at være skriftlærde og lovens fortolkere, var selv aldeles uvidende om dens fordringer. Han straffer deres verdslighed, deres ærgerrighed og herskesyge, deres gerrighed og mangel på barmhjertighed. Han anklager dem for, at de ikke tror skrifterne, som de giver sig ud for at ære, idet de holder sig lovens former og bogstav efterrettelig, medens de på samme tid tilsidesætter de store sandheder, som er lovens grundvold. Han erklærer, at de har forkastet Guds ord, fordi de har forkastet den, som Gud har udsendt. Han siger til dem: "I ransager skrifterne, fordi I mener i den at have evigt liv, og disse er det, som vidner om mig." (Joh 5,39)