22:16Matthew 22:16

The Pharisees counseled with the Herodians and sent their young disciples as spies feigning a sincere desire to learn duty, with the Herodians arranged to hear and seize His words to deliver Him to the governor for condemnation.Ms 10, 1906, par. 8–12+2
They addressed Him as true and impartial, teaching the way of God without regard for standing or favor, but the praise was insincere flattery and hypocrisy meant to deceive Him and throw Him off guard.Ms 10, 1906, par. 8–12+3
Their aim was to entangle Him over tribute to Caesar so that denial would be reported to Rome as rebellion and approval would be used before the people as opposition to the law of God.Ms 10, 1906, par. 8–12+2
He was not deceived by their commendation but read their wicked purposes as an open book and exposed their hypocrisy, showing that no cover deceives Him and giving evidence of His divinity.Ms 10, 1906, par. 8–12+2
Their flattering words were true in themselves and will stand against them in judgment, and they set the standard of truthful judgment without favor to persons that should govern all dealing with His servants.Ms 33, 1912, par. 2–3+4

The Pharisees counseled together with the Herodians and sent their own disciples with the Herodians to Him, choosing young zealous men rather than the older Pharisees so they would not be recognized.ST Feb 8, 1899+2 They came as spies feigning themselves to be just men who sought to know their duty and to profit from His wisdom, while the Herodians were privately arranged to go with them to hear His words.ST Feb 8, 1899+1 Their purpose was to entangle Him in His talk and take hold of His words to serve as witnesses against Him, in order to deliver Him to the governor for trial for His life and condemnation to death.Ms 10, 1906, par. 8–12+2

Their address praised Him as true and as teaching the way of God in truth, caring for no man and regarding not the person of men.Ms 10, 1906, par. 8–12+4 That meant a straightforward, truthful and impartial course, independent of human standing and status and irrespective of the favor or frowns of men.Ms 33, 1912, par. 2–3+2 The praise for speaking truth and fearing no man was expressed with courteous confidence as if they respected His teaching and desired it.3SP 41.3–4+1

The commendation was insincere flattery and hypocrisy covering wicked purposes.Ms 10, 1906, par. 8–12+4 They pretended respect and desire for His teaching in order to deceive Him, throw Him off His guard, and make Him lower His guard.ST Apr 25, 1878+3 Their aim in this disguise was to induce an answer they could seize and use to condemn Him and give them grounds to accuse Him.Ms 10, 1906, par. 8–12+2

The immediate trap concerned tribute to Caesar, framed so that either answer would furnish accusation.Ms 10, 1906, par. 8–12+2 If He denied the lawfulness of tribute, it would be reported to the Roman authorities as rebellion and enmity to civil authority.Ms 10, 1906, par. 8–12+1 If He approved it, it would be used before the elders and the Jewish people as opposition to the law of God, under which the Pharisees chafed at Roman taxes as contrary to God's law.Ms 10, 1906, par. 8–12+2

This questioning belongs to the rulers' series of attempts by Pharisees, Herodians and Sadducees to provoke Him into saying something they could turn against Him.ST May 2, 1878+1 It stands within the second parable of the invitation, which is a king's commanding invitation coming from one vested with power to command and involving much.Ms 149, 1898, par. 3 That command met with no more favorable response than the householder's, but was made light of under pleas of circumstances and supposed duties, while His messengers were treated with scorn, despitefully used and slain, bringing deeper guilt on those who refused it.Ms 149, 1898, par. 3+1

He was not deceived by flattering commendation calling Him true and teaching God's way truly without regard for persons, but read the hearts and wicked purposes behind the hypocrisy covering a plot to induce an incriminating answer about tribute to Caesar, whether denial to accuse Him before the Romans as an enemy of civil authority or approval to accuse Him before the elders as opposed to God's law.Ms 10, 1906, par. 8–12+1 No cover of pretentious righteousness deceives Him, for He understands the true character of every man whatever the profession and writes the true motives of all in His book, reading purposes as an open book and exposing hypocrisy.Ms 10, 1906, par. 8–12+2 That unerring detection gave further evidence of His divinity, and the plotters themselves knew their attempt to trap Him was detected yet it was unavailing against Him.ST Feb 8, 1899+1

The flattering words were true in themselves, rightly describing One who teaches truthfully and shows no partiality, and they prove His divine discernment.DA 601.1–602.5+1 By their own testimony the speakers will be judged, and that testimony will stand against them in judgment.DA 601.1–602.5+1 Instead of being trapped He answered each question of Pharisees, Herodians and Sadducees plainly and intelligently, turning their provocations into opportunity to expose their true condition and warn of the consequences of their sins.ST May 2, 1878+1 Those answers brought precious light to the people and sowed seeds of truth among them.Ms 71, 1897, par. 27

The verse sets the standard of truthful, impartial judgment that shows no favor based on a person's standing.Ms 33, 1912, par. 2–3+1 Those words describe the fair and impartial treatment that should have been shown to His servants, yet men deciding their cases acted discourteously, arbitrarily and overbearingly and could not rightly be described in the same way.Ms 33, 1912, par. 2–3+1 Though constantly assailed by enemies using praise and flattery and pretending friendship to entice and ensnare Him, He continued in pity, sympathy and love to labor for the salvation of lost, ungrateful men.Ms 80, 1896, par. 5 Firmly and unswervingly He told the truth without revenge and without deviating one hair from principle, following and teaching the law of heaven, which is righteousness and justice.Ms 80, 1896, par. 5

The verse stands in the second parable of invitation by a king vested with power to command and involving much, which met no more favorable response than the householder's and laid deeper guilt on those who refused it.Ms 149, 1898, par. 3 They made light of it, pleading circumstances and supposed duties for failure to comply, and treated His messengers with scorn, despitefully using and slaying them.Ms 149, 1898, par. 3 More than exclusion from His presence and table was their punishment, for the king's wrath sent forth his armies and destroyed those murderers and burned up their cities.Ms 149, 1898, par. 3 The chapter's illustrations and warnings show the consequences of rejecting the Son of God, applying to sinners in every age, and unless they repent the foreshadowed doom will be theirs.Ms 149, 1898, par. 3+1

The verse pictures a zeal that hangs on His words and follows to mark them so they can be repeated and misinterpreted and twisted to mean what unsanctified minds want them to mean.Lt 59, 1890, par. 18–19 That zeal is driven by desire to catch and pervert truth, deceiving the people by making false issues and handling things so as to cloud and mislead minds.Lt 59, 1890, par. 18–19 The same manner of interpreting and misconstruing Scripture is repeated by those who spend investigative power for naught to produce a different position on the covenants from the true light.Lt 59, 1890, par. 18–19 They turn from plain light because they fear the law question in Galatians will have to be accepted.Lt 59, 1890, par. 18–19