Problems with the Pharisees

1. They majored in the minors, neglecting what matter most.
2. Their casuistry [misleading subtle reasoning] negated the law's spirit and aim.
3. They treated traditions of practice as part of God's authoritative law, thus binding consciences where God had left them free.
4. They were hypocrites at heart, angling for man's approval all the time.
(J.I. Packer in Concise Theology, p. 176)