“But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of the heavens before men. For you neither enter, nor even do you allow those who are entering to go in. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you traverse the sea and the dry land to make one convert, and whenever it may happen, you make him twofold more a son of Gehenna than yourselves. Matthew 23:13,15
Why would the Lord speak those words to scribes and Pharisees? The world has not know God, and the way to serve Him was only revealed to children of Israel, the rest of the world was cast into total darkness [without knowledge]. So why would the Lord, rebuke them who crossed land and sea to make one convert, that they may worship the only God? If it was not that, they through the traditions and customs have derailed the truth of God, and anyone they brought to the knowledge of God was not benefited because through the teaching they gave, they have also mislead them. “whenever it may happen, you make him twofold more a son of Gehenna.” Then the Lord points how they have twisted the truth and have given importance to the lesser, from the offering on the altar to the temple. There is a danger of being brought so near and yet missing the target.
Earlier the Lord has warned His disciples to be careful of their doctrines saying, “How do you not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread, but to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees?” Matthew 16:11
Acts 15:5 records the sect of the Pharisees who believed who were contending the Gentiles should be circumcised and made to keep the law of Moses. And Paul referring to the same incident in Galatians 2:4-5 speaking of those who contended to bring the believers under bondage [he calls imposters, and spies] and makes his statement, how they did not yield to them not one bit, that the truth of the gospel may be kept.
It is not fair to label, the pursuit of the knowledge of the truth of God under one umbrella and call all doctrine a side point. There are varieties of doctrines, each differing in importance, from the general to the vital as the air we breath. It is not possible to worship God and idols, it is not possible to believe the word of God and the teaching of demons, there is no accord there is no compromise, there is no unity.
There are formalities of faith, tradition and customs which ensnare us, we have had a good while to interject our own thoughts and philosophies into the truth of the word of God through which we have tainted the truth. It is a tragic shame to know the name of the Lord and yet perishes. The point is, it is possible to “shut up the kingdom of the heavens before men.” through false doctrines.
“But the Spirit expressly states that in later times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, in the hypocrisy of liars, having been seared in the own conscience, forbidding to marry, commanding to abstain from foods that God created for reception with thanksgiving by the faithful and those knowing the truth.” 1 Timothy 4:1-3
Bread Bait. 
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