The scribes and chief priests had sent men to try and entangle Jesus in His words. They employed a flattering approach, doubtless meant to put Jesus off-guard. But they also had been around Jesus watching and listening for a while now, so even though their words were insincere, they rang true and accurate in describing Jesus’ character. They also couldn’t deny that He was an authority in the interpretation of the Scriptures…thus addressing Jesus with the Title of respect, “Teacher”. So, in a way their backhanded compliment was more of a proclamation to all of Jesus’ honesty, integrity, and unswerving detail to the Truth of the Holy Scriptures.
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