Moneychangers, hypocrites and traitors did not fare well. 

Jesus Rebuked and Warned Scribes and Pharisees calling the guilty “… dogs, foxes, accursed, darkness…”

See also: Matthew 23:13–36 – The “Seven Woes” where Jesus calls them hypocrites, blind guides, whitewashed tombs, brood of vipers.

Matthew 15:7–9 – “You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy… this people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.”

Luke 11:39–44 – Rebuke for outward purity but inward greed and wickedness.

Matthew 5:20 – “Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

⚠️ Warnings about Gehenna (Hell)

Matthew 5:22 – “Whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.”

Matthew 5:29–30 – “If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out… better to lose one member than your whole body be thrown into hell.”

Matthew 10:28 – “Fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”

Matthew 23:33 – “You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell?”

Other Hard Sayings

Matthew 10:34–36 – “Do not think I have come to bring peace… I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.”

Luke 14:26 – “If anyone comes to me and does not prefer me before his father and mother… he cannot be my disciple.”

Matthew 19:23–24 – “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

John 6:53 – “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.”

Matthew 7:21–23 – “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom… I never knew you; depart from me.”

St. Paul and Other Apostles

St. Paul and the other apostles also delivered sharp rebukes and stern warnings, much like Jesus’ “hard sayings.” Their letters and actions often confronted hypocrisy, false teaching, and moral corruption in the early church.

✍️ St. Paul’s Rebukes and Warnings

Galatians 1:6–9 – Paul warns against “another gospel,” declaring that even an angel preaching a false gospel should be accursed.

Galatians 2:11–14 – Paul publicly rebukes Peter (Cephas) for hypocrisy in withdrawing from Gentile believersCrossway.

1 Corinthians 3:1–4 – He scolds the Corinthians for being “infants in Christ” and divided by factions.

1 Corinthians 5:1–5 – Rebuke of sexual immorality in the church; he commands expulsion of the offender.

2 Corinthians 11:13–15 – Paul warns against false apostles who disguise themselves as servants of Christfaithfulcanvas.com.

Philippians 3:2 – “Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the mutilation” (a sharp attack on Judaizers).

1 Timothy 1:19–20 – He names Hymenaeus and Alexander, saying he “handed them over to Satan” for blasphemy.

2 Timothy 4:3–4 – Warning that people will seek teachers to suit their passions, turning away from truth.

Other Apostolic Rebukes

Peter (Acts 5:1–11) – Rebukes Ananias and Sapphira for lying to the Holy Spirit; both fall dead.

Peter (Acts 8:18–23) – Confronts Simon Magus for trying to buy the gift of God: “Your heart is not right before God.”

John (1 John 2:18–19) – Warns of “antichrists” who deny Christ and depart from the community.

Jude 1:4, 12–13 – Denounces false teachers as “hidden reefs,” “clouds without water,” “wandering stars for whom the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved.”

James 5:1–6 – Harsh warning to the rich: “Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you.”

 Rebuke of Herod Antipas

Luke 13:32 – “Go and tell that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow…’” (calling Herod a “fox” was a sharp insult in Jewish culture).

Mark 8:15 – “Beware of the leaven of Herod” (warning against his corrupting influence).

✨ Key Themes

False teaching: Paul, Peter, John, and Jude all fiercely opposed distortions of the gospel.

Hypocrisy: Paul rebuked even fellow apostles when their actions contradicted the truth.

Immorality: Apostles demanded purity in the church, warning of judgment.

Judgment imagery: Like Jesus, they used vivid language (dogs, foxes, accursed, darkness) to shock hearers into seriousness.

So, the apostles carried forward Jesus’ prophetic edge — their letters are full of uncompromising truth-telling.