"Strain at" or "Strain Out" a GnatSome have said this is a misprint/misinterpretation and should say Strain out a gnat, Is it ?and what does it mean?Matthew 2323Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. 24Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel. 25Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. 26 "Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and Platter, that the outside of them may be clean also."These Pharisees were like someone who saw a gnat or perhaps thought they saw a gnat in their bowl of pottage and they would get a strainer and work the soup over until they either had the gnat or convinced themselves that their soup was not contaminated. However, they would ignore something as significant as an entire camel in their soup and swallow it whole.The reason it says "strain at" instead of "strain out" is because Jesus is pointing out that the gnat may not have even existed. They may have imagined it. By this, He showed that they were meticulous to such a degree on some points that they went out of their way to remove the supposed uncleanness whether it was really there or not. However, at other times, they completely allowed very important things to remain unchallenged. This is described in the previous verse, Matthew 23:23 - "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone."So it is today many put more importance and spend their time arguing their denominational rules and regulations than they do studying Gods Word ... The camel is a very unclean animal. Jesus is saying that you strain at a gnat size thing in your doctrine, and when something large and unclean enters your church, you look the other way. The prime example of this today are things are small matters of dress,or should we go to church on Saturday or Sunday ? My church is the only right one ect ect. These are elevated, where the major items of idolatry, Sodomy, and killing your babies is overlooked. These scribes and Pharisees paid such detail to their religious forms, words, and motions they went through, and they overlooked what God's Word said to do. These religious sorts could care less of pleasing God, it is done for the merchandising of religion. Jesus is telling these Pharisees to go and clean up their own doctrine, and make sure it lines up with God, rather then trying to please the traditions of men. Jesus is taking aim at those church services that never quite get around to teaching the laws and truths of Gods word, because they are to deep in doctrine and traditions that please men. 27 "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness."Jesus is telling them that they look like grave sites that are beautiful on the outside, but inside the grave is a decaying with all sorts of uncleanness.28 "Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity."These scribes and Pharisees took pride in showing themselves to be righteous and proper in outward appearance, yet inwardly they were full of hypocrisy and all sorts of evil. What stopped the people from accepting Jesus as the Christ In those days? It was the religious community. It was the priests, scribes and Pharisees It wasn't the sinners that walked the street, for many of them followed Him, and loved Him for the healing and teaching that He gave. Like it or not, it was the religious community, and those that wore the robes of the priests. Let us not waste our time "Straining at the gnat" like these Pharisees, If your religious leaders are not feeding you meat from Gods Word find one that does Mat 24:45 Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? 
r 5:14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, [even] those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
r 5:14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, [even] those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
