Mat 23:13

But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in [yourselves], neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. A better translation of the last part would be "You neither enter in nor let those who are entering enter." Can your religious leaders prevent you from getting an afterlife? Of course not. "The kingdom of heaven" as described extensively by Christ cannot be "the afterlife" as it has come to mean in Christianity. Instead it describes the rule and rules of the universe. In passages such as this, it is the state of mind in which we are ruled by our higher natures, which come from God's will. This might be described as one sense of a "state of grace." Here, the religious leaders of the time are being criticized for making so many rules that people cannot simply let themselves be ruled by "heaven's" will. The simple act of making rules for others prevents people from accepting heaven's will. This is why Christ is so against hierarchies and people bowing down to the will of other people. The natural hierarchy is simple: there is God and below God everyone else is equal. The only way people rise in the favor of other people is by serving them. By trying to put themselves above others and control them, religious (and state leaders) are nothing but actors: they have power only as long as people believe they have power.

"Hypocrites" is from hupokrites, which means "an interpreter," "an actor," "a stage player," and "a dissembler." The primary meaning during Christ's era was "an actor."

"Shut up" is from kleio, which means "to shut," and "to shut up." It is a metaphor for causing the heavens to withhold rain.

"Go in," and "them that are entering" are from eiserchomai, which means both "to go into," "to come in," "to enter," "to enter an office," "to enter a charge," (as in court) and "to come into one's mind."

"Suffer" is from
aphiêmi, which means "to let fall," "to send away," "to let loose," "to get rid of," "to leave alone," "to pass by," "to permit," and "to send forth from oneself." This is the same word that is translated as "leave" and "forgive" in the New Testament.