Woe to you, hypocrites, scribes and Pharisees, for you cross sea and land to make one person a convert, and when it happens, you make him twice as much a son of Gehenna as yourselves.
Jesus exposes the false nature of the Pharisees’ missionary efforts. With great zeal they traveled the world to attach people to their religious system, but because their faith was distorted, their disciples also became followers of the same false faith, in an even more extreme way. Their efforts were outward, aimed not at saving a soul but at spreading their influence. The expression “son of Gehenna” shows that such activity brings not salvation but destruction, because it is based on self-righteousness rather than grace. This word is a warning that a false teacher is not only liable to be lost himself, but also leads his followers along the same path.