There are several observations that must be made when encountering this argument. First, this is an argument from history rather than from Scripture. While arguments from history can be interesting and helpful, they are not the guide of the Church. The doctrine of Sola Scriptura argues that the practices of the rabbis are not our patterns. Scripture is our sole pattern and guide.

Second, we must recognize that the spiritual state of the people of God during the time of Jesus was deplorable. Here are a few examples. Jesus was continually correcting the wrong thinking of the people of Israel. Our Lord called that generation "an adulterous generation" (Matt. 12:39). They had multiplied man-made laws and had invented practices that were contrary to Scripture (Mark 7:9-12). This was not a righteous society, because it had been corrupted by the traditions of man. Our Lord, during His ministry on earth, spends significant time correcting their views. For example in Matthew 19 alone, He corrects their views of salvation, humility, marriage, divorce, singleness, and children. This was not a society that was doing the will of God. This is why Israel during the time of Christ is not the place we ought to look for our patterns. When we say, "The rabbinical schools are valid because they were used in Israel," we have forgotten that Jesus was correcting many of their traditions not validating them. Therefore, Jewish traditions should always be evaluated through the lens of Scripture alone.

Third, many practices of the Greeks were working their way into mainstream Jewish life. Helleniztion was being progressively favored by the Jews in Palestine during the time of Jesus. There were many expressions of this. For example, the educational practices of the gymnasium were being embraced. The gymnasium provided educational and athletic opportunities to Jewish children. Some parents in Jerusalem were sending their children to these gymnasiums in addition to the rabbinical schools. Our word gymnasium, which comes from gymnos, means naked. In ancient Greece, athletes competed nude in appreciation and glorification of the human body. The fact that Jewish parents were sending their children to the rabbinical schools and the gymnasium for education is no evidence that it is legitimate for the Church to do the same.