The apostle Matthew (22:15-46) reports the thoroughness with which Jesus refuted, exposed and silenced each of these three classes, in turn, as being unqualified and unfit to shepherd the flock. Matthew writes concerning the Pharisees and the Herodians:

And nobody was able to say a word in reply to him, nor did anyone dare from that day on to question him any further.”

Here God’s direct representative, his Fine Shepherd, Jesus Christ, publicly exposed these classes as shepherds of no value, as disapproved by Jehovah God. Shortly after that he uttered a scathing denunciation of them.​—Matt. chap. 23.