Sadducees:
The origin of this Jewish sect cannot definitely be traced. It was probably the outcome of the influence of Grecian customs and philosophy during the period of Greek domination. The first time they are met with is in connection with John the Baptist's ministry. They came out to him when on the banks of the Jordan, and he said to them, "O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?" (Mat 3:7.) The next time they are spoken of they are represented as coming to our Lord tempting him. He calls them "hypocrites" and "a wicked and adulterous generation" (Mat 16:1-4; 22:23). The only reference to them in the Gospels of Mark (Mar 12:18-27) and Luke (Luk 20:27-38) is their attempting to ridicule the doctrine of the resurrection, which they denied, as they also denied the existence of angels. They are never mentioned in John's Gospel.
There were many Sadducees among the "elders" of the Sanhedrin. They seem, indeed, to have been as numerous as the Pharisees (Act 23:6). They showed their hatred of Jesus in taking part in his condemnation (Mat 16:21; 26:1-3,59; Mar 8:31; 15:1; Luk 9:22; 22:66). They endeavoured to prohibit the apostles from preaching the resurrection of Christ (Act 2:24,31,32; 4:1,2; 5:17,24-28). They were the deists or sceptics of that age. They do not appear as a separate sect after the destruction of Jerusalem.
The Blue Letter Bible ministry and the BLB Institute hold to the historical, conservative Christian faith, which includes a firm belief in the inerrancy of Scripture. Since the text and audio content provided by BLB represent a range of evangelical traditions, all of the ideas and principles conveyed in the resource materials are not necessarily affirmed, in total, by this ministry.
Loading
Loading
Interlinear |
Bibles |
Cross-Refs |
Commentaries |
Dictionaries |
Miscellaneous |