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Sadducees

The Powerful Elite Who Denied the Resurrection

1st century BC – 1st century AD

Name Information

Meaning
Possibly from 'Zadok' (a priestly line)
Language of Origin
Hebrew
Gender Usage
Masculine (group)

The Sadducees were a wealthy and influential Jewish sect during the Second Temple period. They held political and religious power, controlled the temple, and denied essential doctrines such as the resurrection, angels, and the afterlife. Often in conflict with Jesus and the apostles, the Sadducees prioritized religious tradition and political control over spiritual truth.

Roles

Religious LeadersTemple AuthoritiesPriestly Class

Relationships

Enemy
Pharisees, Jesus, Apostles
Friend
Chief priests, Roman authorities

Story

Attempted to trap Jesus with a hypothetical question about resurrection (Matthew 22).

Jesus exposed their lack of understanding of Scripture and God's power.

Were disturbed by the apostles’ preaching about Jesus' resurrection (Acts 4).

Led efforts to arrest and silence the apostles after Pentecost (Acts 5).

Faded from history after the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD.

Spiritual Significance

  1. 1A leading Jewish sect, influential in the Sanhedrin (Jewish ruling council).
  2. 2Denied the resurrection, angels, and spiritual beings (Acts 23:8).
  3. 3Focused primarily on the Torah (first five books of Moses).
  4. 4Opposed Jesus, especially when He taught about resurrection and spiritual realities.
  5. 5Participated in Jesus’ arrest and later persecuted the early church.

What We Can Learn

  1. 1Rejecting biblical truth leads to spiritual blindness.
  2. 2Religious authority without faith in God’s Word leads to corruption.
  3. 3God’s Word speaks clearly about life beyond this world — resurrection is central to the Gospel.
  4. 4Religious power is meaningless without submission to Christ.

Memory Verses

You are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God.

Matthew 22:29

Key Passages

Matthew 22:23–33Acts 4:1–2Acts 5:17–33Mark 12:18–27

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