If you are looking for information about our marriage seminar this weekend click HERE
The SADDUCEES are supposed to have taken their name from Sadok, who flourished about 260 years before the Christian era. He was a pupil of Antigonus Sochaeus, president of the sanhedrim, or great council of the nation. He had taught the duty of serving God disinterestedly, without the hope of reward or the fear of punishment. Sadok, not properly understanding the doctrine of his master, drew the inference that there was no future state of rewards or punishments, and on this belief he founded the sect. The other notions which they held, all to be traced to this leading doctrine, were:
1. That there is no resurrection, neither angel nor spirit (Matt 22:23; Acts 23:8); and that the soul of man perishes with the body.
2. They rejected the doctrine of fate or decrees.
3. They rejected all traditions, and professed to receive only the books of the Old Testament. They were far less numerous than the Pharisees, but their want of numbers was compensated, in some degree, by their wealth and standing in society. Though they did not generally seek office, yet several of them were advanced to the high priesthood.
(from Barnes' Notes, Electronic Database Copyright © 1997, 2003, 2005 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)
Note from Matt - It almost seems as though “post-modernism” had crept in their world view. They had “reasoned” themselves out of faith in the afterlife, and away from angels and spirits. No wonder they were so offended at Jesus, His dialogue being saturated with the afterlife, the spirit of man, and the resurrection of the dead. I wonder if any of those who came out of the graves (Matt. 27:45-54) at Jesus’ death went up to a Sadducee and introduced themselves! After all, to deny the afterlife is Sadd, u-cee!