Who were the Pharisees and the Sadducees?

When we read the stories of Jesus in the Gospels and the stories of the book of Acts we often come across a couple terms which we might have a little trouble understanding. I've done some research and want to share what I've found. I believe that understanding the cultural, historical, and political context of the New Testament can help us better understand the message that Jesus and his apostles brought and what it means for us.

The New Testament frequently mentions two basic types of religious leaders, the Pharisees and the Sadducees. There were actually five sects including the Essenes, Zealots, and Herodians. The Essenes are never actually mentioned and the Herodians are only mentioned three times. Jesus actually had an apostle who was a Zealot; Simon. A little examination of their beliefs will show us that, though they were all JEWS, they had their own flavor of Judaism. It was kind of like different Jewish denominations. These groups arose after the Old Testament times during the captivity period when temple worship was impossible due to the dispersion of Israelites and the destruction of the temple.Sectarianism had divided these people and the religious situation of the Jews during the time of Christ was not what God had intended when he gave them the law through Moses.

The Sadducees were a group of religious teachers who were a bit of a sophisticated group. They did not usually like to associate with the common Jew. They were very influential as far as politics goes, and were usually wealthy educated men of rank. They were of a small number and not many Jews cared for them.

The Pharisees were a different story. They, too, were religious teachers, but they were the teacher of the common man. They were a relatively large group, and were very legalistic. This can be seen in their dealings with Jesus and his disciples when discussing the Sabbath, among other things. Leaders of this sect were usually considered hypocrites, preaching and teaching what was right but not practicing it (Matthew 23:2-4). The English term "Pharisaical" comes from this group of people and means "hypocritical and self-righteous".

Though the Pharisees and Sadducees are both mentioned in the New Testament, the Pharisees are more commonly discussed. John the Immerser called them a "brood of vipers" in Luke 3:7, and Jesus spoke in Matthew 23 about them, beginning each paragraph with "Woe to you scribes and Pharisees..." Not all Pharisees were bad, however. Jesus spoke with Nicodemus, who was a Pharisee (John 3), and Paul was a Pharisee (he turned out all right =D).

There were a few basic differences in beliefs between the Pharisees and the Sadducees. The following is a basic outline of what Josephus said their differences were (Jewish War, II.viii.14; Antiquities, XVIII.i.3):

1 - The Pharisees believed in predestination by God, but not everything. The Saducees believed that the history of the world was dependent on the free will of man and that God did not interfere.

2 - The Pharisees believed in the immortality of the soul and the resurrection of the dead. Sadducees did not.

3. The Pharisees believed in angels and demons while the Sadducees did not.

4 -The Pharisees believed that the Holy Scriptures, including the oral traditions passed down throughout the centuries, were to be recognized as supreme authority. The Sadducees only recognized the written Holy Scriptures.

The scriptures mention some differences between the two groups, and the dispute between the two groups about the resurrection is one that multiple times. There is one situation, in Acts 23, that I find rather amusing. Please turn there and read Acts 21:27-23:10 to get the context.

Paul had returned to Jerusalem and had been going to the temple. One day the Jews recognized him and had him arrested. He tried to defend himself by explaining his conversion, but that only angered the crowd. He then was turned over to the Roman guards where they intend to whip him. Before this could happen, he turned to the men who had bound him and asked if it was lawful to whip a Roman citizen without proof of guilt (what a blessing for Paul that he was a Roman citizen!). They then become frightened and don't beat him, but wait to hear from their superiors (eventually he is taken to Felix). The following day Paul asks to speak to the people. After some clamour and yelling he got their attention. In 23:6, we learn that Paul is both observant and clever. He noticed that the crowd listening to him was made up of Pharisees and Sadducees, and so declared to the people that:

"Brothers, I am a Pharisee, son of Pharisees, I am being judged concerning the hope and the resurrection of the dead." Acts 23:6b (SAM)

What happened after this? Chaos!!! Paul caused a mini riot. Some of the Pharisees stood up and said that, maybe he HAD been visited by an angel or had seen a vision. They took Paul into the prison to protect him, and eventually he was taken to Rome to be judged by the Emperor.

Well, I hope you have enjoyed these random facts and that they might help you understand the scriptures a little better when you read about these two groups.