Jesus' Fiercest Opponents
150 Bible Basics
This is entry #122 of 150 from my book, Sunday School Catch-Up, available on Amazon!
The Pharisees and Sadducees
The two leading religious sects of first century Judea. The Pharisees legalistically mandated traditions handed down by rabbis in addition to the Law, which created numerous conflicts with Jesus.
The Sadducees were more literal in their reading of the Law, but took that approach so far they denied the resurrection (Matthew 22:23). They also were known for compromising with the Greek and Roman cultures.
The two groups were often in sharp disagreement with each other (Acts 23:6-8). The Pharisees had influence with the people, but the Sadducees had power as they staffed the high priesthood and were atop the Sanhedrin council which governed the Jews’ religious life (Acts 5:17). They found a mutual enemy in Jesus and worked together to have the Romans crucify Him.
Talmudic, Rabbinical, or Orthodox Judaism, the version of Judaism practiced today, is essentially the Pharisaical interpretation of the religion which won out historically. The destruction of the temple in A.D. 70 brought about the end of Sadduceeism’s influence at the top of the Jewish religion. Contrary to popular belief, today’s religious Jews do not merely practice the Old Testament; rather, they practice the Old Testament plus the Talmud.
Because of their practice of binding tradition that went beyond the Law, the term Pharisee has become synonymous with legalism in religious discussions.
