But when Paul perceived that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, “Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee; concerning the hope and resurrection of the dead I am being judged!” And when he had said this, a dissension arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees; and the assembly was divided. For Sadducees say that there is no resurrection—and no angel or spirit; but the Pharisees confess both. (Acts 23:6-8)

Sadducees In The Church

Among the Jewish elite and leaders of Israel was a religious sect called the Sadducees. The scriptures are silent as to their origin, and only Matthew, Mark, and Luke mention them. They are sometimes found with the Pharisees, another powerful group among the Jewish leaders included in the Sanhedrin. Like the Pharisees, the Sadducees tried to discredit and disavow Jesus and His teachings. Jesus warned His disciples to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees, pointing to their false doctrines forced on the people.

When the apostle Paul defended himself before the Jewish council (Sanhedrin), he saw the council included both Sadducees and Pharisees. Paul declared that he was a Pharisee and the son of a Pharisee, referring to his former life before following Christ. He knew he was being charged with a crime for teaching that Jesus was raised from the dead, a doctrine vilified by the Sadducees. Luke points out that the Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection or in angels or spirits. Paul’s declaration caused such an uproar that the Roman commander ordered his soldiers to forcibly remove Paul from the council and bring him to the safety of the barracks.

It seems incredulous that a sect of the Jewish people would deny resurrection. However, the doctrine of the Sadducees is not foreign to many in the body of Christ who, in principle, follow the same line of teaching. If a man does not believe in resurrection, they deny that the soul dwells in an eternal state after death. There is no future state. Everything about a man is found in this world. There cannot and will not be life after death. All that a man is can only be found in this life and this life alone. The Sadducees created a sect that denied the spirit world, such as angels and spirits, because they believed in only the material world. If there is no resurrection, life must be gained here and now.

The Sadducees made a doctrine of their unbelief. It is not hard for many Christians to follow the Sadducees’ doctrine in their daily lives. What the Sadducees saw was a very material world with only rewards here. Accepting that there is anything better than life on earth is rejected. If a man spends his life seeking after all the glitter and gold of this life, he can miss eternal life. The focus of the heart must be on resurrection, not the trinkets of this world. Paul likens life to a tent that is easily folded up and discarded. Jesus asked, “What value is a man’s life if he gains everything here and loses his soul?” Life cannot be about the here and now. That is a tragic mistake.

Resurrection is the reality of man’s creation. God created man in His own image as an eternal creature. Animals die, and that is all. There is no afterlife for animals. Man was created never to cease to exist. Everyone who dies rises to a resurrection of either glory or perdition. Believing or not believing in the resurrection does not change the reality of life after death. The Sadducees were people of God in the nation of Israel who lived only for the material world. They did not believe death was for glory. Their happiness came from the tangible, real world they built around them. The sadness came when, in death, they realized they took nothing with them, and now they faced eternity.

There are Sadducees in the church of the Lord. They believe their jobs are more important than serving God. Excuses are made as to why they cannot obey the will of the Father. They have a family to feed and retirements to build. If and when they have time for God, they will try to squeeze him in. Christian Sadducees believe that money will bring them happiness. They do not believe in the eternal world because how much more enjoyable can that be than the toys money can buy now? Life is for living to the fullest gusto. Building bigger homes with cars, boats, toys, and gadgets to play with is what life is all about. Children are taught to put the pursuit of worldly gain first. They see their parents rushing through life, money-hungry and debt-ridden.

If there is anything to enjoy, it is in this life. Sadducees in the church look for the pleasures of life in the carnal fulfillments of the here and now. God’s law of marriage is not kept because “God wants me to be happy.” Sexual immorality is accepted as part of life. Immorality is not shunned. Sin is no longer viewed with fear. A spirit of acceptance is common. If there is no resurrection, there is no penalty. Sadducees can only see the joys of this life. What they do not see is God’s wrath upon this pernicious false doctrine.

The Bible is clear. What the Sadducees believed and practiced was false. There is a resurrection, and there is eternity. Jesus is the resurrection. Sadducees in the church are endangering their souls with the wrath of God. A man cannot live in the world in this life and expect eternal life in the next. As someone said, “Too many people want to live like the rich man, and die like Lazarus.” Church Sadducees need to repent and put God first. There is no other first place but the Lord God Almighty. Anything that comes before service to God is sin. Are you a Sadducee?