What are the differences between the Sadducees and Pharisees?

Answer

The Gospels frequently mention the Sadducees and Pharisees, as Jesus was in almost constant conflict with them. The Sadducees and Pharisees constituted the ruling class of Jews in Israel. While there are some similarities between the two groups, there are also significant differences between them.

Both the Pharisees and the Sadducees were religious sects within Judaism during the time of Christ. They both revered Moses and the Law, and they both wielded a certain degree of political influence. The Sanhedrin, the 70-member supreme court of ancient Israel, included members from both the Sadducees and the Pharisees.

The distinctions between the Pharisees and the Sadducees are evident in a few passages of Scripture and in the surviving writings of the Pharisees. The Sadducees were more conservative in one doctrinal aspect: they insisted on a literal interpretation of the Scriptures, while the Pharisees granted oral tradition equal authority to the written Word of God. If the Sadducees could not find a command in the Tanakh, they disregarded it as manmade.

Considering the differing views of Scripture held by the Pharisees and the Sadducees, it is not surprising that they disputed certain doctrines. The Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection of the dead (Matthew 22:23;Mark 12:18-27;Acts 23:8), whereas the Pharisees did believe in it. The Sadducees rejected the concept of an afterlife, asserting that the soul perished at death, whereas the Pharisees affirmed an afterlife and the appropriate reward and punishment for individuals. The Sadducees denied the existence of an unseen, spiritual realm, while the Pharis

Jesus taught the existence of angels and demons in a spiritual realm.

The apostle Paul cleverly used the theological distinctions between the Pharisees and the Sadducees to evade their grasp. Paul had been apprehended in Jerusalem and was presenting his defense before the Sanhedrin. Recognizing that some of the council members were Sadducees while others were Pharisees, Paul declared, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, born into Pharisees. I am on trial because of my belief in the resurrection of the dead” «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. », (Acts 23:6). Paul’s mention of the resurrection sparked a dispute between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, causing a division in the assembly and leading to “a great uproar” (verse 9). The Roman commander overseeing the proceedings dispatched troops to rescue Paul from the ensuing violence (verse 10).

Socially, the Sadducees were more elitist and aristocratic compared to the Pharisees. Sadducees tended to be affluent and occupied more influential positions. The chief priests and high priest were Sadducees, holding the majority of seats in the Sanhedrin. The Pharisees were more representative of the common working class and enjoyed the respect of the masses. The Sadducees wielded power primarily at the temple in Jerusalem, while the Pharisees had control over the synagogues. The Sadducees maintained a closer relationship with Rome and were more compliant with Roman laws than the Pharisees. The Pharisees often opposed Hellenization, whereas the Sadducees embraced it.

Jesus had more conflicts with the Pharisees than with the Sadducees, likely due to the former’s emphasis on oral tradition. “You nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down,” Jesus rebuked them (Mark 7:8; NLT; see also Matthew 9:14; see also Matthew 15:1-9; 23:5, 16, 23; Mark 7:1-23; and Luke 11:42). Because the Sadducees were often more concerned with politics than religion, they ignored Jesus until they began to fear He might attract unwanted Roman attention and disrupt the status quo. It was at that point that the Sadducees and Pharisees put aside their differences, joined forces, and plotted to have Christ executed (John 11:48-50; Mark 14:53; Mark 15:1).

The Sadducees as a group ceased to exist after the destruction of Jerusalem, but the Pharisees’ influence endured. In fact, the Pharisees were instrumental in compiling the Mishnah, a significant document concerning the survival of Judaism after the temple’s destruction. In this manner, the Pharisees established the foundation for contemporary Rabbinic Judaism.