Note 1 at Mt 16:1: The Sadducees were a Jewish sect (Ac 5:17) of both a political and religious nature. They were best known for their opposition to the more popular party (the Pharisees), with whom they differed on various doctrinal and political issues.

They rejected the oral tradition on which the Pharisees had made their "mountain" of burdensome legislation and accepted only the written law. We are told they believed "there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit" (Ac 23:8). From Josephus, we learn that the Sadducees believed that the soul perishes with the body (The Antiquities of the Jews, Book 18, Chapter 1, Section 4) and therefore can receive neither penalties nor rewards in an afterlife (War of the Jews, Book 2, Chapter 8, Section 14).

The most significant mention of the Sadducees in the Gospels concerns their interview with Jesus in Jerusalem, during which they tried to trap Jesus with a crafty question concerning the resurrection (Mt 22:23-33, Mr 12:18-27, and Lu 20:27-38). In His answer, Jesus accused them of not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God (Mt 22:29). He then proceeded to quote Ex 3:6 from the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible), in support of the doctrine of the resurrection.

The Sadducees became alarmed and decided to take action (Joh 11:47), as Jesus posed a threat to their security and position (as in the cleansing of the temple, Mr 11:15-18). Confronted with Jesus and His claims, the Sadducees were able to unite with their traditional enemies, the Pharisees, for the purpose of disposing of Jesus. Both parties worked together for the arrest and trial of Jesus by the Sanhedrin (Mr 14:53 and 15:1). See note 3 at Mt 3:7 for additional information on Sadducees.