Acts 23:6-7 But when Paul perceived that the 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: of the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called in question. And when he had so said, there arose a dissension between the Pharisees and the Sadducees: and the multitude was divided.

Have you ever cared so passionately about something to the point you have lost your self-control? The issue of the resurrection was never resolved between these two factions. The Pharisee were students of the law, the Sadducees were the social class. Both held enormous sway over the people but on this issue they could not agree.

Allow me to ask if there any out there who do not believe in the resurrection?

Do not ask me to prove there is a resurrection. Nothing I have to say is going to convince you any more than the Pharisee could the Sadducee. It is not going to happen. So let us address the issues of the Sadducee within the temple, their role and influences.

As I stated before the Sadducee were the social elite of the temple. What were they doing in the temple if they did not believe God could provide for life after death?

Sadducee, a member of the party of the Sadducees, who, distinguished for birth, wealth, and official position, and not averse to the favor of the Herod family and of the Romans, hated the common people, were the opponents of the Pharisees, and rejecting tradition. Source Thayer’s Greek Lexicon.

Strong’s definition lists them as followers of a certain heretical Israelite. Heretic is a very strong word and has caused divisions of religious groups.

The most distinguishing features of any modern day Sadducee would be in seeking favor from the government, breaking traditions, and hatred of the people.

Luke 7:34 The Son of man is come eating and drinking; and ye say, Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners!

They said that of Jesus. Imagine what they are saying about me? People talk and there is nothing you can do to change that. Better behavior on our part will be met with words like self-righteous and hypocrite. Jesus warned us of that during His teachings.

Matthew 22:6 And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them.

We are the Lord’s servants and all they do and say has nothing to do with who you are or what you have done. They have done this to our Lord.

Matthew 25:40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

Some of my disciples have tried to come to my defense and I asked them not to do that. The Holy Spirit does not need our help in dealing with the enemies of Christ. We tend to get defensive but stop and think about that. That is a response in the flesh of the person we were before we came to Christ.

Romans 8:36-37 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

When people talk about us it might not feel like we are victorious but in Christ we are victorious.

Take shelter in this and do not strike back. The words of their own lips will someday convict them.

Proverbs 6:2 Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth.

Let us not get caught up in that ourselves.