V. THE SADDUCEES AND THE RESURRECTION

Matth. 22:23.—“The same day came to him the Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection, and asked him,” &c.;

It is very unusual to find in St. Matthew a paragraph like this, explanatory of Jewish opinions or practices. In general it is quite characteristic of him, and a circumstance which distinguishes him from the other Evangelists, that he presumes upon his readers being perfectly familiar with Judæa and all that pertains to it. St. Mark, in treating the same subjects, is generally found to enlarge upon them much more, as though conscious that he had those to deal with who were not thoroughly conversant with Jewish affairs.

Compare the following parallel passages in these two Evangelists.

Matth. 9:14.—“Then came to him the disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not?”

Mark 2:18.—“And the disciples of John and of the Pharisees used to fast: and they come and say unto him, Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but thy disciples fast not?”

Matth. 15:1.—“Then came to Jesus Scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying, Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the Elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread. But he answered and said unto them,” &c.;

Mark 7:1.—“Then came together unto him the Pharisees, and certain of the Scribes, which came from Jerusalem. And when they saw some of his disciples eat bread with defiled, that is to say, with unwashen, hands, they found fault. For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands oft, eat not, holding the tradition of the Elders. And when they come from the market, except they wash, they eat not. And many other things there be, which they have received to hold, as the washing of cups, and pots, brazen vessels, and of tables. Then the Pharisees and Scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the Elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands?” &c.;

Matth. 27:62.—“Now the next day, that followed the day of the Preparation, the Chief Priests and Pharisees came together,” &c.;

Mark 15:42.—“And now when the even was come, because it was the Preparation, that is, the day before the Sabbath, ” &c.;

These examples (to which many more might be added, may suffice to show the manner of St. Matthew as compared with that of another of the Evangelists; that it dealt little in explanation. How then does it happen, that in the instance before us he deviates from his ordinary, almost his uniform, practice; and whilst writing for Jews, thinks it necessary to inform them of so notorious a tenet of the Sadducees (for such we might suppose it) as their disbelief in a resurrection? Would not his Jewish readers have known at once, and on the mere mention of the name of this sect, that he was speaking of persons who denied that doctrine?

Let us turn to Josephus (Antiq. xviii. 1. § 4), and we shall find him throwing some light upon our inquiry.

“The doctrine of the Sadducees is, that the soul and body perish together. The law is all that they are concerned to observe. They consider it commendable to controvert the opinions of masters even of their own school of philosophy. This doctrine, however, has not many followers, but those persons of the highest rank—next to nothing of public business falls into their hands.” Thus, we see, it was very possible for the people of Judæa, though well acquainted with most of the local peculiarities of their country, to be ignorant, or at least ill-informed, of the dogmas of a sect, insignificant in numbers, removed from them by station, and seldom or never brought into contact with them by office; and therefore that St. Matthew was not wasting words, when he explained in this instance, though in so many other instances he had withheld explanation [See Hug’s Introduction to the New Testament, Vol. ii. p. 7. Translation by the Rev. D. G. Wait.] .