harisees. The Pharisees are found for the first time in history at the time of Jonathan (160-143 B.C.). The name Pharisee means “Separated Ones.” Why they were given this name is unknown but it may be due to their pursuit of holiness by separating themselves from those they considered to be “sinners.”

Membership. Among the religious sects, they were the largest. They were the religious party of the man in the synagogue (business men, artists, etc.).

Beliefs. The Pharisees were the progressives of their day when compared to the Sadducees. They believed in the entire Old Testament or the scriptures which included the Torah (Genesis through Deuteronomy), the Prophets and the Writings. They considered scripture to be authoritative, that is, if scripture says it, we should obey it. They sought to apply the scriptures to everyday situations. This led to an allegorically or symbolic approach to understanding scripture. They developed what was known as the oral law. The oral law was as important to them as the written scriptures for which Christ rebuked them. They believed there was only one God. They believed in angels, demons, obedience to the law, resurrection, punishment after death except for the holiest (a sort of purgatory). They were missionary minded. Apparently the Pharisees originally considered the people to be as holy as the priests.

Reputation. They were highly respected and honored by the Jewish people. The people regarded them as very pious men. They controlled the synagogues (religious place of worship) and consequently the mass of people. They were regarded as the religious authorities of the day.

adducees. The Sadducees are visible in history around 200 B.C. and disappeared after the fall of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. Their name means “Righteous Ones,” “Zadokites,” or “judges.”

Membership. The members of this sect were the chief priests, highly ranked priests and aristocratic laymen. They were the aristocratic party. Not all priests were Sadducees. Some priests also belonged to the Pharisees as did some rich laymen.

Beliefs. The Sadducees were the conservatives of their day. Yet, they rejected much of the Old Testament or scriptures and believed only the Torah was authoritative. They opposed the Oral Law of the Pharisees. They rejected the idea of life after death. They did not believe in angels, demons, punishment after death and did not believe God really cared about people. They held to a literal interpretation of the Torah. They held to past beliefs, strict observance of the Torah and they firmly believed in absolute freedom for man to choose as he wished.

Reputation. They had responsibility for the Temple (religious place where sacrifice occurred) and its ministry. It appears they were not as highly regarded as the Pharisees. The Sadducees were political and exercised great political control.