Sadducees and the Resurrection
Early Christians taught that the Sadducees denied the resurrection, and they answered by defending the resurrection of the dead, especially the resurrection of the flesh. Writers like Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Tertullian, Hippolytus, and Methodius all use Jesus’ words and Paul’s teaching to support that view. Key Bible passages include Luke 20, Mark 12, Matthew 22, Acts 23, and 1 Corinthians 15.
107 early-church witnesses · 192 source quotations · compared with Scripture
What did early Christians believe about the Sadducees and the Resurrection?
Early Christians taught that the Sadducees denied the resurrection, while Jesus and the apostles affirmed it. Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Tertullian, Hippolytus, Methodius, and Theophilus all treat the Sadducees as the group that rejected the rising of the dead and use Christ’s teaching to defend the resurrection of the flesh. The Bible passages most directly tied to this topic are Acts 23:6-8, Luke 20:27-37, Mark 12:18-27, Matthew 22:23-33, and 1 Corinthians 15.
The witness is broad and clear on the Sadducees’ denial and on Christian belief in resurrection, though some later writers repeat the same argument rather than adding new details. A few cards touch related themes like angels, the soul, or the end times, but the central teaching is stable: the Sadducees denied resurrection and early Christians rejected that denial. Many more early Christian quotations, Bible passages, and source links are gathered below so you can study the evidence for yourself.
Key Takeaways
- The Sadducees were known for denying the resurrection of the dead.
- Early Christian writers used Jesus’ answer in Luke 20, Mark 12, and Matthew 22 to refute that denial.
- Many early writers also taught a real bodily resurrection, not just a spiritual idea.
Questions Answered by the Sources
What did early Christians say the Sadducees believed about the resurrection?
The sources consistently describe the Sadducees as denying the resurrection, and some add that they also rejected the continuing life of the soul and even angelic realities. This is the basic historical frame used by early Christian writers when they discuss the issue.
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Luke 20:27 Direct teaching
There came to him some Sadducees, those who deny that there is a resurrection,
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Mark 12:18 Direct teaching
And Sadducees came to him, who say that there is no resurrection. And they asked him a question, saying,
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Matthew 22:23 Direct teaching
The same day Sadducees came to him, who say that there is no resurrection, and they asked him a question,
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Acts 23:8 Direct teaching
For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all.
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Acts 23:6 Direct teaching
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!”
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Hippolytus, Refutation of All Heresies Direct teaching
These, then, are the opinions of the Pharisees. The Sadducees, however, want to do away with fate. They admit that God does nothing wicked and does not exercise providence over earthly matters. But they argue that the choice between good and evil lies in the power of human beings. They deny that there is a resurrection, not only of the flesh, but they also think that the soul does not continue after death. They consider the soul to be nothing more than mere vitality, and they say that it is because of this that man has been created. However, they maintain that the idea of resurrection has been fully fulfilled in this one fact: that we end our days after leaving children on earth. But they still insist that after death a person should expect to suffer nothing, either bad or good. For they say that both soul and body are dissolved, and that man passes into non-existence, just as the material of animal creation does. But whatever wickedness a man may have committed in life, if he has been reconciled to the injured party, he has gained by his wrongdoing, since he has escaped the punishment that otherwise would have been inflicted by men. And whatever possessions a man may have gained,
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Hippolytus, Refutation of All Heresies Supporting witness
And they deny that there is a resurrection not only of flesh, but also they suppose that the soul does not continue after death.
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Apostolic Constitutions, Apostolic Constitutions Supporting witness
VI. For even the Jewish nation had wicked heresies: for of them were the Sadducees, who do not confess the resurrection of the dead;
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Tertullian, On the Resurrection of the Flesh Supporting witness
Their great object, I take it, was to do away altogether with the resurrection, for the Sadducees in fact did not admit any salvation either for the soul or the flesh;
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Tatian, The Diatessaron Supporting witness
9 Matthew 22:23 And on that day came the Sadducees, and said to him, There is no life for 10 the dead.
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Peter of Alexandria, The Genuine Acts of Peter Supporting witness
Whence it was that, having contrived the parable about the woman and the seven brethren, that they might cast doubt upon the resurrection of the flesh, There came to Him, Matthew 22:23 it is said, the Sadducees also, who say that there is no resurrection.
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Methodius, From the Discourse on the Resurrection Supporting witness
Whence it was that, having contrived the parable about the woman and the seven brethren, that they might cast doubt upon the resurrection of the flesh, There came to Him, Matthew 22:23 it is said, the Sadducees also, who say that there is no resurrection.
More related quotations from this section 2 shown
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Methodius, From the Discourse on the Resurrection Supporting witness
For this was the opinion of the Sadducees.
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Theophilus of Antioch, To Autolycus Supporting witness
Then, about your denying that the dead are raised: you say, "Show me even one person who has been raised from the dead, so that when I see it, I may believe." First, what great thing is it if you believe only after you have seen it happen? Then again, you believe that Hercules, who burned himself, lives, and that Æsculapius, who was struck by lightning, was raised. But do you refuse to believe the things told to you by God? But suppose I were to show you a dead man raised and alive. Even then, you would not believe. God indeed shows you many proofs so that you may believe Him. Consider, if you please, the dying of the seasons, and of days and nights, and how these also die and rise again. And what more? Is there not also a resurrection of seeds and fruits, and this too for the use of men? A seed of wheat, for example, or one of the other grains, when it is thrown into the earth, first dies and rots away. Then it is raised and becomes a stalk of grain. And the nature of trees and fruit trees—is it not that, according to God's appointment, they produce their fruits in their seasons out of what had been unseen and invisible? Moreover, sometimes a sparrow or some other bird, while drin
How did early Christians explain Jesus’ answer to the Sadducees?
Early Christian writers say Jesus answered the Sadducees by affirming the resurrection and correcting their failure to understand Scripture and God’s power. They treat his reply as a clear rebuttal of Sadducean denial, not as a vague or merely symbolic answer.
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Irenaeus, Against Heresies: Book IV Supporting witness
... is not the God of the dead, but of the living; for all live to Him." Through these arguments, He clearly showed that He who spoke to Moses from the bush, declaring Himself as the God of the fathers, is indeed the God of the living. For who is the God of the living except He who is God, with no one above Him? This is the same God whom Daniel the prophet proclaimed when King Cyrus of Persia asked him, "Why don't you worship Bel?" Daniel answered, "Because I do not worship idols made with hands, but the living God, who established heaven and earth and has dominion over all flesh." He also said, "I will adore the Lord my God, because He is the living God." Hence, the One whom the prophets adored as the living God is indeed the God of the living; and His Word is the One who spoke to Moses, silenced the Sadducees, and gave the gift of resurrection, thus revealing both the resurrection and the true nature of God to those who are blind. If He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, and yet was called the God of the fathers who were asleep, they indubitably live to God and have not ceased to exist, as they are children of the resurrection. Our Lord Himself is the resurrection, as
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Irenaeus, Against Heresies: Book IV Supporting witness
2. For our Lord and Master, in the answer which He gave to the Sadducees, who say that there is no resurrection, and who do therefore dishonour God, and lower the credit of the law, did both indicate a resurrection, and reveal God, saying to them, “Ye do err, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God.” “For, touching the resurrection of the dead,” He says, “have ye not read that which was spoken by God, saying, I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?” And He added, “He is not the God of the dead, but of the living;
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Irenaeus, Against Heresies: Book IV Supporting witness
and His Word is He who also spake to Moses, who also put the Sadducees to silence, who also bestowed the gift of resurrection, thus revealing [both] truths to those who are blind, that is, the resurrection and God [in His true character].
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Tertullian, On the Resurrection of the Flesh Direct teaching
...to which of them she should be restored. Now keep the meaning of both the question and the answer clearly in view, and the discussion is settled at once. The Sadducees denied the resurrection, while the Lord affirmed it. Also, in affirming it, He rebuked them for being ignorant of the Scriptures, that is, of those Scriptures that had declared the resurrection. He also rebuked them for not believing the power of God, which is certainly able to raise the dead. Then He immediately added the words, "Now, that the dead are raised," in Luke 20:37. He spoke without hesitation and affirmed the very thing that was being denied, namely, the resurrection of the dead before Him who is the God of the living. It clearly follows that He affirmed this truth in the very same sense in which they were denying it. In fact, it was the resurrection of the two natures of man. And it does not follow, as they want to claim, that because Christ denied that men would marry, He therefore proved that they would not rise again. On the contrary, He called them the children of the resurrection, in a certain sense as having to undergo a birth by the resurrection. After that, they no longer marry. But in their r
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Tertullian, On the Resurrection of the Flesh Supporting witness
For since the Sadducees indeed denied the resurrection, while the Lord affirmed it;
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Tertullian, On the Resurrection of the Flesh Supporting witness
That belief, therefore, in the resurrection which he would not appear to impair, he really confirmed in the opinion of the Pharisees, since he rejected the views of the Sadducees, who denied it.
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Tertullian, On the Resurrection of the Flesh Supporting witness
Thus, then, you have the Lord affirming against the Jewish heretics what is now encountering the denial of the Christian Sadducees— the resurrection of the entire man.
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Tertullian, Against Marcion Supporting witness
...the very force of His voice, pronunciation, and expression understood no other meaning than the one related to the matter in question. So the scribes cried out, "Teacher, You have spoken well." Luke 20:39 For He had affirmed the resurrection by describing its form against the opinion of the Sadducees. And He did not reject the approval of those who had understood His answer in this sense. If, however, the scribes thought Christ was David's Son, while David himself calls Him Lord, Luke 20:41-44 what does that have to do with Christ? David did not directly refute an error of the scribes. Yet David did uphold the honor of Christ when he more clearly declared that He was his Lord than that He was his Son, a title hardly fitting for the destroyer of the Creator. But how consistent our interpretation of the question is. A little earlier, the blind man had called Him the Son of David. Luke 18:38 At that time, He made no comment about it, because the scribes were not present. But now He deliberately raises the point in front of them, and does so on His own initiative. Luke 20:41 He does this so that He may show that the One whom the blind man, following the teaching of the scribes, had
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Tatian, The Diatessaron Supporting witness
On that day the Sadducees came to him. They say there is no resurrection of the dead. They asked him, saying, “Teacher, Moses said to us, ‘If a man dies without children, his brother shall take his wife and raise up offspring for his brother.’ Now there were with us seven brothers. The first took a wife and died without children. The second took his wife and died without children. The third also took her. In the same way, all seven died without leaving children. Last of all, the woman also died. In the resurrection, then, which of the seven will have this woman? For all of them had her.” Jesus answered and said to them, “Is this not why you have gone astray, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God? The sons of this world take wives, and women are given in marriage. But those who are counted worthy of that world, and of the resurrection from among the dead, neither take wives nor are given in marriage. Nor can they die anymore, for they are like the angels and are children of God, since they have become children of the resurrection. But about the resurrection of the dead, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the bush, how God said to him,
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Methodius, From the Discourse on the Resurrection Supporting witness
Therefore, notice that these are exactly the things the Lord wanted to teach the Sadducees, who did not believe in the resurrection of the flesh. For this was the opinion of the Sadducees. That is why, after inventing the case about the woman and the seven brothers, so that they might cast doubt on the resurrection of the flesh, the Sadducees came to Him also, as it says in Matthew 22:23, who say that there is no resurrection. Now if there had been no resurrection of the flesh, and only the soul were saved, Christ would have agreed that their opinion was right and excellent. But instead, He answered and said, "In the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like the angels in heaven," Matthew 22:30, not because they have no flesh, but because they neither marry nor are given in marriage, and are from now on incorruptible. And He speaks of our being near the angels in this respect: just as the angels in heaven, so we also in paradise, no longer spend our time in marriage feasts or other celebrations, but in seeing God and cultivating life under the direction of Christ. For He did not say that they shall be angels, but like angels, being, for example, crowne
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Peter of Alexandria, The Genuine Acts of Peter Supporting witness
Therefore, notice that these are the very things the Lord wanted to teach the Sadducees, who did not believe in the resurrection of the flesh. For this was the opinion of the Sadducees. So, after they made up the case about the woman and the seven brothers in order to cast doubt on the resurrection of the flesh, the Sadducees came to Him, as it says in Matthew 22:23, who say that there is no resurrection. Then, if there had been no resurrection of the flesh, and only the soul were saved, Christ would have agreed that their opinion was right and excellent. But instead, He answered and said, "In the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like the angels in heaven," Matthew 22:23, not because they have no flesh, but because they do not marry or are given in marriage, and from now on are incorruptible. And He speaks of our being near the angels in this respect: just as the angels in heaven, so we also in paradise spend our time no longer in marriage feasts or other celebrations, but in seeing God and living life under the direction of Christ. For He did not say they shall be angels, but like angels, being, for example, crowned, as it is written, "with glory
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Peter of Alexandria, The Genuine Acts of Peter Supporting witness
XII. Wherefore observe that these are the very things which the Lord wished to teach to the Sadducees, who did not believe in the resurrection of the flesh.
More related quotations from this section 1 shown
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Methodius, From the Discourse on the Resurrection Supporting witness
XII. Wherefore observe that these are the very things which the Lord wished to teach to the Sadducees, who did not believe in the resurrection of the flesh.
Did early Christians think the resurrection was bodily or of the flesh?
Several writers explicitly say the Sadducees opposed the resurrection of the flesh, and they argue that Christ’s teaching supports a real bodily resurrection. The sources also connect this to the same body rising again, not a different or purely spiritual one.
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1 Corinthians 15:42 Direct teaching
So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable.
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1 Corinthians 15:35 Direct teaching
But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come?
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1 Corinthians 15:13 Direct teaching
But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised.
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1 Corinthians 15:12 Direct teaching
Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?
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John 5:29 Direct teaching
and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.
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1 Corinthians 15:21 Direct teaching
For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.
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Matthew 22:30 Supporting witness
For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven.
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Luke 20:36 Supporting witness
nor can they die anymore, for they are equal to the angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.
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Justin Martyr, On the Resurrection, Fragments Supporting witness
... if after all this, anyone still requires proof of the resurrection, they are no different from the Sadducees, since the resurrection of the flesh is the power of God, and, being beyond all reasoning, is established by faith and seen in action.
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Justin Martyr, On the Resurrection, Fragments Supporting witness
If, therefore, after all that has been said, any one demand demonstration of the resurrection, he is in no respect different from the Sadducees, since the resurrection of the flesh is the power of God, and, being above all reasoning, is established by faith, and seen in works.
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Justin Martyr, On the Resurrection, Fragments Supporting witness
The resurrection is a resurrection of the flesh which died.
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Justin Martyr, On the Resurrection, Fragments Supporting witness
Manifestly both. If the resurrection were only spiritual, it was requisite that He, in raising the dead, should show the body lying apart by itself, and the soul living apart by itself.
More related quotations from this section 12 shown
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Athenagoras, Connection to 1 Corinthians 15:42 Supporting witness
the resurrection of the flesh must be believed, since the same body which is dissolved will be raised... not another body, but the same one.
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Athenagoras, The Resurrection of the Dead Supporting witness
and, being again united with one another, they occupy the same place for the exact construction and formation of the same body, and for the resurrection and life of that which was dead, or even entirely dissolved.
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Athenagoras, The Resurrection of the Dead Supporting witness
And as this follows of necessity, there must by all means be a resurrection of the bodies which are dead, or even entirely dissolved, and the same men must be formed anew, since the law of nature ordains the end not absolutely, nor as the end of any men whatsoever, but of the same men who passed through the previous life;
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Athenagoras, The Resurrection of the Dead Supporting witness
For the resurrection is a species of change, and the last of all, and a change for the better of what still remains in existence at that time.
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Irenaeus, Connection to 1 Corinthians 15:42 Supporting witness
in the first [Epistle] to the Corinthians: "So also is the resurrection of the dead: it is sown in corruption, it rises in incorruption."
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Irenaeus, Against Heresies: Book V Supporting witness
... partake of the Spirit now, it is not surprising that they will receive life from the Spirit in the resurrection. The apostle talks about this resurrection in the Epistle to the Philippians: "Being conformed to His death, if somehow I may attain to the resurrection from the dead." In what other mortal flesh can life be shown if not in the same flesh that is put to death because of the confession of God? As he himself says, "If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus for human reasons, what benefit is it to me if the dead are not raised? If the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised. If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is in vain, and your faith is in vain. We are also false witnesses about God, because we've testified that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise if the dead are not raised. If the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised. But if Christ has not been raised, your faith is in vain, and you are still in your sins. Then those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are to be pitied more than all people. But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first-fruits of those who have fal
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Irenaeus, Against Heresies: Book V Supporting witness
... that He alone can extend both healing and life to His creation, so that His words about its future resurrection may also be believed—so at the end, when the Lord speaks with “the last trumpet,” the dead shall be raised, as He declares: “The hour will come in which all the dead in the tombs will hear the voice of the Son of man, and will come forth; those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.”
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Apostolic Constitutions, Apostolic Constitutions Supporting witness
... raise us up through our Lord Jesus Christ, according to His infallible promise. He will grant us a resurrection with all those who have slept from the beginning of the world. Then we shall be such as we now are in our present form, without any defect or corruption. For we shall rise incorruptible. Whether we die at sea, or are scattered on the earth, or are torn to pieces by wild beasts and birds, He will raise us by His own power. For the whole world is held together by the hand of God. Now He says, "A hair of your head shall not perish." Luke 21:18 Therefore He exhorts us, saying, "In your patience you possess your souls." Luke 21:19 But concerning the resurrection of the dead, and the recompense of reward for the martyrs, Gabriel speaks to Daniel: "And many of them that sleep shall arise out of the dust of the earth, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. And they that understand shall shine as the sun, and as the firmament, and as the stars." Daniel 12:2-3 Therefore the most holy Gabriel foretold that the saints should shine like the stars. For His sacred name did witness to them, that they might understand the truth. Nor is a resurrection dec
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Clement of Alexandria, The Instructor (Paedagogus) Supporting witness
... not comprehend him. There is nothing between light and darkness. But the end is reserved until the resurrection of those who believe. And it is not the receiving of some other thing, but the obtaining of the promise made before. For we do not say that both happen together at the same time, both the arrival at the end and the anticipation of that arrival. For eternity and time are not the same, neither are the attempt and the final result. But both have reference to the same thing, and one and the same person is concerned in both. Faith, so to speak, is the attempt produced in time. The final result is the attainment of the promise, secured for eternity. Now the Lord Himself has most clearly revealed the equality of salvation when He said, "For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son, and believes in Him, should have everlasting life; and I will raise him up in the last day." John 6:40 As far as possible in this world, which is what he means by the last day, and which is preserved until the time when it will end, we believe that we are made perfect. Therefore He says, "He that believes in the Son has everlasting life." John 3:36 If, then, those who have bel
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Cyprian, Treatises Supporting witness
but they who are counted worthy of that world, and of the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage: neither shall they die any more: for they are equal to the angels of God, being the children of the resurrection.
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Peter of Alexandria, The Genuine Acts of Peter Supporting witness
And the image of the heavenly is the resurrection from the dead and incorruption.
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Tertullian, On the Resurrection of the Flesh Supporting witness
The resurrection of the dead is the Christian's trust.
Common Questions
Did early Christians think the Sadducees denied the resurrection?
Yes. Writers like Hippolytus, Tertullian, and Irenaeus say the Sadducees denied the resurrection of the dead.
What Bible passage did early Christians use against the Sadducees?
They often used Luke 20, Mark 12, Matthew 22, Acts 23, and 1 Corinthians 15.
Did early Christians teach bodily resurrection?
Yes. Justin Martyr, Athenagoras, Tertullian, and others speak of the resurrection of the flesh or the body.
Source Index for the Sadducees and the Resurrection
The guided sections above show the strongest quotations. This compact index highlights 160 ranked source links from 192 compiled sources for deeper study.
Source index 160 ranked links shown
Early Christian Writings 80 shown of 107
Primary-source quotations from early Christian writers and church documents.
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Justin Martyr, Connection to Mark 12:25
Bible Passages 80 shown of 85
Related Bible passages saved for comparison with the early Christian quotations.