Jewish Sects During New Testament Times
There were three main Jewish sects; the Pharisees, the Sadducees, and the Essense. Although their beliefs were sometimes different, “all Jewish sects professed devotion to the law, but their practice of obedience to the law varied from mere opportunism to punctilious performance.” (1)
The Pharisees, who were mainly in control of the Temple and seemed to be on best terms with the Romans, accepted all the Old Testament canon but paid strong attention to the oral law and traditions, following them strictly. They seemed to have become legalistic in their following of the law. They were also supernaturalists, who believed in angels, spirits, and the bodily resurrection. (2) Josephus described the Pharisees as maintaining a simple lifestyle. He also says, “they were affectionate and harmonious in their dealing with others, especially respectful to their elders, and quite influential throughout the land of Israel.” (3)
Christians today agree with the Pharisees on their beliefs in the bodily resurrection and angels. Christians hold firmly that Jesus was resurrected from the dead, not in spirit form but in bodily form. They also believe that angels visited Mary and the other women at the tomb to tell them that Jesus was not there but had risen. Although we can hold this belief with them, we do not hold their legalistic view of the Law. We believe we are saved by grace, not by the works of the Law.
Another important Jewish sect was the Sadducees. The Sadducees “were wealthy political opportunists who joined readily with any group who could assist them in retaining power and influence.” (4) Josephus describes the Sadducees as argumentative, boorish, and rude both to each other and to aliens. (5) They viewed that the Torah held a higher authority than the Prophets and the Writings. (6) It is also thought that the Sadducees rejected the oral traditions and only held to the written law. (7) Unlike the Pharisees, the Sadducees were not supernaturalists, they did not believe in spirits, angels, or the bodily resurrection. They also differed from the Pharisees on rituals, ceremonies, and judicial matters. (8)
Although there are many things to disagree with the Sadducees, such as the resurrection and how they treated people, there is not much to agree with except for their monotheistic belief.
The last of the three major Jewish sects is the Essenes. The Essenes lived out in the desert to get away from other outside influences. It is thought that the Essenes broke off from the Pharisees because of their disgust over the political aims of the Hasmonean rulers. (9) The Essenes stressed the importance of observing and following the Law. One of the things that set them apart is that they refused to participate in the practice of sacrifices because they viewed the priesthood as corrupt. They did not practice marriage and grew only by receiving converts. (10) The Essenes shared all their land and property with one another and collectively rejected war except for possible self-defense. (11) Many scholars attribute the writing of the Dead Sea Scrolls, which were found in Qumran, to the Essenes.
Bibliography
1. Thomas D. Lea and David Alan Black, The New Testament Its Background and Message, (Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing Group, 2003), 57.
2. Ibid, 58
3. J. Julius Scott Kr., Jewish Backgrounds of the New Testament, (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 1995), 203.
4. Lea, 58
5. Scott, 207
6. Lea, 58
7. Scott, 176
8. Ibid.
9. Lea, 58
