The Pharisees and Other Jewish Sects of The First Century (Part One)

Modern Christians sometimes regard the word Pharisee as an insult, because of Jesus' words. However, Jesus was just calling them what they were, and then called out their hypocritical behavior.

During the early life of Jesus, Jewish leaders were split into several groups. Some call these sects, others refer to them as political parties. They were more like schools of thought, or might even be comparable to what Christians call denominations today, but not quite. They varied on interpretation of scripture and priorities, although all were based on the Torah, or the five books of Moses. Who were they?

Pharisees

The Pharisees were a class of rabbis in Israel who focused on the law as the defining trait of Jewishness. They not only enforced the law of the Torah, but traditions that were added later that bound the people together. They controlled the synagogues and religious education (which included the entirety of the Old Testament), and were respected by most people as religious authorities. The Pharisees promoted good works and the keeping of the law over the idea of sacrifice. They drew Jesus' ire because they were more concerned with the perception of their own piety and authority above the actual well being of the people. The Pharisees no longer go by that name, but the order survived the destruction of the temple, and evolved into what we know as Rabbinic Judaism today. Several Pharisee were identified by name in the Bible.

Nicodemus was a Pharisee of high authority who came to speak to Jesus under cover of the night, and to whom Jesus explained the concept of eternal life though belief in Him. Later, he defended Jesus before the Sanhedrin. Nicodemus worked with Joseph of Arimathea to inter Jesus' body, bringing 75 pounds of burial spices.

Gamaliel was a renowned teacher and high authority in the Sanhedrin. The Bible first mentions Gamaliel in Acts 5, when he counsels the Sanhedrin to let the apostles go free after they were arrested for preaching against orders. He is also mentioned as the teacher of Saul of Tarsus.

Saul of Tarsus was a Pharisee. He was quite avid in persecuting and arresting the followers of Jesus before Jesus himself confronted him on the road to Damascus, after which he became Paul the Apostle in the most dramatic conversion in the Bible.

A Pharisee named Simon is mentioned in Luke 7: 36-50 as the host of a dinner in which a woman anointed Jesus' feet with ointment. But we don't know anything else about him.

Sadducees

The Sadducees were a class of holy men from aristocratic backgrounds who held to a different school of thought. They considered only the Torah, the five books of Moses, to be inspired by God. They did not believe in an afterlife or resurrection. Therefore, they sought their reward on earth. The Sadducees focused on the administration of the temple in Jerusalem, and kept power by cooperating with Roman authorities. They held the majority of seats in the Sanhedrin, but often had to acquiesce to the Pharisees because the people held the Pharisees in higher regard. The Sadducees were scattered after the destruction of the temple in 70 AD, and the order soon disappeared.

Caiaphas, the high priest of Israel who condemned Jesus, is not explicitly identified as a Sadducee in the Bible, but historical records indicate that he was. The family of Annas were known to be Sadducees. This would lend credence to Caiaphas' opposition to Jesus, since Sadducees did not believe in life after death and would also be less familiar with the Old Testament prophesies that foretold the coming Messiah.

Joseph of Arimathea is identified in the Bible as a member of the Sanhedrin, but he wasn't labeled as a Pharisee or Sadducee, or any other sect. He was the one who took charge of Jesus' body and donated his own tomb, fulfilling the prophesy in Isaiah 53: 9.

There were other sects during the time of Jesus, but this post is getting long. Those are the two big ones, and the other four main sects will be covered in part two.