Metaphysical meaning of Sadducees (mbd)
Sadducees, sad'-du-çees (Gk. fr. Heb.) --just; righteous; upright; good; vindicated; justified.
A sect of Jews, at the time of Jesus and His disciples (Matt. 22:23). This sect was composed of descendants of Zadok (II Sam. 15:24) and their adherents, and was mentioned as "the sons of Zadok" in Ezekiel 40:46. They were the rationalists of their day, adhering to the Old Testament law only in matters of morals. They did not believe in the resurrection or in the immortality of the soul.
Meta. The Sadducees and the Pharisees represent the religious concepts of the intellect. The Sadducees were a religious sect of Jews with strong materialistic beliefs, and the Pharisees were formalists, without spiritual understanding. The fact is that the intellect cannot comprehend absolute Truth. Its religious beliefs are all built up from conclusions based on relative conditions, and are therefore of time and place.
The self-sufficiency of the religionist --the Pharisee; the self-sufficiency of the agnostic--the Sadducee, the Sadducees and Pharisees, mentioned in Matt. 22:34-46--these represent one's preconceived religious ideas. (See PHARISEES.)
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Following Entry: Sadoc
