Luke 20 27

Luke 20:27 kjv

Then came to him certain of the Sadducees, which deny that there is any resurrection; and they asked him,

Luke 20:27 nkjv

Then some of the Sadducees, who deny that there is a resurrection, came to Him and asked Him,

Luke 20:27 niv

Some of the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Jesus with a question.

Luke 20:27 esv

There came to him some Sadducees, those who deny that there is a resurrection,

Luke 20:27 nlt

Then Jesus was approached by some Sadducees ? religious leaders who say there is no resurrection from the dead.

Luke 20 verses

Luke 20 27 Meaning

Luke 20:27 introduces a specific group, the Sadducees, who approach Jesus. This verse defines the Sadducees by their most distinguishing theological belief: their denial of a resurrection from the dead. Their purpose in coming to Jesus is to challenge Him with a question, which is presented in the following verses, centered on this very doctrine they dispute. The encounter is part of a series of attempts by various Jewish religious leaders to discredit Jesus in Jerusalem during Passion Week.

Luke 20 27 Context

Luke 20:27 is situated within a series of intense confrontations between Jesus and various Jewish religious and political factions in Jerusalem during the last days before His crucifixion, often referred to as Passion Week. Jesus is teaching daily in the Temple, and these encounters are strategic attempts to trap Him in His words, discredit His authority, or find grounds for accusation. Prior to this verse, Jesus has been challenged by the chief priests, scribes, and elders concerning His authority (Lk 20:1-8), has delivered the parable of the wicked vinedressers (Lk 20:9-18), and has brilliantly responded to a trap question by the scribes and chief priests about paying taxes to Caesar (Lk 20:19-26). The Sadducees now step forward, representing another influential group, distinct from the Pharisees, with their own specific theological point of contention with Jesus. Their challenge directly relates to their central doctrinal rejection of resurrection.

Luke 20 27 Word analysis

• Then (Καὶ / Kai): A coordinating conjunction, indicating a continuation or transition in the narrative. It signals the introduction of a new group and a new challenge following the previous one.
• some of the (τινὲς τῶν / tines tōn): Denotes a specific group or contingent from the larger body of Sadducees, suggesting a deliberate delegation rather than a random encounter.
• Sadducees (Σαδδουκαίων / Saddoukaion): A prominent Jewish religious and political sect during the Second Temple period. They were largely aristocratic, associated with the priesthood, and politically conservative. Unlike the Pharisees, they only accepted the written Torah (Pentateuch) as divinely authoritative and rejected many interpretations, oral traditions, and later writings concerning topics such as angels, spirits, and, most notably, the resurrection of the dead. Their power waned significantly after the destruction of the Temple in A.D. 70.
• who deny (οἱ ἀντιλέγοντες / hoi antilegontes): Literally "the ones who speak against," "dispute," or "contradict." This active participle emphasizes their active and explicit theological stance in opposition to the belief in resurrection. It defines their identity precisely in relation to this particular doctrine.
• that there is a resurrection (ἀνάστασιν μὴ εἶναι / anastasin mē einai):
  • resurrection (ἀνάστασιν / anastasin): From anistēmi (ἀνίστημι), meaning "to stand up again," "to rise up." It refers specifically to the concept of the dead being physically raised to life. This was a core tenet of Pharisaic Judaism and an established hope within Jewish apocalyptic literature.
  • deny... not to be (mē einai): The construction emphasizes their firm belief that a resurrection does not exist. Their denial was a fundamental rejection of a significant eschatological hope held by many Jews.
• came to Him (προσῆλθον αὐτῷ / prosēlthon autō): "Approached Him" or "came near to Him." This indicates a purposeful action, a deliberate decision to engage Jesus, suggesting a prepared challenge rather than a casual interaction.
• and asked Him (καὶ ἐπηρώτησαν αὐτόν / kai epērōtēsan auton): "And they inquired of Him" or "put a question to Him." While literally asking, in context, this was not a sincere inquiry for truth, but rather an attempt to test, trap, or expose Jesus by presenting a perceived logical impossibility inherent in the resurrection.

Words-group analysis

• "Then some of the Sadducees, who deny that there is a resurrection": This entire opening clause masterfully sets the stage for the upcoming discourse. It immediately identifies the antagonists (Sadducees), quantifies their presence ("some"), and crucially defines them by their most polemical theological position (denial of resurrection). This immediately informs the reader about the nature of the ensuing conflict – a direct confrontation over a fundamental article of faith and divine truth. The specific nature of their denial of resurrection is key, as it explains their unique approach and the context of the question they are about to pose. They accepted only the Pentateuch as fully authoritative scripture, from which they found no explicit declaration of physical resurrection, thus leading them to reject it and anything connected to an afterlife or spiritual beings.
• "came to Him and asked Him": This phrase details the Sadducees' direct action towards Jesus. Their approach indicates intent and purpose. It was not an accidental encounter but a deliberate challenge, positioning themselves against Jesus, just as the chief priests and scribes, and later the Herodians and Pharisees, had done. The "asking" here is probing and challenging, rather than seeking understanding.

Luke 20 27 Bonus section

The Sadducees' rejection of the resurrection was intimately tied to their theological method: they adhered strictly to the Pentateuch (the first five books of Moses) as the sole, ultimate, and binding source of divine law. They found no explicit command or declaration of resurrection within these books, thus rejecting the concept, as well as the oral law (tradition) and the prophetic writings where such ideas were more clearly expressed or developed (e.g., Dan 12:2; Isa 26:19). Their focus was on this life and fulfilling the Mosaic law for earthly prosperity. Their denial of the afterlife meant they also rejected the idea of rewards or punishments beyond this life, angels, and spirits (Acts 23:8), which also placed them in direct theological conflict with the Pharisees. This strict interpretational framework, devoid of future hope beyond this earthly existence, fundamentally distinguished them and shaped their questions to Jesus.

Luke 20 27 Commentary

Luke 20:27 serves as the prelude to one of Jesus' most profound teachings on the resurrection. By introducing the Sadducees specifically by their theological distinctive—their outright denial of the resurrection—Luke immediately highlights the fundamental doctrinal conflict at stake. Their worldview was purely earthly and material, rejecting the supernatural elements that lay beyond their narrow interpretation of the Torah, including a future life, angels, or spirits. Their impending question, concerning a woman married seven times, aims to ridicule the concept of resurrection by presenting a social absurdity from their literalistic viewpoint. This verse emphasizes the Sadducees' specific opposition and sets the stage for Jesus to demonstrate the reality of the resurrection not merely as a logical or social continuation of earthly life, but as a new and transformed state, rooted in God's power and character, and implicitly, in the fuller revelation of Scripture beyond the Pentateuch.