Mark 12 18

Mark 12:18 kjv

Then come unto him the Sadducees, which say there is no resurrection; and they asked him, saying,

Mark 12:18 nkjv

Then some Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Him; and they asked Him, saying:

Mark 12:18 niv

Then the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him with a question.

Mark 12:18 esv

And Sadducees came to him, who say that there is no resurrection. And they asked him a question, saying,

Mark 12:18 nlt

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

Mark 12 verses

Mark 12 18 Meaning

Mark 12:18 introduces the Sadducees, a distinct Jewish religious party, who approached Jesus in the temple courts. The verse specifically identifies them by their central theological belief: their denial of the resurrection from the dead. They came with a specific intent to question Jesus, setting the stage for a critical theological debate regarding the afterlife.

Mark 12 18 Context

Mark 12:18 occurs within a critical series of confrontations between Jesus and various Jewish religious and political factions in the temple area of Jerusalem, just days before His crucifixion. Following challenges to His authority (11:27-33) and His parable of the wicked vinedressers that condemned the religious leaders (12:1-12), and an attempt to trap Him over paying taxes to Caesar (12:13-17), the Sadducees now step forward. This engagement is part of Mark's larger narrative presenting Jesus' sovereign authority and wisdom against those who reject Him, setting the stage for His ultimate sacrifice. The Sadducees' question is not born of a sincere desire for understanding, but as an intellectual trap to discredit Jesus by exposing what they perceive as the absurdity of resurrection doctrine, particularly as it relates to marriage in the afterlife.

Mark 12 18 Word analysis

• Then (καὶ, kai): Functions as a connective, indicating this event follows directly after the previous challenge from the Pharisees and Herodians, suggesting a relentless stream of opposition against Jesus.
• Sadducees (Σαδδουκαῖοι, Saddukaioi): An influential, aristocratic Jewish sect, primarily priests, closely tied to the temple. Unlike the Pharisees, they rejected the oral tradition and believed only in the written Law of Moses (Pentateuch) as fully authoritative. Their name might derive from Zadok, a high priest during King David's reign.
• who say there is no resurrection (λέγοντες ἀνάστασιν μὴ εἶναι, legontes anastasin mē einai): This is the core defining characteristic of the Sadducees, distinguishing them from the Pharisees who did believe in resurrection, angels, and spirits (Acts 23:8). Their rejection of the resurrection meant they denied future life, judgment, or heavenly rewards/punishments, adhering instead to the blessings/curses primarily in this life as outlined in the Law.
  • resurrection (ἀνάστασις, anastasis): Literally "a standing up again" or "a raising up." It signifies the act of being raised from the dead and brought back to life, whether for physical resurrection in this world or eternal life. This concept was central to Jesus' teachings and Christian belief.
• came to Him (προσπορεύονται αὐτῷ, prosporeuontai autō): This active verb signifies a deliberate and intentional approach. They were not casually encountering Jesus but formally engaging Him with their specific agenda, likely seeking to expose His teaching as flawed or contradictory.
• and they asked Him, saying (καὶ ἐπηρώτησαν αὐτὸν λέγοντες, kai epērōtēsan auton legontes): This common phrase introduces their question. It highlights that the subsequent discourse is initiated by them, framed as a query, but with an underlying challenging or entrapping purpose, not an honest search for truth.

Mark 12 18 Bonus section

The Sadducees' theological worldview was profoundly shaped by their skepticism towards concepts not explicitly detailed in the Torah (the first five books of the Old Testament), which they alone accepted as binding scripture for matters of eternal consequence. This often led them to rationalistic conclusions that limited divine intervention and discounted future spiritual realities. Their denial of the resurrection also aligned with their social standing; as an elite, politically powerful group, they benefited from the current system and may have had less vested interest in a radical overhaul or future accountability implied by the resurrection. This confrontation highlights how deeply ingrained biases can blind individuals to divine truth, even when it is present within the Scriptures they profess to follow.

Mark 12 18 Commentary

Mark 12:18 serves as a concise introduction to one of the most significant theological debates Jesus faced. By immediately identifying the Sadducees and their denial of the resurrection, the passage sets the context for their subsequent question, which is not an earnest inquiry but a clever attempt to highlight the perceived absurdity of resurrection using a convoluted levirate marriage scenario. This verse effectively contrasts their narrow, humanistic interpretation of scripture, which restricted divine action primarily to the present world and explicitly rejected future bodily resurrection, with Jesus's comprehensive understanding rooted in the power of God and the spirit of all Scripture. It underscores the Sadducees' spiritual blindness to a foundational truth and Jesus' readiness to address even the most intellectually stubborn theological errors.