Scribes,Pharisees, & Sadducees

Read the following to figure out who the scribes,pharisees, and sadducees
Scribes where, their purpose and what role they played in the life of Jesus his apostles

In the days of the Hebrews monarchy this was the title of a court official, a secretary of state (2 Sam. 8: 17; 2 Kgs. 12: 10; 2 Kgs. 18: 18). After the captivity we find the title given to Ezra (Ezra 7: 6, 21) and to others who acted as teachers of the law. Scribes are frequently mentioned in the N.T., being sometimes called lawyers. It was their business to develop the law in detail and apply it to the circumstances of their time; hence grew up the oral or traditional law side by side with the written law. Their method of teaching was catechetical. Their aim was to reproduce and teach others to reproduce accurately the words of the wise (hence the office is a symbol of fidelity in instruction, Matt. 13: 52). The scribes never taught on their own authority (contrast with this the Lord’s method, Matt. 7: 29).

Pharisees
A religious party among the Jews. The name denotes separatists. They prided themselves on their strict observance of the law, and on the care with which they avoided contact with things gentile. Their belief included the doctrine of immortality and resurrection of the body and the existence of angels and spirits. They upheld the authority of oral tradition as of equal value with the written law. The tendency of their teaching was to reduce religion to the observance of a multiplicity of ceremonial rules, and to encourage self-sufficiency and spiritual pride

Sadducees
A party or caste among the Jews. The name is probably derived from Zadok, the high priest in Solomon’s time. The party consisted of old high-priestly families who came to the front during the Maccabean war. They formed the Jewish aristocracy, and were powerful though quite small in numbers. In their treatment of religious questions they held to the letter of the Mosaic revelation and denied the authority of ancient tradition; they taught complete freedom of the will in moral action; they were opposed to the Pharisees as to the belief in angels and spirits; they refused also to accept the doctrine of immortality as a necessary part of the Jewish faith. It was through their influence that Greek culture spread in Israel. Their opposition to our Lord was the result of his action in cleansing the temple, which they regarded as an infringement of their rights. They opposed the work of the apostles because they preached the resurrection (Acts 4: 1-3; cf. Mark 12: 18-27; Acts 23: 7-8).