Sadducees

This Jewish group was influential at the time of Jesus. Many of the Jewish priests were Sadducees. The Sadducees were often grouped with the Pharisees as hypocrites (Matthew 3:7; 16:1-4; 22:23). The Sadducees seemed to be more influenced by Greek culture than God’s word. They denied the doctrine of the resurrection and the existence of angels (Mark 12:18-27). 

There were many Sadducees among the “elders” of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish ruling council (Acts 23:6). They showed their hatred of Jesus in taking part in his condemnation (Matt. 16:21; 26:1-3, 59; Mark 8:31; 15:1; Luke 9:22; 22:66). They tried to prohibit the apostles from preaching the resurrection of Christ (Acts 2:24, 31, 32; 4:1, 2; 5:17, 24-28) (quoted or adapted from the public domain Easton’s Bible Dictionary).