Matthew 22:23-33

The Question of the Resurrection Life (Mark 12:18 *, Luke 20:27). Mt.'s changes are mostly in the direction of simplicity. As regards the question of the Sadducees, while Leviticus 18:16; Leviticus 20:21 forbid marriage with a dead brother's wife, Deuteronomy 25:5 enjoins it in certain circumstances. The answer of Jesus (Matthew 22:29 ff.) to their attempt to argue against resurrection by an imaginary complication of this kind is twofold. First, they were deficient in knowledge, or they would have recognised that their Scriptures at least implicitly taught the doctrine; secondly, they were deficient in faith the Divine power could solve all such problems. Rabbinical writings show that there was considerable difference of opinion among the Jews of Christ's day as to the scope of the Resurrection; the belief itself had become general (except for Sadducees and Samaritans) since the second century B.C., and was largely due to Persian influence. With Jesus-' argument from Exodus 3:6 cf. the Rabbinic tract Sank. 90 b, where R. Jochanan deduces the perpetual life, and so the resurrection of Aaron, from Numbers 18:28. The comparison of the risen life with angelic existence goes against the idea of reanimated bodies, and is in line with Paul's teaching (1 Corinthians 15, 2 Corinthians 5) of a spiritual body.