Matthew 22:29 - Printer Friendly

ESV: But Jesus answered them, "You are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God.

NIV: Jesus replied, "You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God.

NASB: But Jesus answered and said to them, 'You are mistaken, since you do not understand the Scriptures nor the power of God.

CSB: Jesus answered them, "You are mistaken, because you don’t know the Scriptures or the power of God.

NLT: Jesus replied, 'Your mistake is that you don’t know the Scriptures, and you don’t know the power of God.

KJV: Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God.

NKJV: Jesus answered and said to them, “You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God.

Jesus is not fooled by the supposed paradox offered by the Sadducees (Matthew 22:15–28). Instead, He shows that what they see as a contradiction is a misunderstanding. In fact, Jesus harshly criticizes their knowledge of both Scripture and God. His response will correct their mistake (Matthew 2230). It will also turn the tables on them, using the same texts they claim to revere to prove that the resurrection must be real (Matthew 22:31–32).

The Sadducees were inclined to ignore all religious writings except for the Pentateuch: the first five books of the Old Testament, also known as the Law of Moses. Since those books do not directly define the resurrection or afterlife, the Sadducees were able to hold to their conviction about the lack of resurrection. If they had received the writings of the prophets as the revelation of God, these religious leaders would have found many references to the resurrection (Isaiah 26:19; Daniel 12:2; Job 19:25–27).

Jesus also says the Sadducees did not know God's power. This was true in a broad sense: Sadducees were notably more secular than Pharisees and did not believe God was especially involved in daily life. It's to be expected they could not imagine a reality beyond the one they saw on a regular basis. If they had expanded their idea of just how powerful God can be, they might have been able to accept the idea of an unimaginably wonderful eternity for the people of God.

Matthew 22:23–33 contains another challenge for Jesus. This one comes from the Sadducees: a Jewish religious group that did not believe in an afterlife. Attempting to prove their view, they describe a hypothetical situation based on a requirement from the Law of Moses. A woman is married to seven brothers, one after another, as each dies and passes her on. Whose wife will she be in the resurrection? Jesus replies that the question is flawed: there is no marriage in the resurrection. He then references Scripture to show that the Lord is God of the living, including faithful patriarchs such as Abraham and Jacob. Parallel accounts are recorded in Mark 12:18–27 and Luke 20:27–40.

Continuing a dialogue with hostile religious leaders, Jesus tells a parable comparing the kingdom of heaven to a wedding feast which ends up being attended by those not initially invited. He answers trick questions about taxes, marriage, resurrection, and the Law of Moses. These responses are the source of common English idioms such as "render to Caesar…" and "many are called but few are chosen." Finally, Jesus asks how the Messiah can be both the son of David and the Lord of David. None can answer Him, so they stop challenging Him in public.

This chapter extends an exchange between Jesus and several groups of religious leaders in the temple. The previous chapter concluded with two parables about the failures of the religious leaders. This chapter begins with a third parable, about chosen guests who refuse to attend a wedding feast. Jesus then fields questions from several religious groups, who fail in their attempts to trip Him up. His wise and profound answers silence all of them. At this point, Jesus launches into a full-throated condemnation of the Pharisees in chapter 23.

The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows the influence of its writer's background, and his effort to reach a specific audience. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, a Jewish man, and a former tax collector. This profession would have required literacy, and Matthew may have transcribed some of Jesus' words as they were spoken. This book is filled with references to the Old Testament, demonstrating to Israel that Jesus is the Promised One. Matthew also includes many references to coins, likely due to his former profession. Matthew records extensive accounts of Jesus' teaching, more than the other three Gospels.