And Jesus answering said unto them, Do ye not therefore err, because ye know not the scriptures, neither the power of God? (Οὐ διὰ τοῦτο πλανᾶσθε μὴ εἰδότες τὰς γραφὰς μηδὲ τὴν δύναμιν τοῦ θεοῦ;). Jesus' response is devastating: planasthe (πλανᾶσθε, "you are wandering/erring") indicates they're fundamentally lost, not merely mistaken in details. Their error has two sources: ignorance of tas graphas (τὰς γραφὰς, "the Scriptures") and ignorance of tēn dynamin tou theou (τὴν δύναμιν τοῦ θεοῦ, "the power of God").
These twin ignorances remain the source of theological error today: not knowing what Scripture actually teaches, and not believing God's power to accomplish what seems impossible to human reason. The Sadducees knew Scripture's words but missed its teaching; they acknowledged God's past creative power but denied His future resurrection power. Jesus will demonstrate (vv. 26-27) that the Scriptures they claim to honor actually teach resurrection.
Historical Context
This rebuke was shocking: Jesus told the theological experts—priests, scholars of Torah—that they didn't know Scripture or God's power. The Sadducees prided themselves on biblical fidelity (accepting only Torah, rejecting later traditions). Yet Jesus exposed their fundamental misunderstanding. Their error illustrates that religious expertise, institutional authority, and claims of biblical fidelity don't guarantee sound theology. The early church faced similar errors: Corinthian denial of resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:12), Hymenaeus and Philetus teaching resurrection already occurred (2 Timothy 2:17-18), and later Gnostic rejection of bodily resurrection. Each error stemmed from either misreading Scripture or denying God's power to transform material reality.
Questions for Reflection
How does ignorance of Scripture combined with disbelief in God's power continue to produce theological errors today?
What does Jesus' rebuke of the theological experts teach about the possibility of religious knowledge coexisting with fundamental spiritual blindness?
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Analysis & Commentary
And Jesus answering said unto them, Do ye not therefore err, because ye know not the scriptures, neither the power of God? (Οὐ διὰ τοῦτο πλανᾶσθε μὴ εἰδότες τὰς γραφὰς μηδὲ τὴν δύναμιν τοῦ θεοῦ;). Jesus' response is devastating: planasthe (πλανᾶσθε, "you are wandering/erring") indicates they're fundamentally lost, not merely mistaken in details. Their error has two sources: ignorance of tas graphas (τὰς γραφὰς, "the Scriptures") and ignorance of tēn dynamin tou theou (τὴν δύναμιν τοῦ θεοῦ, "the power of God").
These twin ignorances remain the source of theological error today: not knowing what Scripture actually teaches, and not believing God's power to accomplish what seems impossible to human reason. The Sadducees knew Scripture's words but missed its teaching; they acknowledged God's past creative power but denied His future resurrection power. Jesus will demonstrate (vv. 26-27) that the Scriptures they claim to honor actually teach resurrection.