Luke

20:27-40

Culmination of Messiah's mission, 19:45-24:53

1. The Messiah and the Temple, 19:45-21:38

iii] The dead are raised

The Sadducees - conservative Jews who accept only the first five books of the Bible and hold that the idea of resurrection is a human innovation - try to trap Jesus with one of their favorite debating points. If a woman is married seven times, who is her husband in eternity? Jesus demolishes their proposition, pointing out that in eternity a person is free from death and the need to procreate, and therefore marriage is irrelevant. He goes on to argue for life after death from Exodus 3:6, accepted as scripture by the Sadducees.

Messianic authority resides with Jesus; he is well able to handle theological matters such as life after death.

i] Context: See 19:45-20:18. Jesus' debate with the Sadducees on the subject of The Resurrection of the Dead is the third episode of Jesus' temple ministry in Jerusalem, 19:45-21:38. This series of episodes recounts Jesus' debates with the religious authorities, all of which serve to enhance Jesus' qualifications as Israel's messiah, while exposing the blind state of religious Israel (such debates were common in the Hellenistic world, and served to enhance the claims of one philosophical school over another). The unwillingness of the authorities to give due recognition to Jesus' superior authority, confirms the inevitability of divine judgment upon them. Having revealed Jesus' divine authority and his wisdom with respect to the legal status of secular and divine authority, Jesus goes on to addresses the Sadducees' denial of the resurrection of the dead.

ii] Structure: The Resurrection of the Dead:

iii] Interpretation:

iv] Synoptics:

v] Exposition: A simple exposition of this passage may be found in the linked pew-level Sermon Notes.

The resurrection of the dead - a pronouncement / controversy story, v27-40: i] Setting, v27. The Sadducees join in plying Jesus with tricky questions.

de "-" - but/and. Transitional, indicating a step in the narrative,

Saddoukaiwn (oV) gen. "of the Sadducees" - [some] of the sadducees. The genitive is adjectival, partitive.

oiJ legonteV (legw) pres. part. "who say" - the ones saying. The participle is adjectival, attributive, limiting by description the Sadducees, "the Sadducees who deny the resurrection." In some texts the verb has a negative prefix, possibly dropped due to the following negation = a double negative = "definitely no resurrection", ref., Metzger. "Those who argue there is no resurrection", NJB.

mh einai "there is no" - [the resurrection] is not to be. The negated infinitive of the verb to-be serves to introduce a dependent statement, indirect speech, stating what the Sadducees say, namely that "the resurrection does not exist."

proselqonteV (prosercomai) aor. part. "came" - having come, approached [they questioned him]. Attendant circumstance participle expressing action accompanying the verb "to ask"; "came and asked him", TNT. Possibly adverbial, temporal, "when/then the Sadducees came [to him]."

ii] A tricky question put to Jesus by the Sadducees regarding the resurrection, v28-33. The Sadducees had a number of tricky arguments which they used against those who believed in the resurrection of the dead. One such example was: will the resurrected require ritual cleansing since they are in contact with a dead body, namely, their own? The Pharisees were constantly frustrated by these arguments. In this passage we see the Sadducees trying out one of their tricky arguments on Jesus; the "whose wife will she be?" argument.

legonteV (legw) pres. part. "they said" - saying. Best treated as an attendant circumstance participle, "they asked him a question (v27), and said", but possibly adverbial, modal, expressing the manner of their asking, "they questioned him, saying", even instrumental, expressing means, "by saying", so Culy; see legwn, 4:35.

hJmin dat. "for us" - [teacher, moses wrote] to us. Dative of direct object / interest, advantage, "for us" = "for our advantage." "Moses prescribed a regulation for us", Barclay.

ean + subj. "that if" - if [someone's brother dies]. Introducing a conditional clause, 3rd class, where the condition has the possibility of coming true; "if, as may be the case, ..... then....." The protasis is duplicated using h\/, the subjunctive of the verb to-be; "and if this one is childless." The apodosis is the hina clause. The quoted scripture is drawn from Deut.25:5, and Gen.38:8. "If a man dies and has no children, his brother should marry his widow", CEV.

ecwn (ecw) pres. part. "leaves [a wife]" - having [a wife]. The participle is adjectival, attributive, limiting "brother", "someone's brother, who has a wife, dies." "If a man's married brother dies", Moffatt.

ateknoV adj. "but no children" - [and this one is] childless. Predicate adjective; "having a wife and [yet] this one is childless" = "if a man's married brother dies, and dies childless", Barclay.

iJna + subj. "" - that. Introducing an object clause / dependent statement of indirect speech (entreating, instructing), expressing what Moses "wrote = commanded"; "Moses wrote ....... that the brother of him ..." Used here instead of an infinitive, so Zerwick.

oJ adelfoV "the man" - the brother [of him may = should take the wife]. Nominative subject of the verb "to take." This second reference to the brother is a bit confusing so is often translated "he", or "the man" as NIV., but it can be translated "brother"; "if a man's married brother dies and is childless, his brother is to take the woman and raise the offspring of his brother", Moffatt.

tw/ adelfw/ (oV) dat. "for [his] brother" - [and may = should raise up offspring, seed] to the brother [of him]. Dative of interest, advantage. "Provide an heir for his brother", REB.

oun "now" - therefore. Inferential, drawing a logical conclusion. Having quoted Moses, the Sadducees draw out an implication. "Well then", Barclay.

labwn (lambanw) aor. part. "[the first one] married]" - [there were seven brothers and the first] having taken, received [a woman (married)]. The participle is probably best treated as adverbial, temporal, "the first/eldest [brother], after taking a wife/woman, died."

ateknoV adj. "childless" - [died] childless. Most translations treat this adjective as if an adverb modifying the verb "died", although technically it is attributive, limiting "the first one"; "the first childless one who married died."

oJ deuteroV "the second" - [and] the second. Serves as the subject, along with "the third", of the verb "took (married)", although the verb should properly be plural.

wJsautwV adv. "in the same way" - [and the third took her but/and] in like manner [and = also the seven did not leave behind a child and they died]. Modal adverb expressing similarity; "The same thing happened to the third one."

uJsteron adv. "finally" - [and] afterwards, last, later, finally [the woman died]. Temporal adverb.

The point of the argument is, "granted your belief in resurrection, does not the given scenario produce for you a knot that cannot be untangled?", Nolland.

oun "now then" - therefore. Inferential, drawing a logical conclusion, but at the same time, marking the transition to the Sadducees' question proper.

hJ gunh "-" - the woman, wife. This may be treated as a nominative pendens, emphatic by position, identifying that "the wife" is the focus of the question; "So then, concerning this woman, ...", cf., Nolland. Culy reads it as the subject of the verb ginetai; "therefore, of which of them does the woman become the wife ..."

en + dat. "at [the resurrection]" - in, on [the resurrection]. Possibly adverbial, reference / respect, "in relation to / with respect to", but more likely temporal, "at the time of ....."

tinoV autwn gen. "whose [wife]" - of which of them. Both genitive pronouns are adjectival, tinoV, "of which", is relational, and autwn, "of them" is partitive.

ginetai (ginomai) pres. "will she be" - she becomes [wife]? The present tense is best read as futuristic, as NIV.

gar "since" - because. Introducing a causal clause explaining why there is a problem concerning whose wife she is; "because ..."

oiJ ... eJpta "the seven" - seven [had her]. Adjective used as a substantive. "All seven men had her as their wife."

gunaika acc. "[were married] to her" - as a wife. Accusative complement of the direct object authn, "her", forming a double accusative construction and stating a fact about the object; "the seven had her [as] a wife", or simply, "she was married to all seven of them", Rieu.

iii] Jesus provides some insights into the nature of those raised from the dead, v34-36. "Marriage is a major preoccupation here, but not there", Peterson. Possibly even stronger if we follow the Western text; the people of this world "are begotten and begat", ie., "the sons of this age find the ground and continuity of their existence in procreation", Ellis, but not so in heaven. In heaven, those who share in the resurrection of the dead find meaning and fulfillment in fellowship with Christ. So, there is no marriage in heaven. Jesus also implies that the Sadducees' denial of the resurrection undermines the whole notion of divine reward - "those who are considered worthy" share in the resurrection and gain a place in the age to come.

autoiV dat. pro. "" - [and jesus said] to them. Dative of indirect object.

tou aiwnoV (wn wnoV) gen. "of [this] age" - [the sons, children] of [this] age [marry and are given in marriage]. The genitive is adjectival, possessive, "the children who belong to this age" = "People in this world", Phillips. The use of the present tense for the verb "to marry" is probably gnomic.

oiJ kataxiwqenteV aor. pas. part. "those who are considered worthy" - [but/and] the ones having been considered, judged worthy. The participle serves as a substantive, nominative subject of the "to marry." Probably "judged righteous", in which case, divine reward would properly apply, and such reward would logically entail resurrection. Not all participate in "the age to come", "only those who are judged worthy", NJB.

tucein (tugcanw) aor. inf. "of taking part in" - to obtain, attain, experience. The infinitive is epexegetic explaining what they are considered worthy of; "the ones considered worthy that they should obtain / attain / experience ...." = "worthy of sharing the age to come and the resurrection of the dead."

tou aiwnoV ekeinou "that age / the age to come" - that age, eternity [and the resurrection]. "That age" = "that future, coming age." This genitive, as with thV anastasewV, "the resurrection", is a genitive of direct object after the infinitive tucein; "to obtain that future age, and the resurrection from the dead."

thV gen. "-" - the. Here the article serves as an adjectivizer turning the prepositional phrase "from the dead" into an attributive modifier limiting the genitive noun "resurrection", genitive in agreement with resurrection; a "resurrection which is of the dead."

ek + gen. "from [the dead]" - of, out of, from [dead]. Probably expressing source / origin, as NIV, but possibly standing in for a partitive genitive, identifying the whole, "the dead", of which "the resurrection" is part, "the resurrection of some of the dead"; "some from the dead are raised", Plummer.

oute .... oute "neither .... nor" - neither [marry] nor [are given in marriage]. A negated coordinate construction. It's not that there are no relationships in heaven, rather there is no need to retain an institution which functions for the purpose of continuing the family line through procreation, given that those who share in the resurrection will never die. This logic implies that procreation is the only purpose of marriage; remove procreation and we remove the need for marriage. Of course, there is more to marriage than procreation; it is the deepest expression of human intimacy, compassion, love.... Presumably the relationship bond continues in heaven, but it is no longer exclusive, given that it is not sexual.

gar "-" - because. Introducing a causal clause explaining why there is no need to maintain the institution of marriage in heaven "because" those who share in the resurrection do not die and therefore do not need to breed to secure the family's posterity.

apoqanein (apoqnhskw) aor. inf. "die" - [they are neither = not able any longer] to die. The infinitive is complementary, completing the sense of the negated verb "not able"; "it is no longer possible for them to die", TNT.

gar "for" - because. Introducing a causal clause explaining why it is no longer possible for them to die. They don't marry because they don't die, and they don't die "because" they are like angels / sons of God, and they are like angels / sons of God, because they are children of the resurrection.

isaggeloi (oV) adj. "like the angels" - [they are] angel-like. Predicate adjective. Possibly "equal to angels", but better, "like angels." Hapax legomenon, once only use in the NT. Note the possible sense: "the resurrected ones don't marry because they are like angels", but better, "they don't die because they are like angels." Angel-like in the sense that like the angels, those who share in the resurrection will not die, so Danker, Bock. Nolland disagrees, "the comparison should not be seen in terms of intrinsic immortality, but rather in connection with a certain kind of glory and dignity." "Nor can they die any more, for they are like angels", Barclay.

qeou (oV) gen. "God's [children]" - [and they are sons] of god. The genitive is adjectival, relational. "Sons of the Most High", Lk.6:35. Best as NIV. = members of the kingdom of God united to God, one with God in the Son of God. "All ecstasies and intimacies will then be with God", Peterson.

onteV (eimi) pres. part. "since" - being. The participle of the verb to-be is adverbial, causal, "since / because ......"

thV anastasewV (iV ewV) gen. "of the resurrection" - [sons] of the resurrection. The genitive is adjectival, attributive, limiting "sons"; "resurrection children" = "they share in the resurrection."

iv] A rebuttal argument against the Sadducees proposition that the dead do not rise to life, v37-38. Having exposed the weakness of the Sadducees' argument on the basis that the ground-rules on earth are not the same as the ground-rules in heaven, Jesus presents a tricky argument in return, one based on scripture, which evidences that the righteous dead are raised. The books of Moses (the Law, the Pentateuch) serve as the highest authority for the Sadducees. Using this recognized source, Jesus makes the point that if God is the God of the patriarchs then obviously the "dead rise", for he is not God of the patriarch's remains, but the God of living persons.

de "but" - but/and. Transitional, indicating a step in the argument; "That the dead are in fact raised ....", Barclay

epi + gen. "in the account" - upon = at [the bush]. Spatial. With the genitive, this preposition tends to be "punctiliar", Moule, so here it's making the point that it's "at" that point in the Bible which speaks about the burning bush. "In the portion of scripture known as 'the bush'", Plummer. "Moses indicated in the passage concerning the thorn-bush", TH.

kai "even" - and = even [moses revealed, made known, showed]. Ascensive, as NIV. Proof-texting the resurrection would be better supported by Job 19:26, Ps.16:9-11, Isa.26:19, Dan.12:2, ....., but Jesus confines himself to the Pentateuch, the scriptures regarded authoritative by the Sadducees.

oJti "that" - that. Here introducing an object clause fronted for emphasis in the Gk. / dependent statement, indirect speech, expressing the text concerning the burning bush revealed, namely, "that the dead are in fact raised", Barclay.

egeirontai (egeirw) pres. pas. "rise" - [the dead] are being raised. Theological passive, God does the raising; "are raised [by God]", Williams. Probably a futuristic present, "will rise", NAB.

wJV "for" - as, while. The conjunction here is adverbial, temporal; "when he calls the Lord", Moffatt.

legei (legw) pres. "he calls" - he says. Durative present tense. The point being that God still speaks through Moses / the scriptures to the Patriarchs. Possibly even setting up a quote from the scriptures, "it says", Ellis, or "he says", Bock, cf., Nolland. "When he speaks", Fitzmyer.

ton qeon (oV) acc. "[the Lord] the God" - [lord] the god. Accusative complement of the direct object "Lord", forming a double accusative construction and stating a fact about the object. Unlike Matthew, Luke has not chosen to use the LXX version "I am the God of Abraham ....." expressing the Lord's "being the God of", rather than "having been the God of." As noted above, Luke may be giving us a quote, as both Matthew and Mark do, see above. If a quote, it serves, not as a direct quote, but as a cue to the actual text, Ex.3:2-6. "When he speaks of (about/concerning) the Lord as the God of Abraham ..... Jacob", Fitzmyer.

Abraam "of Abraham" - of abraham [and god of isaac and god of jacob]. Read as an adjectival genitive, idiomatic / subordination; "the God over Abraham, .....".

Jesus now supplies the reason why the righteous dead are raised; "God relates to the living and not the dead", Bock.

nekrwn gen. adj. "of the dead" - [but/and, god is not God] of dead men. The adjective serves as a substantive, genitive of subordination / adjectival; "God over the dead."

alla "but" - but. Strong adversative standing in a counterpoint construction; "not ....., but ...."

zwntwn (zaw) gen. pres. part. "of the living" - of the ones living. The participle serves as a substantive, genitive of subordination; "over the living."

gar "for" - because. Introducing a causal clause explaining why God is not the God of the dead.

autw/ dat. "to him" - to him. The dative is adverbial, either of reference / respect, "for with respect to him [God]", or an ethical dative, "before him"; "for as far as God is concerned", Marshall.

panteV "all" - all. Which "all", all people both dead and alive, or all those living, or all who are eternally alive / share in the resurrection?

zwsin (zaw) pres. "are alive" - are alive. As far as humanity is concerned, the dead are dead, but as far as God is concerned they are alive. In what sense alive? Ellis suggests either prospectively, "in the prospect of a sure resurrection", so "all those who are worthy will live", or "all live in God / in Christ", such that "what the Christian now shares corporately in Christ will be fulfilled individually at the parousia." Ellis is possibly stretching the sense here, so we may be best to go with Stein who says simply "the patriarchs live because of their association with the God of life", cf., also Fitzmyer. The sample sermon takes the Pauline "alive in Christ" line.

v] Response of the scribes and others, v39-40. Jesus' philosophical superiority leaves his opponents with little to say.

twn grammatewn (euV ewV) gen. "of the teachers" - [having answered, some] of the scribes [said]. The genitive is adjectival, partitive.

apokriqenteV (apokrinomai) aor. pas. part. "responded" - having answered [...... said]. Attendant circumstance participle expressing action accompanying the verb "to say", semi-redundant, introducing direct speech, as NIV.

kalwV adv. "well" - [teacher, you spoke] well. Modal adverb modifying the verb "to say." The Scribes, most of whom are Pharisees, probably enjoyed seeing the Sadducees lose a debate, although as Thompson notes, but affirming Jesus' words, they "unwittingly acknowledge the teaching authority of Jesus."

gar "and" - for, because. If we take the subject of the verb "they were daring" to be the Sadducees, then gar here is causal, expressing why the Scribes acknowledged Jesus' philosophical superiority, "because" the Sadducees were silenced.

ouketi ..... ouden "no [one ......] any more" - no long [they were daring to ask] nothing [him]. Temporal construction, "no longer ...... any" / "not ..... any more", or possibly as an expression denying continuation, "they did not dare to go on asking", TH.

eperwtan (eperwtaw) pres. inf. "to ask" - [they were daring] to ask. Complementary infinitive, completing the sense of the verb "to dare." Often with the object ouden, "nothing", which, with a negative (giving a double negative), becomes the direct object "anything"; "not ...... to ask anything." Here complicated with a secondary object auton, "him", displaced by the direct object "nothing = anything."

Luke Introduction

Exposition

Exegetical Commentaries

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