23:8 no resurrection. The sect of the Sadducees professed to be orthodox Jews, believing in the Mosaic laws, but were actually materialists believing in neither bodily nor spiritual resurrection. Nevertheless, they were more powerful politically than the more Biblically oriented Pharisees.

23:8 Pharisees. Paul himself was a convinced Pharisee (Philippians 3:4-5), and still had deep respect for the law (Romans 7:12), though he knew and preached that salvation was altogether by grace (Romans 5:20-21).