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  EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS ON MARK - MARK 12:18-27
  by J.C. Ryle
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These verses relate a conversation between our Lord Jesus Christ and the
Sadducees. The religion of these men, we know, was little better than
infidelity. They said there was "no resurrection." They too, like the
Pharisees, thought to entangle and perplex our Lord with hard questions.
The Church of Christ must not expect to fare better than its Master.
Formalism on one side and infidelity on another, are two enemies for
whose attacks we must always be prepared.

We learn from this passage, how much unfairness may often be detected in
the arguments of infidels.

The question propounded by the Sadducees is a striking illustration of
this. They tell him of a woman who married seven brothers in succession,
had no children, and outlived her seven husbands. They ask, "whose wife"
of all the seven the woman would be "in the resurrection?" It may well
be surmised that the case was a supposed and not a real one. On the face
of it there is the strongest appearance of improbability. The chances
against such a case occurring in reality, are almost infinite. But that
was nothing to the Sadducees. All they cared for was to raise a
difficulty, and if possible to put our Lord to silence. The doctrine of
the resurrection they had not the face manfully to deny. The possible
consequences of the doctrine were the ground which they chose to take
up. There are three things which we shall do well to remember, if
unhappily we have at any time to argue with infidels.

For one thing, let us remember that an infidel will always try to press
us with the difficulties and abstruse things of religion, and especially
with those which are connected with the world to come. We must avoid
this mode of argument as far as possible. It is leaving the open field
to fight in a jungle. We must endeavor, as far as we can, to make our
discussion turn on the great plain facts and evidences of Christianity.

For another thing, let us remember, we must be on our guard against
unfairness and dishonesty in argument. It may seem hard and uncharitable
to say this. But experience proves that it is needful. Thousands of
professed infidels have confessed in their latter days that they had
never studied the Bible which they pretended to deny, and though well
read in the works of unbelievers and skeptics, had never calmly examined
the foundations of Christianity.

Above all, let us remember that every infidel has a conscience. To this
we may always appeal confidently. The very men who talk most loudly and
disdainfully against religion, are often feeling conscious, even while
they talk, that they are wrong. The very arguments which they have
sneered at and ridiculed, will often prove at last not to have been
thrown away.

We learn, in the second place, from this passage, how much of religious
error may be traced to ignorance of the Bible. Our Lord\

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Source: https://sermonindex.net/speakers/jc-ryle/expository-thoughts-on-mark-mark-1218-27/
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