council Summary and Overview

spoken of counsellors who sat in public trials with the governor of a province (Acts 25:12). The Jewish councils were the Sanhedrim, or supreme council of the nation, which had subordinate to it smaller tribunals (the "judgment," perhaps, in Matt. 5:21, 22) in the cities of Israel (Matt. 10:17; Mark 13:9). In the time of Christ the functions of the Sanhedrim were limited (John 16:2; 2 Cor. 11:24). In Ps. 68:27 the word "council" means simply a company of persons. (R.V. marg., "company.") In ecclesiastical history the word is used to denote an assembly of pastors or bishops for the discussion and regulation of church affairs. The first of these councils was that of the apostles and elders at Jerusalem, of which we have a detailed account in Acts 15.

1. The great council of the Sanhedrin, which sat at Jerusalem. [SANHEDRIN] 2. The lesser courts, #Mt 10:17; Mr 13:9| of which there were two at Jerusalem and one in each town of Israel. The constitution of these courts is a doubtful point. The existence of local courts, however constituted, is clearly implied in the passages quoted from the New Testament; and perhaps the "judgment," #Mt 5:21| applies to them. 3. A kind of jury or privy council, #Ac 25:12| consisting of a certain number of assessors, who assisted Roman governors in the administration of justice and in other public matters.

COUN'CIL . There are three legal bodies called "councils" in the English N.T. 1. The Sanhedrin, the supreme court of the Jews, the fountain of their government, which sat at Jerusalem. By this body Jesus was tried. Matt 26:59. See Sanhedrin. 2. The lesser courts. Matt 10:17; Mark 13:9. One was in each town, but two in the capital. Josephus states that each court consisted of seven judges, with two Levites as assessors. The "judgment," Matt 5:21, probably applies to them. 3. The "council" spoken of in Acts 25:12 was a kind of jury "composed of councillors appointed to assist and advise the Roman governors."

The SANHEDRIN, a term formed from the Greek sunedrion. The Jews' supreme council in Christ's time. Moses' tribunal of seventy seems to have been temporary (Numbers 11:16-17), for there are no traces of it in Deuteronomy 17:8-10, nor under Joshua, judges, and the kings. As the permanent great council it probably took its rise after the return from Babylon, under the Graeco-Macedonian supremacy. 2 Maccabees 1:10; 2 Maccabees 4:44; 2 Maccabees 11:27, contain the earliest allusion to it. The number was probably derived from Moses' council. Its members were the chief priests or heads of the 24 courses, and those who had been high priests; also the elders and scribes learned in Jewish law (Matthew 26:57; Matthew 26:59; Mark 15:1; Luke 22:66; Acts 5:21). Seventy-one is the number, according to Jewish tradition, to correspond to the 70 and Moses (Numbers 11:16). Others say 72, since to the 70, Eldad and Medad are to be added (Numbers 11:26). The president was called nasi'; generally the high priest (Matthew 26:62). The vice-president is called "father of the house of judgment" in the Talmud One scribe registered the votes for acquittal, another those for condemnation, according to the Babylonian Gemara. They sat in the form of a half circle; the vice-president or the oldest at the president's right hand, the rest sat before these two according to their dignity. The Gazzith or council hall was in the S.E. corner of a court near the temple. Sometimes they met in the high priest's palace (Matthew 26:3). In Christ's time the sessions were moved from Gazzith to a hall further from the temple, but still on mount Moriah. Its final seat was at Tiberias. They tried cases of idolatry and false prophets. On this allegation Jesus, and subsequently Peter, John, Stephen, and Paul were brought before them (John 11:47). Their authority extended even to Jews in foreign cities (Acts 9:2). The Gemara states that power of life and death was taken from them just forty years before the destruction of Jerusalem, coinciding with John 18:31-32. The confirmation and execution of a capital sentence rested with the Roman procurator, from whence they took Jesus before Pontius Pilate on a different charge from that of blasphemy, for which the Sanhedrin condemned Him, namely, that of treason against Caesar, the only one which Pilate would have entertained. The stoning of Stephen (Acts 7:56, etc.) was an illegal assumption of power, an outbreak of fanatical violence, as also the execution of the apostle James in the procurator's absence (Josephus, Ant. 20:9, section 1). There were two lesser courts or "councils" (Matthew 10:17) in Jerusalem; one in each town of Israel, 23 members in each in a town of 120, three when the population was below 120 (Talmud). They were connected with the several synagogues and possessed the right of scourging (2 Corinthians 11:24); but Josephus represents the local courts, as constituted by Moses, to have consisted of seven, with two Levitical assessors apiece. Matthew 5:21-22, "the judgment," perhaps alludes to such courts. There was also a privy "council" to assist the Roman procurator when he chose to consult them (Acts 25:12).