Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

COUNCIL

The highest court of the Jews during Jesus’ time, composed of 71 members from the priests, scribes, and “elders of the people,” and presided over by the high priest. Traditionally the council (Gk. synédrion) was thought to have begun with Moses (Num. 11:16) and revived under Ezra. It tried all infractions of the law of Moses, and since there was no distinction in Jewish thought between religious and civil law, it tried cases in both areas. Its authority seems to have been limited to cases that did not involve capital punishment (John 18:31), although that is much debated. Both Jesus and Paul were tried before this august body. It condemned Jesus on a charge of blasphemy when he admitted being the Messiah (Mark 14:64), but Paul so disrupted the court by announcing he was a Pharisee that Roman soldiers had to rescue him (Acts 23:6-10). Paul eventually appealed to Caesar to avoid being brought before the council at Jerusalem again (Acts 25:11). Since the word is plural in Mark 13:9 = Matt. 10:17, there obviously were lesser councils, but except for these two passages, the references are to the high court.

Joe E. Lunceford

Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

COUNCIL

Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (2000)