Dictionaries :: Council

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Council:

spoken of counsellors who sat in public trials with the governor of a province (Act 25:12).

The Jewish councils were the Sanhedrim, or supreme council of the nation, which had subordinate to it smaller tribunals (in Mat 5:21,22) in the cities of Palestine (Mat 10:17; Mar 13:9). In the time of Christ the functions of the Sanhedrim were limited (Jhn 16:2; 2Cr 11:24). In Psa 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.

Nave's Topical Bible

Council: Apostolic

Act 15:1-29

Council: Of War

2Sa 16:20; 17:1-4, 5-15

Smith's Bible Dictionary

Council:

(1.) The great council of the Sanhedrin, which sat at Jerusalem. SEE [SANHEDRIN].

(2.) The lesser courts (Matthew 10:17; Mark 13:9) of which there were two at Jerusalem and one in each town of Palestine. 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," (Matthew 5:21) applies to them.

(3.) A kind of jury or privy council (Acts 25:12) consisting of a certain number of assessors, who assisted Roman governors in the administration of justice and in other public matters.