The Sanhedrin

[JPE]

I checked Wikipedia for an explanation of the Sanhedrin. In general, what sin do they represent? Do they correlate with a segment of the modern day church?

[iSong6:3]

They were akin to Judea's religious Supreme Court, a group of 70 religious leaders including the high priest. They were ultimately a puppet of Rome as Rome had stripped them of any real power. They were disbanded when the Temple was destroyed in 70 AD.

They are the body that sat in judgment of Jesus, they turned Him over to Rome to be executed.

I don't see them as correlating to a segment of the Church because we are set up differently. As an epithet it could be used to say folks would sit in judgment of Jesus Himself, I guess.

[JPE]

thanks!

[Raphael]

It wasn't a sin to be part of the Sanhedrin. Sin entered it the same way it enters any large organization with power.

It's Biblical to have and recognize authority. Pharisees were supposed to guard the "letter of the law" pertaining to Judaism. Scribes recorded events and transmitted orders based on the judgments of the Sanhedrin and other authorities (the Great Sanhedrin being the one iSong referred to). Ezra was a scribe. The lesser Sanhedrin was a system of 23 judges in each city. If the "lower court" could not reach a decision, it was referred to the Great Sanhedrin.

The Sanhedrin were led by the High Priest - although there was a time when confidence in the High Priest was lost. I see somewhat of a pattern in the Vatican and the RCC - or any large religious organization set up to be spiritual overseers who interpret "what God meant by (what He said)". I see some pattern in government agencies - in fact, it's hard to draw the line historically between legislative, religious, and political functions when it comes to the Sanhedrin.

The Great Sanhedrin could put the king of Israel on trial. Popes could do the same for European kings (during certain periods). Eventually the Sanhedrin put the King of Kings "on trial" in the sense of an ongoing scriptural/legal argument, and then left it to Rome to crucify Him.

When you look at what Jesus had to say to Pharisees, you can see how the word "Pharisee" now means one who has the outward appearance of Godliness, but denies the power thereof. There is some negativity as well for the designations "scribe" and "lawyer". I picture the Sanhedrin as becoming a sort of civil service system - in a negative legalistic sense. It seems as though Jesus' most pointed terminology was reserved for this "system":

Hypocrites; asps
Whited sepulchres full of dead men's bones
Ye know the way (to God) but will let no one else enter
Ye tithe of mint and cummin but miss the (larger matters)
If ye had known my Father (you would know that's not what He said/meant)

I'm not saying that those phrases were solely directed at members of the Sanhedrin, but to all who let their religious status (real or imagined) "go to their head" in some way.

[JPE]

Thanks to you too, Raphael. I was trying to understand the point of being accused of playing Sanhedrin. I've got it now. Thanks again.

[tbrian40]

Essentially the Sanhedrin are much like liberal communists within our own government today. They know the Truth and they are desperately fighting against Him. For what? Money and power or stature (pride).