Firstly, many rumours abound about the 1st century Sanhedrin (or Great Sanhedrin of 71 members).

In New Testament days, the Great Sanhedrin met in the Temple in Jerusalem, in a building called the Hall of Hewn Stones. The Great Sanhedrin convened every day except festivals and Shabbat.

People confidently state that a member of the Sanhedrin, in the days of the apostles, must be of age greater than 40 (the Leader (or Nasi), must be over 50 years old) and must be married. I can find no authoritative historical statements about these conditions, although, like Christian Overseers, it may have been a condition that they do not have rebellious children. After 191BC, when the High Priesthood became corrupted and politicised and the Jewish Leadership Hellenised, the High Priest was no longer a member of Sanhedrin.

In the Christian era, the high priesthood and the Sanhedrin often colluded.

So, is there any evidence that Paul was a member?

Extremely weak- if any.

Acts 26:10 – 11 NET

“And that is what I did in Jerusalem: Not only did I lock up many of the saints in prisons by the authority I received from the chief priests, but I also cast my vote against them when they were sentenced to death.  I punished them often in all the synagogues and tried to force them to blaspheme. Because I was so furiously enraged at them, I went to persecute them even in foreign cities.”

This is said to imply that the ‘vote’ Paul cast was that of one of the seventy elders. There is no evidence of this. The fact that he ‘received authority’ means that he had no such authority himself – others had to grant it. Casting a vote, I should think, means consent.

Galatians 1:13-14

“For you have heard of my former conduct in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it.  And I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my own nation, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers.”

Some have suggested that ‘advanced beyond my contemporaries’ suggests Sanhedrin membership. I would think the very opposite. Surely, if Paul had been a Council member, and he is here trying to prove his hardline Jewish credentials, he’d have loudly proclaimed that he was one of the Sanhedrin. But he’s silent on this matter.

Acts 8:1   “Now Saul was consenting to his death.”

Some have suggested that this implies that Paul was a Council member. I don’t think that is implied at all. Consenting just means approval of a decision already taken. And the clothes minder seems a very menial position for a Council member.

Now – evidence against.

The High Priesthood and the Sanhedrin has joined forces against the Christians.

Acts 23:6

“But when Paul perceived that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, “Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee; concerning the hope and resurrection of the dead I am being judged!”

Had Paul been a member of the Sanhedrin, even in the recent past, they would know his history. But clearly, it came as a surprise to them, that he was a Pharisee. Also, Paul ‘perceived’ that the Council was split between Pharisee and Sadducees – a fact he would have been well familiar with had he been a Sanhedrin member himself.

Acts 22:3-5 “Then he said: “I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, taught according to the strictness of our fathers’ law, and was zealous toward God as you all are today.  I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women,  as also the high priest bears me witness, and all the council of the elders, from whom I also received letters to the brethren”….

Here Paul lays out his credentials as a Jew. He was taught by one of their supreme Rabbis. He appeals to all the council members to verify that he was given Commission to persecute the Saints. Surely, if he had been a council member, that would have been a supreme testimony to his Jewishness, but he clearly does not claim this.

Philippians 3:2-6 Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the mutilation! 3 For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh, 4 though I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: 5 circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; 6 concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless

Here, again, Paul lays out his “confidence in the flesh”. He lays out his credentials as the “perfect Jew”. He quotes his receiving his Commission as a pharisee, his zeal for the law but nowhere does he say he was a member of the Sanhedrin. Surely, if he was, it would be the crowning achievement of his “Jewishness”.

Although we can’t be certain, it seems to me that the weight of evidence is that he was not a member of the Sanhedrin.