These were not just men of advanced age, but they ranked officially as “older men.”

18. (a) As with Jesus, at whose hands did his apostles have to suffer? (b) These were “older men” in what sense, and at their meetings what did they need to have, and for how long?

¹⁸ Like Jesus Christ, his apostles had to suffer at the hands of the “older men” in association with the chief priests. When the apostles Peter and John were released after imprisonment and trial, then, as the account says, “they went to their own people and reported what things the chief priests and the older men had said to them.” (Acts 4:5-23) All this serves to show that these associates of the high priests were officially “older men.” The cities of ancient Israel did not have what are called “mayors,” but they had their board of “older men.” Such a board would have to have a chairman or presiding officer, and likely the chairmanship rotated among them, each member having his turn for a period. How the qualified ones were made “older men” is not shown.