What did Pilate mean by asking "What is truth?"
score:10
History records that Pilate was not the most even tempered of men. Considering this, I find that it is quite probable that the words would have been intended more as mockery than anything else.
Traditions related to Pilate are a good deal more vague. While the apocryphal "Passion (or Gospel) according to St. Peter" exonerates him, the majority of writings which come from the post-apostolic writers suggest that the writings of Philo may very well be correct as to the nature of his character.
Of course, there is no way to know, but it seems far more probable that he was not acting as Christ's friend in that conversation.
Upvote:-1
I've been considering this conversation, since watching the movie "Hellbound?" -- After reading the scripture and many commentaries, I've come to the conclusion that Pilate was referring to what Jesus answered about Truth... that Truth was "true" for those who were "from" the Truth. What does it mean to be "from" the Truth? THAT is what I think Pilate was referring to... the idea that Truth in fact, in his own experience, depended upon what a person did or did not accept as the Truth, period.
Therefore, in Pilate's view, in this life, Truth is what you think is True, and there is not a reliable way to know what is Truly True - which "Truth" corresponds to reality.
Truth may be an objective thing - there can only be one Truth, ultimately. (I think...LOL) But in the context of spiritual matters, such as what Jesus taught, versus the Jews, versus Pagans, there is no way to objectively conclude what is Truth. It is a subjective decision... we all decide to be "from" one Truth or another.
Upvote:0
Hard to believe folks here are ignoring the contribution of the other Gospel writers who provide more threads to this cloth. Pilate was not in the dark about Jesus and knew of His truth claims as well as what had been reported about Him. It seems unreasonable to restrict hos comments to so narrow an interpretation ("What is THE truth?") when the article is absent and the issue at hand is much wider. He was adept in his acquisition of the throne and just as adept in defending it (as being under the watchful eye of Tiberius in Rome for his assault on the Jews earlier). Truth as a category did not matter to him. He knew it did not matter to Jesus' accusers, either...the presumed guardians of Truth.
Upvote:0
What did Pilate mean by asking “What is Truth?”
John 18:37-38 Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.
Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in him no fault at all.
Because right after Pilate asks his question he goes out to address the Jews, we might surmise that his question was rhetorical.
This moment has to go down in the irony hall of fame. "What is truth" was asked of him who is truth.
In the social circles Pilate traveled in he probably had more than his fill of Hellenistic philosophers that would wax on and on about truth, beauty, and other ethereal subjects. He might be forgiven for tuning Jesus out as soon as the subject was mentioned.
Upvote:3
You are asking this from the perspective of a Christian. Now step back, and consider it from the perspective of the observer, here re-phrased a bit:
- (19) the religious authorities ask some questions
- (20-21) the defendant refuses to answer them
- (23) the defendant retorts "charges or I walk"
- (24) the defendant is sent to the high religious authority; what was discussed is not recorded, but presumably relates very much to the charges
- (28) the defendant is sent in front of a judge
- (33) the judge asks a question, that relates to why is he is being handed over
- (34) the defendant does not answer the question
- (35) the judge re-asks about the nature of the incident
- (36) the defendant answers, saying something which could very well be treated as incoherent or delusional, but which seems to answer an indirect affirmative to the original question
- (37) the judge, exasperated, exclaims that the original question finally has some kind of half answer
- (37) the defendant claims this exasperated outcry as an affirmation (actually, it was simply a restatement of the defendants words in (36), where it is the defendant who says this)
- (37) the defendant claims to be about truth, and claim everyone in support of truth supports him (I'm reminded here of "...available in all good book stores", and "all decent people agree..." - as a device, it makes it sound like anyone who simply disagrees with him disagrees with "truth", but... this is not a reasonable claim for any person; and remember he is judged and tried as human)
- [key point] (38) the judge, tiring of the whole thing, with little "truth" coming from those who sent the defendant, and the defendant being uncooperative while setting logic traps about "truth", snarkily retorts that the "truth" here isn't worth knowing
- (38) to his credit, the judge remarks there is no clear case to answer, and suggests (within the rules available) to acquit
Upvote:9
Scripture doesn't explain what Pilate was thinking when he said "What is truth." I know that Pilate has always been portrayed by Catholic moral theologians as the archetype of the man who wants to please everyone, of the pusillanimous man who doesn't have the courage to take a tough stand because of the personal costs.
Perhaps the best dramatization of this "want to have it both ways, woe is me, I can't make up my mind" concept is from the movie The Passion of the Christ: http://youtu.be/r_tOgEIup_s
It is ironic that Pilate would address the question "what is truth?" while looking Truth itself right in the eye.
More post
- 📝 Was the wine in The Last Supper fermented?
- 📝 In light of grace, How does a Christian consider the devotedness of Muslims and Jews?
- 📝 Where does the idea come from that the KJV is the proper bible to be used?
- 📝 Apparent discrepancy in Isaiah 66:3-4
- 📝 Was Modalism (or "modalistic language") ever considered to not contradict orthodox trinitarian beliefs?
- 📝 What are the reasons for the Catholic Church's term "ecclesial community?"
- 📝 According to Catholicism how does a person discriminate between hearing the true word of God versus a hallucination or a demon?
- 📝 How does the LDS view of achieving godhood compare with the early church view of Theosis?
- 📝 Does the Bible say anything about what demons *are*?
- 📝 When was the first sunday?
- 📝 Do any Trinitarian denominations teach from John 1 with, 'In the beginning was Jesus'?
- 📝 In Prophecy what does a beast represent?
- 📝 How does the doctrine of the URC differ from its predecessors?
- 📝 In Genesis 18, does Jesus meet with Abraham?
- 📝 Do any Christian groups sell all their possessions as it seems the Early Church did?
- 📝 What does the Bible say about Capital Punishment?
- 📝 Where are the Mormon "relics"?
- 📝 Are all of the red letter text the words of Jesus?
- 📝 What is the difference between icons and idols in churches that permit icons?
- 📝 What is the Biblical basis against Melchizedek being the Holy Spirit?
- 📝 God created the world, who created God?
- 📝 What is the Roman Catholic position on the validity of the marriage between an infertile man and infertile woman?
- 📝 How many Catholics are excommunicated in an average year?
- 📝 Has anyone heard of or seen anything that Angels can be redeemed?
- 📝 How many modern day pages were lost by Martin Harris?
- 📝 Did anyone who was a part of the Counter reformation consider Luther to be the Antichrist?
- 📝 Why is Jesus often depicted with long hair if 1 Corinthians 11:14 says it is disgraceful?
- 📝 How does Oneness Pentecostalism interpret Matthew 3:17?
- 📝 According to the Catholic Church, does God punish sinners?
- 📝 Was Judas based on the story of Buddha and Devadatta?
Source: stackoverflow.com
Search Posts
Related post
- 📝 What did Pilate mean by asking "What is truth?"
- 📝 What did Jesus mean by asking `what do you read in the law' in Lk 10:26?
- 📝 What did Jesus mean by "this generation will certainly not pass away.." in Matthew 24:34?
- 📝 What does it mean that Jesus fulfilled the law but did not abolish it?
- 📝 What did Jesus mean when he said ‘Go and sin no more’ if sinlessness is impossible?
- 📝 What exactly did Jesus mean when He said "I am coming soon" and similar phrases?
- 📝 What did Jesus mean when He said we must "eat His flesh and drink His blood"?
- 📝 What did God mean when He said 'lest they live forever'?
- 📝 What did Paul mean when he called Jesus the "firstborn from the dead"?
- 📝 According to Protestants following the Reformation, what did Jesus mean when he said "do this and you will live"?
- 📝 What did "one baptism" in the Nicene Creed mean back then?
- 📝 What exactly did Pope Gregory the Great mean by "Universal Bishop?"
- 📝 What did salvation mean to the Israelite people of the OT?
- 📝 Did Adam and Eve understand death? What did death mean to them?
- 📝 What did Christ mean in Matthew 10:34?
- 📝 What did Paul mean by 'work out your salvation'?
- 📝 What did Paul mean when he wrote 1 Corinthians 14:22 in the context of 1 Corinthians 14:23-25?
- 📝 What did Jesus mean by "many" beneficiaries of His ensuing bloodshed?
- 📝 What did Pope Francis mean when he said "who am I to judge" h*m*sexuals?
- 📝 What did Jesus mean by "whoever believes in me will do greater works than I do"?
- 📝 According to the Catholic Church, what did Jesus mean by saying that the least in the kingdom of heaven in greater than John the Baptist?
- 📝 According to Catholicism, what did St Paul mean by "a thorn in the flesh"?
- 📝 According to the Catholic Church, what did Jesus mean by the phrase "in the age to come"?
- 📝 What did Augustine mean by "The OT is the NT concealed. The NT is the OT revealed."?
- 📝 What did David mean in Psalm 39:13?
- 📝 What does it mean to say an original Greek manuscript did not survive?
- 📝 What did St. John Chrysostom mean by saying there is no difference between what is demanded from the monastics and the laity?
- 📝 What did Jesus mean by saying "the works of God might be displayed" in the man born blind?
- 📝 According to Catholic scholars, what did Jesus really mean by `eagles gathering around corpses'in Lk 17: 34-37?
- 📝 What did Jesus mean by 'take up your cross and follow me'?