Pilate's Intent Behind Questioning Truth
Pontius Pilate's questioning of Jesus about truth is recorded in John 18:38, where Pilate asks, "What is truth?" after Jesus states that everyone who is of the truth listens to his voice [1]. This inquiry has been interpreted in various ways by scholars and theologians.
Some interpret Pilate's question as a sign of skepticism or mockery. According to Adam Clarke, a Methodist/Wesleyan commentator, Pilate might have asked the question in a mocking way, and his not staying to get an answer indicated that he either despaired of getting a satisfactory one or was indifferent about it [3]. Similarly, the Tyndale House commentary suggests that Pilate did not wait for an answer because he did not believe there was one [6].
In contrast, some patristic interpretations view Pilate's question as a genuine inquiry. Augustine, for example, focuses on Jesus' statement that "everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice," suggesting that being "of the truth" is not simply a matter of conforming to the truth, but rather a matter of being receptive to Jesus' message [4].
The context of Pilate's question is also significant. Jesus had just claimed to have come into the world to testify to the truth, and Pilate's inquiry may have been a response to this claim [1]. According to the Jamieson, Fausset & Brown commentary, a Presbyterian interpretation, Pilate's question was a way of avoiding the issue, as if he was getting into "interminable and unseasonable inquiries" [5].
Pilate's ultimate decision to release Barabbas instead of Jesus suggests that his question about truth was not a genuine pursuit of understanding. As the Tyndale House commentary notes, Pilate's offer of amnesty revealed his desire to let Jesus go, but he ultimately succumbed to the pressure of the crowd [6].
The historical context of Pilate's governorship also sheds light on his actions. According to Smith's Bible Dictionary, Pilate was known for his arbitrary administration, which nearly drove the Jews to insurrection on several occasions [2]. This context suggests that Pilate's questioning of Jesus was likely driven by a desire to maintain order and avoid conflict with the Jewish leaders.
In the end, Pilate's question about truth remains a complex and multifaceted issue, reflecting both his skepticism and his awareness of the deeper implications of Jesus' claims.
Sources
- John “Pilate therefore said to him, “Are you a king then?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this reason I have been born, and for this reason I have come into the world, that I should testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” -- John 18:37”
- Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Pilate — (armed with a spear), Pontius. Pontius Pilate was the sixth Roman procurator of Judea, and under him our Lord worked, suffered and died, as we learn not only from Scripture, but from Tacitus (Ann. xv. 44). was appointed A.D. 25-6, in the twelfth year of Tiberius. His arbitrary administration nearly drove the Jews to insurrection on two or three occasions. One of his first acts was to remove the headquarters of the army from Caesarea to Jerusalem. The soldiers of course took with them their standards, bearing the image of the emperor, into the holy city. No pr”
- John (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on John 18:38: What is truth - Among the sages of that time there were many opinions concerning truth; and some had even supposed that it was a thing utterly out of the reach of men. Pilate perhaps might have asked the question in a mocking way; and his not staying to get an answer indicated that he either despaired of getting a satisfactory one, or that he was indifferent about it. This is the case with thousands: they appear desirous of knowing the truth, but have not patience to wait in a proper way to receive an answer to their question. I find in him no fault - Having asked th”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 7: Augustine — Homilies on John — CHAPTER XVIII. 33-40. (part 5): is given of the truth to hear, that is, to obey the truth, and to believe in the truth; while in no case certainly is there any preceding of merit, lest grace should cease to be grace. For had He said, Every one that heareth my voice is of the truth, then it would be supposed that he was declared to be of the truth because he conforms to the truth; it is not this, however, that He says, but, "Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice." And in this way he is not of the truth simply because he heareth His voice; bu”
- John (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on John 18:38: Pilate saith unto him, What is truth?--that is, "Thou stirrest the question of questions, which the thoughtful of every age have asked, but never man yet answered." And when he had said this--as if, by putting such a question, he was getting into interminable and unseasonable inquiries, when this business demanded rather prompt action. he went out again unto the Jews--thus missing a noble opportunity for himself, and giving utterance to that consciousness of the want of all intellectual and moral certainty, which was the feeling of every thoughtful ”
- John (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on John 18:38: 18:38-39 What is truth? Truth was not a foreign idea to Pilate, but he did not wait for an answer to his question because he did not believe there was one. • Pilate returned to the council members waiting outside and delivered his verdict: not guilty. Although he referred to Jesus as “King of the Jews” (see also 19:19), the title meant nothing more to Pilate than a mocking expression of contempt. Pilate’s offer of amnesty revealed his desire to let Jesus go.”