Guess we are in sync today. Sorry I didn't see your post before I wrote my comment further down. Didn't know the thread had gotten so long and convoluted.
Have you received the book yet? I ordered it from Amazon.com and had it within a few days. Rarely do I ever read a book from cover to cover. This one I 'imbibed' slowly, bookmarking multiple sections for reference. It is outstanding!
Mr. Schoeman addresses a question that has plagued me for years. He writes:
"Both Matthew and Mark explicitly mention Jesus' silence as well as the underlying motive of envy. From Matthew 27:12-18:
But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he made no answer. Then Pilate said to him, "Do you not hear how many things they testify against you?" But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge; so that the governor wondered greatly ... For he knew that it was out of envy that they had delivered him up."
Mr. Schoeman points to the Lemann brothers (also Jewish converts) who made the touching point that Jesus' silence before the High Priest was motivated by His profound respect for the office of the Jewish Priesthood. Mosaic law forbids compelling a witness to testify against himself. It was because Jesus did not want to put the High Priest in the position of sinning against that law that He refused to answer the High Priest's questions even though beaten for it. (John 18:19-23) which he then quotes. Jesus acquiesced only when the High Priest ordered Him to answer in the name of God.
This is extraordinary! I am not familiar with Mosaic law and could never have figured this out. Can you imagine! Here is the sinless Son of God respecting Jewish laws so as not to cause his accuser to sin!
BTW - he will be a guest of Marcus Grodi on EWTN's The Journey Home , on Monday, January 10 @ 8pm EDT. Like St. Paul, he had an instantaneous conversion. It's a most fascinating story.