Posted on 05/11/2017 6:24:05 PM PDT by StormPrepper
In my humble opinion Pontius Pilate was not only NOT evil but he will probably be saved at the judgment. He certainly had the potential to be a very good man.
The Jews at the time of Christ were the only people in the history of mankind that were so wicked they would crucify their own God.
This fact plays into God's plan for our salvation. Jesus would come to earth, gain a physical body, learn through mortal experiences pain, anquish, temptation, and joy. He would overcome all things, suffer to pay the price for sin, then His body would be put to death, and He would over come death and take His body up again. The first of Heavenly Father's children to do so.
But in order to be put to death, Jesus would have to face the wrath of the Jews. However, they were restrained by the law and could not themselves kill Jesus. They had to be taken before the Roman authority.
That authority being Pontius Pilate. Pontius Pilate was also restrained by the law, he couldn't refuse the demand of the Jews to execute Jesus. Even though, he himself judged Jesus to be innocent.
He washed his hands of the affair wanting no part of it.
This is the reason why Jesus didn't teach the Romans about his divinity nor did they witness any miracles. Pontius Pilate didn't know who He was. And Jesus didn't tell him He was the Son of God nor did He perform any miracles in front of Pilate.
Had Jesus shown Pontius Pilate His divinity as He had the Jews, Pilate would never have given the order to crucify Jesus. And that was not the plan of God.
In the end, Jesus pleaded with His Father to forgive the Romans for their part in His death. The truth had been purposely with-held from them.
There is an argument to be made for Pontius Pilate, so don't be too quick to judge him.
Not really. He had screwed up a couple of prior postings and was sent to Palestine as a last chance. While he was in Palestine one of his most influential protectors back in the Senate died leaving him with little back up in that body. That is why when the Sanhedrin came to him and threatened to go to Rome with their accusations he threw in the towel and ordered the crucifixion.
I think Judas committed suicide which isn’t really a ringing endorsement for the Kingdom (unless there are extenuating circumstances outside the norm).
How do you know I haven’t written books and/or movies? Ever hear of the movie La-La land?
Not true. A Roman Centurion came to Jesus asking Him to heal his servant. "Speak the word only, and my servant will be healed." Jesus healed his servant from afar and with his Word only. Jesus said he had not found so great a faith as that of the Roman Centurion.
Pontius Pilate didn't know who He was.
Neither did the Jews who had Him crucified. "None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory." - 2 Cor 2:8
If Jesus had shown Pontius Pilate His divinity as He had the Jews, Pilate would never have given the order to crucify Jesus. And that was not the plan of God.
Jesus dying for the sins of mankind was God's plan. Jesus was to be crucified by Jews and Gentiles - as was prophesied. Jesus performed miracles but so did OT prophets. Jesus showed his divinity on the mount of transfiguration to only 3 of his disciples: Peter, James and John.
In the end, Jesus pleaded with His Father to forgive the Romans for their part in His death.
On the cross, Jesus said, "forgive them for they know not what they do." The "them" is mankind because Jew and gentile cooperated to crucify the Lord.
There is an argument to be made for Pontius Pilate, so don't be too quick to judge him.
Pilate had the authority to save Jesus from being crucified. Despite what Pilate said, he took no action to stop the Crucifixion. Did Pilate later repent and receive Christ as Lord and Savior. We don't know.
On on hand, no man took Jesus' life - He laid it down for our sins. Jesus said, "No man takes my life." On the other hand, in the natural, Jews and Gentiles (representing mankind) cooperated in having Jesus crucified.
Pilate’s wife Clodia was one of the early Christians. I think it is believed Pilate was saved as well, but I’m not entirely sure about that.
Yup. The events surrounding Mark 8:33 lets one know it was time for him to die. Pilate or no Pilate.
Lol. You might add that to your About Page. I need one of those nose gizmo’s.
That was just a ‘prees release’. Sort of like Vince Foster. In another part of the bible it states that Judas was disemboweled. So he had help committing suicide apparently. imo
I'm not sure what you mean here. Are you saying that Judas' suicide negates or diminishes God's kingdom - or something else?
Thanks for the clarification.
“What shall I do then with Jesus?”
“CRUCIFY Him!”
Pilate had a choice. Christ or the crowd. He chose the crowd. Pilate represents those brought to the moment when Christ must be accepted or rejected.
When it mattered most, Pilate did the wrong thing and rejected Christ.
Same with Judas.
John 6:64-65, “But there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who it was that would betray Him. 65 And He was saying, “For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me, unless it has been granted him from the Father.”
Judas NEVER believed Jesus was the Christ.
Nothing diminishes Gods Kingdom. I'm saying Judas' suicide diminishes his chances of reaching Heaven. That's just MHO. Nothing positive is written about Judas after the betrayal. I am sure he had regret but that is not the same as asking for and receiving forgiveness.
I don't read it that way. Judas hung himself. That was the cause of death plain and simple. After a time the corpse bloats in the hot sun and the rope breaks under the strain and . . . the bowels explode on impact. Not a lovely sight.
Claudia was believed by many early Christians to have been saved and become one of them. As for Pilate, there are many conflicting reports as to his fate, but they mostly involve a grisly death involving being drowned. Some say he committed suicide; others that he was sentenced to death. An oddly recurring theme among many otherwise conflicting reports is that his rotting corpse was removed from its original watery grave and relocated several times.
It’s hard to imagine that Pilate’s refusal to personally order Jesus’ execution was some sort of bravery or beneficance. Secular historians report that he was viciously and capriciously cruel, and needlessly inflamed a Jewish populace. An oft-cited example is that he snuck graven images within the walls of Jerusalem — the Herodian dynasty had still had some legitimacy — and mixed soldiers among the populace, so that when the Jews protested, the soldiers were among them to slaughter them.
Pilate’s refusal to condemn Jesus was certainly no bravery. As a Jew, Jesus was immune to the death penalty, so the Jews claimed he had been born illegitimately so as to assert he was not born under Jewish law. Thus, the Jews GAVE Pilate the grounds to protect him, correctly supposing that Pilate would be disinclined to do so. Pilate handed him back to the Jews because his wife, Claudia, warned him not to kill Jesus. But he deliberately provided them with the legal and practical means to kill him themselves. Hence, the Apostles’ and Nicene Creeds specifically blame Pilate for Jesus’ death.
Ancient Christians were not unanimous in their assessment that Pilate was damned, however. A 6th-century Ethiopian church, for instance, supposes he released Jesus.
If you don’t believe he’s evil, he founded Caesaria Maratima, which translates into “the Jersey Shore,” given that “Jersey” (originally an Island in the English Channel) is a corruption of “Caesaria.”
I don't think anybody was prepared for the type of Messiah Jesus was. They wanted a Messiah to break the yoke of Rome from their countries neck. Judas did believe Jesus was the Chosen One. He'd seen too many miracles to believe anything else. Judas REJECTED the type of Christ Jesus was. Judas wanted fame and money and power. By being on the team, he thought that was a sure fire way to all of HIS desires. When things weren't going that direction Judas thought Jesus was being modest and needed a "boost" to be more assertive about who He was. He had no idea Jesus would allow them to take Him to be crucified. He thought Jesus would call down angels and run Rome off and the place be bountiful.
Thank you - I’m sure you are aware that in the Coptic church in Egypt, he is now a saint. It is said that he ended up in the early Christian church in Egypt, repented, and was saved. Look it up - - those who would judge him!
***This is the reason why Jesus didn’t teach the Romans about his divinity***
No, THIS is the reason!
READ your bible.
Mat 15:24
“But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
Nonetheless:
Judas Iscariot, Son of Perdition
The word perdition has a particular meaning of importance in regard to Judas’ name. Perdition defined: utter destruction, eternal damnation, a final and irrevocable spiritual ruin, a state of destruction, the state of the wicked one, and finally, it is defined as hell itself. There is no wiggle room here with the word perdition and so we can now ask “What was the fate of Judas Iscariot, the man who betrayed Jesus?” He was called the “son of perdition” by Jesus in John 17:12 where Christ said “While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of perdition (or destruction…they are the same thing), that the Scripture might be fulfilled.” The son of perdition and the son of destruction are referred to by this same name by Paul in 2 Thessalonians 2:3 “Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction.” The “son of destruction” is literally translated “the son of perdition” but this chapter is speaking about someone totally different than Judas. Even so, every time the term “perdition” is associated with a person it is a term of one who is doomed to destruction, condemnation, and total depravity from which there is no state of repentance possible.
Judas Didn’t Repent
When Judas betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver, he was very remorseful and deeply regretted what he had done, yet there is no record of him asking for forgiveness or of his repenting. He could have gone back to Jesus or the disciples and repented and he could have also asked for God’s forgiveness. There is record of either of these in the Bible. Some translations of Matthew 27:3 say that Judas repented but the better translations say “Then when Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, he changed his mind and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders.” Now repentance is a change of mind, yes, but it is much more than that. It is a change of direction. Judas could have turned to Jesus or the disciples but instead he returned to the chief priests and elders. Interestingly, Judas Iscariot means “Judah from Kerioth” and Kerioth means “betrayer.”
Bar Abbas: Son of the father.
This theme strikes me as old time Jew baiting.
***My impression of Pilate, from reading Scripture and Josephus, is that he was a cynical, crooked politician,***
Look very carefully at the political football that Jesus became between the High Priest, Herod and Pilate. Soon Pilate had the JEWISH PEOPLE yelling “WE HAVE NO KING BUT CAESAR!”
And to ad to their misery and their tie to Rome, he had the placard above Jesus written to read..
“THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS”.
Not “This is Jesus who CLAIMS to be the King of the Jews”.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.