The Pulpit Commentary — John — Volume 2 — Section 409

mont." Nevorthelcse, he implies tha.t Pila.ta against Jeem, bfd their most intense b&11 einnecl: he wa.s exercising hie seeming hatred of Roman rule by assuming the judiolnl rights irrespective of justice. He mask of loyal subjeotion tr, Tibnins a.nd tn lmd dechired Josue to be froo from hie.me or the majesty of the Cll!sr1r. They enrlenvourerl cbnrgo in open court, but he hnrl neverthe- to work upon the fee.re of Pilnte, who knew loee submitted the innocent 8ufferor to the perfectly well that hie pollition a.nd life utmost wrong: but ho thnt dclivorcd Christ were at jeopr1rdy if the mo.tter stood ns to Pile.ta had done so out of wilful ignorance, they pretended. With nnscrupnloue a.ban- o.nd wne sinning ngninst light o.nd know• donment of a.II their pntriotio bonste, the lodgo. Co.io.phne might ho.ve recognized men who hated Rome a.nd wer'l pcrpetunlly Christ's true Mcssfohship, e.ncl o.cceptcd his plotting against the imperial power, ex- true clo.ime, o.nd bowed before him o.s the olaimed (l1tpa{,ya,ra11, 1 shouted with Jrnrah 13ont of God, ne tho Son of the Blessed; but loud yells of bitter ha.te, that 1<pa{,yr, rang lnsteacl of this ho ho.cl violo.tcd the le.w, and for ha.If a. century in the e11,rs of the loved sacrificed the hope and spiritual indepen- a.nd fo.ithfnl disciple), If thou release thia dence of hie own people, out of cleference to Man, thou art not Cmso.r'a friend. The the sacrosanct honours of hie own order. friendehi p a.nd confidence of Cre~a.r wo.s the Pilo.te's consciousness of independence is title in thoir heo.rte to an unresting hatred rebuked, o.nd his conscience nppea.led to, a.nd loathing; yet they are cunning enough o.nd the Lord, in this Inst word to his judge, to know that Tiberius was jealous of his claims to be his Suzerain, and a.wards to him own authority, and no charge was so fatal hie she.re of blame, Pila.ta said to the Jews, to a. Roman procnrator as crimen 1rurJestati., "I find no fault in him;" J ceue ~o.id to (Ta.citns, 'Ann.,' iii. 38). .Amicus Cmsaris Pilete, " Thou ha.et committed a. greo.t sin, was a titlo of honour given to provincial though there is another God-given t!ov1T1a, governors, and sometimes to allies of the which is more seriously a.nd culpa.bly trifled Cmea.r; bnt (as Alford, Meyer, o.nd Westcott with thnn thine is : he tho.t delivered me think) on this occasion it we.a used in wider to thee bath committed a greater." sense, a.nd was capable of a more deadly Vere. 12-16.-(g) Pilate 'llanquished by emphasis. Every one who maketh himself 2 his selfish fears, and judament given. a king speaketh against (declares himself Ver. 12,-trpon this [Revieecl Version opposed to, rebels against) Cresa.r. A~ if (<1< .,.6.,ov) : not from this moment, or "hence- that was likely to distress these maddened forth," as in the English Version, but in conse- fanatics; a.nd o.s if the very charge had not quence of this statement ancl apportionment been already deliherntely laughed to scorn of blnme, e.nd not from a.ny appreciation on by both Herod o.nd Pilate. There w~s a Man Pilo.te'e part of the Divine Sonship which who said he was a King, and Pilate wns Jesus ha.d admitted without further defini- guilty of misprision of treason. Pilate'a tion ]-upon this Pile.ta sought (imperfect political history o.ggravo.ted his fen.rs. His tense, suggesting repetition and inc,omplete- relations with the emperor were not satis- ness in the act) to release him. We nre not factory (Josephus,' Ant.,' ::tviii. 3. 1, 2; 'Bell. told by what means, and we have no right Jud.,' iL 9. 2-4; cf. Luke xiii. I), and hie to introduce the additional notion of "pe- knowledge of the power of these Jews to remptorily," or "the more," but that he renew partisan o.nd po.triotic charges against made some farther steps in the direction him was now 11, very serious danger. of resistance to the will of "the J ewe." Ver. 13.-When Pilate therefore hea.rd Baur nnd others think that the o.uthor is, these words, or, sayings,• his fear of Tiberius from doctrinal grounds by mere fabrication, emphasizing the hostility of the Jews, and ' Here Tischendorf (8th edit.), Alford, prolouging the ogony of a vain attempt. and T.R. read l1<pa.u7a.(011, with numerous Evory one of these vivid touches impresses uncials a.nd cursives; Westcott o.nd Hort, us with the unintentional indication of the Tregelles, l1<pa{,,yan11; but R.T. tnkes l1<pa.• eye-witness. Probr1bly the governor pro- (011, with~•, E, H, etc.; Matthew a.nJ Mark ceeded to give the order of release; use l1<pa!a.11 and l1<pa.(011; the Vulgo.te re:i.ds beckoned his body-gu11rd to remove our clamabant. Lord to II placo of safety, and tcok some • R. T., Westcott and Hort, Tregelles, and obvious steps to screen him from the ma.lice Tischendorf (8th edit.), on the authority of e.nd envy of hie tormentors. But 1'.b.e J'ews, nearly u.11 the uncials, read eauTd11 instead catching eight of the process, 1,nd ima- of a.6TJv of T.R. and Complutensian Poly- gining some ma.nceuvro to baulk them of glott. their prey, revealed u. spirit that has some- • Toiv ll.&,,t»11 TOV'Tt»11 is the reading of ~. B. times, but re.rely, disgraced humanity: they L, and is adopted by Tischendorf (8th edit.), dropped their religious pleu., they smothered Westcott and Hort, and R.T., in preference their affected loyalty for their e.noient Law, to Tovroi, .. ~., 71.070• of T. R., which l"ests on and, having no further clmrge to bring smnll authority. There were, i.n fact, two  -l22 THE GOSPEL AOOORDING TO ST. JOHN. [oB. XIX, 1-42,