Who Was Pontius Pilate?

Last updated on: November 17, 2014 at 8:51 pm by Jack Wellman

Who Was Pontius Pilate? 2014-11-17T20:51:15-06:00 Jack Wellman

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Who was Pontius Pilate? What does he have to do with the account of Jesus death?

Pontius Pilate Becomes Governor of Judea

Pontius Pilate was a Roman prefect or governor of Judea for about a decade (AD 26-36). He was under governor but still under the authority of the emperor Tiberius. He supposedly got his name from his being a Roman knight or equestrian belonging to the clan of Pontii, which explains the source of his name Pontius. Sejanus, who was a favorite of Emperor Tiberius, secured Pilate’s position of prefect or governor of Judea so it was not on Pilate’s own merit that he became governor of Judea in AD 26 but from that of a friend of his. As governor over Judea, Pilate held supreme judicial power or authority over the region.

The Reluctant Executioner

Pontius Pilate did not want Jesus crucified because he believe that he was completely innocent of the trumped up charges by the Jews and so “Pilate then called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people, and said to them, “You brought me this man as one who was misleading the people. And after examining him before you, behold, I did not find this man guilty of any of your charges against him” (Luke 23:13-14) and declared “nothing deserving death has been done by him” (Luke 23:15b). Even so, they shouted “Crucify, crucify him!” (Luke 23:21) but again Pilate said “what evil has he done? I have found in him no guilt deserving death” (Luke 23:22). Even though his wife said “Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered much because of him today in a dream” (Matt 27:19b) Pilate caved into the Jews pressure and reluctantly allowed Jesus to be crucified.

Pontius Pilate’s Later Life

There is some Christian tradition that says Pilate and his wife converted to Christianity but this is very difficult to determine. Tradition is not the same thing as actual historical accounts. What we do know is that Pilate’s life was a very sad account. He gave into the pressure of the Jews in order to make himself look good and decided to have Jesus crucified to keep a riot from breaking out, which would have reflected badly on him. So, against his own conscience and that of his wife’s, he allowed and participated in the execution of a completely innocent Man. Although he said that he washed his hands of this crime, he still had blood on them (Matt 27:24). He failed to stand up for what was right. He ridiculed Jesus’ claim of truth. There are some reports that Pilate ended up committing suicide by throwing himself into the Tiber River although that has never been verified for certain. Some accounts state the he was exiled by the Roman emperor Caligula and later took his own life.

Conclusion

What will you do with Jesus? Will you reject the truth as Pilate did? Will your life have meaning and purpose by your decision to repent and turn from your sins, confess them to God, and then place your trust in Christ? Or will you reject your only hope of being saved (Acts 4:12) but choosing to disbelieve in Christ and thereby seal your own fate (John 3:18b)? The choice is up to you. Choose today while there is still time (2 Cor 6:2) but to make no choice is to still choose to say no to Christ and not have your sins forgiven and receive eternal life.

Another Reading on Patheos to Check Out: What Did Jesus Really Look Like: A Look at the Bible Facts

Article by Jack Wellman

Jack Wellman is Pastor of the Mulvane Brethren church in Mulvane Kansas. Jack is also the Senior Writer at What Christians Want To Know whose mission is to equip, encourage, and energize Christians and to address questions about the believer’s daily walk with God and the Bible. You can follow Jack on Google Plus or check out his book Blind Chance or Intelligent Design available on Amazon

Previous Post

November 17, 2014

Who Killed Jesus Christ? Who is Responsible for His Death?

Next Post

November 18, 2014 Who Was Cornelius In The Bible?

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Bible Answers Bible Definitions Bible Story Bible Study Bible Verses Christian Books Christian Entertainment Christian Fathers Christian Mothers Christian Quotes Devotional Famous Christians Music News Parables Prayers Quotes Sunday School Lesson Uncategorized Youth Sermons

Select a Month October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What language was the Old Testament mostly written in?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Latin Hebrew Greek Aramaic