Pontius Pilate

Biblical Record

Pontius Pilate was the governor whom the Roman Empire sent to Judea. A governor was an official who administered a province (a territory under Roman rule) on behalf of the emperor. Luke 3:1 records that he was governor of Judea during the reign of Tiberius Caesar. Luke 13:1 mentions an incident in which Pilate mingled the blood of certain Galileans with their sacrifices.

All four Gospels present him as the judge of Jesus Christ (Matthew 27, Mark 15, Luke 23, John 18–19). The principal scenes are as follows:

• He asks Jesus, "Art thou the King of the Jews?"
• He sends Jesus to Herod Antipas (Luke 23:6–12).
• He asks, "What is truth?" (John 18:38).
• His wife tells him of a dream and urges him to have nothing to do with Jesus (Matthew 27:19), yet he washes his hands and declares himself free of responsibility (Matthew 27:24).
• He releases Barabbas and hands Jesus over to be crucified.
• He has a title reading "The King of the Jews" placed on the cross, and he grants the body to Joseph of Arimathea.

Significance Within Scripture

In Acts 3:13, 4:27, and 13:28, the apostles mention Pilate by name when proclaiming the death of Jesus. 1 Timothy 6:13 speaks of Christ Jesus, "who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession." His name also appears in the Apostles' Creed and the Nicene Creed. This reference is understood to affirm that the suffering of Jesus was an actual event that took place at a specific point in history.

Interpretation and Issues

• The question of responsibility: The Gospels portray Pilate as a man who knew Jesus was innocent yet yielded to the pressure of the crowd. By contrast, first-century Jewish writers such as Josephus and Philo describe him as a harsh ruler. Scholars differ on how to reconcile these two portraits.
• The antisemitism controversy: The cry of the crowd in Matthew 27:25 has at times been used to condemn the Jewish people as a whole. Many churches and theologians today reject this reading.
• Historicity: In 1961 a stone inscription bearing his name and title was discovered at Caesarea.
• Extrabiblical traditions: The name "Claudia Procula" for his wife and various accounts of his final fate are later traditions not found in Scripture. The Ethiopian Church is reported to commemorate Pilate as a saint, and the Greek Orthodox Church to commemorate his wife.

In Korean Churches

Members of churches that confess the Apostles' Creed regularly encounter his name in the phrase "suffered under Pontius Pilate." In Holy Week sermons, the scene in which he washes his hands is commonly presented as an example of evading responsibility despite knowing the truth.