John 18:38 is the 38th verse in

chapter 18 Chapter or Chapters may refer to: Books * Chapter (books), a main division of a piece of writing or document * Chapter book, a story book intended for intermediate readers, generally age 7–10 * Chapters (bookstore), Canadian big box booksto ...

of the Gospel of John in the New Testament of

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

Bible. It is often referred to as "jesting

Pilate Pontius Pilate (; grc-gre, Πόντιος Πιλᾶτος, ) was the fifth governor of the Roman province of Judaea, serving under Emperor Tiberius from 26/27 to 36/37 AD. He is best known for being the official who presided over the trial of J ...

". In it, Pontius Pilate questions Jesus' claim that he is "witness to the truth" ( John 18:37).''The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: The Complete New Testament'' by Warren W. Wiersbe 2007 page 303''Ask Augustine'' by Paul A. Tambrino 2006 pages 192-194 Following this statement, Pilate tells Jewish authorities outside that he does not consider Jesus guilty of any crime.

Text

Analysis

The exact intention of Pilate has been subject to debate among scholars, with no firm conclusion. His statement may have been made in jest that the trial was a mockery, or he may have sincerely intended to reflect on the philosophical position that truth is hard to ascertain. The Greek word rendered as "truth" in English translations is " aletheia", which literally means "unconcealed" and connotes sincerity in addition to factuality and reality; whereas Jesus' use of the term appears to indicate absolute, revealed knowledge. This verse reflects the Christian tradition of the "guiltlessness of Jesus" in

Pilate's Court In the canonical gospels, Pilate's court refers to the trial of Jesus in praetorium before Pontius Pilate, preceded by the Sanhedrin Trial. In the Gospel of Luke, Pilate finds that Jesus, being from Galilee, belonged to Herod Antipas' jurisdict ...

.''The Gospel of John'' by Francis J. Moloney, Daniel J. Harrington 1998 pages 488-489 The innocence of Jesus is important in the Gospel of John, given that it emphasizes Jesus as the

Lamb of God Lamb of God ( el, Ἀμνὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ, Amnòs toû Theoû; la, Agnus Dei, ) is a title for Jesus that appears in the Gospel of John. It appears at John 1:29, where John the Baptist sees Jesus and exclaims, "Behold the Lamb of God wh ...

. In addition to the guiltlessness of Jesus this verse also reflects the rejection of the truth of God: Jesus, the witness to truth was

rejected ''Rejected'' is an animated film directed by Don Hertzfeldt that was released in 2000. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film the following year at the 73rd Academy Awards, and received 27 awards from film festivals ...

, ignored and condemned.

Literary references

This verse has been widely quoted and alluded to in culture and literature, particularly in that of philosophical nature. While Pilate's question—whether intended philosophically, jestfully, rhetorically, or born of frustration at the lack of a plain answer—is by no means the only incident of someone questioning the nature of truth, it has been drawn upon many times as a significant occurrence thereof. Francis Bacon uses this musing to open his essay ''Of Truth'', saying that Pilate "would not stay for an answer". He uses this to introduce his theme of truth as an affirmation of faith. Friedrich Nietzsche wrote of the line and extended praise to Pilate:

"Do I still have to add that in the entire New Testament there is only ''one'' solitary figure one is obliged to respect? Pilate, the Roman governor. To take a Jewish affair ''seriously'' - he cannot persuade himself to do that. One Jew more or less - what does it matter ?... The noble scorn of a Roman before whom an impudent misuse of the word 'truth' was carried on has enriched the New Testament with the only expression ''which'' ''possesses'' ''value'' - which is its criticism, its ''annihilation'' even: 'What is truth?..." (Nietzsche, writing in '' The Antichrist'', §46)

Mikhail Bulgakov Mikhail Afanasyevich Bulgakov ( rus, links=no, Михаил Афанасьевич Булгаков, p=mʲɪxɐˈil ɐfɐˈnasʲjɪvʲɪtɕ bʊlˈɡakəf; – 10 March 1940) was a Soviet writer, medical doctor, and playwright active in the fir ...

fictionally expands on the relationship between Pilate and Jesus in his novel ''

Master and Margarita ''The Master and Margarita'' (russian: Мастер и Маргарита) is a novel by Soviet writer Mikhail Bulgakov, written in the Soviet Union between 1928 and 1940 during Stalin's regime. A censored version, with several chapters cut by ...

''. Specific reference to John 18:38 comes in Chapter 2 of the novel entitled "Pontius Pilate", in which he asks the very question "What is truth?" to Jesus ("Jeshua Ha-Notsri" - "Jesus of Nazareth" in Hebrew). J. L. Austin, the ordinary-language philosopher, in a symposium on truth, begins with some paragraphs from the Bacon essay but expands the commentary to many pages, using the approaches of modern logic. In his novella (and play) '' Home Truths'', David Lodge lets the writer Adrian Ludlow quote "What is truth? said jesting Pilate, and would not stay for an answer" when he is interviewed by the journalist Fanny Tarrant, known for her vicious and perhaps not entirely truthful interviews. In Robert A. Heinlein's novel '' Stranger in a Strange Land'', principal character Jubal Harshaw, in response to Valentine Michael Smith’s query "What is 'truth'?", thinks “('What is Truth?' asked a Roman judge, and washed his hands of a troublesome question. Jubal wished that he could do likewise.)"

References

External links

Of truth
part of Francis Bacon's Essays. {{Gospel of John New Testament words and phrases Truth Gospel of John Pontius Pilate

Text

Analysis

Literary references

See also

References

External links