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Jesus Before Pilate
…37“Then You are a king!” Pilate said. “You say that I am a king,” Jesus answered. “For this reason I was born and have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to My voice.”38“Whatistruth?”Pilateasked.Andhaving saidthis,he went outagaintotheJewsandtoldthem,“Ifindnobasis for a chargeagainstHim.39But it is your custom that I release to you one prisoner at the Passover. So then, do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?”…

Treasury of Scripture

Pilate said to him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them, I find in him no fault at all.

What.

Acts 17:19,20,32
And they took him, and brought him unto Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new doctrine, whereof thou speakest,is? …

Acts 24:25,26
And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee…

I find.

John 19:4,6,21,22
Pilate therefore went forth again, and saith unto them, Behold, I bring him forth to you, that ye may know that I find no fault in him…

Matthew 27:18,19,24
For he knew that for envy they had delivered him…

Mark 15:14
Then Pilate said unto them, Why, what evil hath he done? And they cried out the more exceedingly, Crucify him.

BasisChargeCrimeFaultFindForthGuiltJewsPilateSoonerTruthTrue.WhateverWordsWrongBasisChargeCrimeFaultFindForthGuiltJewsPilateSoonerTruthTrue.WhateverWordsWrong1.Judas betrays Jesus.
6.The officers fall to the ground.
10.Peter cuts off Malchus' ear.
12.Jesus is taken, and led unto Annas and Caiaphas.
15.Peter's denial.
19.Jesus examined before Caiaphas.
25.Peter's second and third denial.
28.Jesus arraigned before Pilate.
36.His kingdom.
40.The Jews prefer Barabbas.

“What is truth?” Pilate asked.
This question posed by Pontius Pilate is one of the most profound in the New Testament, reflecting a skeptical or perhaps cynical attitude towards the concept of absolute truth. In the Greco-Roman world, truth was often seen as relative, with various philosophical schools offering differing perspectives. Pilate's question may indicate his dismissal of the idea that there is a single, knowable truth, contrasting with Jesus' earlier declaration inJohn 14:6, "I am the way, the truth, and the life." This moment highlights the tension between worldly power and divine truth, as Pilate, a Roman governor, represents earthly authority, while Jesus embodies divine truth.

And having said this, he went out again to the Jews
Pilate's action of going out to the Jews signifies the political and social dynamics at play. The Jewish leaders had brought Jesus to Pilate, seeking a Roman execution because they lacked the authority to carry out capital punishment under Roman rule. Pilate's movement between Jesus and the Jewish leaders underscores his role as a mediator in this tense situation. The Jewish leaders were outside the praetorium to avoid ceremonial defilement before the Passover, which is why Pilate had to go out to them, highlighting the cultural and religious customs of the time.

and told them, “I find no basis for a charge against Him.”
Pilate's declaration of Jesus' innocence is significant, as it fulfills the prophetic imagery of the suffering servant inIsaiah 53:9, who was without deceit or wrongdoing. Despite the accusations from the Jewish leaders, Pilate, representing Roman law, finds no legal grounds for Jesus' execution. This statement is crucial in the narrative, as it emphasizes Jesus' sinlessness and the injustice of His trial and crucifixion. It also foreshadows the ultimate sacrifice Jesus would make, as the Lamb of God, without blemish or defect, as described in1 Peter 1:19.

1.Pontius Pilate
The Roman governor of Judea who presided over the trial of Jesus. He is known for his question, "What is truth?" which reflects a skeptical or dismissive attitude towards the concept of absolute truth.

2.Jesus Christ
The central figure of Christianity, who is on trial before Pilate. Jesus is the embodiment of truth, as He declared earlier inJohn 14:6, "I am the way and the truth and the life."

3.The Jews
Referring to the Jewish leaders and crowd who brought Jesus to Pilate, seeking His crucifixion. They represent the religious authority of the time, who rejected Jesus as the Messiah.

4.The Praetorium
The Roman governor's headquarters where Jesus was taken for trial. It is a place of political power and decision-making.

5.The Trial of Jesus
A pivotal event in the Passion account, where Jesus is judged by human authorities, leading to His crucifixion and ultimate sacrifice for humanity's sins.The Nature of Truth
Truth is not subjective or relative; it is embodied in the person of Jesus Christ. As believers, we are called to seek and uphold the truth found in God's Word.

The Irony of Pilate's Question
Pilate's question, "What is truth?" reveals a deep irony, as he stands before the One who is Truth. This challenges us to recognize and accept truth when it is presented to us.

The Role of Authority and Justice
Pilate's failure to act justly despite recognizing Jesus' innocence serves as a warning against the misuse of authority and the importance of standing for righteousness.

The Rejection of Truth
The Jewish leaders' rejection of Jesus as the Messiah reflects humanity's tendency to reject truth that challenges or convicts. We must guard against hardening our hearts to God's truth.

Living Out the Truth
As followers of Christ, we are called to live out the truth in our daily lives, reflecting Christ's character and teachings in our interactions with others.1.What is the meaning of John 18:38?

2.How does Pilate's question, "What is truth?" challenge our understanding of truth today?

3.In what ways can we discern truth in a world of moral relativism?

4.How does John 18:38 connect with Jesus' claim in John 14:6?

5.How can we apply Pilate's encounter with Jesus to our daily decision-making?

6.What steps can we take to ensure we are living by biblical truth?

7.What did Pilate mean by asking, "What is truth?" in John 18:38?

8.How does John 18:38 challenge the concept of absolute truth?

9.Why did Jesus remain silent after Pilate's question in John 18:38?

10.What are the top 10 Lessons from John 18?

11.What is truth according to the Bible?

12.Who killed Jesus?

13.Why does Pilate, a known ruthless governor, appear unusually hesitant in sentencing Jesus?

14.What is truth according to the Bible?What is truth?

– Pilate’s cynical question reveals more about his own heart than any deficiency in Jesus’ testimony.

• Just moments earlier, Jesus said, “For this reason I was born and have come into the world, to testify to the truth” (John 18:37).

• Truth is not an abstract concept; it is embodied in Christ Himself: “I am the way and the truth and the life” (John 14:6).

• Scripture consistently equates God’s Word with truth: “Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth” (John 17:17).

• Pilate’s shrug echoes the relativism of every age—yet God’s Word stands firm (Psalm 119:160).

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Pilate asked

– The Roman governor voices the question, but he does not wait for the answer.

• Political expediency outweighs spiritual curiosity; contrast Pilate with the Bereans, who “examined the Scriptures daily” (Acts 17:11).

• Earthly authority confronts divine authority: “You would have no power over Me if it were not given to you from above” (John 19:11).

• Pilate’s question becomes a timeless mirror—each listener must decide whether to receive or dismiss the testimony of Christ (John 3:19–21).

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And having said this

– The conversation ends abruptly; Pilate turns his back on the very Truth he has just questioned.

• Like Felix who was “afraid and answered, ‘Go away for now’ ” (Acts 24:25), Pilate postpones a decision that demands immediate obedience.

• Isaiah foretold such rejection: “He was despised and rejected by men” (Isaiah 53:3).

• Yet Jesus remains silent, fulfilling His role as the sacrificial Lamb (1 Peter 2:23).

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He went out again to the Jews

– Pilate shuttles between Jesus inside the Praetorium and the crowd outside, picturing divided loyalties.

• Earlier he told them, “Take Him yourselves and judge Him by your own law” (John 18:31).

• Repeatedly he announces Jesus’ innocence (John 19:4, 6), yet refuses to act on that conviction.

• The crowd represents Israel’s leadership, fulfillingPsalm 118:22: “The Stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.”

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I find no basis for a charge against Him

– Pilate’s legal verdict underscores the spotless righteousness of Christ.

• Luke records the same conclusion: “I find no basis for a charge against this man” (Luke 23:4).

• Jesus “committed no sin, and no deceit was found in His mouth” (1 Peter 2:22).

• His innocence qualifies Him to be our perfect substitute: “God made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us” (2 Corinthians 5:21).

• Even an unbelieving governor unwittingly testifies to the Lamb “without blemish or spot” (1 Peter 1:19).

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summary

John 18:38 captures the tragic irony of an unbeliever standing face-to-face with incarnate Truth yet turning away. Pilate’s question exposes humanity’s skepticism, his actions reveal divided loyalties, and his verdict affirms Christ’s sinless perfection. The passage calls every reader to move beyond curiosity to confession, embracing the One who is Truth Himself.

(38)Pilate saith unto him, What is truth?--"'What is truth?' said jesting Pilate, and would not stay for an answer." Such is Lord Bacon's well-known interpretation of Pilate's well-known question. Others have seen in it the bitterness of a mind that had been tossed to and fro in the troubled sea of contemporaneous thought, and despaired of an anchorage. Others, again; have traced the tone of sarcasm in the governor's words--"Is the son of Roman freedom and Greek thought, which had at this time been welded into one power, to learn truth of a Jewish enthusiast?" while the older interpreters, for the most part, regarded the question as that of an earnest inquirer desiring to be satisfied. These are a few among the many thoughts the passage has suggested; and yet none of them seem to give the natural impression which follows from the words. Bacon's is nearest to it, but Pilate was far from jesting. He seems rather to have been irritated by the refusal of the Jews to furnish a formal accusation (John 18:31), and more so at the question of Jesus inJohn 18:34, and the subtleties, as he thinks them, ofJohn 18:36. This seems to him to be another, and at all events it is wholly irrelevant to the question at issue. He has neither time nor will to deal with it, and at once goes from the palace again to the Jews.

I find in him no fault at all.--Better,I findno crime in Him. St. John uses the word rendered "fault" only in this phrase. (Comp.John 19:4;John 19:6.) It is used by St. Matthew (Matthew 27:37) for the technical "accusation written, This is Jesus, the King of the Jews," and this seems to be the sense here. "I find no ground for the legal charge (John 18:33). Whatever He may be, there is no proof of treason against the majesty of Caesar." . . .

Verse 38. -Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? The aphorism of Lord Bacon, "'What is truth?' said jesting Pilate, and did not wait for an answer," scarcely represents the reality oft-he case. Pilate was not scornfully jesting with a metaphysical problem, nor professing himself hopelessly baffled in search for it. The language was not the utterance of irrepressible homage to his mysterious Prisoner, or heartfelt sympathy with him. For on this supposition why did he not wait for some more words of strange unearthly wisdom? Nor does he go so far in his skepticism as Pliny the Eider did when he said, "that there is only one thing certain, viz. that there is nothing certain;" but as a man of the world having to do with Roman authority or intrigue and Jewish fanaticism, Pilate despised earnestness and zeal, and was utterly unable to believe in the existence of a world or region where any higher reality than force prevailed. But the governor was now, with his narrow range of thought, strongly convinced that Jesus was utterly innocent of the charge brought against him. The unanswered question is equivalent to this - What has truth to do with kingship? What has the vague shadowy region over which this poor king reigns to do with plots against Caesar? He saw enough to induce him to break off the interview within the Praetorium, and he proceeded, though vainly, to deliver a verdict on the case.When he had said this, he went out to the Jews, and said, I find no crime in him. Here, however, must be introduced the scenes described by Matthew, Mark, and especially by Luke - scenes of loud and angry dispute and renewed and fierce accusation (Matthew 27:12-14;Mark 15:3-5;Luke 23:4-12). In all three accounts, after the admission that he was King of the Jews, the loud, fierce accusations followed in which our Lord, notwithstanding the repeated summons of Pilate, "answered nothing." At this the governor marveled greatly (Matthew and Mark). It is not impossible that the first question which Pilate put to himwithin the Praetorium was renewed and laconically answered with theΣὺ λέγεις, as before I but all the wild roar of the chief priests and people could extract nothing more. This silence in face of the accusation of the mob astonished Pilate, and made him more than ever convinced of the innocence of his Prisoner. B. Weiss shows conclusively how much light this interview with Pilate throws on the synoptic narrative; that, in fact, Pilate's whole conduct is only explicable on the supposition that he had received cogent reasons to disarm all political mistrust (see 'Life of Jesus,' vol. 3. pp. 348, 349). Westcott says, "It is of great interest to compare this confession before Pilate with the corresponding confession before the high priest (Matthew 26:64). The one addressed to the Jews is in the language of prophecy, the other addressed to a Roman appeals to the verdict of universal conscience. The one speaks of a future manifestation ofglory, the other of a present manifestation oftruth."

Parallel Commentaries ...


“What
Τί(Ti)
Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Nominative Neuter Singular
Strong's 5101:Who, which, what, why. Probably emphatic of tis; an interrogative pronoun, who, which or what.

is
ἐστιν(estin)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1510:I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.

truth?”
ἀλήθεια(alētheia)
Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 225:From alethes; truth.

Pilate
Πιλᾶτος(Pilatos)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 4091:Pilate. Of Latin origin; close-pressed, i.e. Firm; Pilatus, a Roman.

asked.
Λέγει(Legei)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 3004:(a) I say, speak; I mean, mention, tell, (b) I call, name, especially in the pass., (c) I tell, command.

And
Καὶ(Kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532:And, even, also, namely.

having said
εἰπὼν(eipōn)
Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2036:Answer, bid, bring word, command. A primary verb; to speak or say.

this,
τοῦτο(touto)
Demonstrative Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 3778:This; he, she, it.

he went out
ἐξῆλθεν(exēlthen)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1831:To go out, come out. From ek and erchomai; to issue.

again
πάλιν(palin)
Adverb
Strong's 3825:Probably from the same as pale; anew, i.e. back, once more, or furthermore or on the other hand.

to
πρὸς(pros)
Preposition
Strong's 4314:To, towards, with. A strengthened form of pro; a preposition of direction; forward to, i.e. Toward.

the
τοὺς(tous)
Article - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3588:The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

Jews
Ἰουδαίους(Ioudaious)
Adjective - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's 2453:Jewish. From Iouda; Judaean, i.e. Belonging to Jehudah.

and
καὶ(kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532:And, even, also, namely.

told
λέγει(legei)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 3004:(a) I say, speak; I mean, mention, tell, (b) I call, name, especially in the pass., (c) I tell, command.

them,
αὐτοῖς(autois)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 846:He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

“I
Ἐγὼ(Egō)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative 1st Person Singular
Strong's 1473:I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I.

find
εὑρίσκω(heuriskō)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular
Strong's 2147:A prolonged form of a primary heuro, which heureo is used for it in all the tenses except the present and imperfect to find.

no
οὐδεμίαν(oudemian)
Adjective - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3762:No one, none, nothing.

basis for a charge
αἰτίαν(aitian)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 156:From the same as aiteo; a cause, i.e. reason, crime.

against
ἐν(en)
Preposition
Strong's 1722:In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc.

Him.
αὐτῷ(autō)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846:He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.


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NT Gospels: John 18:38 Pilate said to him What is truth? (Jhn Jo Jn)