Homilies on the Gospel of St. John and the Epistle to the Hebrews

NPNF (V1-14)St. Chrysostom“How then when the judge said, ‘Take ye him, and judge him according to your law,’ did yereply, ‘It is not lawful for us to put any man to death,’ while here ye fly to the law? And considerthe charge, ‘He made himself the Son of God.’ Tell me, is this a ground of accusation, that He whoperformed the deeds of the Son of God should call Himself the Son of God?” What then doth Christ?While they held this dialogue one with the other, He held His peace, fulfilling that saying of theProphet, that “He openeth not his mouth: in His humiliation His judgment was taken away.” ( Isa.liii. 7, 8 , LXX.)Then Pilate is alarmed 2449 when he hears from them, that He made Himself the Son of God,and dreads lest the assertion may possibly be true, and he should seem to transgress; but these menwho had learnt this, both by His deeds and words, did not shudder, but are putting Him to deathfor the very reasons for which they ought to have worshiped Him. On this account he no more asksHim, “What hast thou done?” but, shaken by fear, he begins the enquiry again, saying, “Art thouthe Christ?” But He answered not. For he who had heard, “To this end was I born, and for this cameI,” and, “My Kingdom is not of this world,” he, when he ought to have opposed His enemies anddelivered Him, did not so, but seconded the fury of the Jews. Then they being in every way silenced,make their cry issue in a political charge, saying, “He that maketh himself a king, speaketh againstCæsar.” ( Ver. 12 .) Pilate ought therefore to have accurately enquired, whether He had aimed atsovereignty, and set His hand to expel Cæsar from the kingdom. But he makes not an exact enquiry,and therefore Christ answered him nothing, because He knew that he asked all the questions idly.2450Besides, since His works bare witness to Him, He would not prevail by word, nor compose anydefense, showing that He came voluntarily to this condition. When He was silent, Pilate saith,Ver. 10 . “Knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee?” 2451Seest thou how he condemned himself beforehand; for, “if the whole rests with thee, why dostnot thou let Him go, when thou hast found no fault in Him?” When then Pilate had uttered thesentence against himself, then He saith,Ver. 11 . “He that delivered Me unto thee hath the greater sin.”Showing that he also was guilty of sin. Then, to pull down his pride and arrogance, He saith,“Thou wouldst have no power except it were given thee.” 2452Showing that this did not come to pass merely in the common order of events, 2453 but that itwas accomplished mystically. Then lest, when thou hearest, “Except it were given thee,” thoushouldest deem that Pilate was exempt from all blame, on this account therefore He said, “Thereforehe that delivered Me unto thee hath the greater sin.” “And yet if it was given, neither he nor theywere liable to any charge.” “Thou objectest idly; for the ‘given’ in this place means what is ‘allowed’;as though He had said, ‘He hath permitted these things to be, yet not for that are ye clear of the2449Ver. 8, 9 . “ When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he was the more afraid; and went again into the judgment-hall,and saith unto Jesus, Whence art thou? But Jesus gave him no answer. ” N.T.2450εἰκῇ πάντα ἐρωτῶντα . Savile reads ἐ ρωτῶν , with the conjecture ἐ ρῶν . The reading rendered above best suits thesense, and is supported by mss.2451Ver. 10 . “ Then saith Pilate unto Him, Speakest thou not unto me? Knowest thou not that I have power to crucifythee, and have power to release thee? ” N.T.2452“ no power against Me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that, ” &c. N.T.2453τὴν τῶν πολλῶν ἀκολουθίαν , al. τῶν ἄλλων470