Ante-Nicene Fathers/Volume VIII/Apocrypha of the New Testament/Acts of Pilate: Second Greek Form/Chapter 3

Chapter 3.

Pilate therefore went outside in rage and anger, and says to Annas and Caiaphas, and to the crowd who brought Jesus:&#160; I take the sun to witness that I find no fault in this man.&#160; The crowd answered:&#160; If he were not a sorcerer, and a magician, and a blasphemer, we should not have brought him to your highness.&#160; Pilate said:&#160; Try him yourselves; and since you have a law, do as your law says.&#160; The Jews said:&#160; Our law permits to put no man to death. &#160; Pilate says:&#160; If you are unwilling to put him to death, how much more am I!

Then Pilate returned to the palace, and says to Jesus:&#160; Tell me, art thou the king of the Jews?&#160; Jesus answered:&#160; Dost thou say this, or have the other Jews said this to thee, that thou mightst question me?&#160; Pilate said:&#160; Thou dost not think that I am a Hebrew?&#160; I am not a Hebrew.&#160; Thy people and the chief priests have delivered thee into my hands; and tell me if thou art king of the Jews?&#160; Jesus answered:&#160; My kingdom is not of this world; for if my kingdom were in this world, my soldiers would not be unconcerned at my being seized:&#160; wherefore my kingdom is not in this world.&#160; Pilate says:&#160; But art thou a king?&#160; Jesus said:&#160; Thou hast said:&#160; for this was I born, to bear witness to the truth; and if any one be a man of the truth, he believes my word, and does it.&#160; Pilate says:&#160; What is the truth? &#160; Jesus answered:&#160; The truth is from the heavens.&#160; Pilate says:&#160; On earth, then, is there no truth?&#160; Christ says:&#160; I am the truth; and how is the truth judged on earth by those that have earthly power!