Christ accused by the NICODEMUS. The Gospel of NICODEMUS disciple, concerning the Suffering and Resurrection of our Master and Saviour JESUS CHRIST. CHAP. I. 1 Christ accused to Pilate by the Jews of healing on the sabbath. 9 summoned before Pilate by a messenger who does him honour, 20 worshipped by the standards bowing down to him. NNAS and Caiphas, and win 9 forth, Jews bejore Pilate before your the mon him to appear maliel, Judas, Levi, Nepthalim, Alexander, Cyrus, and other Jews, went to Pilate about Jesus, accusing him with many bad crimes. 2 And said, We are assured that Jesus is the son of Joseph the carpenter,' and born of Mary, and that he declares himself the Son of God, and a king ; and not only so, but attempts the dissolution of the sabbath, and the laws of our fathers. 3 Pilate replied; What is it which he declares and what is it which he attempts dissolving? 4 The Jews told him, We have a law which forbids doing cures on the sabbath day; but he cures both the lame and the deaf, those afflicted with the palsy, the blind, and lepers, and demoniacs, on that day by wicked methods. 5 Pilate replied, How can he do this by wicked methods? They answered, He is a conjurer, and casts out devils by the prince of the devils; and so all things become subject to him. 6 Then said Pilate, Casting out devils seems not to be the work of an unclean spirit, but to proceed from the power of God. messenger hen he saw spread in his him, TO 11 Then Pilate called the messenger, and said, Why hast thou done thus? 12 The messenger replied, When thou sentest me from Jerusalem to Alexander, I saw Jesus sitting in a mean figure upon a she-ass, and the children of the Hebrews cried out, Hosanrah, holding boughs of trees in thir hands. 13 Others spread their garments in the way, and said, Save us, thou who art in heaven; blessed is he who cometh in the name of the Lord." 14 Then the Jews cried out, against the messenger, and said, The children of the Hebrews made their acclamations in the Hebrew language; and how couldst thou, who art a Greek, understand the Hebrew? 7 The Jews replied to Pilate, We entreat your highness to sumMatt. xiii. 55, and John vi. 42. 3 Matt. xii. 2, &c.; Luke xiii. 14. John, v. 18. iv, 24, and xi. 5. Matt. i 34, and xii. 24, &c. 2 John v. 17, 18. 4 Mark xv. 2 Exod. xx. 8, &c. Matt. Mat. xxi. & &% es Christ worshipped by NICODEMUS. the standards. 15 The messenger answered they bowed themselves and worthem and said, I asked one of the shipped him. Jews and said, What is this which the children do cry out in the Hebrew language? 16 And he explained it to me, aying, they cry out Hosannah, which being interpreted, is, O Lord, save me; or, O Lord, save. 17 Pilate then said to them, Why do you yourselves testify to the words spoken by the children, namely, by your silence? In what has the messenger done amiss? And they were silent. 18 Then the governor said unto the messenger, Go forth and endeavour by any means to bring him in. 19 But the messenger went forth, and did as before; and said, Lord, come in, for the governor calleth thee. 4 20 And as Jesus was going in by the ensigns, who carried the standards, the tops of them bowed down and worshipped Jesus. 26 Then said Pilate to the rulers of the synagogue, Do ye yourselves choose some strong men, and let them hold the standards, and we shall see whether they will then bend of themselves. 27 So the elders of the Jews sought out twelve of the most strong and able old men, and made them hold the standards and they stood in the presence of the governor. 28 Then Pilate said to the messenger, Take Jesus out, and by some means bring him in again. And Jesus and the messenger went out of the hall. 29 And Pilate called the ensigns who before had borne the standards, and swore to them, that if they had not borne the standards in that manner when Jesus before entered in, he would cut off their heads. 30 Then the governor comex-manded Jesus to come in again. 21 Whereupon the Jews claimed more vehemently against the ensigns. 22 But Pilate said to the Jews, I know it is not pleasing to you that the tops of the standards did of themselves bow and worship Jesus; but why do ye exclaim against the ensigns, as if they had ents bowed and worshipped? hou 24 Then the governor called Out, he ensigns and said unto them, Why did you do thus ? aid, ade ew 25 The ensigns said to Pilate, We are all Pagans and worship 31 And the messenger did as he had done before, and very much entreated Jesus that he would go upon his cloak, and walk on it, and he did walk upon it, and went in. 32 And when Jesus went in, the standards bowed themselves as before, and worshipped him. CHAP. II 2 Is compassionated by Pilate's wife, 7 charged with being born in fornication 12 Testimony to the betrothing of his parents. Hatred of the Jews to him. was afraid, and was about OW when Pilate saw this, he the gods in temples; and how to rise from his seat. 2 But while he thought to rise, his own wife who stood at a distance, sent to him, saying, Have Charged with being NICODEMUS. born in fornication thou nothing to do with that just | tion, and is a conjuror; but they man; for I have suffered much who deny him to be born through concerning him in a vision this fornication, are his proselytes and night.' disciples. 3 When the Jews heard this they said to Pilate, Did we not say unto thee, He is a conjuror? Behold, he hath caused thy wife to dream. 4 Pilate then calling Jesus, said, thou hast heard what they testify against thee, and makest no answer? 5 Jesus replied, If they had not a power of speaking, they could not have spoke; but because every one has the command of his own tongue, to speak both good and bad, let him look to it. 6 But the elders of the Jews answered, and said to Jesus, What shall we look to? 7 In the first place, we know this concerning thee, that thou wast born through fornication; secondly, that upon the account of thy birth the infants were slain in Bethlehem; thirdly that thy father and mother Mary fled into Egypt, because they could not trust their own people. 8 Some of the Jews who stood by spake more favourably, We cannot say that he was born through fornication; but we know that his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, and so he was not born through fornication. 9 Then said Pilate to the Jews who affirmed him to be born through fornication, This your account is not true, seeing there was betrothment, as they testify who are of your own nation. 10 Annas and Caiphas spake to Pilate, All this multitude of people is to be regarded, who cry out, that he was born through fornica Matt. xxvii. 19 11 Pilate answered Annas and Caiphas, Who are the proselytes? They answered, they are those who are the children of Pagans and are not become Jews, but followers of him. 12 Then replied Eleazer, and Asterius, and Antonius, and James, Caras and Samuel, Isaac and l'hinees, Crispus and Agrippa, Annas and Judas, We are not proselytes, but children of Jews, and speak the truth, and were present when Mary was betrothed. 13 Then Pilate addressing himself to the twelve men who spake this, said to them, I conjure you by the life of Cæsar, that ye faithfully declare whether he was born through fornication, and those things be true which ye have related. 14 They answered Pilate, We have a law, whereby we are forbid to swear, it being a sin: Let them swear by the life of Cæsar that it is not as we have said, and we will be contented to be put to death. 15 Then said Anna and Caiphas to l'ilate, Those twelve men will not believe that we know him to be basely born, and to be a conjuror, although he pretends that he is the son of God, and a king:' which we are so far from believing, that we tremble to hear. 16 Then Pilate commanded every one to go out except the twelve men who said he was not born through fornication, and Jesus to withdraw to a distance, and said to them, Why have the Jews a mind to kill Jesus? John v. 17, 18; Mark xv. 2. Christ disputes NICODEMUS. with Pilate 17 They answered him. They | I should not have been delivered are angry because he wrought to the Jews; but now my kingdom cures on the sabbath day. Pilate is not from hence. said, Will they kill him for a good work They say unto him, Yes, Sir. CHAP. III. 1 Is exonerated by Pilate. 11 Disputes with Pilate concerning Truth. THEN HEN Pilate, filled with anger, went out of the hall, and said to the Jews, I call the whole world to witness that I find no fault in that man.' 2 The Jews replied to Pilate, If he had not been a wicked person, we had not brought him before thee. 3 Pilate said to them, Do ye take him and try him by your law. 4 Then the Jews said, It is not lawful for us to put any one to death. 5 Pilate said to the Jews, The command, therefore thou shalt not kill,s belongs to you, but not to me. 6 And he went again into the hall, and called Jesus by himself, and said to him, Art thou the king of the Jews? 7 And Jesus answering, said to Pilate, Dost thou speak this of thyself, or did the Jews tell it thee concerning me? 8 l'ilate answering, said to Josus, Am I a Jew? The whole nation and rulers of the Jews have delivered thee up to me. What hast thou done? 9 Jesus answering, said, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, and 10 Pilate said, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king: to this end was I born, and for this end came I into the world; and for tils purpose I came, that I should bear witness to the truth; and every one who is of the truth, heareth my voice. 11 Pilate saith to him, What is truth? 12 Jesus said, Truth is from heaven. 13 Pilate said, Therefore truth is not on earth. 14 Jesus said to Pilate, Believe that truth is on earth among those, who when they have the power of judgment, are governed by truth, and form right judg ment. T CHAP. IV. 1 Pilate finds no fault in Jesus. 16 The Jews demand his crucifixion. NHEN Pilate left Jesus in the hall, and went out to the Jews, and said, I find not any one fault in Jesus. 2 The Jews say unto him, But he said, I can destroy the temple of God, and in three days build it up again. 3 Pilate saith unto them, What sort of temple is that of which he speaketh? 4 The Jews say unto him, That which Solomon was forty-six years in building, he said he would destroy, and in three days build up. | 5 l'ilate said to them again, I am innocent from the blood of that man; do ye look to it.s Exod. xx. 13. 'John x. 32. John xviii. 31, &c. 'John. 20. Pilate inclines to Christ. NICODEMUS. The Jews demand his death. 6 The Jews say to him, His blood be upon us and our children. Then Pilate calling together the elders and scribes, priests and Levites, saith to them privately, Do not act thus; I have found nothing in your charge (against him) concerning his curing sick persons, and breaking the sabbath, worthy of death. 7 The Priests and Levites replied to Pilate, By the life of Cæsar, if any one be a blasphemer, he is worthy of death; but this man hath blasphemed against the Lord. 8 Then the governor again commanded the Jews to depart out of the hall; and calling Jesus, said to him, What shall I do with thee? 9 Jesus answered him, Do according as it is written. 10 Pilate said to him, How is it written? 11 Jesus saith to him, Moses and the prophets have prophesied concerning my suffering and resurrection. 12 The Jews hearing this, were provoked, and said to Pilate, Why wilt thou any longer hear the blasphemy of that man? 13 Pilate saith to them, If these words seem to you blasphemy, do ye take him, bring him to your court, and try him according to your law. 14 The Jews reply to Pilate, Our law saith, he shall be obliged to receive nine and thirty stripes, but if after this manner he shall blaspheme against the Lord, he shall be stoned. 15 Pilate saith unto them, If that speech of his was blasphemy, Leviticus xxiv. 16. doyetry him according to your law. 16 The Jews say to Pilate, Our law command us not to put any one to death we desire that he may be crucified, because he deserves the death of the cross. 17 Pilate saith to them, It is not fit he should be crucified : let him he only whipped and sent away. 18 But when the governor looked upon the people that were present and the Jews, he saw many of the Jews in tears, and said to the chief priests of the Jews, All the people do not desire his death. 19 The elders of the Jews answered to Pilate, We and all the people came hither for this very purpose, that he should die. 20 Pilate saith to them, Why should he die? 21 They said to him, Because he declares himself to be the Son of God, and a King. Luke xxiii. 16. Exodus xx. 13. |