Forbidden Gospels and Epistles, Complete

CHAPTER III.

1 Is ex­on­er­at­ed by Pi­late. 11 Dis­putes with Pi­late con­cern­ing truth.

THEN 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, 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 Pi­late an­swer­ing, said to Je­sus, 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 I should not have been de­liv­ered to the Jews: but now my king­dom is not from hence.

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 this 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 saith 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 judg­ment.