Church Fathers Commentary Luke 23:1-5

"And the whole company of them rose up, and brought him before Pilate. And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this man perverting our nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ a king. And Pilate asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And he answered him and said, Thou sayest. And Pilate said unto the chief priests and the multitudes, I find no fault in this man. But they were the more urgent, saying, He stirreth up the people, teaching throughout all Judaea, and beginning from Galilee even unto this place." — Luke 23:1-5 (ASV)

St. Augustine of Hippo: After Luke finished relating Peter's denial, he recounted everything that took place concerning our Lord that morning, mentioning some details the others omitted. And so he composed his narrative, giving an account similar to the others, when he says, And the whole multitude of them arose, and led him to Pilate.

The Venerable Bede: This was so that the word of Jesus might be fulfilled which He prophesied about His own death: He shall be delivered to the Gentiles—that is, to the Romans. For Pilate was a Roman, and the Romans had sent him as governor to Judea.

St. Augustine of Hippo: He next relates what happened before Pilate, as follows: And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this fellow perverting our nation. Matthew and Mark do not record this, though they do affirm that they accused Him, but Luke has revealed the very charges they falsely brought against Him.

Theophylact of Ohrid: They are most plainly opposed to the truth. For our Lord was so far from forbidding the payment of tribute that He commanded it to be given. How then did He pervert the people? Was it so that He could take possession of the kingdom? This is incredible to everyone, for when the whole crowd wished to make Him their king, He was aware of it and fled.

The Venerable Bede: Now, since two charges had been brought against our Lord—namely, that He forbade paying tribute to Caesar and that He called Himself Christ the King—it may be that Pilate had happened to hear what our Lord said: Render to Caesar the things which be Caesar’s. Therefore, setting aside this accusation as a palpable lie of the Jews, he thought it best to ask only about the one thing he knew nothing of: the claim about the kingdom. For it follows, Pilate asked him, saying, Are you the King of the Jews?

Theophylact of Ohrid: It seems to me that he asked Christ this question to mock the shamelessness or hypocrisy of the alleged charge. It is as if he said: You, a poor, humble, and defenseless man, with no one to help you, are accused of seeking a kingdom—for which you would need many supporters and a great deal of money.

The Venerable Bede: He answers the governor with the same words He used to the chief priests, so that Pilate might be condemned by his own statement, for it follows: And he answering said, You say.

Theophylact of Ohrid: Now, finding nothing else to support their slander, they resorted to shouting, for it follows: And they were the more fierce, saying, He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Jewry, beginning from Galilee to this place. It is as if they said: He is subverting the people, not in one region only, but starting from Galilee He has come to this place, having passed through all of Judea.

I think, then, that they purposely mentioned Galilee, wanting to alarm Pilate, for the Galileans were known to be a different sect and prone to sedition—for example, Judas of Galilee, who is mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles.

The Venerable Bede: But with these words, they do not accuse Him, but themselves. For to have taught the people, and by that teaching to have roused them from their former idleness, and to have done this throughout the entire promised land, was evidence not of sin, but of virtue.

St. Ambrose of Milan: Our Lord is accused and is silent, for He needs no defense. Let those who fear being conquered scramble for a defense. He does not, then, confirm the accusation by His silence; rather, He shows His contempt for it by not refuting it.

Why then should He, who does not seek His own safety, be afraid? The Safety of all humanity forfeits His own, so that He may gain the safety of all.