Trafford Publishing: How Pilate Became a Christian and Other Abnormalities

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How Pilate Became a Christian and Other Abnormalities

by John Steinberg

186 pages; quality trade paperback (softcover); catalogue #02-0443; ISBN 1-55369-630-1; US$19.00, C$21.95, EUR15.50, £11.00

The book takes a fresh look at the Christian faith, paying special attention to the believer's position in relation to politics. This book is not meant for entertainment purposes, rather it will be of interest to people who want more than a superficial investigation.

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about the book about the author sample excerpts or Table of Contents catalogue info

About the Book

The knowledge of good and evil, the compulsion to distinguish between right and wrong, our longing for justice, these are characteristics which distinguish us from the animals. More than that: they are characteristics which make us "like God" in that we have acquired the right to create our own laws and ethical or moral standards. But we have also become God's rival in the department of justice, which, according to the first pages of the Bible, was off limits to us.

The clash between the two systems of justice is most visible in the trial of Jesus, with Pilate being an exceptional representative of the human system, while it is the task of Jesus to set the record straight on the question of good and evil, a task, which lets him become the Redeemer and Savior of the world. Perhaps, in view of the impending globalization, the time has come to see in Jesus not only a personal, but also a global Savior.

The other investigations in the book are also meant to be eye-openers to the fact that there is a wide gap between human and divine perception of justice.

About the Author

John Steinberg is a trained Social Worker who worked for 14 years as a Child Protection Worker in a Children's Aid Society. He is married and has a son and a daughter and five grandchildren. He worships at a local congregation of the United Church of Canada in his community.

Sample Excerpts or Table of Contents

Pilate gives us his Version

Chapter One

I, Pontius Pilate, was Roman governor in the land of Judea, a position I did not really relish, given the peculiarities of the Jewish nation. But just as one cannot choose one's own place of birth or one's own parents, so it was impossible for me to turn down a position that was assigned to me by our Roman hierarchy. Caesar was the commander in chief, under him was the senate who determined what was politically correct or incorrect. Besides, why should I have rejected a position of power within the Roman Empire? Yes, I was drawn by the prospect of pomp and power. I firmly believed that Roman rule would benefit the world. Indeed, on our agenda stood the civilization of the world, a new world order. We were intent on helping, teaching, improving living standards by promoting trade and commerce, and by introducing our Roman law which we considered to be superior in that our law tried to be fair and just to every nation and tribe. We saw ourselves as liberators who would make the world better and safer, and the differences in our leadership rested mainly with those who were seeking the benefits of Rome at the expense of the conquered, and the more moderate ones who were more altruistic in their views. And I was on the side of the moderates. But yes, we were planning to reorder the world.

Do I surprise you with the realism that can only come from the contemporaries of any given historical era? If I do, it only proves how difficult it is to be objective in our judgments. It is painful to penetrate the mist of history because there is always some form of personal projection involved. After all, did not every empire or world power before and after Rome have similar aspirations? They all want to be a blessing to the world and they all end up with blood on their hands. A global government may look attractive amidst general chaos when people feel more fearful and less secure, but the fact remains: more power leads to more corruption, and more concentrated power leads to more concentrated corruption.

We Romans found ourselves in this dilemma two thousand years ago, and you moderns can hardly claim to have made any progress despite your well-meaning attempts to bring about a world government. You might think, as we Romans did, that you can eliminate the opposition by using the "divide and conquer" approach, or by bribing, or brute force. But the tools you use can also be used against you because people are never satisfied with an enforced peace. As long as people, rightfully or imaginary, feel oppressed, there can be no peace.

We Romans were proud of our achievements. We had conquered the countries around the Mediterranean Sea, and we had left our mark on the British Isles. In general we found only weak resistance, although we were severely beaten back by the Teutonic tribes. But I had to deal with the Jews in the land of Judea who presented us with a myriad of serious problems. No one envied me for my position, for the Jews did not take kindly to our occupation. They felt that it was their mission to be a blessing to the world, and so did Rome. In a way we were competitors or rivals on the world's stage. So I found myself in the midst of many controversies and I was very conscious of the fact that the eyes of Rome were upon me, even though I did not have access to your modern means of communications.

Elsewhere our presence was more or less tolerated; living standards improved wherever Rome built roads and cities and infrastructures by using local labor. Remnants of our works of civilization are visible to this day. This does not necessarily mean that people welcomed us with open arms, but it just proves that when people sense a certain betterment in their everyday lives, they are less inclined to revolt. People can be bought with material progress. On the other hand, people do not run against an iron door, if it is known to be solidly bolted. But I abhorred the rule by military or economic terror.

Of course, no colonial power can remain in control without being confronted by resistance and sabotage. The desire to get out from under any patronization, often equated with the desire for freedom, is just too deeply ingrained in human nature. The words "freedom" and "liberty" and "equality" stir up human passions, and it are these three words which can cause rational human beings to become irrational. Here we come up against another form of the human dilemma. As individuals we want to be free, but we seek the security of the group or crowd. We are like split personalities who serve two masters, the ego and the group or crowd. And the group or crowd always wins in the end as no one wants to be the odd man out, not to speak of the discipline the group or crowd or party can announce against us. Yes, even a harmless fellowship or comradery can breed prejudice in one way or another. That is how "free" we are.

It had to be expected that the good intentions of Rome would be severely challenged by the Jews, a people with a history and culture that had survived thousands of years, which included years of captivity, oppression and humiliation. Theirs was a form of theocratic government which - as is always the case when governments mix religion and politics -- made it difficult to please their leaders. Indeed, it would not be too farfetched to say that the Jews at that time were the most religious people on the face of the earth. The life of the common people was regulated by excessive religious legislation as the religious leaders held all the power, and it was they who tacitly promoted a revolt against Rome, a fact which should not surprise anyone who is able to read the political wind of any given place and age. So there were Jewish idealists, zealots, even thugs, who were predisposed to commit acts of terrorism against the Roman occupation. It would have been abnormal if the Jews had not reacted in one way or another against Roman rule. Still, it was my responsibility to deal with the resistance fighters, and I had to use force against them. Yes, the order to break down the rebellion came from me, but I did not order the atrocities committed by our soldiers. This is a problem every commander faces in similar situations: he must deal with the uprising, but he must prevent the troops from using excessive force, an almost impossible task under any circumstances. If a centurion cannot stand behind every soldier under his command, how much less can the commander-in-chief - unless he spurs his soldiers on to rape, killing and looting by sanctioning such acts in an open or secret order. History reports such incidents, but my sense of fairness forbade me to even consider such actions.

In a truly "just" world, I would have been obliged to punish any Roman soldier who committed a crime against humanity in the same way as we Romans punished the Jewish revolutionaries. But we do not live in a "just " world; unlike angels we make our own laws. At best we discipline our own evildoers and give the death penalty to those who rebel against us.

As the Jewish Scripture tells us, we have all eaten from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, which means that we cannot be unbiased in our judgments. Our political structures make it impossible to be impartial. Even as the governor in the land of Judea, my hands were tied by the system. I was not almighty! I had some one above me. I was being watched. By whom? By the senate, and by Caesar, who was considered the "most high" at that time.

We Romans did try to make special concessions to the Jews as we made an effort to live in peace with them. Although we had no access to public opinion polls, one could have said that the majority presented us with no problems. For one thing, Rome granted the Jews unrestricted religious freedom, which cost us a lot in terms of Roman pride. It also expressed a form of respect for their way of life and culture. We dealt with their clergy and leaders almost daily, and I was able to observe many signs of co-operation. It was reported to me that at a certain location the Jewish religious leaders pleaded with the local Roman centurion to assist them in their attempt to built a new house of worship. That report was designed to be a complaint about the centurion, but I threw it into the wastebasket. Denouncing a person for doing something good to an alien ranks close to the bottom of my scale of values. So I was glad to hear that the centurion went out of his way to help the Jewish leaders. Furthermore, I urged our officers to familiarize themselves with Jewish religion and culture as much as possible. There were many citizens in the land of Judea who were willing to fit in with Roman rule, and quite a few actually worked for us. Of course, these people were collaborators in the eyes of their countrymen. The most hated people were those who collected taxes for Rome and who were allowed to keep a percentage for themselves. The higher the take for Rome, the more they could put into their own pockets. Needless to say, some tax collectors exploited their position by taking more than Rome asked for and enriched themselves at the expense of their compatriots. But while the tax collectors were traitors in the eyes of the Jews, they performed an essential service for the Roman administ rat ion. I figured that, had our tax collectors been non-Jews, the bottom line for the taxpayer would have been the same.

Human sensibilities! Justifiable in itself, and yet the source of so much pain and suffering!

After all, it is the ability, no, the compulsion, to make moral judgments which makes us human and which distinguishes us from the animals. Yes, the fall of man was an act of freedom, but the consequences were that we replaced the impartial, eternal Judge with an ego-centric pseudo judge. Our justice is relative, situational, circumstantial, not valid for all and forever. We do not judge ourselves as we judge others. We need scapegoats onto which we can unload our guilt, and when we speak of justice, we actually mean revenge. In public life one is often forced to choose the lesser of two or more evils. The trouble is that we are inclined to turn the chosen lesser evil into good. When it suits us, evil becomes good, and vice versa. When our ends justify our means we are apt to glorify an evildoer or to condemn a man who has done no wrong. And who would know this better than I?

Certainly, there is such a thing as "necessary" evil, but necessary evil is still evil, and if God is a just God, necessary evil would still have to be repented, lest you end up with the scenario where might makes right and where grace is trampled upon. We are all part of the human condition, and none of us can change it. The condition of the world reflects this.

From my vantage point it looks as if the experts and professionals resemble physicians who treat their pat ients with great skill and care, yet are not aware of their own affliction. I know, I speak from experience. Frankly, I find it highly unlikely that the human condition can be perfected by way of education or by a change in political or economic structures. A moral double standard has been with us since the Garden of Eden, that double standard could be found in ancient Rome, and it did not disappear, regardless of who formed the government after Rome.

Many people have criticized me for my asking Jesus: "What is truth?" Frankly, it was an expression of helplessness. Remember, at that moment I did not know what you know today (and which is often ignored), namely, that the truth was standing right in front of me. I could not yet know who this Jesus represented. All I knew was that he had been framed, that he was innocent.

Yes, the truth is always an eye-opener in that it knows no bias. The truth frightens those who deny it.

All my life have I been trying to come to terms with the question of good and evil, truth and untruth, and I found no answer - until I was confronted with the man who was truthful to the end, a Jewish man who shared our human condition and who voluntarily became its victim, for the salvation of humanity.

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