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The Gospel Nicodemus
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.
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