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John 18:37
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35 Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered You to me. What have You done?”
36 aJesus answered, b“My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.”  
37 Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?” Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, athat I should bear bwitness to the truth. Everyone who cis of the truth dhears My voice.”  
38 Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?” And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them, a“I find no fault in Him at all.  

Taking the Place of Barabbas

39 a“But you have a custom that I should release someone to you at the Passover. Do you therefore want me to release to you the King of the Jews?”  
40 aThen they all cried again, saying, “Not this Man, but Barabbas!” bNow Barabbas was a robber. 
Commentaries:
Barnes' Notes
<< John 18:36   John 18:38 >>


John 18:37

Art thou a king then? - Dost thou admit the charge in any sense, or dost thou lay claim to a kingdom of any kind?

Thou sayest ... - This is a form of expression denoting affirmation. It is equivalent to yes.

That I am a king - This does not mean simply that Pilate affirmed that he was a king; it does not appear that he had done this; but it means, "Thou affirmest the truth; thou declarest what is correct, for I am a king." I am a king in a certain sense, and do not deny it.

To this end ... - Compare John 3:11-12, etc. Jesus does not here affirm that he was born to reign, or that this was the design of his coming; but it was to bear witness to and to exhibit the truth. By this he showed what was the nature of his kingdom. It was not to assert power; not to collect armies; not to subdue nations in battle. It was simply to present truth to men, and to exercise dominion only by the truth. Hence, the only power put forth in restraining the wicked, in convincing the sinner, in converting the heart, in guiding and leading his people, and in sanctifying them, is that which is produced by applying truth to the mind. Men are not forced or compelled to be Christians. They are made to see that they are stoners, that God is merciful, that they need a Redeemer, and that the Lord Jesus is fitted to their case, and yield themselves then wholly to his reign. This is all the power ever used in the kingdom of Christ, and no men in his church have a right to use any other. Alas! how little have persecutors remembered this! And how often, under the pretence of great regard for the kingdom of Jesus, have bigots attempted by force and flames to make all men think as they do! We see here the importance which Jesus attached to truth. It was his sole business in coming into the world. He had no other end than to establish it. We therefore should value it, and seek for it as for hid treasures, Proverbs 23:23.

Every one ... - See John 8:47.




Other Barnes' Notes entries containing John 18:37:

Psalms 45:4
Zechariah 6:15
Matthew 2:5-6
Matthew 25:34
Matthew 27:11
Luke 23:4
John 1:9
John 18:38
John 19:9
2 Corinthians 1:19
1 Timothy 6:13
Revelation 1:2
Revelation 3:7
Revelation 22:20

 

<< John 18:36   John 18:38 >>

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