We can't carry out the sentence of death

[EricH]

Pilate asked him if he was the King of the Jews and he told him that his kingdom was not of this world. That hardly went against Rome, but if you are asserting that it was because he said he was G-d and only ceasar was considered G-d, that could be a just cause for Pilate to believe them, but he did let them choose, so he must not have totally believed he was an enemy of Rome, those were the prime ones that they wished to crucify to teach others not to go against the empire, no?

Yes, but that does not pertain to your question. You were wanting a reconciliation between their claim that they could not put Him to death, with them actually putting Stephen to death. The answer is that they were trying to have Jesus put to death as an enemy of the state, where Stephen was stoned to death as a blasphemer. Yeshua was not an enemy of the State, and Pilate knew it, but that is beside the point, and not really material to your initial question.

Do you think it may be because they had tried on many occasion to stone him and coulnd't , he mysteriously disappeared so they figured it better to leave it to Roma?

Here is what I said in my last post:

I would also add, that they had Yeshua's trial in secret because they feared the reaction of the public who overwhelmingly saw Yeshua as a prophet or even a king. It would have evoked a riot had it been necessary to put Yeshua to death in Jerusalem on the grounds that He violated Jewish law; something they could support with evidence.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Shiloh is correct,

The Sanhedrin made 2 initial charges before Pilate:

And they began to accuse Him, saying, "We found this man misleading our nation and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, and saying that He Himself is Christ, a King."

Luke 23:2 NASB

Both were treasonous in the Roman's eyes. There was nothing in Jewish Law that allowed the Sanhedrin to put Jesus to death for these offences. They would have had to charge Him with blasphemy and do it themselves. In addition, the Sanhedrin had no interest in charging Jesus with blasphemy and carrying out the sentence themselves. They understood Jesus' popularity. That is why they had Him arrested at night and tried at night. That is why they also trumped up charges that would offend Rome. It is also why they made a vieled thread to report Pilate to Ceasar, if He did not kill Jesus.

It was to their benefit to have the Romans kill Him. That way they gain favor with Pilate for "turning Him in", and they don't make the same mistake Herod made with John.

Politically it was brilliant. It also makes Pilate's action of placing the sign above Jesus head (King of the Jews) more humerous. Pilate understood their real motives, but was in trouble with Ceasar at the time for keeping the province stirred up. His caving in to the Sanhedrin's demands was not an admition that Jesus was guilty of the crimes. It was to basically secure his own position. The sign was a veiled stab at the Sanhedrin.

[yomotalking]

I am having trouble reconciling these two passages, can anyone add insight of the L-RD here?

In John:

18:29

Pilate then went out unto them, and said, What accusation bring ye against this man?

[yomotalking]

I am having trouble reconciling these two passages, can anyone add insight of the L-RD here?

In John:

18:29

Pilate then went out unto them, and said, What accusation bring ye against this man?

[Guest shiloh357]

I am having trouble reconciling these two passages, can anyone add insight of the L-RD here?

In John:

18:29

Pilate then went out unto them, and said, What accusation bring ye against this man?

[yomotalking]

I'm sorry???

[Guest shiloh357]

I'm sorry???

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

still confused?

[yomotalking]

I'm sorry???

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

still confused?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

If ya won't bite my head off.,......yes....

[ruah brit]

I am having trouble reconciling these two passages, can anyone add insight of the L-RD here?

In John:

18:29

Pilate then went out unto them, and said, What accusation bring ye against this man? 

18:30

They answered and said unto him, If he were not a malefactor, we would not have delivered him up unto thee. 

18:31

Then said Pilate unto them, Take ye him, and judge him according to your law. The Jews therefore said unto him, It is not lawful for us to put any man to death: 

with this:

6:11

Then they suborned men, which said *, We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses, and against God. 

6:12

And they stirred up the people, and the elders, and the scribes, and came upon him, and caught him, and brought him to the council, 

6:13

And set up false witnesses, which said, This man ceaseth not to speak blasphemous words against this holy place, and the law: 

6:14

For we have heard him say, that this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place, and shall change the customs which Moses delivered us. 

6:15

And all that sat in the council, looking stedfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel. 

Skipping down through his summation:

7:56

And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. 

7:57

Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, 

7:58

And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul. 

7:59

And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Christ explained it in a few passages.

Mt 22

18 But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, "Why do you test Me, you hypocrites?

t 23

13 But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.

Mt 23

15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.

Jas 3

16 For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there

Denise

[Guest shiloh357]

I'm sorry???

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

still confused?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

If ya won't bite my head off.,......yes....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well, the original question was asking how to reconcile the Jewish leadership's remark that they were not allowed by Roman law to put anyone to death, with the story of them stoning Stepthen. How could they say they could not carry out a death sentence on the one hand and yet put Stephen to death on the other?

The answer was that the Jews could not put anyone to death IF that person had committed a crime against the Empire. But they were free to put someone to death if the crime committed did not come to bear on Roman interests.

So it was that they were trying to declare Jesus an enemy of the state and as such, delcared themselves unable to put Him to death.

[fenwar]

The answer was that the Jews could not put anyone to death IF that person had committed a crime against the Empire.  But they were free to put someone to death if the crime committed did not come to bear on Roman interests. 

So it was that they were trying to declare Jesus an enemy of the state and as such, delcared themselves unable to put Him to death.

This seems a little convoluted to me... As Deacon said, I don't see why they'd need to do this if they could have just stoned him as a blasphemer...?

You do have a point that they might have been worried about the reaction to such an execution, but I don't think the crowd yelling "crucify!" were too upset that Jesus had been arrested and was about to be killed; it seems that as far as Jesus' popularity went it was not a problem for the Jewish leaders to sway people against him.

I just thought the most likely scenario was that the execution of Stephen, and the other persecutions described in Acts, were illegal as far as Roman law went. (This was what M45510G1C said.) After all Stephen's stoning is hardly the result of careful legal consideration - "But they covered their ears, and with a loud shout all rushed together against him."