Pontius Pilate: Heaven or Hell??

[Jerod W. Rickert]

OK, first debate... Where is Pilate today, Heaven or Hell (or if you prefer, Paradise or Hades ?? Discuss why...

I have my own opinion, and will post my reasons in the next day or 2, just curious what everyone else thinks...

My vote: Heaven...

My Reasons: coming soon

[breakingrote]

I'm leaning towards heaven based on what you've told me, but there is still the possibility that Christ spoke to him for unobvious reasons. Can't think of any though. I'm not too interested in such debate honestly No offense

[luke929]

I voted Hell...

I guess the correct response is "Not Sure" because none of us can judge another person's heart...

However, although I believe that Pilate knew that there was something different about Jesus, and he knew that he was not deserving of death... He refused to take a stand for Him.

Granted, you could make the argument, that if Pilate had not condemned Jesus to die, we would not have the sacrifice for our sins, but just because God works through the acts of evil men, this does not justify the evil...

I hope my rambling makes sense...I look forward to your explanation!

[Jerod W. Rickert]

LOL, I think you are spot on about "Not Sure", and your reasoning is true... we know only our own hearts...

Having said that, I voted for Heaven...

There are several reasons for my choice, but let me first say (without being flippant) that there are only 2 people in the scope of eternity that it truly matters to: Pilate and God.... God, because He wills that none should perish and Pilate because, well, I think that's obvious...

so, here's my rambling rationale... after He spoke to the Pharisees and religious leaders, He refused to speak at all... Not to the Sanhedrin, not to the Roman soldiers, not to Herod. But, he spoke, several times and at length to Pilate... I do not believe that Christ would waste His time with idle chatter and simply answer questions (especially of the nature and type that Pilate asked) for no reason...

It is obvious of 2 things: 1-Pilate was a coward (but I say that without judgement, as I have certainly been as or more guilty), and 2- (more importantly to my thinking on Pilates Eternal Dwelling) He did NOT want to Cruicify Christ, and I believe this is backed up through several things...
1-Multiple appeals to the crowd (in fact we are not sure exactly how many ways or times he tried, but John 19:12 states (after several attempts already) "From then on Pilate sought to release Him..."
2-Pilate sent Him to Herod for he did not want to make the decision and repeatedly stated "I find no fault in Him"
3-we skim to quickly past the release of Barabbus. Barabbus was a murderer, Robber, Insurrectionist whom had terrorized his own people for years. He was hated and des[pised by Romans and Jews. Yet Pilate, when asking who to release for the Passover, did NOT offer up all 4 men slated to die (let's not forget Christ was crucified with 2 other men, common thieves!!), he simply offered the crowd 2 men. Jesus, whom Pilate had already stated he found blameless, or Barabbus, and who in their right mind could have believed the crowd would desire Barabbus (Hitler, Manson, Ted Bundy) over Jesus?? Pilate (IMO) was stacking the deck in Christ's favor he believed, but it didn't work as he'd hoped...
4-Pilate put on the plaque "JESUS OF NAZARETH. THE KING KING OF THE JEWS." When the Jews demanded is be changed to read "He claimed to be..." Pilate answered "What I have written, I have written." There is an underlying implication here that it was written from a standpoint of belief in what was written (do a little research on the root of the words, etc, and this will become more obvious... I reccommend Strong's Concordance)...
5-The very washing of his hands is also something that for the Americanized mindset has become nothing more than a Buzz-phrase "I wash my hands of this", but for the Romans, this was more than just a symbolic fluff, this was a representation of wanting no part in an action you were opposed to, and had no belief in... By the washing of his hands, Pilate was not only expressing his disagreement, but indicating that what was done next happened outside his support and endorsement... it was also to protect the one that washed his hands from the wrath of the "gods" for what they viewed as something that would displease the "gods" enough to take action against the person or their family...

Pilate allowed it to happen, make no mistake, but I believe that every action he showed backs up that it was NOT something he liked, was in favor of, or supported...

Also, I have done some amount of research (not comprehensive by ANY means), and interestingly, Pilate seems to disappear from History... That in and of itself is interesting when you consider the fastidious nature of record keeping back then... What attrocity did Pilate commit that would erase him from Roman history?? Perhaps jump ship to the "enemy"??

Just my 2 cents...

[luke929]

Interesting points, all...

I know that Pilate's wife was having dreams about Jesus, and told Pilate to have Jesus released...

I guess I always pictured Pilate as kind of riding both sides of the fence, and not taking a definite stand either way.

Kind of like the lukewarm christians that are spewed out of the mouth of God.

Also, I always looked at the sign on the cross as more of an insult to the Jews, more than a confession of Christ's diety.

Interesting topic!

[Jerod W. Rickert]

yeah, this topic always polarizes, among friends it's a lot of fun...

I've got a group of guys that we've been debating subjects like this for several years now...

And I definately do not discount the "slap in the face of the Jews" theory on the sign...

Thanx for the lively debat, I love this subject, LOL... wait til you see next times subject...