Reference: Caiaphas
American
High priest of the Jews, A. D. 27 to 36. He was a Sadducee, and a bitter enemy of Christ. At his palace the priests, etc., met after the resurrection of Lazarus, to plot the death of the Savior, lest all the people should believe on him. On one of these occasions, Joh 11:47-54, he counseled the death of Christ for the political salvation of the nation; and his words were, unconsciously to him, an inspired prediction of the salvation of a lost world. These plots against Christ, Mt 26:1-5; Mr 14:1; Lu 22:2, led to his seizure, and he was brought first before Annas, formerly high priest, who sent him to Caiaphas his son-in-law. See ANNAS. Caiaphas examined Christ before the assembling of the Sanhedrin, after which the trial went on, and Christ was condemned, mocked, and transferred to Pilate for sentence and execution, Mt 26:57-68; Mr 14:53-72; Lu 22:54-71; Joh 18:13-27. Not content with procuring the death of the Savior, Caiaphas and his friends violently persecuted his followers, Ac 4:1-6; 5:17,33. But a few years after the ascension of Christ, and soon after the degradation of Pilate, Caiaphas also was deposed from office by the Roman proconsul Vitellius. Like Balaam of the Old Testament, he is a melancholy instance of light resisted, privilege, station, and opportunity abused, and prophetic words concerning Christ joined with a life of infidelity and crime and a fearful death.
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When Jesus had finished all this teaching, he said to his disciples: "You know that in two days time the Festival of the Passover will be here; and that the Son of Man is to be given up to be crucified." read more. Then the Chief Priests and the Councillors of the Nation met in the house of the High Priest, who was called Caiaphas, And plotted together to arrest Jesus by stealth and put him to death; But they said: "Not during the Festival, for fear of causing a riot."
Those who had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas, the High Priest, where the Teachers of the Law and the Councillors had assembled. Peter followed him at a distance as far as the courtyard of the offices, to see the end. read more. Meanwhile the Chief Priests and the whole of the High Council were trying to get such false evidence against Jesus, as would warrant putting him to death, But they did not find any, although many came forward with false evidence. Later on, however, two men came forward and said: "This man said 'I am able to destroy the Temple of God, and to build it in three days.'" Then the High Priest stood up, and said to Jesus: "Have you no answer? What is this evidence which these men are giving against you?" But Jesus remained silent. On this the High Priest said to him: "I adjure you, by the Living God, to tell us whether you are the Christ, the Son of God." "It is true," Jesus answered; "Moreover I tell you all that hereafter you shall 'see the Son of Man sitting on the right hand of the Almighty, and coming on the clouds of the heavens.'" Then the High Priest tore his robes. "This is blasphemy!" he exclaimed. "Why do we want any more witnesses? You have just heard his blasphemy! What is your decision?" They answered: "He deserves death." Then they spat in his face, and struck him, while others dealt blows at him, saying as they did so: "Now play the Prophet for us, you Christ! Who was it that struck you?"
It was now two days before the Festival of the Passover and the Unleavened bread. The Chief Priests and the Teachers of the Law were looking for an opportunity to arrest Jesus by stealth, and to put him to death;
Then they took Jesus to the High Priest; and all the Chief Priests, the Councillors, and the Teachers of the Law assembled. Peter, who had followed Jesus at a distance into the court- yard of the High Priest, was sitting there among the police- officers, warming himself at the blaze of the fire. read more. Meanwhile the Chief Priest and the whole of the High Council were trying to get such evidence against Jesus as would warrant his being put to death, but they could not find any; For, though there were many who gave false evidence against him, yet their evidence did not agree. Presently some men stood up, and gave this false evidence against him-- "We ourselves heard him say 'I will destroy this Temple made with hands, and in three days build another made without hands.'" Yet not even on that point did their evidence agree. Then the High Priest stood forward, and questioned Jesus. "Have you no answer to make?" he asked. "What is this evidence which these men are giving against you?" But Jesus remained silent, and made no answer. A second time the High Priest questioned him. "Are you," he asked, "the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?" "I am," replied Jesus, "and you shall all see the Son of Man sitting on the right hand of the Almighty; and 'coming in the clouds of heaven'." At this the High Priest tore his vestments. "Why do we want any more witnesses?" he exclaimed. "You heard his blasphemy? What is your verdict?" They all condemned him, declaring that he deserved death. Some of those present began to spit at him, and to blindfold his eyes, and strike him, saying, as they did so, "Now play the Prophet!" and even the police-officers received him with blows. While Peter was in the court-yard down below, one of the High Priest's maidservants came up; And, seeing Peter warming himself, she looked closely at him, and exclaimed: "Why, you were with Jesus, the Nazarene!" But Peter denied it. "I do not know or understand what you mean," he replied. Then he went out into the porch; And there the maidservant, on seeing him, began to say again to the by-standers: "This is one of them!" But Peter again denied it. Soon afterwards the bystanders again said to him: "You certainly are one of them; why you are a Galilean!" But he began to swear with the most solemn imprecations: "I do not know the man you are speaking about." At that moment, for the second time, a cock crowed; and Peter remembered the words that Jesus had said to him-- 'Before a cock has crowed twice, you will disown me three times'; and, as he thought of it, he began to weep.
The Chief Priest and the Teachers of the Law were looking for an opportunity of destroying Jesus, for they were afraid of the people.
Those who had taken Jesus prisoner took him away into the house of the High Priest. Peter followed at a distance. But, when they had lit a fire in the center of the court-yard and had all sat down there, Peter seated himself in the middle of them. read more. Presently a maidservant saw him sitting near the blaze of the fire. Fixing her eyes on him, she said: "Why, this man was one of his companions!" But Peter denied it. "I do not know him," he replied. A little while afterwards some one else--a man--saw him and said: "Why, you are one of them!" "No," Peter said, "I am not." About an hour later another man declared positively: "This man also was certainly with him. Why, he is a Galilean!" But Peter said: "I do not know what you are speaking about." Instantly, while he was still speaking, a cock crowed. And the Master turned and looked at Peter; and Peter remembered the words that the Master had said to him-- "Before a cock has crowed to-day, you will disown me three times"; And he went outside and wept bitterly. The men that held Jesus kept making sport of him and beating him. They blindfolded him and then questioned him. "Now play the Prophet," they said; "who was it that struck you?" And they heaped many other insults on him. At daybreak the National Council met--both the Chief Priests and the Teachers of the Law--and took Jesus before their High Council. "If you are the Christ," they said, "tell us so." "If I tell you," replied Jesus, "you will not believe me; And, if I question you, you will not answer. But from this hour 'the Son of Man will be seated on the right hand of God Almighty.'" "Are you, then, the Son of God?" they all asked. "It is true," answered Jesus, "I am." At this they exclaimed: "Why do we want any more evidence? We have heard it ourselves from his own lips!"
Upon this the Chief Priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the High Council, and said: "What are we to do, now that this man is giving so many signs? If we let him alone as we are doing, every one will believe in him; and the Romans will come and will take from us both our City and our Nationality." read more. One of them, however, Caiaphas, who was High Priest that year, said to them: "You are utterly mistaken. You do not consider that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, rather than the whole nation should be destroyed." Now he did not say this of his own accord; but, as High Priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus was to die for the nation-- And not for the nation only, but also that he might unite in one body the Children of God now scattered far and wide. So from that day they plotted to put Jesus to death. In consequence of this, Jesus did not go about publicly among the Jews any more, but left that neighborhood, and went into the country bordering on the Wilderness, to a town called Ephraim, where he stayed with his disciples.
And took him first of all to Annas. Annas was the father-in- law of Caiaphas, who was High Priest that year. It was Caiaphas who had counseled the Jews, that it was best that one man should die for the people. read more. Meanwhile Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple. That disciple, being well-known to the High Priest, went with Jesus into the High Priest's court-yard, While Peter stood outside by the door. Presently the other disciple--the one well-known to the High Priest--went out and spoke to the portress, and brought Peter in. So the maidservant said to Peter: "Are not you also one of this man's disciples?" "No, I am not," he said. The servants and police-officers were standing round a char- coal fire (which they had made because it was cold), and were warming themselves. Peter, too, was with them, standing and warming himself. The High Priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and about his teaching. "For my part," answered Jesus, "I have spoken to all the world openly. I always taught in some Synagogue, or in the Temple Courts, places where all the Jews assemble, and I never spoke of anything in secret. Why question me? Question those who have listened to me as to what I have spoken about to them. They must know what I said." When Jesus said this, one of the police-officers, who was standing near, gave him a blow with his hand. "Do you answer the High Priest like that?" he exclaimed. "If I said anything wrong, give evidence about it," replied Jesus; "but if not, why do you strike me?" Annas sent him bound to Caiaphas the High Priest. Meanwhile Simon Peter was standing there, warming himself; so they said to him: "Are not you also one of his disciples?" Peter denied it. "No, I am not," he said. One of the High Priest's servants, a relation of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, exclaimed: "Did not I myself see you with him in the garden?" Peter again denied it; and at that moment a cock crowed.
While Peter and John were still speaking to the people, the Chief Priest, with the Officer in charge at the Temple and the Sadducees, came up to them, Much annoyed because they were teaching the people, and because, through Jesus, they were preaching the resurrection from the dead. read more. They arrested the Apostles and, as it was already evening, had them placed in custody till the next day. Many, however, of those who had heard the Apostles' Message became believers in Christ, the number of the men alone amounting to about five thousand. The next day, a meeting of the leading men, the Councillors, and the Teachers of the Law was held in Jerusalem. There were present Annas the High Priest, Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and all who were of High-Priestly rank.
At this the High Priest was roused to action, and he and all his supporters (who formed the party of the Sadducees), moved by jealousy,
The members of the Council became frantic with rage on hearing this, and were for putting the Apostles to death.
Easton
the Jewish high priest (A.D. 27-36) at the beginning of our Lord's public ministry, in the reign of Tiberius (Lu 3:2), and also at the time of his condemnation and crucifixion (Mt 26:3,57; Joh 11:49; 18:13-14). He held this office during the whole of Pilate's administration. His wife was the daughter of Annas, who had formerly been high priest, and was probably the vicar or deputy (Heb. sagan) of Caiaphas. He was of the sect of the Sadducees (Ac 5:17), and was a member of the council when he gave his opinion that Jesus should be put to death "for the people, and that the whole nation perish not" (Joh 11:50). In these words he unconsciously uttered a prophecy. "Like Saul, he was a prophet in spite of himself." Caiaphas had no power to inflict the punishment of death, and therefore Jesus was sent to Pilate, the Roman governor, that he might duly pronounce the sentence against him (Mt 27:2; Joh 18:28). At a later period his hostility to the gospel is still manifest (Ac 4:6). (See Annas.)
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Then the Chief Priests and the Councillors of the Nation met in the house of the High Priest, who was called Caiaphas,
Those who had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas, the High Priest, where the Teachers of the Law and the Councillors had assembled.
They put him in chains and led him away, and gave him up to the Roman Governor, Pilate.
And when Annas and Caiaphas were High Priests, a Command from God came to John, the son of Zechariah, while he was in the wilderness.
One of them, however, Caiaphas, who was High Priest that year, said to them: "You are utterly mistaken. You do not consider that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, rather than the whole nation should be destroyed."
And took him first of all to Annas. Annas was the father-in- law of Caiaphas, who was High Priest that year. It was Caiaphas who had counseled the Jews, that it was best that one man should die for the people.
From Caiaphas they took Jesus to the Government House. It was early in the morning. But they did not enter the Government House themselves, lest they should become 'defiled,' and so be unable to eat the Passover.
There were present Annas the High Priest, Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and all who were of High-Priestly rank.
At this the High Priest was roused to action, and he and all his supporters (who formed the party of the Sadducees), moved by jealousy,
Hastings
Joseph Caiaphas, the son-in-law of Annas (Joh 18:13), was high priest between a.d. 18 and 36; and thus 'the memorable year' of our Lord's trial fell in the course of his pontificate (Joh 11:51; 18:13). He was, like all the priestly order, a Sadducee; and he was a man of masterful temper, with his full share of the insolence which was a Sadduc
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Those who had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas, the High Priest, where the Teachers of the Law and the Councillors had assembled. Peter followed him at a distance as far as the courtyard of the offices, to see the end. read more. Meanwhile the Chief Priests and the whole of the High Council were trying to get such false evidence against Jesus, as would warrant putting him to death, But they did not find any, although many came forward with false evidence. Later on, however, two men came forward and said: "This man said 'I am able to destroy the Temple of God, and to build it in three days.'" Then the High Priest stood up, and said to Jesus: "Have you no answer? What is this evidence which these men are giving against you?" But Jesus remained silent. On this the High Priest said to him: "I adjure you, by the Living God, to tell us whether you are the Christ, the Son of God." "It is true," Jesus answered; "Moreover I tell you all that hereafter you shall 'see the Son of Man sitting on the right hand of the Almighty, and coming on the clouds of the heavens.'" Then the High Priest tore his robes. "This is blasphemy!" he exclaimed. "Why do we want any more witnesses? You have just heard his blasphemy! What is your decision?" They answered: "He deserves death." Then they spat in his face, and struck him, while others dealt blows at him, saying as they did so: "Now play the Prophet for us, you Christ! Who was it that struck you?"
Then they took Jesus to the High Priest; and all the Chief Priests, the Councillors, and the Teachers of the Law assembled. Peter, who had followed Jesus at a distance into the court- yard of the High Priest, was sitting there among the police- officers, warming himself at the blaze of the fire. read more. Meanwhile the Chief Priest and the whole of the High Council were trying to get such evidence against Jesus as would warrant his being put to death, but they could not find any; For, though there were many who gave false evidence against him, yet their evidence did not agree. Presently some men stood up, and gave this false evidence against him-- "We ourselves heard him say 'I will destroy this Temple made with hands, and in three days build another made without hands.'" Yet not even on that point did their evidence agree. Then the High Priest stood forward, and questioned Jesus. "Have you no answer to make?" he asked. "What is this evidence which these men are giving against you?" But Jesus remained silent, and made no answer. A second time the High Priest questioned him. "Are you," he asked, "the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?" "I am," replied Jesus, "and you shall all see the Son of Man sitting on the right hand of the Almighty; and 'coming in the clouds of heaven'." At this the High Priest tore his vestments. "Why do we want any more witnesses?" he exclaimed. "You heard his blasphemy? What is your verdict?" They all condemned him, declaring that he deserved death. Some of those present began to spit at him, and to blindfold his eyes, and strike him, saying, as they did so, "Now play the Prophet!" and even the police-officers received him with blows.
At daybreak the National Council met--both the Chief Priests and the Teachers of the Law--and took Jesus before their High Council. "If you are the Christ," they said, "tell us so." "If I tell you," replied Jesus, "you will not believe me; read more. And, if I question you, you will not answer. But from this hour 'the Son of Man will be seated on the right hand of God Almighty.'" "Are you, then, the Son of God?" they all asked. "It is true," answered Jesus, "I am." At this they exclaimed: "Why do we want any more evidence? We have heard it ourselves from his own lips!"
Upon this the Chief Priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the High Council, and said: "What are we to do, now that this man is giving so many signs?
Now he did not say this of his own accord; but, as High Priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus was to die for the nation--
And took him first of all to Annas. Annas was the father-in- law of Caiaphas, who was High Priest that year.
And took him first of all to Annas. Annas was the father-in- law of Caiaphas, who was High Priest that year.
Watsons
CAIAPHAS, high priest of the Jews, succeeded Simon, son of Camith; and after possessing this dignity nine years, from A.M. 4029 to 4038, he was succeeded by Jonathan, son of Ananas, or Annas. Caiaphas was high priest, A.M. 4037, which was the year of Jesus Christ's death. He married a daughter of Annas, who also is called high priest in the Gospel, because he had long enjoyed that dignity. When the priests deliberated on the seizure and death of Jesus Christ, Caiaphas declared, that there was no room for debate on that matter, "because it was expedient that one man should die for the people, that the whole nation should not perish," Joh 11:49-50. This sentiment was a prophecy, which God suffered to proceed from the mouth of the high priest on this occasion, importing, that the death of Jesus would be for the salvation of the world. When Judas had betrayed Jesus, he was first taken before Annas, who sent him to his son- in-law, Caiaphas, who possibly lived in the same house, Joh 18:24. The priests and doctors of the law there assembled to judge our Saviour, and to condemn him. The depositions of certain false witnesses being insufficient to justify a sentence of death against him, and Jesus continuing silent, Caiaphas, as high priest, said to him, "I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou art the Christ, the Son of God!" To this adjuration, so solemnly made by the superior judge, Jesus answered, "Thou hast said; nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven." On hearing these words, Caiaphas rent his clothes, saying, "What farther need have we of witnesses? Behold, now you have heard his blasphemy. What think ye?" They answered, "He is worthy of death." And as the power of life and death was not at this time in their hands, but was reserved by the Romans, they conducted him to Pilate, that he might confirm their sentence, and order his execution.
Two years after this, Vitellus, governor of Syria, coming to Jerusalem at the passover, was received very magnificently by the people. As an acknowledgment for this honour, he restored the custody of the high priest's ornaments, to the priests, he remitted certain duties raised on the fruits of the earth, and deposed the high priest Caiaphas. From this it appears that Caiaphas had fallen under popular odium, for his deposition was to gratify the people.
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One of them, however, Caiaphas, who was High Priest that year, said to them: "You are utterly mistaken. You do not consider that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, rather than the whole nation should be destroyed."