Thematic Bible: Courts of justice


Thematic Bible



This is my third visit to you. Any charge preferred must be sustained by the evidence of two or three witnesses. Verse ConceptsThree WitnessesWitnesses, LegalTwo Or ThreeActing Three TimesWitnessing



Even in your own law it is written, 'The testimony of two persons is true.' Verse ConceptsTwo WitnessesTwo WitnessesWritten In The Lawtestimonytestifyingcredibility






Now while he was on the bench, his wife sent him this word, "Do not have anything to do with that righteous man, for I have this morning suffered excruciating pain in a dream caused by Him." Verse ConceptsInnocence, Examples OfJudgment SeatJudgesWise CouncelSittingSleeplessnessWivesVisions And Dreams In ScriptureChrist, Names ForJudgement SeatLeave Them AloneWife



As soon as day broke, all the high priests and elders held a consultation against Jesus, to put Him to death. Verse Conceptsenemies, of Jesus Christelders, as community leadersChief priestsPlottingChrist Would Be KilledMan's CounselJesus Deathpriests

So they obeyed, and about the break of day they went into the temple square and began to teach. The high priest and his party arrived and called a meeting of the council and the whole senate of the sons of Israel, and sent to the prison to have the men brought in. Verse Conceptselders, as community leadersSanhedrinTeachersDaybreakTeaching In The ChurchAt DaybreakBringing People Out Of Other PlacesDisciples In The Temple


As soon as day came, the elders of the people, the high priests, and the scribes assembled, and brought Him back before their council, and said, Verse ConceptsDawnChief priestsAssembling LeadersDaybreakAt DaybreakOpposition To Christ From ScribesThe Chief Priests Convenedelders




I had them punished and tried to force them to use abusive language; in my extreme fury against them I continued to pursue them even into distant towns. Verse ConceptsForeign ThingsBlasphemy


So I said, 'Lord, they know for themselves that from one synagogue to another I used to imprison and flog those who believed in you, Verse ConceptsFloggingBeating Believers

For if a man with a gold ring, dressed in fine clothes, comes to your meeting, and at the same time a poor man clad in dirty clothes, Verse ConceptsCongregationFilthinessGoldOrnamentsRingsRagsChurch GatheringsFine ClothesFoul ClothesGold OrnamentsPoor PeopleThe Rich Lording ItgaysBeing Gay





Then why should you criticize your brother? Or, why should you look down on your brother? Surely, we shall all stand before God to be judged, Verse ConceptsJudgment SeatStandingJesus Christ, JudgeNot JudgingDo Not DespiseJudgement SeatBelittlingJudging Others Actionscriticism

Do you not know that God's people are to judge the world? And if the world is to be judged before you, are you unfit to try such petty cases? Verse ConceptsCourtsHoliness, Purpose OfMillenniumSaintsBelievers JudgingFamily ProblemsJudgement DayJudgementJudging Others Actions



So, as Pilate wanted to satisfy the crowd, he set Barabbas free for them, but after having Jesus flogged, he turned Him over to be crucified. Then the soldiers led Him away to a place inside the court yard, that is, of the governor's palace, and they called the whole battalion together. And they dressed Him in a purple robe and made a crown of thorns and crowned Him with it, read more.
and they began to shout at Him, "All hail, you king of the Jews!" And they kept hitting Him on the head with a stick, and kept spitting on Him, and on bending knees they kept doing Him homage. When they had finished making sport of Him, they took off the purple robe and put His own clothes on Him. Then they led Him out of the city to crucify Him.

But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, highly respected by all the people, got up in the council and gave orders to put the men out of the council a little while; then he said to them: "Fellow Israelites, take care as to what you are about to do to these men. For in the days gone by Theudas appeared, claiming that he was a man of importance, and a considerable number of men, about four hundred, espoused his cause, but he was slain and all his followers were dispersed and as a party annihilated. read more.
After him, at the time of the enrollment for the Roman tax, Judas the Galilean appeared and influenced people to desert and follow him, but he too perished and all his followers were scattered. So in the present case, I warn you, stay away from these men, let them alone. For, if this program or movement has its origin in men, it will go to pieces, but if it has its origin in God, you can never stop it. It is to be feared that you may find yourselves fighting God." They were convinced by him, and after calling the apostles in and having them flogged, they charged them to stop speaking on the authority of Jesus, and then turned them loose.

Then Festus, after conferring with the council, answered, "To the emperor you have appealed, to the emperor you shall go!" Verse ConceptsConversation

Then the king rose, with the governor and Bernice and those who had been seated with them, and after leaving the room, as they continued to talk the matter over together, they said, "This man has done nothing to deserve death or imprisonment."





Then Agrippa said to Paul, "You have permission to speak in defense of yourself." So Paul with outstretched arm began to make his defense. Verse Conceptsevangelism, kinds ofLawyersNamed Gentile RulersMan Defending


At the governor's signal to Paul, he answered: "Since I know that you for many years have acted as judge for this nation, I cheerfully make my defense, Verse Conceptsevangelism, kinds ofJudgesSelf DefenceCheerfulnessMan Defending

Agrippa said to Festus, "He might have been set at liberty, if he had not appealed to the emperor." Verse ConceptsPeople Releasing Others

But the Jews objected, so I was forced to appeal to the Emperor; yet it was not because I had any charge to make against my own nation. Verse ConceptsNecessityAccusations, Nt Legal SystemPeople Accusing People

If I am guilty and have done anything that deserves death, I am not begging to keep from dying, but if there is nothing in the charges which these men make against me, no one can give me up as a favor to them. I appeal to the emperor." Verse ConceptsCivil authoritiesDeath penaltyGovernmentResigned To DeathNo Escape




So the high priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the council, and began to say, "What are we to do? For this man is certainly performing many wonder-works. Verse ConceptsChief priestsSigns Of The TimesProphecies Concerning ChristPlottingSigns Performed By ChristThe Chief Priests Convenedaccomplishment

As soon as day came, the elders of the people, the high priests, and the scribes assembled, and brought Him back before their council, and said, Verse ConceptsDawnChief priestsAssembling LeadersDaybreakAt DaybreakOpposition To Christ From ScribesThe Chief Priests Convenedelders

So they brought them and had them stand before the council. And the high priest asked them, Verse ConceptsInterrogating








Be quick to come to terms with your opponent while you are on the road to court with him, so that he may not turn you over to the judge and the judge turn you over to the officer, and you be put in prison. Verse ConceptsAgreementDiscorddisagreementsLawyersJudgesOfficersAttorneyLawsuitsLitigationQuarrelsDebtorsAgreeingHanding Over PeopleImprisonmentsCourt SessionsPeople Accusing PeopleMisunderstandingsMaking Peace With EnemiesReconciliationConflictResolving Conflictjail





But as the owners saw that the hope of their profit-making was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them to the public square, before the authorities, and brought them to the chiefs of the police court. They said, "These men are Jews; they continue to make great disturbance in our town and to advocate practices which it is against the law for us Romans to accept or observe."





The men who had laid hands on Jesus took Him away to Caiaphas, the high priest, at whose home the scribes and elders had met. Verse ConceptsArrestingOld Age, Attitudes ToAssembling LeadersRivers

Now the high priests and the whole council were trying to get false testimony against Jesus, to have Him put to death; Verse ConceptsChief priestsLeaders, SpiritualAttempts To Kill ChristSeeking For Abstract ThingsThe Chief Priests Condemning Christaccusations


After He had said this, one of the attendants standing by slapped Jesus in the face, and said, "Is this the way you answer the high priest?" Jesus answered him, "If I have said anything wrong, on oath tell what it is, but if what I have said is true, why do you slap me?"


Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked Him, "Are you the king of the Jews?" Jesus answered, "Yes." Verse ConceptsClaimsJews, TheKingship, DivineStandingTreasonInterrogatingAssentingChrist Is King Of Israel


But Jesus kept silent. So the high priest said to Him, "I charge you, on your oath, in the name of the living God, tell us whether you are the Christ, the Son of God." Verse ConceptsGod, Living And Self sustainingSilenceSpeech, Power And Significance OfAdjurationChrist Being SilentWho Is Jesus?Called Himself The ChristRivers



I answered them that it was not the Roman custom to give up anyone for punishment until the accused met his accusers face to face and had an opportunity to defend himself against their accusations. Verse ConceptsCustomContact With PeopleMan Defending


Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked Him, "Are you the king of the Jews?" Jesus answered, "Yes." Verse ConceptsClaimsJews, TheKingship, DivineStandingTreasonInterrogatingAssentingChrist Is King Of Israel

So they bound Him, led Him away, and turned Him over to Pilate the governor. Verse ConceptsGovernorsHanding Over ChristTying Up

and dragged him out of the city and continued stoning him. The witnesses, in the meantime, laid their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul. Verse ConceptsCrimesevangelists, ministry ofMartyrdom, Examples OfMartyrdom Of The SaintsMartyrdom, Methods OfOutside The City








the colonel ordered Paul to be brought into the barracks, and told them to examine him by flogging, in order that he might find out why they were crying out against him in such a way. Verse ConceptsScourgingInterrogatingChiliarchsWhy Do Others Do This?serenity

So the men who were going to examine him left him at once, and the colonel himself was frightened when he learned that he was a Roman citizen and that he had had him bound. Verse ConceptsChainsTying UpCitizens

Then they took Jesus from Caiaphas to the governor's palace. It was early in the morning, and they would not go into the governor's palace themselves, in order not to be defiled, so as to be unfit to eat the Passover supper. Verse ConceptsPassover lambExclusivenessGovernorsHigh Priest, In NtPalacesReligionArmies, RomanRoyal Houses

and went back into the governor's palace and asked Jesus, "Where do you come from?" But Jesus made no answer. Verse ConceptsSilenceChrist Being SilentWhere From?






Then the high priest arose and said to Him, "Have you no answer to make? What do you say to the evidence that they bring against you?" But Jesus kept silent. So the high priest said to Him, "I charge you, on your oath, in the name of the living God, tell us whether you are the Christ, the Son of God." Jesus answered him, "Yes, I am. But I tell you, you will all soon see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Almighty, and coming on the clouds of the sky." read more.
Then the high priest tore his clothes, and said, "He has uttered blasphemy, What more evidence do we need? You have just heard His blasphemy. What do you think now?" Then they answered, "He deserves to die."

The men who had laid hands on Jesus took Him away to Caiaphas, the high priest, at whose home the scribes and elders had met. And Peter followed Him at a distance as far as the courtyard of the high priest's home; he even went inside and was sitting among the attendants to see how it would end.


Then the high priest tore his clothes, and said, "He has uttered blasphemy, What more evidence do we need? You have just heard His blasphemy. What do you think now?" Then they answered, "He deserves to die."





As Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, "If it were some misdemeanor or underhanded rascality, O Jews, I would in reason listen to you; but as it is questions about words and titles and your own law, you will have to see to it yourselves. I refuse to act as judge in these matters."

But when they had tied him for the flogging, Paul asked the captain who was standing by, "Is it lawful for you to flog a Roman, and one who is uncondemned at that?" When the captain heard that, he went to the colonel and reported it. Then he asked him, "What are you going to do? This man is a Roman citizen." So the colonel came to Paul and asked, "Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?" He answered, "Yes." read more.
Then the colonel said, "I paid a large sum for this citizenship of mine." Paul said, "But I was born a citizen." So the men who were going to examine him left him at once, and the colonel himself was frightened when he learned that he was a Roman citizen and that he had had him bound.

And the master was enraged and turned him over to the official torturers, until he should pay the whole debt. Verse ConceptsTortureJudicial PunishmentSettling AccountsDebtAnger And Forgiveness


Everybody must obey the civil authorities that are over him, for no authority exists except by God's permission; the existing authorities have been established by Him, so that anyone who resists the authorities sets himself against what God has established, and those who set themselves against Him will get the penalty due them. For civil authorities are not a terror to the man who does right, but they are to the man who does wrong. Do you want to have no dread of the civil authorities? Then practice doing right and you will be commended for it. read more.
For the civil authorities are God's servants to do you good. But if you practice doing wrong, you should dread them, for they do not wield the sword for nothing. Indeed, they are God's servants to inflict punishment upon people who do wrong. Therefore, you must obey them, not only for the sake of escaping punishment, but also for conscience' sake;




Pilate said to them, "Take Him yourselves, and try Him in accordance with your own law." Then the Jews said to him, "It is not lawful for us to execute the death penalty on anyone." Verse ConceptsLimitednessDeath Penalty For KillingFulfilling The Lawautonomy

For instance, when you are on the way to court with your opponent, take the utmost pains on the way to get entirely rid of him, so that he may not rush you before the judge, and the judge turn you over to the sheriff, and the sheriff put you in prison. Verse ConceptsdisagreementsImprisonmentsJudgesOfficersReconciliation, Between BelieversLitigationHanding Over PeopleStress And Hard TimesReconciliationPurgatoryeffortjail

Five days later, the high priest Ananias came down with some elders and a prosecuting attorney, Tertullus, and through him they presented their case against Paul before the governor. Verse ConceptsAttorneyGovernorsHigh Priest, In NtFour Or Five DaysPeople Accusing People

"Our law does not condemn a man before it hears what he has to say and finds out what he is doing, does it?" Verse ConceptsJudging RightlyExcellent LawNo Condemnationcondemnation

and now, by examining him for yourself, you can find out exactly what charges we bring against him." Verse ConceptsInvestigating