17 Bible Verses about Public Opinion

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 Pilate called a meeting of the high priests, the leaders of the council, and the people, and said to them, "You brought this man to me on a charge of turning the people from allegiance, and here in your presence I have examined Him and do not find Him guilty of the charges you make against Him. No; nor does Herod, for he has sent Him back to us. Indeed, He has done nothing to deserve the death penalty. read more.
So I will flog Him and let Him go." Omitted Text. But they all together began to shout, "Away with this fellow, but let us have Barabbas released! (He was a man who had been put in prison for a riot that had occurred in the city and for murder.) Then Pilate again appealed to them, for He wanted to let Jesus go. But they continued to shout at him, "Crucify Him, crucify Him? Then a third time he spoke to them, "Why, what wrong has He done? I have found nothing in Him deserving the death penalty. So I will flog Him and let Him go." But they continued to press him with loud voices in their ceaseless demands that He be crucified, and their shouts began to prevail. Then Pilate pronounced his sentence that their demand be carried out. So he released the man who had been put in prison for riot and murder, whom they continued to demand, but turned Jesus over to their will.

He asked, "Why, what has He done that is wrong?" But they kept on shouting louder and louder, "Have Him crucified!" So Pilate, since he saw that he was making no headway with them, but that a riot was about to break out instead, took some water and washed his hands before the crowd, and said, "I am not responsible for this man's death; you must see to it yourselves." And all the people answered, "His blood be on us and on our children!" read more.
Then he set Barabbas free for them, but had Jesus flogged and turned over to be crucified. Then the governor's soldiers took Jesus into the barracks, and gathered about Him the whole battalion.

Pilate asked Him, "What is truth?" On saying this he went outside again to the Jews, and said to them, "As far as I can see, I can find no ground for a charge against Him. Now you have a custom to have me set one man free at your Passover time. So do you wish me to set the king of the Jews free?"

And Pilate went outside again and said to the Jews, "Listen! I am going to bring Him out to you, for you to see that I can find no ground for a charge against Him." So Jesus came outside still wearing the crown of thorns and the purple coat. Then Pilate said to them, "Here is the man!" When the high priests and attendants saw Him, they shouted, "Crucify Him! Crucify Him!" Pilate said to them, "Take Him yourselves and crucify Him, for I can find no ground for a charge against Him." read more.
The Jews answered him, "We have a law, and in accordance with that law He deserves to die, for claiming to be God's Son." As soon as Pilate heard that, he was more awe-stricken than before and went back into the governor's palace and asked Jesus, "Where do you come from?" But Jesus made no answer. Then Pilate said to Him, "Do you refuse to speak to me? Do you not know that I have it in my power to set you free or to crucify you?" Jesus answered him, "You would have no power at all over me, if it had not been given to you from above. So the man who betrayed me to you is more guilty than you." Because of this Pilate kept on trying to set Him free, but the Jews shouted, "If you set Him free, you are no friend to the emperor. Anyone who claims to be a king is uttering treason against the emperor!" On hearing this Pilate had Jesus brought out and had Him sit on the judge's bench at the place called the Stone Platform, or in Hebrew, Gabbatha. It was the day of Preparation for the Passover, and it was about noon. Then Pilate said to the Jews, "There is your king!"

Do you think that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not so at all, but rather discord.

And there was a great deal of grumbling about Him among the crowds, some saying that He was a good man, and others that He was not, but was misleading the masses.

So the people were divided because of Him,

Then some of the Pharisees said, "This man does not come from God, for He does not keep the Sabbath." Others said, "How can a sinful man perform such wonder- works?" So there was a difference of opinion among them.

These words again led to a difference of opinion among the Jews.

On the other hand, can we say, 'It was from men'?" For they were afraid of the people, because everybody thought that John was really a prophet.

Then they were trying to have Him arrested, but they were afraid of the people, for they knew that He aimed this story at them. And so they left Him and went away.

But if we say, 'From men,' we are afraid of the people, for they all consider John a prophet."

Then the high priests and the scribes heard of this, and they kept looking for some way to destroy Him, for they were afraid of Him, for everybody was swept off his feet at what He said.

When Jesus reached the district of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?"

One day while He was praying in solitude, His disciples were nearby, and He asked them, "Who do people say that I am?"

Then Festus, as he wanted to ingratiate himself with the Jews, said to Paul, "Will you go up to Jerusalem and be tried on these charges before me there?"

But at the close of two whole years Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus, and as he wanted to gratify the Jews, Felix left Paul still in prison.

So, after further threatening them, they turned them loose, because they could not find any way to punish them, on account of the people, because they all continued to praise God for what had taken place,

Then the military commander went with his attendants and brought them back, but without any violence, for they were afraid of being pelted with stones by the people.

And yet in spite of all this, even among the leading men many came to believe in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not own it, for fear of being turned out of the synagogue, for they loved the praise of men instead of the praise of God.

Although he wanted to have him killed, he was afraid of the people, for they regarded him as a prophet.

Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard, and a waiting girl came up to him, and said, "You, too, were with Jesus the Galilean." But he denied it before them all, and said, "I do not understand what you mean." Then he went out into the gateway, and another waiting girl saw him, and said to those there, "This fellow was with Jesus the Nazarene." read more.
Again he denied it, and even swore, "I do not know the man!" A few minutes afterward the bystanders came up to Peter and said, "You are surely one of them, too, for your accent gives you away." Then he commenced cursing and swearing, "I do not know the man!" And at once a cock crowed. Then Peter remembered Jesus' words, "Before a cock crows, you will disown me three times." And he went outside and wept bitterly.

On the next day we went with Paul to see James, and all the elders of the church came too. Paul first greeted them and then gave them a detailed account of what God had done among the heathen through his service. They gave the glory to God, when they heard it, and said to him, "You see, brother, how many thousand believers there are among the Jews, all of them zealous champions of the law. read more.
They have been repeatedly told about you that you continuously teach the Jews who live among the heathen to turn their backs on Moses, and that you continue to tell them to stop circumcising their children, and to stop observing the cherished customs. What is your duty, then? They will certainly hear that you have come. Now you must do just what we tell you. We have here four men who are under a vow. Take them along with you, purify yourself with them, and bear the expense for them of having their heads shaved. Then everybody will know that none of those things they have been told about you are so, but that you yourself are living as a constant observer of the law. As for the heathen who have become believers, we have sent them our resolution that they must avoid anything that is contaminated by idols, the tasting of blood, the meat of strangled animals, and sexual immorality." Then Paul took the men along with him and on the next day went into the temple with them, purified, and announced the time when the purification would be completed, when the sacrifice for each one of them could be offered.

But we do not know how it is that he now can see, or who it was that made his eyes to see. Ask him; he is of age; he can speak for himself." His parents said this, because they were afraid of the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone owned Jesus as the Christ, he should be shut out of the synagogues.

Now when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. For before the coming of certain people from James, he was in the habit of eating with heathen Christians, but after they came, he began to draw back and hold aloof from them, because he was afraid of the circumcision party. The rest of the Jewish Christians, too, joined him in this pretense so that even Barnabas was influenced to join them in their pretense. read more.
But when I saw that they were not living up to the truth of the good news, I said to Cephas, and that before them all, "If you are living like a heathen and not like a Jew, although you are a Jew yourself, why do you try to make the heathen live like Jews?"

After this, Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, but a secret one because of his fear of the Jews, asked permission of Pilate to remove the body of Jesus, and Pilate granted it. So he went and removed His body.

And yet, for fear of the Jews, nobody dared to speak in public about Him.

and when he saw that this was agreeable to the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter too -- it was at the time of the feast of Unleavened Bread.

The king, although exceedingly sorry, yet on account of his oath and his guests, did not like to refuse her,

and when he saw that this was agreeable to the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter too -- it was at the time of the feast of Unleavened Bread.

These men who are trying to force you to let yourselves be circumcised simply want to make a fine outward show, only to keep you from being persecuted for the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul wanted this man to join him in his journey; so on account of the Jews in that district he took him and had him circumcised, for everybody knew that his father was a Greek.

He came to Jesus one night and said to Him, "Teacher, we know that you have come from God, for no one can perform the wonder-works that you are doing, unless God is with him."