World English Bible · Under Rome
Luke 23
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The whole company of them rose up and brought him before . They began to accuse him, saying, "We found this man perverting the nation, forbidding paying taxes to , and saying that he himself is , a king." asked him, "Are you the King of the ?" He answered him, "So you say." said to the and the , "I find no basis for a charge against this man." But they insisted, saying, "He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all , beginning from even to this place." But when heard mentioned, he asked if the man was a Galilean. When he found out that he was in jurisdiction, he sent him to , who was also in during those days. Now when saw , he was exceedingly glad, for he had wanted to see him for a long time, because he had heard many things about him. He to see some miracle done by him. He questioned him with many words, but he gave no answers. The and the stood, vehemently accusing him. with his soldiers humiliated him and mocked him. Dressing him in luxurious clothing, they sent him back to . and became friends with each other that very day, for before that they were with each other. called together the , the , and the people, and said to them, "You brought this man to me as one that perverts the people, and behold, having examined him before you, I found no basis for a charge against this man concerning those things of which you accuse him. 15Neither has , for I sent you to him, and see, nothing worthy of has been done by him. I will therefore him and him." 17Now he had to one prisoner to them at the feast. But they all cried out together, saying, "Away with this man! to us Barabbas!"— one who was thrown into prison for a certain revolt in the city, and for . Then spoke to them again, wanting to , but they shouted, saying, "! him!" He said to them the third time, "Why? What evil has this man done? I have found no capital crime in him. I will therefore him and him." But they were urgent with loud voices, asking that he might be . Their voices and the voices of the prevailed. decreed that what they asked for should be done. He released him who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and , for whom they asked, but he up to their will. When they led him away, they grabbed one of Cyrene, coming from the country, and laid on him to carry it after . A great multitude of the people followed him, including women who also mourned and him. But , turning to them, said, "Daughters of , don't weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For behold, the days are coming in which they will say, ' are the , the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed.' Then they will begin to tell the mountains, 'Fall on us!' and tell the hills, 'Cover us.' For if they do these things in the green tree, what will be done in the dry?" There were also others, two criminals, led with him to be put to . When they came to the place that is called "The Skull", they him there with the criminals, one on the right and the other on the left. said, ", forgive them, for they don't know what they are doing." Dividing his garments among them, they cast lots. The people stood watching. The with them also scoffed at him, saying, "He others. Let him himself, if this is of , his chosen one!" The soldiers also mocked him, coming to him and him vinegar, 37and saying, "If you are the King of the , yourself!" An inscription was also written over him in letters of , Latin, and : "THIS IS THE KING OF THE ." One of the criminals who was hanged insulted him, saying, "If you are , yourself and us!" But the other answered, and rebuking him said, "Don't you even , seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong." He said to , ", remember me when you come into your Kingdom." said to him, "Assuredly I tell you, today you will be with me in ." It was now about the sixth hour, and came over the whole land until the ninth hour. The sun was darkened, and of was torn in two. , crying with a loud voice, said, ", into your hands I commit !" Having said this, he breathed his last. When the centurion saw what was done, he glorified , saying, "Certainly this was a man." All the that came together to see this, when they saw the things that were done, returned home beating their chests. All his acquaintances and the women who followed with him from stood at a distance, watching these things. Behold, there was a man named , who was a member of , a good and man (he had not consented to their and deed), from Arimathaea, a city of the , who was also for Kingdom. This man went to , and asked for ' body. He took it down and wrapped it in a linen cloth, and laid him in a that was cut in stone, where no one had ever been laid. It was the day of the Preparation, and the was drawing near. The women who had come with him out of followed after, and saw the and how his body was laid. They returned and prepared spices and ointments. On the they rested according to the .
A public domain modern English translation, free to read and share. Notes and cards are EKLI’s own.
Christians read this chapter differently
Every view at its strongest, with who holds it and what it has to answer for.
The world at this moment · Under Rome, 63 BC to AD 100 ›
Judea as a client kingdom and then a province. Roads, garrisons, taxes, crucifixion, and a common Greek language that let a message travel the empire faster than any before it.
- Rome
- The republic tears itself apart in civil war and comes out as an empire under Augustus. What follows is two centuries of relative peace across the whole Mediterranean, enforced by legions and paid for by taxes, with safe roads and safe sea lanes. Every one of Paul's journeys depends on that.
- Judea
- Governed first through Herod the Great, a client king of enormous ability and enormous brutality who rebuilds the temple into one of the wonders of the ancient world, then directly by Roman prefects. Crucifixion is the standard penalty for sedition and is used often and publicly.
- The wider world
- Greek is spoken from Spain to Syria, which means a letter written in Corinth can be read in Rome without translation. Jewish communities already exist in most major cities, which is where the first Christian preaching lands. Mystery religions, imperial cult, and philosophy all compete in the same marketplace.
- Further afield
- The Han dynasty rules China and trades silk westward along routes that touch the Roman world at second hand. In Britain the Roman conquest begins within a decade of the crucifixion.