Echoes of Grace

  Introduction Remembered as the ruthless Roman governor of Judea who condemned Jesus to a merciless death on the cross, Pontius Pilate plays a short role in the passion narrative of the gospels, yet the importance of his role cannot be understated. While most Christians with a surface understanding of the Gospels of the New Testament believe that it is easy to understand Pontius Pilate, an in-depth study of the primary source material will show that this Roman prefect is a highly dynamic character who had difficulty in maintaining a balance between his allegiance to the Roman Empire, and the Jewish people he was charged with overseeing. This paper will defend the view that Pontius Pilate was neither a saint nor a ruthless villain, but rather a typical Roman prefect who faced conflict in trying to fulfill his duties. Research Methodology Pontus Pilate appears as a major character in the passion narrative of the gospels, and is mentioned in all four gospels a...

  Introduction Within the history of the church, the Bible has been an inspiration and source of hope for countless millions of Christians, and continues to be adored as the Word of God communicated to common man. Nevertheless, as the Word of God, the Bible contains several passages that pose ethical dilemmas for any serious student of the Bible. These passages include God striking down Uzzah for touching the ark of the covenant while trying to steady it from following (2 Sam 6:1-11), the command to slaughter the Canaanites in order to possess the promised land (Deut 20:16–17), and, perhaps one of the darkest moments in the entire Old Testament, the rape and murder of the Levite’s concubine in Judges 19. The focus of this study will be on an equally disturbing passage of Scripture in that it shows a victorious judge of Israel vowing to sacrifice his only daughter to the Lord. This paper will defend the unfortunate reality that Jephthah vowed to sacrifice his daugh...