2353 In regard to the first, note that one who has an earthly kingdom, whether by right or by force, needs associates and ministers to keep him in power: the reason being that he is powerful through his ministers, not all by himself: "There was a long war between the house of Saul and the house of David; and David grew stronger and stronger, while the house of Saul became weaker and weaker" (2 Sam 3:1). But the heavenly king, because he is powerful by himself, gives power to his servants; and consequently he does not need ministers for his kingdom. And thus Christ says that his kingdom is not of this world, because if my kingdom were of this world, my ministers would fight, that I might not be handed over to the Jews. When Peter started to fight for Christ (18:10), he forgot that he was not of this world. Still, our Lord did have some ministers, the angels, who could have rescued him from the hands of the Jews, but he chose not to be rescued: "Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels?" (Mt 26:53).
2354 But my kingdom is not from the world , that is, because Christ does not need such ministers, he concludes that his kingdom is not from the world, that is, does not have its source from this world. And yet it is here, because it is everywhere: "She [Wisdom] reaches mightily from one end of the earth to the other, and she orders all things well" (Wis 8:1); "Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession" (Ps 2:8); "And to him was given dominion and glory and kingdom, that all peoples, nations and languages should serve him" (Dan 7:14).
2355 Now our Lord reveals the truth about his kingdom: first, we see the circumstances for this; secondly, the revelation itself; and thirdly, the effect this revelation had, What is truth?
2356 In respect to the first, note that Pilate understood our Lord's statements to mean that he did have a physical kingdom, but far away: "The unspiritual man does not receive the gifts of the Spirit of God... and he is not able to understand them" (1 Cor 2:14). Accordingly he was in a hurry to know the truth, and so said, So you are a king? , you also?
2357 When he answers, You say that I am a king , Christ first says that he is a king; secondly, he shows the nature of his kingdom (v 37); thirdly, he mentions those over whom he reigns, Every one who is of the truth .
2358 With regard to the first, note that our Lord's answer about his kingship was so worded that he neither seemed to be clearly asserting that he was a king ‑ since he was not a king in the sense in which Pilate understood it ‑ nor denying it ‑ since spiritually he was the King of Kings.
He says, You say that I am a king , in the physical sense in which I am not a king; but in another way I am a king, "Behold a king will reign in righteousness, and princes will rule in justice" (Is 32:1).
2359 He shows the character and nature of his kingdom when he says, For this I was born, and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the truth. This is explained in two ways.
In one way by Augustine, so that the kingdom of Christ is his faithful, as was said above. Thus, Christ reigns over his faithful; and he came into the world to gather his faithful to himself and establish a kingdom: "A nobleman went into a far country to receive a kingdom" [Lk 19:12]. The meaning then is this: For this I was born , that is, for this purpose I was born in the flesh. He explains this saying, and for this I have come into the world, by physical birth ‑ for this is the way he came into the world, "God sent his Son into the world" [Gal 4:4] ‑ to bear witness to the truth, that is, to myself, who am the truth, "Even if I do bear witness to myself, my testimony is true" (8:14). And to the extent that I manifest myself, the Truth, to that extent I establish my kingdom. For this cannot be done without manifesting the truth, which can only be done fittingly by me, who am the light: "The only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has made him known" (1:18); "It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard him, while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by the gifts of the Holy Spirit" (Heb 2:3).
2360 Chrysostom explains it differently, this way. [24] You ask if I am a king, and I say that I am: but I am a king by divine power, because for this I was born , that is, born from the Father, by an eternal birth; just as I am God from God, so I am king from king: "I was appointed king" [Ps 2:6], and then follows, "Today I have begotten you" [v 7]. Then when he adds and for this I have come into the world, it is not to explain the previous words, but to refer to his birth in time. It is like saying: Although I am an eternal king, yet I have come into the world for this, to bear witness to the truth, that is, to myself, that I am a king from God the Father.
2361 Now he shows over whom he reigns. Before (10:11), he said that he was a shepherd and those under him were sheep; that is the same as what he is saying here, that he is a king and his subjects are the kingdom. This is so because a king is to his subjects as a shepherd to his sheep; and just as a shepherd feeds his sheep ‑ "Should not shepherds feed the sheep?" (Ez 34:2) ‑ so a king supports his subjects. He said in particular, "My sheep hear my voice" (10:27); accordingly, he also says here, every one who is of the truth hears my voice, not just outwardly, but with an interior belief and love, and carrying this out in action: "Every one who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me" (6:45). But why does a person hear my voice? Because such a one is of the truth, which is God.
2362 But since all of us are from God, all are of the truth and hear his voice. We can answer this by saying that all are from God by creation, and this is one way we are of God. But besides this, some are said to be of God because they love and imitate him. We read before, "You are not of God" (8:47), that is, considering your affections, but you are of God by creation. Every one hears my voice , with belief and love, who is of the truth, that is, who has accepted the duty of loving the truth.
2363 He does not say, "Every one who hears my voice is of the truth," because it would follow that we are of the truth because we believed. But actually, we believe because we are of the truth, that is, because we have received the gift of God which enables us to believe and love the truth: "By grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God" (Eph 2:8); "For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake" (Phil 1:29).
2364 Now the Evangelist tells us the effect of Christ's answer. We can see from this that Pilate abandoned his idea that Christ had an earthly kingdom, and now thought of Christ as a king in the sense of one who teaches the truth. He desired to learn this truth and to become a member of this kingdom and so he said, What is truth? He was not asking for a definition of truth, but wanted to know that truth by whose power he could become a member of this kingdom. This indicates that truth was not known by the world and had vanished from almost everyone, as long as they remained unbelievers: "Truth has fallen in the public squares, and uprightness cannot enter" (Is 59:14); "Truth has decayed in the children of men" [Ps 12:1]. But Pilate did not wait for Christ's answer.
2365 Apropos of this question, note that we find two kinds of truth in the gospel. One is uncreated and making: this is Christ: "I am the way, and the truth, and the life" (14:6); the other truth is made, "Grace and truth came [were made] through Jesus Christ" (1:17).
By its nature truth implies a conformity between a reality and the intellect. The intellect is related in two ways to reality. An intellect can be related to things as a measure of these things; that would be the intellect which is the cause of these things. Another intellect is measured by things, this would be an intellect whose knowledge is caused by these things. Now truth is not in the divine intellect because the intellect is conformed to things, but because things are conformed to the divine intellect. While truth is in our intellect because it understands things, conforms to them, as they are. And so uncreated truth and the divine intellect is a truth which is not measured or made, but a truth which measures and makes two kinds of truth: one is in the things themselves, insofar as it makes them so they are in conformity with what they are in the divine intellect; and it makes the other truth in our souls, and this is a measured truth, not a measuring truth. Therefore, the uncreated truth of the divine intellect is appropriated, especially referred, to the Son, who is the very concept of the divine intellect and the Word of God. For truth is a consequence of the intellect's concept. [25]
2366 Now, (v 38) we see Pilate's finding in regard to Christ: first, Pilate states his innocence; secondly, we see his intention to show mercy (v 39).
2367 Concerning the first, note that Pilate, as Augustine says, was eager to free Christ. [26] When he had asked Christ, What is truth? he suddenly realized how he could free Christ by means of a custom which allowed him to release a prisoner at the time of the passover. And so, not waiting for an answer to his question, he decided to make use of this custom to do this. This is why the Evangelist says about Pilate, After he had said this.
Pilate heard the cries of the Jews, and thinking that he could calm them and then listen to Christ's answer to this difficult question under more tranquil conditions, went out to the Jews again, and declared Christ's innocence, I find no crime in him , that is, nothing deserving death: "He committed no sin" (1 Pet 2:22). But even if he did commit a crime, I, who have authority in these matters, and especially the authority to judge of matters against the state, I wish to free and release him.
2368 Accordingly he says, But you have a custom that I should release one man for you at the Passover. First, he offers to release Christ; secondly, the Evangelist gives the reply of the Jews.
2369 This practice was started by Pilate or some other Roman governor as a favor to the people. Wishing to free Christ using this custom Pilate said, Will you have me release for you the King of the Jews? He did not call him this as if this were a crime, but to heighten their malice. It was like saying: Even if he is the king of the Jews, which is not your role to judge, but mine, still, if you want me to, I will release him for you.
2370 The Jews cried out again, Not this man, but Barabbas! Then to indicate the malice of the Jews, the Evangelist mentions the crime committed by the one they wanted released, saying, Now Barabbas was a robber : "Your princes are rebels and companions of thieves" (Is 1:23). This fulfills the words of Jeremiah (12:8): "My heritage has become to me like a lion in the forest." "But you denied the Holy and Righteous One and asked for a murderer to be granted to you" (Acts 3:14).
[1] St. Thomas refers to Jn 18:6 in the Summa Theologiae: III, q. 44, a. 3, ad 1.
[2] Tract. in Io ., 112, ch., 1, col 1930; cf. Catena Aurea , 18:1-2.
[3] In Ioannem hom ., 82, ch. 1; PG 59, col. 447; cf. Catena Aurea , 18:1-2.