The Bible’s Guide to Separating Church and State

²⁸ Then they took Jesus from Caiaphas to Pilate’s headquarters. It was early in
the morning. They themselves did not enter the headquarters, so as to avoid
ritual defilement and to be able to eat the Passover. ²⁹ So Pilate went out
to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this man?” ³⁰ They
answered, “If this man were not a criminal, we would not have handed him
over to you.” ³¹ Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and judge him
according to your law.” The Jews replied, “We are not permitted to put anyone
to death.” ³² (This was to fulfill what Jesus had said when he indicated the
kind of death he was to die.)

³³ Then Pilate entered the headquarters again, summoned Jesus, and asked
him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” ³⁴ Jesus answered, “Do you ask this on
your own, or did others tell you about me?” ³⁵ Pilate replied, “I am not a Jew,
am I? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What
have you done?” ³⁶ Jesus answered, “My kingdom does not belong to this
world. If my kingdom belonged to this world, my followers would be fighting to
keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not
from here.” ³⁷ Pilate asked him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You
say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world,
to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.”
³⁸ Pilate asked him, “What is truth?”