Texts in Conversation
John describes Jesus telling Pilate that he has spoken openly to the world, echoing Isaiah’s declaration that God does not speak in secret. John may have used Isaiah to shape the narrative, portraying Jesus’ dialogue with Pilate as a reflection of this divine openness.
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Isaiah 45:19
Hebrew Bible
18 For this is what the Lord says, the one who created the sky— he is the true God, the one who formed the earth and made it; he established it, he did not create it without order, he formed it to be inhabited: “I am the Lord, I have no peer. 19 I have not spoken in secret, in some hidden place. I did not tell Jacob’s descendants, ‘Seek me in vain!’ I am the Lord, the one who speaks honestly, who makes reliable announcements. 20 Gather together and come! Approach together, you refugees from the nations. Those who carry wooden idols know nothing, those who pray to a god that cannot deliver.
Date: 7th-5th Centuries B.C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
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John 18:20
New Testament
18 (Now the slaves and the guards were standing around a charcoal fire they had made, warming themselves because it was cold. Peter also was standing with them, warming himself.) 19 While this was happening, the high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and about his teaching. 20 Jesus replied, “I have spoken publicly to the world. I always taught in the synagogues and in the temple courts, where all the Jewish people assemble together. I have said nothing in secret. 21 Why do you ask me? Ask those who heard what I said. They know what I said.” 22 When Jesus had said this, one of the high priest’s officers who stood nearby struck him on the face and said, “Is that the way you answer the high priest?”
Date: 90-110 C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
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Notes and References
"... In Isaiah 45:19 Yahweh asserts, “I have not spoken in secret.” Similarly, Jesus says to Pilate, “I have spoken openly to the world” (John 18:20) ..."
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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