Why Jesus is silent before Pilate: Dubourg's explanation

[Giuseppe]

Dubourg says that in Hebrew 'Son of Adam' resembles the word for 'silence', hence:

• the personified Silence, in the Gnostic speculations, being found at the Creation

• hence, the true reason why Jesus is silent before Pilate (in addition to the silence of the Isaiah's Suffering Servant, obviously).

This leads new force to my argument about a curious analogy between an archontic trial (in outer space) and an earthly trial.

With a difference:

• while before I gave much weight to the temporal priority, doing a lot of effort to prove that the crucifixion in outer space preceded the crucifixion by Pilate, ...

• ...now, at contrary, I am not more so sure, and I consider it not necessary to prove that Jesus didn't exist. The narrative about a trial before Pilate and that about a trial before demons could be born in the same time, in the order you like.

Hence, a clue in more about the Passion story being a new Genesis, also. A new creation, via the death of the Son of Man. Obviously, absolutely able to give rise to Gnostic speculations about a demiurge who creates the world by killing the Primal Man, place Robert M. Price here.

[GakuseiDon]

With a difference:

• while before I gave much weight to the temporal priority, doing a lot of effort to prove that the crucifixion in outer space preceded the crucifixion by Pilate, ...

• ...now, at contrary, I am not more so sure, and I consider it not necessary to prove that Jesus didn't exist. The narrative about a trial before Pilate and that about a trial before demons could be born in the same time, in the order you like.

Hence, a clue in more about the Passion story being a new Genesis, also. A new creation, via the death of the Son of Man. Obviously, absolutely able to give rise to Gnostic speculations about a demiurge who creates the world by killing the Primal Man, place Robert M. Price here.

It makes me think of the parallels to Adam Christology from a Gnostic perspective on Phil 2:

1. Adam, in the image of God, took from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil in Paradise and defied God, bringing in sin and death for his physical descendants. Before Adam could take from the Tree of Life, he and Eve were kicked out into the world and Paradise lifted to the Third Heaven.

2. Christ, as the new Adam in the form of God, was crucified on the Tree of Life in the Third Heaven and thereby submitted to God, bringing in eternal life for his spiritual descendants. Christ was then able to take from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil and pass that on to the Gnostics.

It might be that Christ's silence before Pilate is the parallel to Adam and Eve's non-silence with the serpent. Some random thoughts!

[neilgodfrey]

Dubourg's interpretation leads us to picture Jesus being midrashically represented as the Temple (where worship was silent, contra pagan temples) and God at the beginning of All (before the Word) standing before Pilate.

To me, that interpretation loses its force if it is viewed as a copy of another trial in the heavens. To view the trial as a literal event, whether in heaven or on earth, robs it of its deeper midrashic or spiritual meaning.

The silent god, through the silent suffering servant, dwells in his people who have been slain yet also risen again.

In Mark the silence of Jesus is broken in order to alert readers to other midrashic insights but he concludes with the loud shout: the voice that precedes an intelligible word, the beginning of beginnings, the ultimate identification of the one crucified and about to be resurrected.

[Giuseppe]

standing before Pilate.

why just before Pilate that divine silence? It may be interpreted, in some Gnostic circles, that the breaking of the silence is a traumatic event. In the case of Jesus, his answer ("You say so") - the answer that breaks the silence - leads directly to the reason of his crucifixion, as per titulus crucis.

[neilgodfrey]

standing before Pilate.

why just before Pilate that divine silence? It may be interpreted, in some Gnostic circles, that the breaking of the silence is a traumatic event. In the case of Jesus, his answer ("You say so") - the answer that breaks the silence - leads directly to the reason of his crucifixion, as per titulus crucis.

I don't know why it the silence was limited to his Pilate appearance. Perhaps an answer might be suggesting itself when we notice that the explicit notice of silence only comes after the chief priests come and accuse Jesus before Pilate. Jesus is facing both together, judge and accusers, and from that point he is said to be silent.

[mlinssen]

Dubourg's interpretation leads us to picture Jesus being midrashically represented as the Temple (where worship was silent, contra pagan temples) and God at the beginning of All (before the Word) standing before Pilate.

To me, that interpretation loses its force if it is viewed as a copy of another trial in the heavens. To view the trial as a literal event, whether in heaven or on earth, robs it of its deeper midrashic or spiritual meaning.

The silent god, through the silent suffering servant, dwells in his people who have been slain yet also risen again.

In Mark the silence of Jesus is broken in order to alert readers to other midrashic insights but he concludes with the loud shout: the voice that precedes an intelligible word, the beginning of beginnings, the ultimate identification of the one crucified and about to be resurrected.

Emphasis mine

(Matthew 27:50) And Jesus, having cried again in a loud voice, yielded up His spirit.
(Mark 15:37) But Jesus, having uttered a loud cry, breathed His last.
(Luke 23:46) And having called out in a loud voice, Jesus said, “Father, into Your hands I commit My Spirit.” And having said this, He breathed His last.
(John 19:30) Therefore when Jesus took the sour wine, He said “It has been finished.” And having bowed the head, He yielded up the spirit.

There's quite a bit of loud shouts, not just Mark. John goes for the more subtle and graceful exit

It's very interesting that Jesus doesn't get the chance to be silent to Pilate after the answer, but he's silent to Herod. Ending his answer to the council with "I am" teaches Jesus a lesson there, and that little story gets lost in Mark, who first has him be silent but then make the bold statement that starts with the very words.
A fine case for "Lukan priority" there