8.       (Power of One - deals with) Civic authority

 

12:13-17

Pharisees
re role of Caesar

14:53-72

(Peter) /Pharisees
assume Caesar's role

12:13 And they sent to him some of the Pharisees and of the Herodians that him they might catch in a word. 14 And coming they say to him: Teacher we know that true thou art and it matters not to thee about no one: for thou lookest not at the face of men, but one truth the way of God teachest: is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar or no? may we give or may we not give? 15 But he knowing of them the hypocrisy said to them: Why me tempt ye? bring me a denarius that I may see. 16 And they brought. And he says to them: Of whom image this and superscription? And they tell him: Of Caesar. 17 So Jesus said to them: The things of Caesar render to Caesar and the things of God to God And they marvelled at him.

14:53 And they led away Jesus to the high priest, and come together all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes. 54 And Peter from afar followed him until within in the court of the high priest, and was sitting with the attendants and warming himself by the bright fire. 55 Now the chief priests and all the council sought against Jesus witness for to put to death him, and found not; 56 for many false witnesses against him, and identical the testimonies not were. 57 And some standing up falsely witnessed against him saying. 58 We heard him saying I will overthrow shrine this handmade and through three days another not handmade I will build. 59 And not so identical was the witness of them. 60 And standing up the high priest in the midst questioned Jesus saying: Answerest thou not no anything what these men thee testify against? 61 But he was silent and answered not no(any) thing. Again the high priest questioned him and says to him: Thou art the Christ the Son of the Blessed (one)? 62 And Jesus said: I am, and ye will see the Son of man at the right hand sitting of the Power and coming with the clouds of heaven. 63 And the high priest rending the tunics of him says: What more need have we of witnesses? 64 ye heard the blasphemy: what to you appears it? And they all condemned him liable to be of to death. (note: but only civic authority had power to execute) 6 And began some to spit at him and to cover of him the face and to maltreat him and to say to him: Prophesy and the attendants with slaps him took. 66 And being Peter below in the court comes one of the maidservants of the high priest, 67 and seeing Peter warming himself looking at him sighs: And thou with the Nazarene wast Jesus. 68 But he denied saying: neither I know nor understand thou what sayest. And he went forth outside into the forecourt: 69 And the maidservant seeing him bean again to say to the (ones) standing by, This man of them is. 70 But he again denied. And after a little again the (ones) standing by said to Peter: Truly of them thou art: indeed for a Galilaean thou art. 71 And he began to curse and to swear that I know not the man this whom ye say. 72 And immediately a second time a cock crew. And remembered the Peter the word as said to him the Jesus that Before a cock twice to crow thrice me thou wilt deny; and thinking thereon he wept.

 

 

 

Note Peter's link with the tendency of Jewish leaders to fail to recognise outside authority ie Caesar. This connects with the same point made at the end of Luke and a central theme in Acts as the early Church tries to reach beyond a system of law and this failure.