Ἐπὶ Ποντίου Πιλάτου in 1 Timothy 6:13 and Ante-Nicene Christian Literature

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study examines the use of the Greek phrase ἐπὶ Ποντίου Πιλάτου in 1 Tim 6:13 and ante-Nicene Christian literature. Although many scholars understand ἐπὶ Ποντίου Πιλάτου in 1 Tim 6:13 in a temporal sense (“in the time of Pontius Pilate”)—as it is typically understood in subsequent Christian literature and the creeds—or in a simple locative sense (“in the presence of Pontius Pilate”), this study argues through a detailed grammatical analysis that the occurrence of ἐπὶ Ποντίου Πιλάτου in 1 Tim 6:13 should more accurately be understood in a legal/declarative sense (“before Pontius Pilate”).