What were the sins of Pontius Pilate?

Answer 1

The sin of Pilate is that he did not prevent the Crucifixion of Jesus. Failing to prevent a wrong when it is in one's power to do so is the same as committing the wrong. In this particular case, what Pilate did was outside the law which he was bound to, and he simply caved to peer/political pressure and condemned an innocent. That would have been considered morally and ethically wrong in all courts.

The New Testament, or more specifically: the writers of the new testament (e.g. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) paint Pilate in a somewhat favorable light. They all report Pilate as having said something along the lines of "I find no crime in this man" to the assembled crowd.

Now, it should be noted that at this point in history the province of Judea was under the jurisdiction of the Roman Empire, but, as was commonplace, the province was allowed to retain much of its own authority regarding prosecution of crime and organizational affairs. As such, Jesus was more or less directly answerable to the Sanhedrin (Jewish court of law) when it came to issues regarding local law. Crucifixion, however, could only be administered by the Romans themselves, and that is why the crowds brought him before Pilate.

Pilate asks Jesus before the trial, "Are you the King of the Jews?"

Jesus responds, "You have said so." (Matthew 27:11)

Pilate was not Jewish, but his verbal exchanges with Jesus prior to and during the trial indicate a certain sympathy for Jesus himself. After pleading to the crowd to let Jesus go, Pilate openly washes his hands and says, "I am innocent of this man's blood; see to it yourselves." (Matthew 27:24)

As stated above, however, it is not ethically right to stand by while someone innocent is killed for bogus crimes. Being governor, Pilate's chief responsibility was to suppress any movements of rebellion, and because the Jewish people were so adamant in condemning Jesus that open revolt was becoming a seemingly real possibility, Pilate allowed him to be taken by the crowds to his death. The inscription on the cross calling Jesus The King of the Jews was actually put there by Pilate, much to the displeasure of the pharisees.

Whether or not you see Pilate's deferral of responsibility as a legitimate defense does not change the fact that he had sufficient power to stop the crucifixion but chose not to in order to quell any potential movements of rebellion. Some institutions, however, have adopted Pilate as a Saint because of his extreme opposition to the crucifixion of Jesus, his acknowledgment of Jesus as The King of the Jews, and because he was witness to the death of Jesus and therefore a witness to the resurrection story. Some scholars, however, believe that Pilate was perhaps not as honorable as it would seem and claim that the writers of the Gospels only portrayed Pilate in such a way so as to gain favor with the Roman government which was still in control at that time.

Answer 2

The sins of Pontius Pilate include succumbing to political pressure and appeasing the Jewish leaders by ordering the crucifixion of Jesus, despite finding no fault in Him. He also allowed his soldiers to mistreat and mock Jesus during his trial and crucifixion. Pilate's actions ultimately demonstrated a lack of moral courage and a willingness to compromise justice for personal gain and political stability.