life are recorded, not in the Gospels only, but in secular history.
Josephus records several incidents in the life of Pilate which are
strikingly in accordance with his character as set forth in the Gospels.
Tacitus, a Roman historian, who wrote his _Annals_ soon after the
crucifixion of Jesus, relates that, while Pilate was governor of Judaea,
Jesus Christ was put to death. The testimony of the Gospels and the
statement of the Creed are thus confirmed by the Roman and the Jewish
historians. But, indeed, the event itself is not the subject of
controversy. It is the conclusions drawn from it by the followers of
Christ that are disputed. "Christ crucified, to the Jews a
stumbling-block, and to the Greeks foolishness,"[081] still raises
opposition and kindles hostility.

The name of Pilate is inserted not with the view of branding him with
infamy, but in order to fix the date of the crucifixion of Jesus. It is
the only intimation of the time of His death that the Creed contains. It
states that He was born, and that His mother was the Virgin Mary, and
beyond this reference to Pilate there is no intimation as to the time of
the nativity or the death. Bishop Pearson writes:--"As the Son of God,
by His deliberate counsel, was sent into the world to die in the fulness
of time, so it concerns the Church to know the time in which He died.
And because the ancient custom of the world was to make computations by
the governors, and refer their historical relations to the respective
times of their government, therefore, that we might be properly assured
of the actions of our Saviour which He did, and of His sufferings,--that
is the actions which others did to Him,--the present governor is named
in that form of speech which is proper to such historical or
chronological narrations when we affirm that He suffered under Pontius
Pilate."[082] From stating the birth of Christ, the Creed passes by what
at first sight may seem an abrupt transition to His suffering,