The two works reprinted here in a single volume were written by a Scot and an Englishman respectively. Both were barristers, and both felt that a need existed to explain the facts surrounding the trial of Christ. Their treatises (complimentary in nature in that they deal with the same factual data from different points of view) ably blend biblical and historical evidence with an astute knowledge of Jewish jurisprudence. Both works also vindicate the evangelical belief in the uniqueness of the person of Jesus Christ and His atoning death from the culminous attacks of those who have propounded contrary theories.

These books together comprise a work of extraordinary value which no serious student of the Scriptures can afford to be without!

Alexander Taylor Innes (1833-1912) earned justifiable fame for his brilliance as an advocate and skill as a church historian. He authored the widely acclaimed Church and State as well as his Trial of Jesus Christ : A Legal Monograph . This latter work first appeared in 1899 and, while it is frequently quoted by scholars in footnotes, has become extremely rare.

Following a brief introduction, Mr. Innes treats with consummate skill the Hebrew and Roman trials of Christ. He demonstrates from biblical and historical data the many irregularities and illegalities of both trials, and shows how the evil inclinations of men (supposedly committed to upholding the law) led them to manipulate different aspects of the proceedings in order to gain the verdict they desired. No one can read this resume and remain unmoved by what transpired in Jerusalem on the eve of the crucifixion.

Frank John Powell, author of The Trial of Jesus Christ , was born in 1901.

In the course of his illustrious career he was elevated to the position of Metropolitan Magistrate and became a member of the Middle Temple, London. In this able apologetic, Mr. Powell begins by setting the stage for his readers. He writes:

The story of the double “trial.” i.e. the proceedings before the Jewish court and the Roman trial before Pilate, as related in the Gospels, is one which can be read in a few minutes; but to appreciate the significance of the incidents which occurred, the clash of personalities, the attitude of Jesus to His accusers and their accusations, and, above all, the reasons for His rejection by Israel, it is necessary to consider the historical background, the state of national opinion in Palestine, the laws by which the Jewish and Roman courts, respectively, were bound and the personal history of the chief characters concerned.

Mr. Powell then recreates the events leading up to the seizure of Jesus of Nazareth and, as in the monograph by Mr. Innes, reviews the events of both Hebrew and Roman trials. Of value to readers is Frank Powell’s culling of relevant information from The Mishnah as well as citations from sources published after the printing of Taylor Innes’ work.

The result to the reader of these learned and impartial digests — works without a parallel in English literature — is a firmer grasp and a clearer understanding of “the grace of God [which] has appeared, bringing salvation to all men” ( Titus 2:11).