The people arguing were getting so out of control that the commander began to worry that they would tear Paul to pieces. So he ordered some soldiers to take him away from them by force and bring him into the fort.
Pilate saw that he wasn’t getting anywhere. Instead, the crowd was starting to get angry. So he took water and washed his hands in front of them. “I’m not guilty of this man’s death,” he said. “You’re accountable for that!”