Some claim the Bible contradicts itself by first stating that a crowd or mob came to arrest Jesus—per Matthew, Mark and Luke—but by the book of John, we’re told it was a cohort of Roman soldiers. Or, at least, this is what some teachers teach. I believe this is actually incorrect. I believe these soldiers weren’t Roman at all! So then, who were they?
In John 18:12, we’re told a “band of soldiers and their captain and the officers of the Jews arrested Jesus and bound him.” Many folks make the leap to these soldiers being Roman soldiers which, of course, might make sense because Israel was occupied by Rome at the time. Some even go further to say this was a Roman cohort, meaning as many as 200-600 Roman soldiers came to arrest Jesus! Yet, in the other Gospels, we’re told it was a crowd or a mob:
“And while He was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and elders of the people.”…
