Lucas 23:16

Pilate evidently punished Jesus because He had caused Pilate trouble and as a concession to the Jewish leaders. This is clearer in the Greek text than in most English versions. "Punish" (Gr. paideusas) is probably a participle that modifies the main verb "release" (Gr. apolyso). Luke presented Pilate as wanting to give Jesus a light reprimand and then release Him. This is one of several indications in Luke’s Gospel that the writer wanted his Gentile readers to view Christianity favorably. This desire comes through at several places in Acts too. The flogging (Gr. phragellosas, Matthew 27:26; Mark 15:15) that Jesus received before His crucifixion was much more severe than the scourging (Gr. paideusas) that Pilate referred to here. Pilate had no idea of crucifying Jesus now.

"The suggestion that Jesus should be chastised before being released strikes us as curious. If He was innocent, He should have been released without further ado. But in Roman law a light beating was sometimes given together with a magisterial warning, so that an accused might take greater care for the future." [Note: Morris, p. 322.]