“When one gets to Clement or Hippolytus, we are clearly a long way from what we find in Paul and the Gospels, where the influence of the Passover is still strongly present and the meal is seen as a family… — Ben Witherington III Copy Share Image
“At this juncture it is important to say something about Exodus 12:7. This verse implies that we are dealing with a ritual that did not involve atoning for sin, but rather was a rite of protection for God’s people, a… — Ben Witherington III Copy Share Image
“Is the Lord’s Supper only for Christians? Whenever I ask this question I immediately remember the character of those that partook of the Last… — Ben Witherington III Copy Share Image
“The ritual of the blood on the lintel of the door, which protected the Israelites from the angel of death, is an apotropaic (avoidance)… — Ben Witherington III Copy Share Image
“Sometimes silences are pregnant and sometimes not. It is hard to know what to make of the silence of much of the New Testament… — Ben Witherington III Copy Share Image
“Who should serve the Lord’s Supper? Well in the early church, considering Acts 2 and 1 Corinthians 11, the host of the home presumably… — Ben Witherington III Copy Share Image
“When one gets to Clement or Hippolytus, we are clearly a long way from what we find in Paul and the Gospels, where the… — Ben Witherington III Copy Share Image
“It required an understanding of theology, and ethics, and ancient religions and philosophies. You had to have a working knowledge in a plethora of… — Ben Witherington III Copy Share Image
“Too often scholars have thought and even suggested that what happened during and after Constantine was that the church sought to replace the pagan… — Ben Witherington III Copy Share Image
“Christ did not exalt himself in a world full of self-promotion; rather he stepped down and served others, which most, especially the elite, in… — Ben Witherington III Copy Share Image
“We have seen some gatekeeping or fencing-the-table language already beginning to rear its head in this context. One needed to be baptized to take… — Ben Witherington III Copy Share Image
“The reference in 1 Corinthians 11:27 is to Christ’s actual body, which was crucified, as the reference to blood makes evident. Anaziõs has been… — Ben Witherington III Copy Share Image
“Verse 12 [of Ex. 12) tells us that the judgment of Yahweh is not only on the Egyptians but also on their deities. This… — Ben Witherington III Copy Share Image
“When exactly did this all change, and what were the social and theological factors that led to the change? The answer seems to be… — Ben Witherington III Copy Share Image
