“Verse 12 [of Ex. 12) tells us that the judgment of Yahweh is not only on the Egyptians but also on their deities. This is probably an allusion to the fact that Egyptians would often pray for the safety of… — 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 Supper with Jesus. They were certainly Jews, some better Jews than others, but Jesus shared this meal knowingly even with Judas. Or again consider the Emmaus Road encounter. Jesus shares this meal with those who had… — Ben Witherington III Copy Share
“The ritual of the blood on the lintel of the door, which protected the Israelites from the angel of death, is an apotropaic (avoidance) ritual, such that the family in question would be 'passed over' by the aforementioned denizen of death. Later Jewish and Christian ideas that amalgamated this story with ideas about the scapegoat’s providing a substitutionary remedy should… — Ben Witherington III Copy Share
“Sometimes silences are pregnant and sometimes not. It is hard to know what to make of the silence of much of the New Testament about the Lord’s Supper. Perhaps it is simply an accident of time and circumstance. There was not a felt need to address the matter. What we should not likely conclude is that it was not seen… — Ben Witherington III Copy Share
“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
