<jats:p>After establishing Paul's understanding of the miraculous as an extraordinary o... more <jats:p>After establishing Paul's understanding of the miraculous as an extraordinary or humanly possible event empowered and directed by God for the benefit of others, this article seeks to describe the place of the miraculous in Paul's life. It is argued that Paul experienced the miraculous in revelatory experiences through which he understood God called him to ministry and, on other occasions, revealed things to him. Paul's writings show that he exercised a number of speaking gifts, but there is no evidence he had the gifts of healing, exorcism or miracles. In despair he experienced God's rescue; and he reports the healing of Ephaphroditus. However, prayer for some recurring physical problem that was answered not by healing but an assurance of God's grace caused Paul to rejoice in his weaknesses as the places and spaces where he and others could see the power of God in an ordinary life.</jats:p>
In the biblical material the motif of exorcism—expelling an unwanted spiritual entity from a pers... more In the biblical material the motif of exorcism—expelling an unwanted spiritual entity from a person or place—is dominated by stories related to Jesus. Of all the activities associated with Jesus in the Synoptic Gospels exorcism appears to be the single activity that took the greatest amount of his time. Indeed, we know of no historical or literary figure in antiquity who is said to have conducted so many exorcisms. (It is not immediately clear why the Gospel of John does not mention exorcism.) Uniquely, Jesus appears to have taken his exorcisms not as signs or evidence of the expected Kingdom of God but, along with other healings, as its realization. In a range of approaches in the period there were exorcisms thought to depend entirely on the charismatic force of the exorcist. On the other hand, there were exorcisms in which the words uttered, or activities carried out, were considered determinative of success. Although these so-called magical exorcisms did not always need an exorci...
Paying particular attention to passages in Acts that deal with the coming of the Spirit, as well ... more Paying particular attention to passages in Acts that deal with the coming of the Spirit, as well as others which may help understand how the motif of prayer functions in Luke’s narrative shows that, for him, the Spirit comes not in direct response to prayer but according to God’s determination and timing to devoted or prayerful people.
This paper sets out to answer the question, was Jesus considered a magician? And if so, why? In t... more This paper sets out to answer the question, was Jesus considered a magician? And if so, why? In the face of a current inconclusive debate, using unsuitable definitions of magic, and likely entangled with twenty-first-century definitions, the second-century data is engaged to help re-sensitize a reading of the gospel data. There are clear charges of magic in the second century that enable twenty-first-century readers to see that observers of Jesus’ ministry charged him with magic, but not for the reasons usually assumed. Some contemporary implications of this study are taken up in a contemporary coda.
Page 1. The Jewish Context of Jesus&amp;#x27; Miracles Eric Eve Page 2. Page 3. Page 4. Page ... more Page 1. The Jewish Context of Jesus&amp;#x27; Miracles Eric Eve Page 2. Page 3. Page 4. Page 5. ... Page 6. Page 7. The Jewish Context of Jesus&amp;#x27; Miracles Eric Eve Journal for the Study of the New Testament Supplement Series 231 Page 8. ...
A miracle story is a narrative involving a report of supposed special divine action. This article... more A miracle story is a narrative involving a report of supposed special divine action. This article notes key literature that interprets the miracle stories associated with Jesus of Nazareth through historical, socioreligious, and literary contextualization. It does not take into account miracle stories in which Jesus is portrayed as directly involved, such as the transfiguration or resurrection. The importance of contextualization of miracle stories cannot be overemphasized. Understanding the historical era, the cultural climate, the political realities, the Jewish and Hellenistic religious background of Jesus and his early followers, the social signals in the literature that were understood by that culture, and the literary context provided by the larger works in which the stories appear contribute to interpreting the intentions of those responsible for the stories. This article is intended to provide an authoritative set of texts that addresses these various aspects of interpreting...
<jats:p>After establishing Paul's understanding of the miraculous as an extraordinary o... more <jats:p>After establishing Paul's understanding of the miraculous as an extraordinary or humanly possible event empowered and directed by God for the benefit of others, this article seeks to describe the place of the miraculous in Paul's life. It is argued that Paul experienced the miraculous in revelatory experiences through which he understood God called him to ministry and, on other occasions, revealed things to him. Paul's writings show that he exercised a number of speaking gifts, but there is no evidence he had the gifts of healing, exorcism or miracles. In despair he experienced God's rescue; and he reports the healing of Ephaphroditus. However, prayer for some recurring physical problem that was answered not by healing but an assurance of God's grace caused Paul to rejoice in his weaknesses as the places and spaces where he and others could see the power of God in an ordinary life.</jats:p>
In the biblical material the motif of exorcism—expelling an unwanted spiritual entity from a pers... more In the biblical material the motif of exorcism—expelling an unwanted spiritual entity from a person or place—is dominated by stories related to Jesus. Of all the activities associated with Jesus in the Synoptic Gospels exorcism appears to be the single activity that took the greatest amount of his time. Indeed, we know of no historical or literary figure in antiquity who is said to have conducted so many exorcisms. (It is not immediately clear why the Gospel of John does not mention exorcism.) Uniquely, Jesus appears to have taken his exorcisms not as signs or evidence of the expected Kingdom of God but, along with other healings, as its realization. In a range of approaches in the period there were exorcisms thought to depend entirely on the charismatic force of the exorcist. On the other hand, there were exorcisms in which the words uttered, or activities carried out, were considered determinative of success. Although these so-called magical exorcisms did not always need an exorci...
Paying particular attention to passages in Acts that deal with the coming of the Spirit, as well ... more Paying particular attention to passages in Acts that deal with the coming of the Spirit, as well as others which may help understand how the motif of prayer functions in Luke’s narrative shows that, for him, the Spirit comes not in direct response to prayer but according to God’s determination and timing to devoted or prayerful people.
This paper sets out to answer the question, was Jesus considered a magician? And if so, why? In t... more This paper sets out to answer the question, was Jesus considered a magician? And if so, why? In the face of a current inconclusive debate, using unsuitable definitions of magic, and likely entangled with twenty-first-century definitions, the second-century data is engaged to help re-sensitize a reading of the gospel data. There are clear charges of magic in the second century that enable twenty-first-century readers to see that observers of Jesus’ ministry charged him with magic, but not for the reasons usually assumed. Some contemporary implications of this study are taken up in a contemporary coda.
Page 1. The Jewish Context of Jesus&amp;#x27; Miracles Eric Eve Page 2. Page 3. Page 4. Page ... more Page 1. The Jewish Context of Jesus&amp;#x27; Miracles Eric Eve Page 2. Page 3. Page 4. Page 5. ... Page 6. Page 7. The Jewish Context of Jesus&amp;#x27; Miracles Eric Eve Journal for the Study of the New Testament Supplement Series 231 Page 8. ...
A miracle story is a narrative involving a report of supposed special divine action. This article... more A miracle story is a narrative involving a report of supposed special divine action. This article notes key literature that interprets the miracle stories associated with Jesus of Nazareth through historical, socioreligious, and literary contextualization. It does not take into account miracle stories in which Jesus is portrayed as directly involved, such as the transfiguration or resurrection. The importance of contextualization of miracle stories cannot be overemphasized. Understanding the historical era, the cultural climate, the political realities, the Jewish and Hellenistic religious background of Jesus and his early followers, the social signals in the literature that were understood by that culture, and the literary context provided by the larger works in which the stories appear contribute to interpreting the intentions of those responsible for the stories. This article is intended to provide an authoritative set of texts that addresses these various aspects of interpreting...
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