The Activity of John the Baptist's Expected Figure At the Threshing Floor (Matthew 3.12 = Luke 3.17)

The picture of John the Baptist's expected figure at the threshing floor does not portray winnowing, as often thought. Rather, winnowing has already taken place, and the expected figure is poised to clean the threshing floor by taking the already separated wheat and chaff to their respective en...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Webb, Robert L. 1955- (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Sage 1991
In: Journal for the study of the New Testament
Year: 1991, Volume: 14, Issue: 43, Pages: 103-111
Online Access: Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
Description
Summary:The picture of John the Baptist's expected figure at the threshing floor does not portray winnowing, as often thought. Rather, winnowing has already taken place, and the expected figure is poised to clean the threshing floor by taking the already separated wheat and chaff to their respective ends. Thus, it is not the expected figure whose ministry separates 'wheat' from 'chaff', but rather John's ministry and people's response to it which accomplishes the separation of the 'repentant' from the 'unrepentant'. It is the expected figure who finalizes the separation by taking these two groups to their respective ends, whether blessing or judgment. In this interpretation the ministries of John and the expected figure closely parallel their portrayal in Mt. 3.11 = Lk. 3.16, though there the imagery used is baptism. It also supports interpreting πνεύμα in Mt. 3.11 = Lk. 3.16 as 'spirit' rather than 'wind'.
ISSN:1745-5294
Contains:Enthalten in: Journal for the study of the New Testament
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1177/0142064X9101404307