The Magi are a source of much debate in modern scholarship. Despite having in common an intention to read the story of the Magi in its historical context, these different approaches have produced very conflicting views of who the Magi are and what they mean in the context of Matthew.
In this paper it is proposed that the apocalyptic topos of binding the hands and feet of an evil being is evoked in the king’s command to bind the inadequately dressed guest in the Royal Wedding Feast Parable (Matthew 22:1–14).
The paper will offer an interpretation of John’s enigmatic baptism against the backdrop of the sign-acts performed by the prophets of the Old Testament.
This presentation evaluates the full range of aspectual categories as well as the figurative use of the present tense of ἔρχομαι, (a verb of motion), in the Gospels and Acts.