Abstract
Jesus' saying, 'First clean the inside' (Mt. 23.25-26), is a metaphor about hypocrisy taken not from the context of ritual purity (as argued by Jacob Neusner), but from that of the ordinary washing of dirty dishes. The ritual purity law concerning the inside and outside of non-earthenware vessels probably did not exist in the time of Jesus, and is in any case unsuitable as a metaphor for hypocrisy. This was argued by me in an earlier article. John C. Poirier has criticized my argument on the grounds that the distinction between inside and outside didexist in Jesus' time and that metaphors are more com plex than I represented. His argument, however, is characterized by incomprehen sion of rabbinic concepts of ritual purity, and by muddled ideas about metaphor.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
