Journal article
Prison, penance or purgatory: The interpretation of Matthew 5.25–6 and parallels
- Abstract:
- Scholarship on Matt 5.25–6 has focused on the question of whether the saying offers mundane wisdom or threatens divine judgement, with the majority concluding that it refers to eternal punishment in hell. This article examines debt-prison and related phenomena before turning to the illuminating history of ancient interpretation. The article concludes that the ‘eternal damnation’ gloss widely favoured today is an overinterpretation first inspired by the exigencies of fourth- and fifth-century doctrinal controversy. Instead of eternal perdition, Matt 5.25–6 and its parallels suggest a time of straits followed by possible release.
- Publication status:
- Published
- Peer review status:
- Peer reviewed
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Access Document
- Files:
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(Preview, Accepted manuscript, pdf, 371.6KB, Terms of use)
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- Publisher copy:
- 10.1017/S0028688517000315
Authors
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
- Journal:
- New Testament Studies More from this journal
- Volume:
- 64
- Issue:
- 2
- Pages:
- 162-177
- Publication date:
- 2018-03-08
- Acceptance date:
- 2017-06-01
- DOI:
- EISSN:
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1469-8145
- ISSN:
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0028-6885
- Keywords:
- Pubs id:
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pubs:698517
- UUID:
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uuid:0f9a015e-3a87-4117-8fd5-4de7402d649c
- Local pid:
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pubs:698517
- Source identifiers:
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698517
- Deposit date:
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2017-06-05
Terms of use
- Copyright holder:
- Cambridge University Press
- Copyright date:
- 2018
- Notes:
- Copyright © 2018 Cambridge University Press. This is the accepted manuscript version of the article. The final version is available online from Cambridge University Press at: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0028688517000315
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