The Three Wise Men (or Magi) and Their Tragic Role in the Gospel of Matthew
Dr. B. Brandon Scottearlychristiantexts.com
The Three Wise Men (or Magi) and Their Tragic Role in the Gospel of Matthew
The word magoi often has the meaning of “magician”, in both Old and New Testaments (see Acts, viii, 9; xiii, 6, 8; also the Septuagint of Dar:., i, 20; ii, 2i 10, 27; iv, 4; v, 7, 11, 15). St. Justin (Tryph., lxxvui), Origen (Cels., I, lx), St. Augustine (Serm. xx, De epiphania) and St. Jerome (In Isa., xix, 1) find the same meaning in the second c... See more
Magi
Neither were they magicians: the good meaning of magoi, though found nowhere else in the Bible, is demanded by the context of the second chapter of St. Matthew. These Magians can have been none other than members of the priestly caste already referred to. The religion of the Magi was fundamentally that of Zoroaster and forbade sorcery; their astrol... See more
Magi
The evidence, it seems to me, is actually quite straightforward: Jesus performed mighty deeds, which did in fact call forth the charge that he was a magician, in league with demonic forces.171 But what does this charge mean? It means, not least, that Jesus was perceived to be posing a serious threat to the social, cultural and religious world of hi
... See moreN. T. Wright • Jesus Victory of God V2: Christian Origins And The Question Of God
Beginning in the 4th century BCE, the use of the term magus became ambiguous and had a double significance. It often acquired contemptuous connation and was used to designate conjurers, sorcerers, and soothsayers (Bidez and Cumont, I, p. 174; Bickerman and Tadmor, p. 252; Papathcophances, p. 105). But the same word was also used for designating wis... See more
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If, after all, he looked like leading a whole town astray, then Deuteronomy 13:12–18 would come into play; it has been suggested that this was why several towns refused to countenance his teaching, since to do so would court disaster for them as well as for him.