Aune argues that Jesus is not dressed as a priest when John first sees him, but his argument is odd. He notes that the Greek wor for “robe” ( poderes ) is used twelve times in the LXX, always of an article of priestly gear. But the word is used for five different articles of gear, five different Hebrew terms – the breastplate (Exodus 28:15, 22), the ephod (Exodus 28:31), the robe (Exodus 28:4; 29:5), a linen garment (Ezekiel 9:2), and a garment (Zechariah 3:4). He concludes that the word isn’t a “technical term.”
Fair enough, but the evidence that Aune himself assembles suggests the possibility that poderes is uniquely suited to conjure up the whole priestly panoply.
Dear Reader,
Can I be direct with you?
War abroad. Socialists on the rise. AI upending human life. Endless uproar online. The modern attention economy doesn’t want readers — it wants users enslaved to the tyranny of the present.
First Things is the antidote: literary excellence, timeless truths, and a fixed point of reference in a culture that has lost its bearings.
But we can’t do it without readers like you.
Our goal: Raise $150,000 by November 1 to sustain First Things in the year ahead.
Your gift anchors readers in the permanent things.
Make your Fall Campaign gift now using the button below.
If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact Giovanni Del Piero, Director of the Editor’s Circle, at gdelpiero@firstthings.com or 212-627-1985.
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE
The Church in the Age of Therapy
In 1966, Philip Rieff wrote in The Triumph of the Therapeutic that “Religious man was born to…
Canada’s Deadliest Blind Spot
On September 20, the Daily Mail ran a story with the provocative headline, “Our 83-year-old Christian grandmother…
The Faithful Joy of Dolly Parton and Fulton Sheen
Dolly Parton and Fulton Sheen seem to have had little in common. She favored rhinestones; he wore…
