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The ‘Finger of God’ and Pneumatology in Luke-Acts is unavailable, but you can change that!

Luke’s interest in the Holy Spirit is well-known, so when instead of having Jesus say, “If I cast out devils by the Spirit of God…” as Matthew has it, he writes, “If I by the finger of God…” Luke poses a question that has puzzled many commentators since. Woods argues that in fact the phrase “finger of God” holds the key to understanding the role of the Spirit in Luke-Acts. Taking into account the...

ministry. Then we can attempt to interpret this phrase further against the background of Jewish exorcistic practice in the first century CE. 4.4.3.1. How Did Jesus Understand his Exorcisms? Apart from Lk. 11:20 (Mt. 12:28), the clearest evidence we have is found at Lk. 7:18–23. This involves Jesus’ answer to John the Baptist, whether Jesus was ‘the one to come’ or not (Mt. 11:2–6). Luke’s redactional activity is seen especially at vv. 20–21 in comparison with Matthew who more nearly reproduces the
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