Malina and Rohr Letters of Paul:That is the task of delivering
contributions of Jesus groups from Macedonia and Achaia to the poor
waiting in Jerusalem. The rationale he offers for the collection
smacks of simony but is typical of antiquity: spiritual goods and
material goods were all goods. Reciprocity was basic among ingroup
members. It did not matter what one received from another; one must
practice generalized reciprocity. 289he is apprehensive about Jesus
groups in Jerusalem, whether they will accept the contributions
from him. So he requests Roman Jesus groups to ask God on his
behalf that he complete his task and safely move on to Rome.
289
Paul and His Oppponents:One might be tempted to claim that Pauls
inclusion of these details regarding his anticipated visit to
Jerusalm in the light of the collection that he had been making in
Macedonia and Achaia is simply an attempt to be complete in his
narrative and to stave off further criticism of a delay in his
coming. This might well be true. However, there is no compelling
reason why Paul had to give specific details for his previous
delays. Nor does he need to go into the details of the collection,
especially since he had not provided an opportunity for the Roman
church to be a part of this project that had occupied so much of
his time in his previous travels. This might appear to be working
contrary to the very idea of mutuality that Paul had promoted at
the outset of his letter (1:12). It has been suggested that one of
the purposes for the writing of Romans is that Paul was concerned
about how he was going to be treated by the Christians in
Jerusalem. His fears were warranted, as we see form Acts 21, where
Paul appears to have been put in an untenable situation (whether
intentionally or inadvertently) by the leaders in Jerusalem, such
as James. The purpose of Romans. 164In terms of the collection, he
puts it in the context of those who are financially more fortunate
being able to help those who are less fortunate, since the former
Gentiles are indebted to the Jews for Jesus who has brought
spiritual life (15:26-27). Paul concludes by arguing that there is
a mutuality in terms of ministering to both material and spiritual
needs 165-66Thus, when he took the collection to Jerusalem and
presented it to the church there, he saw that as his apostolic task
on behalf of the Gentile believers, as part of their reciprocal
spiritual and material obligations. he states that when he has
finished making this presentation in Jerusalem and has put his seal
on this fruit, then, in the course of going to Spain, he will come
to the Roman church in the fullness of the blessing of Christ
(15:29). We noted above that there is some scholarly discussion
regarding the apostolic foundation of the church at Rome and that
it is unclear what such an apostolic foundation would have added to
what the church already had. Rather than the question of apostolic
status resting with the church itself, it appears that there may
have been a question in the Roman church regarding the status of
Paul as apostle. This would have been consonant with such
questioning elsewhere, but Pauls diffusing of the issue takes place
in his claim to be continuing the task begun with the collection in
his coming to Rome. The taking of the collection to Jerusalem is an
event at which, as apostle of the Gnetiles, Paul can put his seal
on the transaction. This event, he says, is a necessary step that
precedes his further travels from the east, in which his ministry
is complete, to new destinations. 166-7
Senecas views on benefit-exchange in De beneficiisreciprocity in
the socially stratified Mediterranean world of the first century
where the exchange of services was never voluntary but reciprocal.
More specifically, ancient benefaction, as a particular form of
social exchange, will demand our attention. 47
see Cicero: De officiis 1.47
Aristotle Nichomachean Ethics: IV 2.5, IV 3.1: 2 basic types of
benefactors: (a) the noble figure who engaged in collective
undertakings for the common good of all his fellow citizens, and
(b) the individual in the upper social strata of society who
engaged in reciprocal interchanges of a more personal nature with
status-equals or near-equals 49
Portraits of Paul:Finally, the value of constantly attending to
collateral relations leads inevitably to the consequent value of
self-sacrifice. Paul presents himself as the chief example of this,
as he emphasizes how he is poured as a libation upon the
sacrificial offering of your faith (Phil 2:17). He praises the
collection for the poor saints of Jerusalem as a service
(leitourgia,2 Cor 9:12, Rom 15:27). Christ, of course, is the
exalted model of value and behavior, for he emptied himself and
gave himself up for the church. Thus it comes as no surprise to
hear Paul praise various types of gifts and roles as service toward
others (1 Cor 4:1, 12:4-6). 197charis as a patronage word 195
deSilva Honor:The concept that a personas true possessions are
what he or she gives away was known to Seneca, although Seneca
would have advised a more judicious (from a worldly point of view)
have no means of repayment, so that God will repay us at the
resurrection of the righteous (Lk 14:12-14). The striking vision of
Matthew 25:31-46, in which the righteous are separated from the
wicked on the basis of the beneficence toward the needy, surprises
the hearers and readers by asserting that providing food and
clothing and comfort to the needy is the way to return the favor to
the one who has given us all we need for our well-being and
survivalWe have the opportunity to make a gracious return to our
Lord and benefactor in the person of the poor or the oppressed. -
152Especially in the letters of Paul we find a remarkable
transformation of the cultural code of patronage. Monetary
contributions and other forms of assistance or beneficence within
the local church or between cells of the church universal remains a
source of recognition and honor. Paul honors the Macedonian
Christians for their generosity by praising them to the Corinthian
congretations, amplifying their virtue by stressing that they did
not let their own poverty hinder their generosity. Paul includes in
his letters rememberances of individuals who have undergone expence
or exercised beneficence for his good or the good of the church.
152God supplies all things, so that Christians are called to share
on the basis of their kinship responsibilities toward one another
in the church rather than use gifts of money and hospitality to
build up their client base (the source of local prestige and
power). This is a bold transformation of patronage into
stewardship. 153Patronage and benefaction are therefore removed
from the realm of competition among humans for honor and
accumulation of power a message as relevant today as ever. Indeed,
participating in relief efforts is presented as much as a favor
granted the givers as a favor done by the givers. The collection
for the poor in the Judean churches is perhaps tye most prominent
act of beneficence among the churches in the NT. Paul views this,
however, not through responsive Christians, so that ultimately God
rightly receives the thanks for the donation. Participation in the
relief effort is a favor for which the Macedonian Christians
earnestly begged Paul. The Judean Christians reciprocate with
prayer on behalf of the Gentile ChristiansParticipating in the
relief effort is a means of honoring the divine benefactor by
imitating his generosity. Christs example should spur them on in
this endeavor. Moreover, since the Corinthians have been enriched
by Christ and by God in so many ways, they are honor bound to use
the riches entrusted to them for Gods purposes, namely relieving
the needs of the saints 154
Seneca: The Epistles Epistle LXXXIOur feeling about every
obligation depends in each case upon the spirit in which the
benefit is conferred; we weigh not the bulk of the gift, but the
quality of the good-will which prompted itThe good man so arranges
the two sides of his ledger that he voluntarily cheats himself by
adding to the benefit and subtracting from the injury. 223
Social Science Commentary: (289): The rationale he offers for
the collection smacks of simony but is typical of antiquity:
spiritual goods and material goods were all goods. Reciprocity was
basic among ingroup members. It did not matter what one received
from another; one must practice generalized reciprocity.
Josephus: p 811 (Loeb 280): for there is not any city of the
Grecians, nor any of the barbarians, nor any nation whatsoever,
whither our custom of restinghath not come, andmany (etc)they also
endeavor to imitate our mutual concord with one another, and the
charitable distribution of our goods, and our diligence in our
trades, and our fortitude
Philo: p564 widows and orphans
Acts of Peter??
Xenophon Oeconomicus (Loeb)377 Socrates richer than Cristobulus
even though poorer must give many parties and dinners must play
benefactor to citizens or you lose your following must pay for
choruses and gymnastics, go courting minions
Thucydides: History of the Peloponnesian War Book II: , , . . ,
, . . = Again, in nobility of spirit, we stand in sharp contast to
most men; for it is not by receiving kindness, but by conferring
it, that we acquire our friends. Now he who confers the favour is a
firmer friend, in that he is disposed, by continued goodwill toward
the recipient, to keep the feeling of obligation alive in him; but
he who owes it is more listless in his friendship, knowing that
when he repays the kindness it will count, not as a favour
bestowed, but as a debt repaid. And finally, we alone confer our
benefits without fear of consequences, not upon a calculation of
the advantage we shall gain, but with confidence in the spirit of
liberality which actuates us. 328-31 Loeb; Lines 4-5: Eng trans by
Charles Forester Smith; Cambride, MA, Harvard Univ Press, 1962.
Philo: in the Special Laws: Trans by F. H. Colson, Cambridge,
Harvard, 1937.The Special Laws, I. 152. (pg 186-87 Loeb Vol 7): =
For if the gift is felt to come not from men but from the
Benefactor of all, its acceptance carries with it no sense of shame
(about God blessing people: implies shame at receiving other
gifts?)The Speical Laws, I. 299-100 (pg 272-3 Vol 7): . , , , . =
God asks nothing from thee that is heavy or complicated or
difficult, but only something quite simple and easy. And this is
just to love Him as a benefactor, or failing this to fear Him at
least as a ruler and lord, and to tread in every way that will lead
thee to please Him, to serve Him not half-heartedly but with thy
whole soul filled with the determination to love Him and to cling
to His commandments and to honour justice. On the Virtues: 84-84
(pg212-15 in Vol 8) , , , , , , , ; ... ; = For with the capital in
place of the interest which they determine not to accept they
receive a further bonus of the fairest and most precious things
that human life has to give, mercy, neighbourliness, charity,
mangnanimity, a good report and good fame. And what acquisition
will rival these?...And can we then hold the poverty-in-wealth of
the money-grubbing usuerers to be of any account? They may seem to
be kinds with purses full of gold, but they never even in their
dreams have had a glimpse of the wealth that has eyes to see
Aristophanes IV: Trans by Jeffrey Henderson, Cam, Harv, LCL 180,
2002 (Wealth: pg 514-15:Chremylus: Doesnt that simply show that he
[Zeus giving olive branches instead of gold] values his wealth?
Being thrifty, and unwilling to squander any of his wealth, he
adorns the winners with baubles and keeps the wealth for himself. :
, . = Poverty: Youre trying to impute to him something more
disgracefull than poverty: being rich yet behaving like a greedy
lowlife. line 590Wealth pg 540-43:: . . , .: .: .: .: . , , , . =
Just Man: Im here to see the god; its him I thank for my great
blessings. You see, I had a sufficient inheritance from my father
and used it to help my needy friends, considering this a
responsible way to behave.Cario: Let me guess: your money ran out
quickly.Just Man: Exactly right.Cario: And then you were
ruined.Just Man: Exactly right. I used to think that the needy
people I helped would be true friends if I ever needed their help,
but they turned their backs on me and pretended they didnt even
know me any more.
Plutarch: Moralia: 133+ : on inoffensive self-praise: you have
gto praise somebody else (esp group) in order to deflect for
instance the Thebans were so valiant I won the war, etc (sounds
like Paul Mac and Ach cont?? maybe?)
The Elder Seneca: Controversiae 4, 8: pg 464-69: Trans byMichael
Winterbottom, Loeb: Cambridge, Harvard, 1974 The Patron who Tried
to get back services he had renounced: patronus operas remissas
repetens; per vim metumque gesta irrita sint: things done from
force or fear are not to stand - the guy lost in the war and was
broke, so he stayed with his freedman as the price the freedman
asked him to waive the services hed owe for being free (like being
his bricklayer or whatever) and he did, then the patron got his
property back and demanded the services shows that not only the
doing but also the reasons/motives are important and taken into
acct
Dio Chyrsostom: The 65th Discourse (On Fortune): Trans by H.
Lamar Crosby, Cambridge, Harvard, 1951; pg 81 lines 10-11: , , , ,
, , , . = For whenever she [Fortune] gives any one her good things
wealth, power, fame, honours she never prevents him from using
these in a proper way or, by Heaven, from storing them away in
safety for himself; and I do not mean indoors in the house, or in
the storehouse, or putting them under lock and key for none of her
gifts is protected by these things but rather storing them away in
goodwill toward mankind, in service to ones country, in aid to
friends 81The 66th Discourse on Reputation: - , . , , , , . , , , ,
, , . , , , . . . , , , . , . , . , , , , . 88-91: great quote
about people giving up their fortunes for an olive branch basically
spending all their money to better their reputationThe 73rd
discourse: pg 198+- But we may examine the question by beginning
immediately with those who are thought to be of highest rank; for
these of necessity neglect their private interests, both property
and children, and devote their attention to the public interests
and are absorbed in them; and often at get killed by plots and
stuff- -
Seneca all thru find specific quotes
Cicero De oficiis 1.47
Dio Chrysostom Oratio 75.6
Aristotle Nichomachean Ethics IV 2.5, IV 3.1 Liberality = the
happy medium b/t prodigality and meanness relating to wealth how
you spend money is more important than how you make it not give and
spend indiscriminately, but at the right time for the right purpose
and in the right way the liberal man is one who spends in
proportion to his means as well as on the right objects 195
Magnificence: only refers to the spending of wealth: = happy medium
b/t Paltriness and Vulgarity spend on the right things (giving alms
doesnt count must be great things) the manificent man is an artist
in expenditure , ...... , ( ) But great public benefactions are
suitable for those who have adequate resources derived from their
own exertions or from their ancestors or connexionand Magnificence
mostly finds an outlet in these public benefactions, as we have
said, since these are the greatest forms of expenditure and the
ones most honoured 209; IV ii. 14-15 , , . = for the magnificent
man does not spend money on himself but on public objects, and his
gifts have some resemblance to votive offerings IV ii. 15-20
great-souled man: 213+: worthy of honor, honor the greatest
external good, etc
Spicq confirms technical meaning of benefactor: look up
Seneca: Moral Essays: III: trans by John W. Basore, Harvard,
Cambridge, 1989:De Beficiis: (On Benefits)pg 7: The man who, when
he gives, has any thought of repayment deserves to be deceived.pg
23: What then is a benefit? It is the act of a well-wisher who
bestows joy and derives joy from the bestowal of itand so what
counts is, not what is done or what is given, but the spirit of the
action, because a benefit consists, not in what is done or given,
but in the intention of the giver or doerpg 49: if youre giving a
huge sum of money for the wrong reason it means nothingpg65: if you
wont give anonymously youre doing it wrongpg237: the honorable is
cherished simply b/c it is honorablepg261: he will be counted the
worst of benefactors who chooses ungrateful persons in order to
bestow upon them gifts that are doomed to perishpg283: not
necessarily bound to a promise (of whatever) if you discover
evidence that you shouldnt bepg297-9: givers and receivers are
equal in spirit, if not in deeds, as long as they are sufficiently
generous and gratefulpg 401: recipients of a public benefit (given
to many people) are not indebted because it wasnt intended solely
for thempg453: reputation must follow, not guide, giving
benefits267
Specific words in ref books:
: see (from TDNT): Plato, Respubilca. I, 332acd; BGU III 846,
16; Xenoph Anabasis., VII 7, 34; P. Oxy VI, 910, 25; Aelianus Varia
Historia; Var Hist 10,5(about the pig: get if need more); Sophocles
Antigone, 331; Griechische Papyri zu Giessen.Giess, 27,9 Diodorus
of Sicily, Trans. C. H. Oldfather, Vol VI of 12, camb, Harv, 1954:
Book XIV, 110.4: , , , . = Now the Lacedaimonians consented to the
terms and offered no opposition, but the Athenians and Thebans and
some of the other Greeks were deeply concerned that the cities of
Asia should be left in the lurch. But since they were not by
themselves a mathc in war, they consented of necessity and accepted
the peace. 198-99 (shows difference in accepting (unanimously) b/c
you want to and b/c you have to Polybius: The Histories; I / 6
volumes, Trans. W. R. Paton, C,H,1954; wrote 150s-140s B.C.; I.8.4:
, , , . = [Hiero] administered affairs with such mildness and
magnanimity that the Syracusans, though by no means inclined to
approve camp elections, on this occasion unanimously accepted him
as their general. (20-21); shows connection in great-souled and
shows approval by a group Xenophon Anabasis, VII.7, 34; C,H,1998,
Carleton Brownson; not very interesting legal stuff Sophocles
Antigone, LCL 21, Soph II, Trans. Hugh Lloyd-Jones, H,C,1994;
Antigone line 331: = Indeed, this time I have got off safely beyond
my own hopes and my own judgment, and I am deeply grateful to the
gods! pg 34-5: shows god(s) as benefactor Josephus, Antiquities,
XIII: 317: , , ; = How long then, O most shameless body, will you
keep within you the life that is forfeit (owed) to the spirits of
my brother and mother? pg 386-87, Trans Ralph Marcus, 1998, v 4/9
XIII, 143: , , . = Later on, however, he behaved basely toward him
and belied his promises, threatening him with war unless he paid
him all the kinds of tribute which the Jewish nation was required
to pay from the time of the first kings pg 294-95 Simon as
benefactor; pg 334-335; XIII, 214 see (from Philo index): Legum
allegoriae 2.15, 67; De Gigantibus 11; Quod Deus sit immutabilis
50; Agricultura 164; Ebrietate 211; Sobrrietate 6; Confusione
linguarum 44, 44, 50, 50, 116; Migratione Agrahami 155; Quis rerum
divinarum heres sit 125, 238; Congressu eruditionis gratia 123; Abr
187; Iosepho 44, 77, 215; Moysis 1:26, 58, 115, 196; Mos 2:5, 125,
318, 236; Decalogo 99; Spec 1:5, 40, 54, 101, 114, 209, 224, 283;
Spec 2:69, 113, 167; Spec 3:26, 59, 115, 159; Spec 4:56, 68, 150,
186, 193; Virt 7, 20, 127; Praem 56 Prob 44; Aet 27, 61; Flacc 24,
35, 81, 134; Legat 53, 133, 140, 152; Prov 2:23, 27; QG 1:69, QE
2:118 from pg 263 P.Oxy: [] [ ]. [ ], [], [] ... = who shall retain
the owernership of the produce until he recovers his annual dues.
If after the coming year (which heaven forbid!) any part be
unirrigated pg 260: The Oxyrhynchus Papyri, Part VI, Bernard
Genfell and Arthur Hunt, Eds; London, Egypt Exploration Fund, 1908.
: the NT doesnt use it to talk about people b/c only God is the
benefactor (4 times: Acts 4:9, 10:38, 1 Tim 6:2, and Lk 22:25; one
of the basic religio-political concepts of the Golden Age of the
Roman Empire. The emperors are divine saviours and benefactors of
humanity, for they establish the pax romana and with it the
presupposition of all human culture (654); Gk trans of LXX usually
dont use this word, but some use only of God TDNT 654-655; Gerhard
Kittel and Gerhard Friedrich,Theological Dictionary of the New
Testament (volume Ii)(Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans Pub Co, 1964),
s.v. , , : history is usually in a legal or financial contract =
approve, consent often about a collective agreement = they approved
unanimously, voluntarily, and spontaneously (in Polybius 1.8.4,
Diodorus Siculus 14:110.4) Spicq 99-100 Ceslas Spicq,Theological
Lexicon of the New Testament(Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1994), s.v.
, .
Rom 15:26-27 Origen: Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans:
CER 5:228, 230. Sacra Pagina: What Paul subtly communicates here to
the Roman community is a sense that the collection symbolizes
recognition on the part of the Pauline Gentile communities of the
priority of the Jewish-Christian Jerusalem church as regards the
history of salvation (ef. 1:16 Jew first, but also the Greek). The
Gentile communities may be more prosperous in numerical and
material terms than the mother church is. But they cannot supplant
its role as the first hearer and proclaimer of the worldwise
gospel. At the same time, the acceptance of the collection on the
part of the Jerusalem community will represent its recognition of
the full citizenship of the Gentile communities in the one
eschatological people of God. 442 : Brendan Byrne,Romans, ed.
Daniel Harrington, Sacra Pagina Series 6 (Collegeville: MN: The
Liturgical Press, 1996), pageNr. Anchor: carrying out the
recommendation that was made to him at the time of his visit to
Jerusalem in A.D. 49 (for the so-called Council), at which he was
asked to remember the poor, a thing that he was eager to do (Gal
2:10). Now he sees a concrete way in which he himself will be able
to carry that out. The collection is thus neither a form of temple
tax nor a diaspora donation; it is a sign of the Gentiles
recognition and respect for Jerusalem as the mother congregation
(J. Jervell, Letter to Jerusalem, 58). 721the collection was not
the payment of a legal levy imposed by Jerusalem on the daughter
churches. Paul even repeats the vb. eudokesan to stress the
voluntary natureThe collection was the result of freewill offerings
given by these Gentile Christians to the poor of the Jerusalem
church in an effort to relieve their distress. But the Gentile
Christians are also acknowledging thereby their indebtedness to the
mother church of Jerusalem. It is a charitable act that expresses
their solidarity with it. 722 ICC: the idea of obligation to
someone on account of a benefit received from that person is
definitely involved 733 NICNT: obligation is moral and not legal,
verbal parallel to 1:14 904Paul alludes here to a central
theological theme of the letter: that the salvation enjoyed by the
Gentiles comes only by way of the Jewish Messiah and the
fulfillment of promises made to Israel (1:16, 4:13-16; 11:17-24;
15:7-8). There is a sense in which the spiritual blessings of the
new age belong especially to the Jewish Christians; and Gentile
Christians should acknowledge and give thanks for their sharing of
these blessings with them. And it is by serving the Jewhs
Christians with material things that the Gentiles can express their
sense of indebtedness and thanksgiving. These verses reveal that
the collection was more than a charitable enterpreise; it was a
strategic theological/practical enterprise as well. For Paul
understands that the Gentiles status as members of the people of
God is inextricably tied to a salvation history that has an
indelible OT/Jewish cast. Gentile Christians, many with no previous
ties to Judaism and living far from Jerusalem, need to understand
this also; and their giving of money to the saints in Jerusalem
will go a long way toward solidifying this sense of indebtedness.
For their part, Jewish Christians need to understand that salvation
history has moved on from the days in which Gods people were mainly
restricted to Israel. Moreover, their willingness to receive a
financial contribution from Gentiles will signify their acceptance
of this new situation. It is precisely Pauls concern about the
Jewish Christians response to the collection that surfaces in his
request for the Roman Christians prayer. 905-6
General Benefaction Stuff Bib Theo Bulletin No 34.4
(2004):167-77 3 types of benefaction relationship: client/king,
manumission (freed slave), philosophical loyalty (to a certain G-R
philosophy) (169-71) manumission: when the relationship of slave to
master ended (through manumission), the relationship was
transformed into patron-client. The relationship thus was no longer
characterized by obedience, but by loyalty. (170); setting a slave
free was a beneficium, the most structured form of loyalty, the
obsequium of a freedperson was an obedience that was grounded in
loyalty and gratitude for the profound benefaction of freedom from
bondage and (at least part of) the stigma associated with slavery
philosophical: conversion in philosophy is expressed above all in
terms of loyalty to the teacher and that teachers doctrines 172
hesed is closest to expressing this type of loyalty in the OT
172-4; pist in the NT (174-5) In other words, conversion in the
ancient world was measured not by recourse to emotional and
introspective experiences, but rather by actions of loyalty or
disloyalty extended to a philosophical or divine patron - 175
15:27-13.0S0P46 02 03c 04 06c 010 012 049 1 33 76 131 209 218
424 489 927 945 999 1244 1245 1315 1319 1448 1505 1573 1628 1646
1720 1739 1768 1874* 1876 1900 1962 2400 2495 MT SBL TR1O01
03*1O06*1O12431O1735 1874c 1877R2044 69 188199lacunaeP10 P26 P27
P31 P40 P61 P94 P99 P113 P118 0172
look up: Lucian (117-180), The Ship, 24. (from SS29): , , , ,
...
Josephus stuff (40) about Gentiles sending offerings/gifts to
the templeinscription @ temple that somebody donated money =
euergetism (42-3)
benefaction lay at the heart of the ideology of Hellenistic
kingship so much so, the Gospel of Luke says that those who
exercise power over them [the people] are called benefactors () Lk
22.25) 45
Herod: one of the greatest benefactors (see Josephus War
1.402-28), the Gks loved him but the Jews still hated him
(Antiquities 14:176) - 46Athens statue calls herod friend of the
Romans - 47
in the famine, he bought grain and helped people (as a
benefactor) and then was accepted much more Ant 15.314 -51 in the
famine, private people apparently impoverished themselves (not
typical of G-R benefaction (??) to help Ant 15.313 5356-7: J
bene
Jewish benefaction system is differentiated by the idea that all
benefactions originate with God 157
de Silva article Hebrews stuff
Schwartz: 42-45ish: rabbis resistance to Rome127: inheritance
laws = remembered for good mentioned in gift in contemplation of
death wills
Jewish dialogue with Greece and Rome373: Jos quotes book I
Rem for Good:74: Jos Ag ap 2.217-8; 2.205 about jews not needing
monuments
Calvin Rom 15ACCmajor theme in romans = being united in Christ
cite commentariesRex GestaeTDOT: hesedGal comm. on Gal 2:10
section1 Cor 16 on logeia TDNT? comm.?\importance of collection to
Paul in 2 Cor 8-9 for Gentile mission: comm.poor cared for by
temple collection? poor cared for book?
Luke is the only NT author who uses the term ,[footnoteRef:2]
and his gospel may actually exploit the concepts of patronage or
benefaction to a significant degree.[footnoteRef:3] Several authors
use obligation language, though, . [2: Luke 22:25. . No NT writings
use any of the technical terms for Roman patrons. ] [3: Many
scholars have interpreted Luke through the lens of patronage in
order to understand his major theme. Marshall, iii. ]
By writing Paul tilts the discussion toward the realm of the
divine. In Jewish reciprocity, the motive for giving and for
receiving centers around Yahweh. On the other hand, in the Greek
and Roman systems, when the gods do play a part, they act in much
the same way as humans.[footnoteRef:4] Though Paul does not
explicitly say in Rom 15:27 that the reciprocal relationship
between the Jews and Gentiles is grounded in Yahweh, if his
statement echoes Jewish benefaction practices then it is implicitly
assumed. If, on the other hand, he echoes Greco-Roman practices,
then in spiritual things would simply be parallel to [4:
Aristophanes, Wealth, ??? Marshall gives another possibility for
the divine role in Greco-Roman reciprocity as an example of a
perfect benefactor, similar in kind to human benefactors but
greater in actual giving. Marshall, 48-9. ]
In contrast to his statements about not building great monuments
at the graves of deceased ancestors, Josephus records that a lavish
community feast was supposed to be held when a relative died. ...[]
, , ...[footnoteRef:5] [5: Josephus, Jewish War II.1, 322.
[Archelaus], after holding 7 days of mourning for his father and
giving the customary funeral banquet for the population with much
extravagance and this is a custom which takes many Jews into
poeverty, because the extravagance is obligatory and not doing it
is impious. Josephus speaks against the practice of building
magnificent tombs in Against Apion II.205, 375.]
Rom 15:27b, NA27. For if the Gentiles shared in their spiritual
things, they also are obliged to serve them in material things. All
NT citations are from NA27.
The theme in Moos view is the salvation enjoyed by the Gentiles
comes only by way of the Jewish Messiah and the fulfillment of
promises made to Israel (1:16, 4:13-16; 11:17-24; 15:7-8). Doublas
J. Moo, The Epistle to the Romans (NICNT; Grand Rapids: Eerdmans,
1996), 905.
Stanley Porter, Did Paul Have Opponents in Rome and What Were
They Opposing? in Paul and His Opponents (ed. Stanley Porter;
Atlanta: SBL, 2005), 164.
Bruce J. Malina and Richard Rohrbaugh, Social-Science Commentary
on the Letters of Paul, (Minneapolis: Fortress, 2006), 289. They,
along with Cranfield argue the former. C.E.B. Cranfield, The
Epistle to the Romans, (2 vols; ICC; Edinburgh: T&T Clark
Limited, 1979), 2:733.
See L&N,Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (New
York: United Bible Societies, 1989), 53.13: , for a definition of
used as specifically religious rites. They categorize two (Acts
13:2, Heb 10:11) of the three NT uses of the verb here. The only
exception is Rom 15:27, where they believe that the verb means more
formal or regular service. Johannes Louw and Eugene
Nida,Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, 2nd ed. (New York:
United Bible Societies, 1989), s.v. 35.22: . Thus they would agree
with the latter option for this question. At least three scribes
through the centuries also thought that fit as well or better in
the context; MSS 044, 69, and 1881 read instead of . The Center for
New Testament Textual Studies New Testament Critical Apparatus,
(Source files for the 2013 updates for release to Oak Tree
Software, BibleWorks, and Logos Software ,2013). For the former
position, see Bruce J. Malina and Jerome H. Neyrey, Portraits of
Paul: An Archaeology of Ancient Personality, (Louisville:
Westminster John Knox, 1996), 197, and Stephan Joubert, Paul as
Benefactor: Reciprocity, Strategy and Theological Reflection in
Paul's Collection (Tbingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2000), 209.
Key words (i.e. ) would trigger echoes of this integral cultural
practice; the Jerusalem collection itself obviously is some sort of
benefaction; and, to add weight to the argument, nearly all
scholars who comment on this passage from Calvin to Jewett
recognize both charity and reciprocity (the hallmarks of
benefaction!) here. Calvin says that the collection was indeed a
rare instance of kindness and Paul had in viewthe mutual right of
compensation. John Calvin, Commentaries on the Epistle of Paul the
Apostle to the Romans (trans. and ed, John Owen; Grand Rapids:
Baker Books, 1999), 535-6. Jewett writes that Paul goes on to
describe the motivation and rationale for the Jerusalem offering as
a combination of freely chosen goodwill on the part of Gentile
churches and of their obligation to repay the original Jewish
churches for spiritual benefits. Jewett, 930.
Cranfield says that the idea of obligation to someone on account
of a benefit received from that person is definitely involved.
Cranfield, 733. Fitzmyer mentions indebtedness and solidarity.
Joseph A. Fitzmyer, Romans (AB 33; New York: Doubleday, 1992), 722.
Byrne asserts that each ethnic group must recognize the importance
of the other in salvation history by one giving and the other
accepting the offering. Brendan Byrne, Romans (SP 6; Collegeville:
MN: The Liturgical Press, 1996), 442. Jewett, who does the most in
background work, explicitly connects Pauls words to Senecas De
beneficiis with the result that the Jerusalem collection is an
expression of mutual indebtedness that binds the ethnic branches of
the church together. Jewett, 931. None of the commentators
distinguish between Greco-Roman benefaction systems or explore
whether a different Jewish system existed, and most do not
recognize beyond a vague shadow the hugely important ideas
concerning reciprocal relationships which controlled Hellenistic
culture. On the other hand, some argue that Paul was in fact
subvert[ing] the values of patronage and euergetism by depicting an
alternate mode of benefaction, one that brings glory, praise, and
thanksgiving to God rather than to human benefactors. David Downs,
The Offering of the Gentiles: Paul's Collection for Jerusalem in
Its Chronological, Cultural, and Cultic Contexts (Tubingen: Mohr
Siebeck, 2012), 158. Dieter Georgi, Remembering the Poor: The
History of Pauls Collection for Jerusalem, (Nashville: Abingdon,
1992). Keith F. Nickle, The Collection: A Study in Pauls Strategy,
(London: SCM, 1966).
David deSilva, Honor, Patronage, Kinship & Purity: Unlocking
New Testament Culture (Downers Grove: Intervarsity, 2000), 154.
Malina and Rohrbaugh, Letters of Paul, 288-9. Malina and Neyrey,
196-8.
Joubert and Downs. Downs actually does give an interpretation of
Romans 15:27, but believes that Paul does not have a reciprocal
benefaction practice in mind as he writes. Thus Downss
interpretation rests on positing a Jewish cultic background instead
of a Greco-Roman or Jewish benefaction background. He explores the
benefaction practices but rejects them as contributors to Pauls
meaning. Downs, 147-160.
John H. Elliot, What is Social-Scientific Criticism?
(Minneapolis: Fortress, 1993), 7.
Ibid., 7.
David Rhoads, Social Criticism: Crossing Boundaries, Pages
145-79 in Mark and Method, Ed., Janice Anderson and Stephen Moore,
(Minneapolis: Fortress, 2008), 145.
deSilva, 18.
Bruce J. Malina and Richard Rohrbaugh. Social-Science Commentary
on the Synoptic Gospels (Minneapolis: Fortress, 2003), x.
Elliot, 47. Information on constructing models is given on pages
36-59.
For a standard defense of the letters integrity and original
addressee, see Harry Gamble Jr., The Textual History of the Letter
to Romans (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1977).
Stanley K. Stowers, A Rereading of Romans: Justice, Jews, &
Gentiles (New Haven: Yale, 1994), 133.
Jewett, 70. Baurs view was in vogue for most of the 1800s, but
eventually evidence from the letter itself (1:5, 1:13, 11:13,
15:14-19) overturned that opinion, and all current commentators,
according to Jewett, now agree that the audience was at least
majority Gentile. Jewett, 70-72.
One scholar who has extensively studied the matter gives a
possible Pauline chronology including all mentions of the
collection. Georgi, 128-37. Jonathan S. Marshall, Jesus, Patrons,
and Benefactors in Roman Palestine and the Gospel of Luke (PhD
diss., Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, 2008), 82-93. Joubert,
17-72. Against Marshall and Joubert, Zeba Crook argues that,
despite the co-existence of various types of benefaction/patronage,
one primary umbrella system could rightly be seen to contain them.
Zeba Crook, BTB Readers Guide: Loyalty, (BTB 4.4; 2004): 167-77.
Greek appears in scare quotes because the benefaction system
originated with Greeks but spread widely. Patronage, on the other
hand, was always associated particularly with the Romans, as to be
a patron one must requisitely be Roman. Marshall, 66-8.
Joubert, 67.
Richard Seaford, Introduction, Pages 1-11 in Reciprocity in
Ancient Greece, Ed., Christopher Gill et al, (Oxford: Oxford,
1998), 1. Quoted in Marshall, 42. .
Marshall, 70-3.
Frederick W. Danker, Benefactor: Epigraphic Study of a
Graeco-Roman and New Testament Semantic Field (St. Louis: Clayton,
1982), 26.
Marshall, 74-7. Rex Gestae Divi Augustus (Shipley, Loeb
Classical Library): I built the curia and the Chalcidicum adjoining
it, the temple of Apollo on the Palatine with its porticoes, the
temple of the deified Julius, the Lupercal, the portico at the
Circus Flaminius which I allowed to be called Actavia after the
name of him who had constructed an earlier one on the same site,
the state box at the Circus Maximus, the temple on the capitol of
Jupiter Feretrius and Jupiter Tonans, the temple of Quirinius, the
temples of Minerva, of Juno the Queen, and of Jupiter Libertas, on
the Aventine, the temple of the Lares at the highest point of the
Sacra Via, the temple of the Di Penates on the Velia, the temple of
Youth, and the temple of the Great Mother on the Palatine.
Aristotle, Eth. Nic. IV.i.1-iii.35.
Ibid., IV.i.1-2.
Ibid., IV.i.7-13. Therefore the liberal man cares more about
giving to whom he oughtand the liberal man will give for the
beauty/nobility of it. And correctly; for to whom he ought and how
much and when, and concerning all the other things he will give
correctly.
Ibid., IV.i.19. Liberality is ascribed according to wealth.
Aristotle, IV.ii.5-6. The magnificent man is an expert in
spending..costly and fitting.
Ibid. IV ii. 14-15 (Rackam, LCL). But great public benefactions
are suitable for those who have adequate resources derived from
their own exertions or from their ancestors or connexionand
Magnificence mostly finds an outlet in these public benefactions,
as we have said, since these are the greatest forms of expenditure
and the ones most honoured,
Ibid., IV.ii.15-16.Because the magnificent man does not spend
for himself, but for the common/public good, and his gifts are like
votive offerings.
Ibid., IV.iii.24-25. And he of that sort [the great-souled man]
does good, being a benefactor but being ashamed [to receive
benefaction], because the one is superior and the other inferior.
And he pays back services with interest, because this puts the
existing benefactor into his debt and makes him the benefactee. And
the great-souled remember what they do good, but of what they
receive not (because the receiver is inferior to the one doing
good, but he wishes to be superior), and to hear gladly things
about the former, but unhappily things about the latter.
Aristotle, Rhet I.9 (Freese, LCL). The components of honor are
sacrifices, memorials in verse and prose, privileges, grants of
land, front seats, public burial, State maintenance, and among the
barbarians, prostration and giving place, and all gifts which are
highly prized in each country. For a gift is at once a giving of a
possession and a token of honor; wherefore gifts are desired by the
ambitious and by those who are fond of money, since they are an
acquisition for the latter and an honor for the former; so that
they furnish both with what they want..
Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War II (Charles
Forester Smith, LCL). Again, in nobility of spirit, we stand in
sharp contrast to most men; for it is not by receiving kindness,
but by conferring it, that we acquire our friends. Now he who
confers the favour is a firmer friend, in that he is disposed, by
continued goodwill toward the recipient, to keep the feeling of
obligation alive in him; but he who owes it is more listless in his
friendship, knowing that when he repays the kindness it will count,
not as a favour bestowed, but as a debt repaid. And finally, we
alone confer our benefits without fear of consequences, not upon a
calculation of the advantage we shall gain, but with confidence in
the spirit of liberality which actuates us.
Dio Chryrsostom, 1 Fort (H. Lamar Crosby, LCL). For whenever she
[Fortune] gives any one her good things wealth, power, fame,
honours she never prevents him from using these in a proper way or,
by Heaven, from storing them away in safety for himself; and I do
not mean indoors in the house, or in the storehouse, or putting
them under lock and key for none of her gifts is protected by these
things but rather storing them away in goodwill toward mankind, in
service to ones country, in aid to friends.
Seneca the Younger, Ben (John W. Basore, LCL). Then what is a
benefit? A benevolent action giving joy and getting joy in its
giving, that he does, willingly and spontaneously by his readiness.
And so it is not what is done or what is given which counts, but
what is in the mind, because a benefit is not consisting in this
what is done or given, but in the mind/spirit of the giver or
doer.
Seneca the Younger, Ben, 452. Indeed, opinion and reputation let
us consider as not leading but following (what we do).
Seneca the Younger, Ep LXXXI (Richard M. Gummere, LCL). Our
feeling about every obligation depends in each case upon the spirit
in which the benefit is conferred; we weigh not the bulk of the
gift, but the quality of the good-will which prompted it.
Xenophon, Oeconomicus, ( E. C. Marchant, LCL). And then to feed
the citizens and to do good, or to be isolated from your
followers.
Aristophanes, Wealth (Jeffrey Henderson, LCL). Just Man: Im here
to see the god; its him I thank for my great blessings. You see, I
had a sufficient inheritance from my father and used it to help my
needy friends, considering this a responsible way to behave. Cario:
Let me guess: your money ran out quickly. Just Man: Exactly right.
Cario: And then you were ruined. Just Man: Exactly right. I used to
think that the needy people I helped would be true friends if I
ever needed their help, but they turned their backs on me and
pretended they didnt even know me any more.
Dio Chryrsostom. 1 Glor, Trans., H. Lamar Crosby, Loeb Classical
Library, (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1964), 88-92.
Furthermore, by official act virtually all the states have devised
lures of every kind for the simpletons crowns and front seats and
public proclamations. Accordingly, in some instances men who craved
these things have actually been made wretched and reduced to
beggary, although the states held before them nothing great or
wonderful at all, but in some cases led their victims about with a
sprig of green, as men lead cattle, or clapped upon their heads a
crown or a ribbonAh but, says he, his name is publicly proclaimed
by his fellow citizens just as is that of a runaway slave! With
good reason, therefore, men use in connexion with the votes passed
in Assembly the branch of the olive, because of its native
bitterness! For the notoriety-seekers are driven out of their
fields by the democracies with shouting and clamour, just as,
methinks, the starlings are driven out by the farmersAgain, though
you will buy the ribbons of the market-place for a few drachmas,
those of the Assembly will often cost you all your fortune.
Furthermore, while persons who are cried for sale in the
market-place all deem wretched, those cried in the theatre they
deem fortunate; besides, they claim that the latter are cried, the
former decried, a single syllable evidently constituting the sole
difference! Trans., H. Lamar Crosby, 89-93.
Dio Chyrsostom, 75th Discourse.5-9, 244-6.
Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics IV.i.24, 194-6. will not only give
and spend the right amounts on the right objects alike in small
matters and in great, and feel pleasure in so doing, but will also
take the right amounts, and from the right sources. For as this
virtue is a mean both in giving and in getting, he will do both in
the right way. Right getting goes with right giving, wrong getting
is opposed to right giving. Trans., H Rackham, 195-7.
Seneca, De Beneficiis IV.xxx.3, 266. This we owe the
virtuous.
Seneca, De Beneficiis IV.x.5, 222-4. It is the to the heart that
my estimate is directed; consequently I shall pass by the man who,
though rich, is unworthy, and shall give to one who, though poor,
is good; for he will be grateful in the midst of extreme poverty,
and, when he lacks all else, this heart he will still have. Trans.,
John W. Basore, 223-5.
Aristophanes, Wealth 1018-1029, 566-8. Old Woman: And he said my
hands were very beautiful. Chremylos: When they stretched out 20
drachmas! Old Woman: And he said my skin smelled good. Chremylos:
If you poured Thasian wine, no doubt. Old Woman: And that my eyes
were gentle and beautiful. Chremylos: The man was not stupid, but
he knew how to eat up an old womans moneyOld Woman: It is only
right to make, no doubt, the one who had good from me again to do
good to me. Or is it right that I should have no good in
exchange?
Steven J. Friesen, "Poverty in Pauline studies: beyond the
so-called new consensus," JSNT 26, no. 3 (March 1, 2004), 341.
Subsistence Level in Freisens scale means has the resources needed
to procure enough calories in food to maintain the human body.
Freisen, 343.
Joubert, 24.
Marshall, 73-7.
Joubert, 24-6.
Josephus, Jewish Wars I.400, 188. But what Herod valued more
than all these privileges was that in Caesars affection he stood
next after Agrippa, in Agrippas next after Caesar. Thenceforth he
advanced to the utmost prosperity; his noble spirit rose to greater
heights, and his lofty ambition was mainly directed to works of
piety. Trans, H. St. J. Thackaray, 189. Josephus, Jewish Wars
I.402-3, 188-90. [He] called it Antonia in honor or Antony. His own
palace, which he erected in the upper city, comprised two most
spacious and beautiful buildings, with which the Temple itself bore
no comparison; these he named after his friends, the one Caesareum,
the other Agrippeum. He was not content, however, to commemorate
his patrons names by palaces only; his munificence extended to the
creation of whole cities. Trans, H. St. J. Thackaray, 189-91.
Pliny, Letters X, 166-314. Trajan provided him with a job and
some funding, and in exchange Pliny executed the commands of the
Emperor in many of his territories and was constantly loyal and
respectful.
Pliny, Letters I.19, 56. The length of our friendship is
sufficient guarantee that you will not forget this figt, and I
shall not even remind you to enjoy your new status with becoming
discretion, because it was received through me; as I ought to, did
I not know that you will do so unprompted. An honorable position
has to be maintained with special care if it is to keep alive the
memory of a friends generous gift. Trans, Betty Radice, 57.
Cicero, De Oficiis I. 42-5, 46-8. We must, in the first place,
see to it that our act of kindness shall not prove an injury either
to the object or our beneficence or to others; in the second place,
that it shall not be beyond our means; and finally, that it shall
be proportioned to the worthiness of the recipient; for this is the
corner-stone of justice; and by the standard of justice all acts of
kindness must be measured. For those who confer a harmful favour
upon someone whom they seemingly wish to help are to be accounted
not generous benefactors but dangerous sycophants; and likewise
those who injure one man, in order to be generous to another, are
guilty of the same injustice as if they diverted to their own
accounts the property of their neighborsThe third rule laid down
was that in acts of kindness we should weigh with discrimination
the worthiness of the object of our benevolence; we should take
into consideration his moral character, his attitude toward us, the
intimacy of his relations to us, and our common social ties, as
well as the services he has hitherto rendered in our interest. It
is to be desired that all these considerations should be combined
in the same person; if they are not, then the more numerous and the
more important considerations must have the greater weight. Trans,
Walter Miller, 47-9.
Cicero, De Oficiis I.49, 52. [Those] which are judged,
considered, and considered maturely.
Dio Chrysostom, 77th Discourse.34-6, 292. And yet why on earth
do some of the prosperous wish to be courted by persons who claim
to be free men, and why do they wish the so-called philosophers to
be seen at their doors, humble and unhonored, just as, so help me,
Circe wished her dwelling to be guarded by lions that were timid
and cringing? Nay, it was not even real lions that guarded her, but
wretched, foolish human beings, who had been corrupted by luxury
and idlenessNay, to such a desire as I have mentioned I know not
what name to give. For there are thousands who willingly, yes, very
eagerly, cultivate the rich and influential, and all the world is
full of flatterers who ply that calling with both experience and
skill. Trans, H. Lamar Crosby.
Bruce W. Longenecker, "Poverty and Paul's gospel,"Ex Auditu27
(January 1, 2011), 32. This looped system of generosity and
reciprocity worked well for all those involved. Usually, however,
the ones involved were primarily the elite of ES1-ES3 and those
most closely associated with them in the middling groups of ES4; on
occasion some at ES5 might have benefitted, perhaps if they
belonged to a Greco-Roman association of one kind or another. But
for those at the bottom of the economic scale, the benefits of
elite generosity were negligible. The generous exchange of
resources marked out relationships at the top of the economic
scale, but failed to trickle down5 to those in ES6 and ES7 whose
lives dangled precariously by a thin economic string.
Pliny, The Letters of Pliny XXX.1, 142. I should like to see the
truly generous man giving to his country, neighbors, relatives, and
friends, but by them I mean his friends without means; unlike the
people who mostly bestow their gifts on those able to make a
return. Such persons do not seem to me to part with anything of
their own but use their gifts as baits to hook other peoples
possessions. Trans, Betty Radice, 143.
A. R. Hands, Charities and Social Aid in Greece and Rome
(London: Thames and Hudson, 1968), 51. Italics are mine.
Ibid, 51.
Martin Hengel argues strongly against a separation between
Hellenistic Judaism and Palestinian Judaism, saying that both of
them were strongly Hellenized. The Hellenization of Judaea in the
First Century after Christ (Philadelphia: Trinity, 1989), 53. Lee
Levine agrees, but with reservation. The thrust of our discussion
has been to transcend the overly simple question of Hellenism among
the Jews yes or no? Jews, like other peoples throughout the East,
could in no way remain oblivious to the cultural and social as well
as the political and economic forces at work throughout the
EmpireNevertheless, in each and every case studied, we have taken
pains to note the ability of the Jews to absorb and internalize
such influences without compromising their unique tradition.
Judaism & Hellenism in Antiquity: Conflict or Confluence
(Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1998), 180-2.
Sorek, 262.
Rajak, 388-9.
Seth Schwartz, Were the Jews a Mediterranean Socity?:
Reciprocity and Solidarity in Ancient Judaism (Princeton: Princeton
University Press, 2010), 168.
Francis Watson, Paul and the Hermeneutics of Faith (New York:
T&T Clark, 2004), 528. Watson speaks primarily of soteriology
and hermeneutics, but his claim applies here as well. For Jews,
Torah was central to life.
H.-J. Zobel, , Pages 44-64 in TDOT V, Ed, . 46. OT passages
cited as support are Gen 20:13, 24:49, 47:29, Ruth 1:8, 1 Sam 15:6,
20:8, 14, and several others.
Zobel, 49.
Zobel, 51-2.
Gods kindness towards an individual places that individual in a
new relationship with his neighbor, a relationships based on
Yahwehs kindness; in his daily contacts with others he must keep
the kindness he has experienced, he must practice righteousness and
justice, kindness and mercy. Thus hesed shapes not only the
relationship of Yahweh with human beings, but also that of humans
beings among themselves. Zobel, 63.
The seven references including in the Swete LXX are Wis 19:14;
Sir 0:17; Add Esth 16:3, 16:13; 2 Macc 4:2; 3 Macc 3:19, 6:24. All
refer to human benefactors, usually in a very general sense of
generous leader.
Alvin W. Gouldner, "The Norm of Reciprocity: A Preliminary
Statement,"(American Sociological Review25 no. 2; Apr 1960),
161.
Gen 23:14-16. Then Ephron answered Abraham saying to him, My
lord, hear me, land of 400 shekels of silver between me and between
you, what is it? So bury your dead. And Abraham heard Ephron, and
Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver which he spoke of in the ears
of the sons of Heth, 400 shekels of silver, approved by
traders.
The Bibles elaborate rules are meant to ensure that the
charitable donation (and likewise the donations meant to form the
livelihood of the priestly and levitical temple staff) never
degenerates into the dependency-generating gift. The pauper, like
the priest, is meant to feel no gratitude at least not toward the
donor. Rather, charity is a prime expression of Israelite corporate
solidarity, of the obligation of all Israelites to love one another
regardless of familial or other connection. Schwartz, 18.
Lev 23:22. And when you reap the harvest of your land, do not
complete the corners of your field and glean, (but) leave them for
the poor and for the foreigner: I am Yahweh your God.
Ruth 2:17,19.
This statement is contra Schwartz, who would say that the
Pentateuch clearly opposes the system of reciprocity. For him, the
resulting question is how Jews should cope with life in a world in
which institutionalized reciprocity was very hard to escape?
Schwartz, 19. Though his heuristic of solidarity and reciprocity is
helpful for explanation, in reality they are similar. Even in
reciprocal societies (as per Seneca), benefactors are supposed to
give without expecting anything in return.
Gouldner, 161.
Philo, The Special Laws I. 299-300, 272-3. Of you God (asks)
nothing heavy and much or hard but only light and easy. And this is
to love him as a benefactor, and if not, to fear (him) as ruler and
lord, and through all to walk of a pleasing way and to serve him
not half-heartedly but with the whole soul being filled with the
purpose of His love and to hold his commands and to honor
justice.
Philo, The Special Laws I. 152, 186. Because it [the gift] (is)
not from men but from the benefactor of all, to receive the gift
has no shame.
Poverty: Zeus of course is actually poor, as I now will clearly
demonstrate. If hes wealthy, then why is it that when he holds the
Olympic Games, where every fourth year he gathers all the Greeks
together, he heralds the victorious athletes by crowning them with
wild olive? If hes wealthy, he should crown them with gold.
Chremylus: Doesnt that simply show that he values his wealth? Being
thrifty, and unwilling to squander any of his wealth, he adorns the
winners with baubles and keeps the wealth for himself.
Aristophanes, Wealth, ???
Josephus, Against Apion II.217-8, 380. For the ones, on the
other hand, living by our laws, the prize is not silver nor gold,
nor a crown of wild olive or of parsley and with any such public
proclamation. Olive crowns were given at the Olympics and parsley
ones at the Isthmian and Nemean games.
Dio Chyrsostom, 66th Discourse , 91. Rajak agrees that Josephus
is implying the benefactor honor reward symbolism by using olives
and parsley. Rajak, 373.
Josephus, Against Apion II. 283, 406. And they try to imitate
our likeness to one another and generous charities and our love of
work in the crafts and our endurance in distresses on behalf of our
laws.
H. St. J. Thackeray, Introduction, Pages vii-xix in Antiquities,
Loeb Classical Library Vol 1.
Josephus, Jewish Antiquities XIV. 227, 568. So then I to them,
just as also the rulers before me, give military exemption and
gathering privileges to follow the customs of their fathers, sacred
customs and holy gatherings, just as their law, and making
offerings with sacrifices, and I want you to write this to the
cities.
Ibid, XV.315-6, 150. Now Herods solicitude and the timeliness of
his generosity made such a powerful impression on the Jews and were
so much talked about by other nations, that the old hatreds which
had been aroused by his altering some of the customs and royal
practices were completely eradicated throughout the entire nation,
and the munificence shown by him in helping them in their very
grave difficulties was regarded as full compensation.For the
unexpected greatheartedness which he showed in this time of
difficulty brought about a reversal of attitude among the masses,
so that he was thought to have been at bottom not the kind of
person that their earlier experiences indicated bu thte kind that
his care for them in their need made him out to be. Trans, Ralph
Marcus, 151.
Ibid, XV.421-2, 204. All the people were joyful, and gave thanks
to God, first for the quickness and then for the eagerness of the
king, celebrating and praising the restoration.
Josephus, Antiquities XVI.39-42, 222-4. Or would anyone want to
revoke the favors coming from you? No on, not even a madman. For
there are none who have not shared in these both privately and
publicly. Certainly, then, those who deprive others of the
privileges that you have given them leave themselves no security
either, in respect of those privileges which they owe to you. And
yet it is impossible to measure the favors which have been granted
them, for it they were to evaluate the present government in
comparison with the early kingdom, of all the things which it has
done to make them still happier there is one above all which is
enough in itself to achieve this, namely that they no longer are
found to be slaves but free men...For if the Deity delights in
being honored, it also delights in those who permit it to be
honored. Trans, Ralph Marcus, 223-5.
Josephus, Antiquities XVI.49-51,226-8. For it is not only to us
but to almost all men that you have been benefactors in your rule
by preserving existing rights and adding more than were hoped for,
and one might make an endless speech if one were to enumerate each
of the benefits which they have received from you. However, in
order that we may show that we have obtained them all rightfully,
it will suffice for us to speak freely, although we have passed
over these earlier instances in silence, and mention him who is now
our king and sits beside you. What act of goodwill toward your
house has been left undone by him? What mark of good faith has he
failed to give? What form of honor has he not thought of? In what
emergency has he not shown foresight? What, then, prevents your
favors from being equal in number to so many benefactions? Trans,
Ralph Marcus, 227-9.
Josephus, Ant XVI.157. From the wish to be singly honored he did
these sins.
Josephus, Ant XVI. 158, 270. But, as it happens, the Jewish
nation is by law opposed to all such things and is accustomed to
admire righteousness rather than glory. It was therefore not in his
good graces, because it found it impossible to flatter the kings
ambition with statues or temples or such tokens.Trans, Ralph
Marcus, 271.
Sorek, 69-71. The following section concerning inscriptions is
taken primarily from Sorek, though other sources have been
consulted where they mention an inscription, specifically Rajak and
Levine. The primary source for the inscriptions (as cited in Sorek)
is the Corpus inscriptionem judaicarum. II. Asie-Afrique (Rome:
Pontificio Istituto di Archeologia Cristiana, 1952). This book was
not available to double-check her citations, so the following
quotations are from Sorek, as no other readily available sources
include the original languages when discussing the Jewish synagogue
and funerary inscriptions.
JIGRE, 39. Cited in Sorek, 57. Of the soul of Abram (Abramos?)
most blessed, not without honor was he in the city, but alsoin the
manner of the Gentiles, he was crowned with wisdom.
This building was erected by Julia Severa; P(ublius) Tyrronios
Klados the head for life of the synagogue, and Lucius, son of
Lucius, head of the synagogue, and Polilios Zotikos, archon,
restored it with their own funds and with money which had been
deposited and they donated the (painted) murals for the walls and
the ceiling, and they reinforced the windows and made all the rest
of the ornamentation, and the synagogue honoured them with a gilded
shield on account of their virtuous disposition, goodwill and zeal
for the synagogue. Sorek, 57-8.
Sorek, 75. The phrase may come from Neh 13:31, which ends with
the phrase: , And remember me, Oh my God, for good. Ibid, 77.
Remembered for good Judan b. Ishmael Who made this stoa(?) and
its steps. For his work may he have a share with the righteous.
Sorek, 90. The especially interesting thing about this inscription
is its eschatological nature (a share with the righteous).
Remembered for good Kyrios, Rest upon his so[ul]. The son of
Auxentios who built this column in honour of the synagogue. Peace.
Sorek, 91. The phrase rest upon his soul may be an allusion to Ps
116:7, and is found in several funeral inscriptions and tombsin
Palestine (and later in Italy). Sorek, 92.
Sorek, 93. Remembered for good and for a blessing Prophorouros
the elder made this stoa of the holy place. Blessing to him. Amen.
Peace.
Ahia son of. .of the sons of Levi, remembered for good before
the God of Heaven, Amen. This is a memorial for good. Sorek,
79.
Sorek, 81. Lord, remember your servant Primosa, Lord, remember
your servant Sakerdos.
Sorek, 84. Here lies [..] ia Markel-la, mother of the
Augustesian synagogue. May she be remembered [] in peace her
sleep.
Rajak, 377.
Sorek, 99.
Josephus may surface a possible flaw to this theory, because he
says , , or The religious rites which one provides for the dead
should not be expensive burials, nor erecting conspicuous
memorials. Josephus, Against Apion II.205. This prohibition seems
to refer to the place of burial, not to a donation of money for a
building.
Remembered for good all the members of the Holy Congregation who
endeavored to repair The holy plae and in peace shall they have
their blessing. Amen Great peace, hesed, in peace. Sorek, 107.
Sorek, 107. Levine and Schwartz both indicate that the entire
community or congregation, not a specific group inside it, would
have been involved in financing the project.
the holy congregation which endeavouredRemembered for good all
the people of the town. Who endeavoured to repair Sorek, 108-9.
This inscription is fragmentary, but enough remains to see the
group mention.
Sorek, 112.
Danker, 29.
Sorek, 189.
The person who gives first becomes the benefactor, and the
respondent only pays back a debt instead of conferring a benefit.
Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War II, 328-30.
A benefactor gives materially, the benefactee responds by
honoring him. Aristotle, Art of Rhetoric I.9, 52.
Marshall, 58.
Hands, 51.
Sorek, 99-112.
He continues: The striking vision of Matthew 25:31-46, in which
the righteous are separated from the wicked on the basis of the
beneficence toward the needy, surprises the hearers and readers by
asserting that providing food and clothing and comfort to the needy
is the way to return the favor to the one who has given us all we
need for our well-being and survival. deSilva, 152.
Jewett, 930-1.
Georgi, 15.
Gal 2:10. This verse concludes the section on the Council of
Jerusalem where Paul records that he met with in an attempt to
prove that the Jerusalem apostles recognized the theological
validity of his ministry and message. Richard N. Longenecker,
Galatian,. WBC 41, Ed, Bruce M. Metzger, David A. Hubbard, and
Glenn W. Barker, (Dallas: Word Books, 1990), 61.The collection
proves that Paul was approved by the Jerusalem church. After all,
the Jerusalem church must accept Paul if they accept his money!
Hans Dieter Betz. Galatians, Hermeneia, Ed, Helmut Koester et al
(Philadelphia: Fortress, 1979), 103. Luke gives a rather different
account of the Council of Jerusalem, saying that the determination
by the leaders was not that Paul should remember the poor, but that
he should teach the Gentiles , . Acts 15:29. A solution to this is
given by Nickle: basically that Acts 15 is in the correct place
chronologically, but that the decrees about eating meat offered to
idols and such were given at a subsequent Jerusalem meeting in Acts
21, so that Paul has the content of the Gal 2/Acts 15 council
correctly. Keith F. Nickle has a complete discussion on the issue.
The Collection: A Study in Pauls Strategy, SBT 48 (Naperville, Ill:
Alec R. Allenson, 1966), 51-9. This is not the place for a
discussion on the historicity of Acts, and the exact timing of the
beginning of Pauls mission does not necessarily affect his mention
of the collection in Romans; thus the Gal/Acts comparison will not
be pursued extensively here.
2 Cor 8-9. Whether 2 Cor is an amalgamation of letters or not
does not considerably affect the interpretation of this passage. An
excellent history of research on the subject, especially as
involving 1 Cor 8-9, can be found in Hans Dieter Betz, 2
Corinthians 8 and 9, Hermeneia, Ed, Helmut Koester et al
(Philadephia: Fortress, 1985), 3-36. Martin gives five reasons why
the Jerusalem collection was an illustrative model of his [Pauls]
theology: Paul was keeping his promise to the Jerusalem council,
showing that the gentile churches were compassionate and ready to
give, trying to bind together the two ethnic wings of the church,
and hoping to bring Israels salvation by bringing the
eschatological pilgrimage of the nations to Jerusalem; in
summation, Pauls collection had at its heart the unity of the
church made up of Jews and Gentiles who had entered the community
of the new Israel by faith in messiah Jesus. Ralph Martin, 2
Corinthians, WBC 40, Ed, Bruce M. Metzger, David A. Hubbard, and
Glenn W. Barker (Waco: Word Books, 1986), 251.
1 Cor 9:7-8. As the Achaeans rise to their responsibility in
making their offering, they may count on God to sustain this
endeavor by granting them both the desire to share and the
necessary ability to do soit is God who inspires and provides the
ability to give as a basis for genuine sharing. Martin, 290.
Rom 15:26.
The collection (2 Cor 9:5), , , (2 Cor 8:7), [] (2 Cor 8:19),
and of course the collection as an explicit reciprocal relationship
in Rom 15:27.
Rom 15:26b. For the poor (among the) saints in Jerusalem.
Whether this is an epexegetic poor who are saints or a partitive
poor among the saints, the Jerusalem Christian group is in view
here. Jewett, 929-30.