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. 289
he 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. 164
In 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 165-66
Thus, 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 beneficiis

reciprocity 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). 197
charis 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. - 152
Especially 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. 152
God 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. 153
Patronage 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 LXXXI
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
The 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 590
Wealth 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 81
The 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 reputation
rd
The 73 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 doer
pg 49: if youre giving a huge sum of money for the wrong reason it means nothing
pg65: if you wont give anonymously youre doing it wrong
pg237: the honorable is cherished simply b/c it is honorable
pg261: he will be counted the worst of benefactors who chooses ungrateful persons in order to
bestow upon them gifts that are doomed to perish
pg283: not necessarily bound to a promise (of whatever) if you discover evidence that you
shouldnt be
pg297-9: givers and receivers are equal in spirit, if not in deeds, as long as they are sufficiently
generous and grateful
pg 401: recipients of a public benefit (given to many people) are not indebted because it wasnt
intended solely for them
pg453: reputation must follow, not guide, giving benefits
267
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
o 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
o 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
o 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
o 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). 721
the 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 nature
The 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 1:14 904
Paul 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
o 3 types of benefaction relationship: client/king, manumission (freed slave),
philosophical loyalty (to a certain G-R philosophy) (169-71)
o 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
o philosophical: conversion in philosophy is expressed above all in terms of
loyalty to the teacher and that teachers doctrines 172
o hesed is closest to expressing this type of loyalty in the OT 172-4; pist in the NT
(174-5)
o 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

P46 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 TR
1
O

15:27-13.0

2
99

01 03*

06*

1243

1735 1874c 1877

044 69 1881
lacunae
P10 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 temple
inscription @ 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) - 46
Athens 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 53
56-7: 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 Rome
127: inheritance laws = remembered for good mentioned in gift in contemplation of death wills

Jewish dialogue with Greece and Rome

373: Jos quotes book I
Rem for Good:
74: Jos Ag ap 2.217-8; 2.205 about jews not needing monuments
Calvin Rom 15
ACC
major theme in romans = being united in Christ cite commentaries
Rex Gestae
TDOT: hesed
Gal comm. on Gal 2:10 section
1 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 ,1 and his gospel may actually exploit the
concepts of patronage or benefaction to a significant degree.2 Several authors use obligation
language, though, .
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.3 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
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. ...[]
, ,
...4
1 Luke 22:25.
. No NT writings use any of the technical terms for Roman patrons.
2 Many scholars have interpreted Luke through the lens of patronage in order to understand his major
theme. Marshall, iii.
3 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.
4 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

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.

practice of building magnificent tombs in Against Apion II.205, 375.

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 farmers
Again, 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 Auditu 27 (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
Review 25 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 dependencygenerating 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.