Early Christian Poverty, Giving, and Pauline Collections in Roman Contexts

Paul of Tarsus

Apostle whose letters provide the primary historical evidence for early Christian economic life.

Friesen - Poverty in Pauline Studies

Friesen's goal is to create a usable scale for measuring poverty in Roman cities to describe the real economic status of Paul's congregations.

Friesen Poverty Scale - Combined Thesis

Extreme inequality structured Roman society, and Paul's churches were almost entirely composed of subsistence, near-subsistence, and below-subsistence people with virtually no elites.

Absence of PS1-PS3 in Paul

Paul's letters provide no evidence of participation by imperial, regional, or municipal elites.

Moderate Surplus in Paul's Churches

Only one or two individuals (at most seven) show evidence of moderate surplus.

General Economic Level of Paul's Churches

Most people in Paul's congregations, including Paul himself, lived near subsistence.

Have-Nots in Paul

The "have-nots" and Onesimus appear at the very bottom of the poverty scale.

Corinthian Giving vs Benefaction

Instead of wealthy patrons giving large sums, all members give small weekly offerings with no provision for large elite gifts.

Galatian Churches

Economically similar to Corinth because they received the same giving instructions.

Macedonian Assemblies

Paul describes the Macedonians as giving generously out of deep destitution (2 Cor 8:2).

Stephanas

Located at PS5-6; never described as hosting an assembly despite expensive travel and services.

Prisca and Aquila

Located at PS4-5; hosted an assembly but were manual laborers and likely lived in crowded conditions.

Philemon

Located at PS4-5; owned a slave and provided lodging, but many poor people also owned slaves.

Erastus

Located at PS4-5; city steward often mistaken as super wealthy elite.

Phoebe

Located at PS4-5; called a leader and servant but received help from Roman saints.

Chloe

Located at PS4; had multiple people in her household who traveled for her and belonged to PS5.

Gaius

Located at PS4; hosted the whole assembly and possibly several assemblies with the largest house.

Paul and Economics - Kloppenborg - Pauline Collections

Kloppenborg analyzes Paul's collection using Greco-Roman fiscal practices such as fund security, recognition, public giving models, and ideology.

Four Fiscal Analogies

Kloppenborg compares Paul's collection to fund security, donor recognition, public building donations, and communal ideology.

Corinthian Concerns About the Collection

The Corinthians worried about sending money to a distant church, security of transport, and full accounting.

Security and Audits

Treasurers caught stealing funds were punished, creating anxiety about fund management.

Purpose of Weekly Storing

Funds were kept individually to separate bookkeeping and avoid lump-sum pressure.

Paul's Instruction to Start Early

The Corinthians were instructed to save before Paul arrived.

Paul's Financial Integrity

Paul emphasizes that he does not profit personally from the collection.

Recognition Through Envoys

Envoys likely carried names of donors to provide public recognition.

Epidoseis (Public Subscriptions)

Public fundraising methods with minimum but no maximum giving.

Epidoseis as Social Formation

All residents participated to perform civic identity.

Epidoseis and Civic Pride

Public giving created cooperation and loyalty to the city.

Pauline Collection Difference

Paul's collection benefits outsiders, not the donor's own city.

Pauline Collection and Poor Relief

The purpose of Paul's collection is relief for the poor.

Pauline Collection and Ethnic Difference

The collection was for members of a different ethnic group.

Pauline Collection and Community

Like epidoseis, Paul's collection involved everyone.

2 Corinthians 8 and Macedonians

The extreme poverty of Macedonian churches serves as motivation for Corinth.

Downs - Alms (143-162) - Paul's Message

Paul's Gentile message emphasizes "remember the poor" in contrast to Greco-Roman culture.

1 Timothy Authorship Question

Some scholars believe 1 Timothy is non-Pauline and responds to Marcion.

1 Timothy 6 - Keep the Commandment

Caring for the poor by commanding the rich to give generously.

Life That Is Truly Life

The reward of heaven contrasted with the present age.

Eschatological Reward in Giving

Generosity stores heavenly treasure for final judgment.

Tobit on Almsgiving

Giving provides protection against future financial disaster, not final judgment.

Sirach on Almsgiving

Generous giving offers security against future material peril.

Downs - Alms (233-250)

Early Christian development of almsgiving beyond Paul.

Didache - Loeb Edition

The Didache provides ethical and liturgical instruction for early Christians.

Two Ways Teaching in Didache

The Way of Life and the Way of Death.

Way of Life

Love God and neighbor using the commandments.

Way of Death

The opposite of loving God and neighbor.

Didache and Proverbial Morality

Living rightly brings prosperity either on earth or in heaven.

Didache 4.6

Giving what you earn as ransom for sins.

Didache on Radical Giving

Give to everyone who asks and do not withdraw from giving.

Mariam Kamell - Economics of Humility in James

James reflects Deuteronomy's ethics emphasizing care for the vulnerable.

Deuteronomy 9-10 in James

God loves widows, orphans, and strangers and demands justice.

Fear of the Lord in James

Loving service to God in response to divine grace.

Justice in Hebrew Scripture

Justice is defined especially in relation to the poor.

James on the Rich

James criticizes actions of the rich, not wealth itself.

James on Caring for the Oppressed

Walking in God's ways means protecting the powerless.

James' Two Themes

Humility before God and justice for the helpless versus humiliation of oppressors.

Humility and Salvation in James

Humility is necessary for the rich to enter heaven.

God's Solidarity with the Poor

Both Deuteronomy and James show God acting in solidarity with the poor.

Friesen - Early Christian Explanations of Poverty - Revelation

Roman imperialism is the source of poverty.

Two Beasts in Revelation

Roman empire and aristocracy directed by Satan.

Babylon in Revelation

Rome symbolized as queen over kings, merchants, and populations.

Satan's Control in Revelation

Satan rules the imperial economy.

Withdrawal from Rome

Believers must withdraw from Rome until God returns.

James on Local Exploitation

The rich exploit workers and manipulate justice systems.

James on Favoritism

The rich are not to be favored over the poor.

James on Murder Through Exploitation

Economic exploitation is equivalent to murder.

Accumulation of Capital

James condemns wealth hoarding.

Squandered Surplus

The rich waste immoral gain on self-indulgence.

Rich and the Courts

The rich drag the poor into court repeatedly.

Honor System in James

Poverty continues because the exploited reinforce honor toward the rich.

Acts of the Apostles and Rome

Acts does not criticize Roman imperialism.

Acts Suppressing Paul's Collection

The collection disappears from Acts' narrative.

Acts and Hospitality

Acts presents household hospitality as normal economic sharing.

Acts Portraying Wealthy Assemblies

Acts presents churches as wealthier than Paul's letters do.

Paul's Leadership in Acts

Paul is near subsistence but socially powerful.

Acts Avoids Economic Inequality

The author avoids the topic of structural inequality.

Shift Toward Charity in Acts Economic references shift toward individual acts of charity.

Tabitha's Resurrection

She is raised because of personal charity.

Acts Lacks Systemic Critique

Acts offers no critique of exploitation or unjust distribution.

Clement of Alexandria - Who Is the Rich Man

Gospels are read allegorically with deeper meaning.

Flattering the Rich

Clement condemns flattering the wealthy.

Good Works in Clement

Faith alone is not enough; works matter.

Renouncing Attitudes Not Wealth

The rich give up greedy attitudes not all possessions.

Danger of Total Sell-Off

If everyone sold everything society could not function.

Material vs Spiritual Poverty

Poor materially versus poor before God.

Wealth as Dangerous Disease

Wealth should be downplayed because it threatens the soul.

Chrēmata and Ktēmata

Wealth is useful when properly used for the good of others.

Gregory of Nyssa - Against Usury

Nyssa condemns interest as sinful.

Usury Definition

Usury means charging interest.

Ezekiel 22 and Usury

Charging interest equals forgetting YHWH.

Love Man Not Riches

Riches lead to punishment while God values people.

Moneylender's Pledge

Debt traps the borrower in permanent poverty.

Moneylender's Prayer

The lender desires calamity to increase profit.

Forgive Us Our Debts

Debt forgiveness mirrors God's forgiveness of sin.

Bird Feeding Metaphor

Debtors receive brief relief followed by ruin.

Nyssa's Appeal to Conscience

Usurers cannot pray with a clean conscience.

Loans Without Profit

Nyssa advocates charity and justice over profit.

Tokos of Greed

Usury produces sterile "births" of greed.

Examples of Faith in Nyssa

Moses, Hannah, and Mary trust God not wealth.

The Destitute at the Door

Rejecting the poor multiplies suffering.

God as Debtor

God ensures justice is repaid.