My Praise for Longenecker’s Remember the Poor

Last updated on: November 24, 2011 at 6:48 am by Joel Willitts

My Praise for Longenecker’s Remember the Poor 2011-11-24T06:48:16-04:00 Joel Willitts

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

A couple weeks ago, Michael wrote a brief post noting the new book by Bruce Longenecker called Remember the Poor: Paul, Poverty and the Greco-Roman World. I picked a copy up at SBL and began reading it with great interest. This topic is important to me and very timely given the discussions being had on the mission of the church in response to Kevin DeYoung and Greg Gilbert. One of the primary observations they and others of their ilk make is the lack of concern about issues of justice in Paul’s apostolic work. However,

If Bruce Longenecker is correct, then the thesis of the DeYoung and Gilbert book is baseless.

I can’t commend this book enough. It is a scholarly, yet accessible treatment of Paul’s views and practice of mercy among the urban poor. I hope that DeYoung and Gilbert, and others of like mind, will order this book immediately and read it carefully.

Here’s the most important insight the book makes that truly undermines a narrow understanding of the gospel and the mission of the church that does not include justice and acts of mercy: The Jewish social space into which Paul’s churches were born and continued to exist.

The Jewish context of the churches Paul and his partners founded in the Greco-Roman world should inform how we understand the work of the churches Paul left behind. Essential to the theological traditions of ancient Judaism and the Jesus-movement, was the concern for the poor. Jewish diaspora communities were active in charity as an essential expression of their worship of God and there is ample evidence in the Epistle of James to show the essential place of caring for the poor in the religion of early Christianity (Jam 1:27).

We need to show more sophistication in handling of the Pauline evidence. In my experience, one regularly omitted element of this is the recognition that Paul was not founding a new religion, but as the envoy of Israel’s Messiah, he was extending the promises of Abraham, Israel’s father, to the nations. The book of Acts clearly puts Paul’s work within the Jewish social space of the Greco-Roman world (cf. Acts 18:14-16). This should be our frame of reference when attempting to discern the apostolic communities both past and present.

It was through the vehicle of the gentile-friendly wing of the Jesus-movement (in which Paul was a key and instrumental player) that Judaism’s concern for the poor spread throughout the cultures of the ancient world, giving visibility to the poor in an unprecedented fashion. In that sense, the preceding chapters recount on crucial episode in the story of how Judaism bequeathed to the world a concern for the economically poor by way of the early Jesus-movement – an episode that features the controversial figure Paul. He imagined urban Jesus-groups to be miniature oases of eschatological refreshment amid the harsh economic conditions of the Greco-Roman world (300).

Remember the poor (Gal 2:10)!

Uncategorized

Previous Post

November 18, 2011

What is the Mission of the Church?, A Review

Next Post

November 24, 2011 In preparation for Advent

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Bible Lands Blogosphere Book Review Calvinism Colleges & Universities Ecclesiology Emerging Adulthood Evangelicalism Foreign Affairs Gospel of John Greco-Roman World Humor Just War N. T. Wright Old Testament Resurrection Terrorism Theological Education Travel Uncategorized Writing

Select a Month September 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 January 2011

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord Almighty. What seemingly impossible task will be accomplished?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Defeating Israel's enemies The Gathering of Israel Rebuilding Jerusalem Completing the temple

Books by This Author Books by Mike Bird

See All Titles »