Luke's Wealth Ethics: A Study In Their Coherence And Character (wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen Zum Neuen Testament 2.reihe)

The theme of wealth is one of the perennial hot topics in Lukan interpretation, as scholars have often found Luke's teachings on the proper use of wealth to be intractably self-contradictory. Christopher M. Hays addresses the apparent incongruity in Luke's ethical paraenesis. Alternately disputing and drawing upon earlier accounts of Lukan wealth ethics, he argues that Luke's Gospel narrates a spectrum of behaviors which actualize the basic principle of renunciation of all. Undertaking a narrative-critical, ethic description, he shows that in Luke's Gospel the manifestation of a disciple's renunciation depends upon two factors: the disciple's vocation and his or her wealth. The author proceeds to analyze the text of Acts and to demonstrate that Luke displays the Jerusalem community, and to a lesser extent, the Diaspora Church, as faithfully appropriating and enacting Jesus' teachings on possessions. Cover Dedication Acknowledgments Table of Contents Abbreviations Chapter 1. Introduction 1.1 History of Research 1.1.1 Bi-vocational Solution 1.1.1.1 Hans-Joachim Degenhardt 1.1.1.2 Hans-Josef Klauck 1.1.1.3 Kyoug-Jim Kim 1.1.2 Interim Solutions 1.1.2.1 David Peter Seccombe 1.1.2.2 Vincenzo Petracca 1.1.3 Litrary Solutions 1.1.3.1 Gerd Theissen 1.1.3.2 Wolfgang Stegeman 1.1.3.3 Friedrich Wilhelm Hom 1.1.4 Personalist Solutions 1.1.4.1 Luke Timothy Johnson 1.1.4.2 Hans-Georg Gradl 1.1.5 Summary 1.1.6 Excursus: The Influence of Luke on Liberation Theology 1.2 Outline Chapter 2. Wealth Ethics in Ancient Judaism 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Righteousness and Riches 2.3 Affluence and Injustice 2.4 Criticism of the Rich and Riches 2.4.1 Reactions against the Rich 2.4.2 The Corrupting Influence of Wealth 2.4.3 Idolatry 2.4.4 Relativization of Wealth 2.4.5 Ephemerality of Wealth 2.4.6 Retribution 2.4.7 Reversal 2.4.8 Divestiture 2.5 Care for the Poor 2.5.1 Tithes and Heave-Offerings 2.5.2 Sabbath and Jubilee Years 2.5.3 Soup Kitchens and Community Chests 2.5.4 The Pratice of Private Charity 2.5.5 Motivation to Charity 2.6 The Lifestyle(s) of Essence Communities 2.7 Conclusion Chapter 3. Greco-Roman Wealth Ethics 3.1 Introduction 3.2 Friendship 3.2.1 The Character of Ideal Friedship 3.2.2 The Benefits of Friendship 3.2.3 The Social Status of Friends 3.3 Patronage 3.3.1 Services Rendered 3.3.2 Rural Patronage 3.4 Euergetism 3.4.1 Types of Euergestim 3.4.2 Distribution according to Status 3.4.3 Purposes of Euergestim 3.5 Minor, Disinterested Charity 3.5.1 Higher Priorities than Charity 3.5.2 Evidence for the Popular Pratice of Charity 3.5.3 Charity in Philosophical Ethics 3.6 Conclusion Chapter 4. The Coherence and Character of Lukan Wealth Ethics 4.1 Prolegomena on Interpreting Luke and Acts 4.1.1 Synoptic Relations 4.1.2 The Relation between Luke and Acts 4.1.3 Genre 4.1.3.1 The Gospel 4.1.3.2 The Acts of the Apostles 4.1.4 Dates 4.1.5 Author 4.1.6 Audience 4.2 Outline of Ensuing Discussion 4.3 Luke's Depiction of the Twelve 4.3.1 The Calls of Peter, James, John, and Levi: Luke 5.11, 27–29 4.3.2 The Women Followers of Jesus: Luke 8.1–3 4.3.3 A Would-Be Disciple: Luke 9.57 4.3.4 The Ausrüstungsregeln: Luke 9.1–6; 10.1–11; 22.35–38 4.3.4.1 Redaction 4.3.4.2 Vulnerability and Divine Provision 4.3.4.3 An Essence or Cynic Ethics? 4.3.4.4 Possessionlessness: The Exception to the Rule 4.3.5 The Apparent Reserval of Jesus' Ethics: Luke 22.35–38 4.3.5.1 Conzelman's Interpretation 4.3.5.2 The Fulfillment of Isa 53.12 4.3.5.3 What is Enough? 4.3.5.4 Luke on Violence 4.3.5.5 Explaining the Allusion to the Ausrüstungsregeln 4.3.5.6 Conclusion 4.4 Ethical Paraenesis in the Lukan Didactic Texts 4.4.1 The Magnificat 4.4.2 Excursus: Polarity and Reserval in Luke 4.4.3 The Sermon on the Plain: Luke 6.20–38 4.4.3.1 Who are The Blessed Poor? 4.4.3.2 Why the Status Reversal? 4.4.3.3 Excursus: Jesus' Ministry in Light of Luke 4.16–30 4.4.3.4 Radical Maxims in the Sermon on the Plain (6.27–31) 4.4.3.5 Transfigured Reciprocity 4.4.3.6 Theological Motivations 4.4.3.7 Conclusion 4.4.4 The Good Samaritan: Luke 10.25–37 4.4.5 The Woes againts the Pharisees: Luke 11.37– 44 4.4.6 Excursus: Luke and the Law 4.4.7 Life and Death: Luke 12.13–34 4.4.7.1 The Rich Fool: Luke 12.16–21 4.4.7.2 Arguments from Nature: Luke 12.22–28 4.4.7.3 Kingdom Ethics: Luke 12.29–34 4.4.8 Banques Behavior: Luke 14.7–24 4.4.9 The Demands of Discipleship: Like 14.25–35 4.4.9.1 The Meaning of ? άποτάσσομαι πασιν 4.4.9.2 Models for Innitation 4.4.9.3 Summary 4.4.10 Money and Eternal Tents: The Unjust Steward: Luke 16.1–13 4.4.10.1 The Steward's Deed 4.4.10.2 The Master's Response 4.4.10.3 The Ethical-Eschatological Exposition of Luke's Jesus 4.4.10.4 Excursus: An Anti-Essence Polemic? 4.4.11 Double Indictment: Luke 16.14–18 4.4.11.1 The Greedy Pharisees? 4.4.11.2 The Lawlessness of the Pharisees 4.4.12 Money and Eternal Torments: Dives and Lazarus: Luke 16.19–31 4.4.12.1 One Explanation for the Reversal of Fortunes 4.4.12.2 Moses and The Prophets 4.4.12.3 Conclusions on Dives and Lazarus 4.4.13 Apocalytiptic Ethics: Luke 17.22–37 4.4.13.1 Traditionsgeschichtliche Analysis of the Generations of Noah and Sodom 4.4.13.2 Lot's Wife 4.4.13.3 Pre-Paroussia Ethics 4.4.13.4 Who Will Be Left Behind? 4.4.14 The Rich Ruler: Luke 18.18–30 4.4.14.1 Doing Deeds to be Saved 4.4.14.2 The Challenges and Reward of Renunciation 4.4.14.3 A Personal Problem? 4.4.14.4 Options for Rich Intinerants 4.4.14.5 Summary 4.4.15 The Salvation of a Rich Man: Luke 19. 1–10 4.4.15.1 The Decisive Action: Apology or Apologia? 4.4.15.2 Salvation for the "Sedentatary" 4.4.16 The Generosity of the Poor: Luke 20 45–21.4 4.5 Summary and Conclusions: The Coherence of Lukan Wealth Ethics Chapter 5. Lukan Wealth Ethics in the Acts of the Apostles 5.1 Introduction 5.2 The Summary Statements: Acts 2.42–47; 4.32–35 5.2.1 Unity 5.2.2 Meal Sharing 5.2.3 Intertextual Ingredients 5.2.4 Communal Passession? Copper on the Summary Statements 5.2.4.1 Engaging the Essence Thesis of Brian Capper 5.2.4.2 Continuity with the Pratice of Twelve? 5.2.4.3 The Grammar of the Summary Statements 5.2.4.4 A Semitic Vorlage? 5.2.4.5 Communal Houses 5.2.4.6 An Alternative 5.2.5 Philosophical Utopianism or Friendship? Undoing the Dichotomy 5.2.5.1 Pythagoreanism 5.2.5.2 Platonism 5.2.5.3 Aristotelianism 5.2.5.4 Stoicism 5.2.5.5 Utopia 5.2.5.6 Luke's Appropriation and Construal of Friendship 5.2.6 The Coherence of the Lukan Ethics in the Summary Statements 5.3 Barnabas, Ananias, and Sapphira: Acts 4.36–5.11 5.3.1 Barnabas 5.3.1.1 Status Reversal 5.3.1.2 Euregestim and Honor Acquisition 5.3.2 Ananias and Sapphira's Sin: Acts 5.1–11 5.3.3 Giving All Revisited: Capper's Essene Thesis Once Again 5.3.3.1 Disanalogies between the Christian and Essence Practices 5.3.3.2 Technical Terminology 5.3.3.3 While What Remained 5.3.3.4 Superergatory Divestiture 5.3.4 Theodicy 5.3.5 Relation to Lukan Wealth Ethics 5.4 Distribution to Widows: Acts 6.1–7 5.4.1 Pre–70 CE Institutionalized Care for the Poor? 5.4.2 Hellenists and Hebrews: Linguistic Barriers 5.4.3 Apostolic Reponse 5.4.4 Essene Parrallels? A Final Examination of Capper's Thesis 5.4.4.1 Continuity with the Summary Statements 5.4.4.2 Only Appointed from Hellenists? 5.4.4.3 Collection of Wages? 5.5 Tabitha and Corneslius: Acts 9.36–10.48 5.5.1 Tabitha: Acts 9.36–42 5.5.2 Cornelius: Acts 10.1–48 5.5.3 Concluding Comments 5.6 The Antioch Collection: Acts 11.27–30 5.6.1 Excursus: The Absence of the Pauline Collection from Acts 5.7 Greed 5.7.1 Simon Magus: Acts 8.18–24 5.7.2 The Slave Girl with the Pythonic Spiril: Acts 16.16–24 5.7.3 Magic-Books: Acts 19.18–19 5.7.4 Ephesian Silversmiths: Acts 19.23–41 5.7.5 Felix: Acts 24.25–26 5.8 Hospitality 5.8.1 Conversion and Integration 5.8.2 Serving of Expansion of the Kingdom 5.8.3 Excursus: A Lapse in the Diverstiture Teaching? 5.8.4 Divine Provision 5.8.5 Summary 5.9 Paul's Miletus Speech: Acts 20.33–35 5.9.1 Does Paul Deny Being Covetous or Being Supported? 5.9.2 Another Narrative Exemplar 5.9.3 Plagiarism? 5.9.4 Coherence with Prior Teaching 5.10 Conclusion Chapter 6. Concluding Summation Primary Source Bibliography Biblical Texts Jewish Sources Classical Sources Patristic Sources Secondary Source Bibliography Index of Ancient Sources Hebrew Bible and Septaugint New Testament Old Testament Pseudepigrapha Dead Sea Scrolls and Related Texts Philo Josephus Rabbinic Sources Targums Classical Greek and Latin Sources Patristic Sources Non-Literary Sources Index of Modern Authors Index of Subjects