The Offering of the Gentiles: Paul's Collection for Jerusalem in Its Chronological, Cultural, and Cultic Contexts

By: David J. Downs, Beverly Roberts Gaventa

Stock No: WW873132

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The Offering of the Gentiles: Paul's Collection for Jerusalem in Its Chronological, Cultural, and Cultic Contexts

Name: The Offering of the Gentiles: Paul's Collection for Jerusalem in Its Chronological, Cultural, and Cultic Contexts
Brand: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.
SKU: 873132
Price: 35.99 USD
Availability: InStock
Author: David J. Downs
ISBN: 9780802873132

By: David J. Downs, Beverly Roberts Gaventa

Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. / 2016 / Paperback

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Product Description

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Paul prominently mentioned his collection for the church in Jerusalem in his epistles to the Romans and to the Corinthians. Downs minutely investigates the historical, cultural, and theological meaning of such a gesture within its Greco-Roman background, bringing us to a deeper understanding of its true significance. 224 pages, softcover. Eerdmans.

Product Information

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Title: The Offering of the Gentiles: Paul's Collection for Jerusalem in Its Chronological, Cultural, and Cultic Contexts
By: David J. Downs, Beverly Roberts Gaventa
Format: Paperback
Number of Pages: 224
Vendor: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.
Publication Date: 2016

Dimensions: 9.00 X 6.00 (inches)
Weight: 11 ounces
ISBN: 0802873138
ISBN-13: 9780802873132
Stock No: WW873132

Publisher's Description

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The monetary fund that the apostle Paul organized among his Gentile congregations for the Jewish-Christian community in Jerusalem was clearly an important endeavor to Paul; discussion of it occupies several prominent passages in his letters. In this book David Downs carefully investigates that offering from historical, sociocultural, and theological standpoints.

Downs first pieces together a chronological account of Paul’s fund-raising efforts on behalf of the Jerusalem church, based primarily on information from the Pauline epistles. He then examines the sociocultural context of the collection, including gift-giving practices in the ancient Mediterranean world relating to benefaction and care for the poor. Finally, Downs explores how Paul framed this contribution rhetorically as a religious offering consecrated to God.

Author Bio

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David J. Downs is associate professor of New Testament studies at Fuller Theological Seminary. He is also the author of Alms:Charity, Reward, and Atonement in Early Christianity.

Editorial Reviews

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Richard S. Ascough in Religious Studies Review
"Erudite and convincing, this book is the new touchpoint for future research on Paul’s collection for the Jerusalem church."

Joshua W. Jipp in Themelios
"A tightly argued, well-written, and thorough study of Paul’s collection. . . . What is so refreshing about Downs’s work is his skillful ability to engage in historical and sociocultural work as well as providing a significant theological interpretation of Paul’s religious rhetoric."

Beverly Roberts Gaventa (from foreword)
"David Downs’s book on the place of the collection in Paul’s letters will make it exceedingly difficult to maintain [the common] bifurcation between Paul’s spiritual message and his physical concerns. . . . The Offering of the Gentiles is a challenge to all readers of Paul to understand the holistic character of his message."