alms Charity, Reward, and Atonement in Early Christianity David J. Downs Alms This page intentionally left blank Alms Charity, Reward, and Atonement in Early Christianity David J. Downs BAYLOR UNIVERSITY PRESS © 2016 by Baylor University Press Waco, Texas 76798 All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission in writing of Baylor University Press. Cover Design by AJB Design, Inc. Cover image: St. Giles supports a beggar, south wall of the crypt (fresco), French School, (11th century) / Church of Saint- Aignan- sur- Cher, Loir et Cher, France / Hirmer Fotoarchiv / Bridgeman Images 978-1-60258-999-5 (Web PDF) This ebook was converted from the original source file. Readers who encounter any issues with formatting, text, linking, or readability are encouraged to notify the pub- lisher at [email protected]. Some font characters may not display on all ereaders. To inquire about permission to use selections from this text, please contact Baylor University Press, One Bear Place, #97363, Waco, Texas 76798. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Downs, David J., 1977– Alms : charity, reward, and atonement in early Christianity / David J. Downs. 350 pages cm Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-1-60258-997-1 (hardback : alk. paper) 1. Charity—History of doctrines. 2. Redemption—Christianity—History of doctrines. 3. Atonement—History of doctrines. 4. Charity—Biblical teaching. 5. Redemption—Biblical teaching. 6. Atonement—Biblical teaching. I. Title. BV4639.D69 2016 248.4’6—dc23 2015027496 CONTENTS Acknowledgments vii Introduction 1 What Can Wash Away My Sin? 1 Redeem Your Sins with Acts of Mercy 27 Charity and Reward in the Hebrew- Aramaic Bible and Its Greek Translation 2 Merciful Deeds Deliver from Death 57 Charity and Reward in the Apocrypha 3 I Desire Mercy, Not Sacrifice 83 Cult Criticism and Atoning Almsgiving? 4 Give Alms with Respect to the Things Within 103 Charity and Reward in the Synoptic Gospels and Acts 5 Storing Up Treasure for a Good Foundation 143 Almsgiving and Reward in the Pauline Epistles 6 Love Covers a Multitude of Sins 175 Atoning Almsgiving in 1 Peter 4:8 and Its Early Christian Reception v vi CONTENTS 7 Merciful Practice Is Good as Repentance for Sin 203 Resurrection, Atonement, and Care for the Poor in Second- Century Christianity 8 By Alms and Faith Sins Are Purged Away 233 Almsgiving and Atonement in Early Christian Scriptural Exegesis Conclusion 273 Bibliography 287 Index 325 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I am grateful for the support of many people who have encouraged me in the writing of this book. Serving as a professor at Fuller Theological Seminary is one of the great joys of my life. Fuller’s School of Theology, led during the period of this book’s composition by Dean Howard Loewen and Dean Joel Green, has gen- erously assisted this project in several ways, including the provision of funds to present at national and international conferences some of the ideas devel- oped in this book and the granting of sabbaticals during the fall of 2009 and spring of 2012. Much of this book was written in Mwanza, Tanzania, where our family has lived for about six months a year since 2009. While there are good things about life in Tanzania, the lack of physical access to a research library makes academic writing difficult, and the completion of this book would not have been possible without the outstanding research assistance of Benjamin Lappenga, Brian Robinson, and Allison Quient, all of whom were funded by Fuller’s Center for Advanced Theological Studies. Susan Wood kindly helped with the indexing. Numerous colleagues graciously read or engaged with material in various parts of this book: Nathan Eubank, Steven Friesen and the other organizers and participants of the 2011 COMCAR trip to Greece, Gregg vii viii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Gardner, John Goldingay, Christopher M. Hays, Micah Kiel, Benjamin Lappenga, Bruce Longenecker, Oliver Crisp, Timothy Reardon, Helen Rhee, and Marianne Meye Thompson. In addition to various presentations at meetings of the Society of Biblical Literature, I am grateful to have had the opportunity to test some of the ideas developed in this book at the Nai- robi Evangelical Graduate School of Theology in 2011 and at the Lausanne Movement Global Consultation on Prosperity Theology in Atibaia, Brazil, in 2014. I am also thankful for the comments from the anonymous read- ers from Baylor University Press and for Carey Newman and his excellent team at Baylor University Press for their preparation and publication of this manuscript. On this, our thirteenth wedding anniversary, I would like to thank my wife and constant companion, Jennifer Alzos Downs, not only for encour- aging me to write (and finish!) this book but also for modeling for me for more than twenty years a life full of merciful deeds. Your commitment to serving and working with the world’s poor and powerless is an inspiration to me and to many. Our life together has always helped me to avoid the fate of those fallen angels in Milton’s Paradise Lost, who “apart sat on a hill retired, / In thoughts more elevate, and reasoned high / Of providence, foreknowledge, will and fate, / Fixed fate, free will, foreknowledge abso- lute, / And found no end, in wandering mazes lost.” With you I am never “apart,” in life in general or in my theological studies in particular. If my scholarship is less aimless and fruitless than the discourse of Milton’s fallen angels, it is largely because of your influence, for life with you daily reminds me of the real world of poverty and loss, justice and hope, to which all aca- demic research is rightly directed. This book is dedicated to our three beautiful children: Emily, Luke, and Elijah. As you grow in faith, hope, and love, may you come to know the joy of showing mercy to those in need, even as you joyfully receive when you are in need, and may you pursue all the rewards associated with almsgiving. As a wise father once instructed his child: Do not turn your face away from any poor person, and the face of God will not be turned away from you. When you have possessions, accord- ing to the abundance practice the merciful act of almsgiving from the possessions. If you have a little, do not be afraid to practice the merci- ful act of almsgiving according to the little that you have. For you will be storing up a good treasure for yourself against a day of necessity. Therefore, the merciful act of almsgiving delivers from death and keeps one from going into darkness. Indeed, the merciful act of almsgiving is a good gift, for all who practice it, in the sight of the Most High. . . . ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ix Give some of your bread to the hungry and some of your clothing to the naked. Give whatever is an abundance for you as a merciful act of almsgiving, and do not let your eye be envious when you practice the merciful act of almsgiving. (Tob 4:7- 11, 16- 17) May 11, 2015