Remember the Poor: Paul, Poverty, and the Greco-Roman World

by Bruce W. Longenecker

Combining historical, exegetical, and theological interests, Bruce Longenecker here dispels the widespread notion that Paul had little or no concern for the poor.

Longnecker’s analysis of Greco-Roman poverty provides the backdrop for a compelling presentation of the importance of care for the poor within Paul’s theology and the Jesus-groups he had established. Along the way, Longenecker calls into question a variety of interpretive paradigms — such as Steven J. Friesen’s 2004 poverty scale — and offers a fresh vision in which Paul’s theological resources are shown to be both historically significant and theologically challenging.

Genres: Theology, Biblical Studies, New Testament, Church History

401 pages, Paperback

First published October 15, 2010

About the author

Dr. Longenecker specializes in the origins of Christianity, including the following emphases: Early Christianity in its Greco-Roman context; Jesus-devotion in the Vesuvian towns (Pompeii and Herculaneum); the life and theology of Paul; care for the needy among Christian communities of the Greco-Roman world.

Dr. Longenecker joined the Baylor faculty in August 2009, having taught previously at St Andrews University (Scotland, 1999-2009), Cambridge University (England, 1995-1999) and Durham University (England, 1991-1995).

- Ph.D. in Theology; University of Durham, England (1986-90).
- M.Rel. in New Testament Studies;Wycliffe College and the University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada (1983-86)
- B.A. in Biblical and Religious Studies; Wheaton College, Illinois, U.S.A. (1979-83)

Reviews

[Alex Bean · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this book, Dr. Longenecker dives into the economic nature of the Urban Roman Empire of the first century and challenges the scholarly consensus of Galatians 2:10 on the meaning of “remember the poor” that the Jerusalem leaders request Paul to teach the Gentile Christians. If you desire to understand what the economy of Rome, Paul, and the early church were likely like, then this book will help. It has been said in the past that unlike Jesus, Paul had little care and thought for the poor (whether because he thought the end was near and it was irrelevant or other reasons), this book challenges this idea and puts Paul in a much similar ethical light to Jesus Christ as one who cares for the poor, the weak, and the outcast of society.

[Phil · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an interesting contribution to the discussion about the connection between the apostle Paul and the issue of poverty. Among the good features in the book is the attempt to analyse the socio-economic basis of the ancient city and to distinguish between traditional Graeco-Roman methods of dealing with poverty and with the early Christian one. There is considerable discussion of the various scholarly debates surrounding these issues (we are talking about scholarship, after all). That discussion can get a bit arcane, at times, but it was good to see how the theme worked itself out over time.

[Michael Kruse · Rating 5 out of 5]

An exceptional book for getting the lay of the land on Paul's Greco-Roman economic world and for getting a sense of the centrality that caring for the poor played in Paul's teaching and in the early Jesus Communities.