Paul and the Gift

John M. G. Barclay

William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company

Grand Rapids, Michigan / Cambridge, U.K.

© 2015 John M. G. Barclay

All rights reserved

Published 2015 by

Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

2140 Oak Industrial Drive N.E., Grand Rapids, Michigan 49505 /

P.O. Box 163, Cambridge CB3 9PU U.K.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Barclay, John M. G.

Paul and the gift / John M.G. Barclay.

pages cm

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-0-8028-6889-3 (cloth: alk. paper)

1. Bible. Epistles of Paul—Theology.

2. Grace (Theology)—Biblical teaching. I. Title.

BS2655.G65B37 2015

227′.06—dc23

2015018062

www.eerdmans.com

For John Riches

Contents

Preface

Abbreviations

Prologue

I. The Multiple Meanings of Gift and Grace

1. The Anthropology and History of the Gift

1.1. The Gift in Anthropological Perspective

1.1.1. Mauss and “the Gift”

1.1.2. The Anthropology of “Gift” Post-Mauss

1.2. Gift and Reciprocity in the Greco-Roman World

1.2.1. Greek Reciprocity and the Limits of the Gift

1.2.2. Civic Euergetism

1.2.3. Roman Patronage

1.2.4. Were the Jews Different?

1.2.5. Stoic Solutions to the Problems of the Gift

1.3. The Emergence of the Western “Pure” Gift

1.3.1. Persisting Modes of Gift Exchange

1.3.2. Modern Social and Ideological Transformations

1.3.3. The Modern Notion of the “Pure” Gift

1.4. Conclusions

2. The Perfections of Gift/Grace

2.1. Perfecting a Concept

2.2. Six Perfections of Grace

2.3. Grace as a Polyvalent Symbol

3. Interpreting Paul on Grace: Shifting Patterns of Perfection

3.1. Marcion

3.2. Augustine

3.2.1. Early Works on Romans

3.2.2. Further Wrestling with Romans 9: Ad Simplicianum

3.2.3. The Pelagian Controversy

3.2.4. Against the Massillians

3.3. Luther

3.3.1. The Context

3.3.2. Not by Works of the Law

3.3.3. But by Faith in Jesus Christ

3.3.4. The Lutheran Perfections of Grace

3.4. Calvin

3.4.1. Grace in Creation, Providence, and History

3.4.2. Grace in Justification

3.4.3. Grace in Sanctification

3.4.4. Calvin’s Perfections of Grace

3.5. From Barth to Martyn

3.5.1. Karl Barth

3.5.2. Rudolf Bultmann

3.5.3. Ernst Käsemann

3.5.4. J. Louis Martyn

3.6. Sanders and the New Perspective on Paul

3.6.1. E. P. Sanders

3.6.2. The New Perspective on Paul

3.7. Recent Discussions of Paul and Grace

3.7.1. After the New Perspective

3.7.2. Alain Badiou

3.7.3. New Research on Grace and Benefaction in the Roman World

4. Summary and Conclusions to Part I

II. Divine Gift in Second Temple Judaism

5. The Wisdom of Solomon

5.1. Death and the Question of Justice (1:1–6:11)

5.2. Wisdom, the Ultimate Gift (6:12–10:21)

5.3. Divine Equity in the Exodus Events (10:15–19:22)

5.4. The Correlation of Mercy and Justice (11:21–12:22)

6. Philo of Alexandria

6.1. Ground Rules in the Interpretation of Divine Gift

6.2. God as the Sole and Singular Cause of Abundant Good

6.3. The Fitting Gift

6.4. Israel and the Reward of the Wise and Virtuous

6.5. Philo’s Perfections of Grace...