山道期刊

Wealth and Poverty in the Old Testament (I): The Pentateuch and Narratives

TAI Ho-fai Nicholas

Discussing the issue of wealth and poverty in the Old Testament is a broad and profound task. It can be examined in various contexts such as Old Testament ethics and  social history. In addition, the long history of the Old Testament Israel increases the difficulty, and how we understand the formation history of the Old Testament itself also affects how we approach this topic. Therefore, the article will only give a brief overview of the concepts of wealth and poverty in the Pentateuch. The usage of Hebrew words for wealth and poverty in the Pentateuch will be analyzed so as to see how these concepts function in their respective contexts.

From the perspective of the laws in the Pentateuch, poverty is a reality. The laws do not demand the elimination of it, but as the people of Yahweh (free Israelites), Israel is obliged to care for the poor. On the other hand, based on the stories of the patriarchs, several points about the concept of wealth can be established: First, wealth is a symbol of God’s blessing. Second, the stories are not about wealth but God’s promises and His providence. Third, the patriarchs all realized that wealth was a gift from God. Finally, the process of getting rich is not necessarily a glorious one. Many times, they were in difficult situations, but with the protection and blessing of God, their difficulties were turned into blessings.

Wealth and Poverty: Yahweh’s Demand for the Land

CHAN Yew Ming

Ancient Israel received land from Yahweh who established a covenant with them. Yahweh expected Israel to understand that the land is a unique gift that requires Israelites to manage the land and avoid the pitfalls of their neighbours. Unfortunately, these Israelites failed to comprehend the nature of the gift and instead opted for the institutionalisation of their society and fell into idolatry. Their mismanagement of the land revealed a rejection of Yahweh’s sovereignty that led to a breakdown in the divine-human relationship. Yahweh’s specific demands were established via the Law, and numerous prophets reminded Israel to meet them. Israel’s failure to keep the Law and its mismanagement of the land produced a society that requires tackling the divide between the affluent and the poor. The Old Testament acknowledges that wealth is a gift but reminds us that the poor must be taken care of and fairly treated.

Ancient and Modern Perceptions of Poverty, Subsistence and the Economic Location of the Pauline Communities

LEUNG Chun Ho Bernard

This paper explores the perceptions of poverty in Graeco-Roman society and the modern world, along with their implications for evaluating the economic circumstances of the Pauline communities. The initial sections of this study aim to elucidate the challenges associated with defining and perceiving poverty in scholarly debates. Given that poverty is a universally subjective human experience, describing and comparing the situation of “the poor” becomes a difficult, if not impossible, task. To analyze the limited and occasionally distorted data on the economic conditions of the ancient world, researchers require contemporary categories, languages, and research methods. Once the methodological issues have been clarified, this paper will provide an overview of the recent discussion about the economic situation of the Pauline communities, emphasizing the problem surrounding the utilization of the concept of “subsistence” in these discussions.

Paul’s Reciprocity on the Poor and Rich

Solomon H. F. WONG

At the end of the letter to the Romans, Paul says that he will come to visit Rome after he has delivered to Jerusalem the collection raised from the churches of Macedonia and Achaia. Paul also mentioned this collection in the Corinthian correspondence and Galatians. The collection of donations for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem seems to have become significantly important for Paul’s ministry. Why is this collection important to Paul’s ministry and why is this also related to his planned visit to Rome in the near future? The grace of God in Christ (Christ event) and human actions seem to play a reciprocal role in this nascent eschatological community. This paper is an attempt to trace the reciprocity thinking of Paul on the collection regarding the relationship between the rich and poor on the one hand, and between the gentile believers and Jewish believers on the other. We begin our exegetical journey with Romans 15:22-29; then, we lightly touch on 1 Corinthians 16:1-4 and 2 Corinthians 8-9, and Galatians 2:10; and finally, we come back to Romans 15:22-29 for a glimpse of Paul’s aim of writing Romans.

The Rich and the Poor Need Each Other: Illumination from Shepherd of Hermas

Joyce Wai-Lan SUN

To many Christians, almsgiving and caring for the poor are biblical requirements and thus, natural responsibilities for every Christ follower. In the course of giving and receiving, however, those in need are often reduced to mere passive receivers who must look upon the sheer mercy of those who have. The poor are generally regarded as having nothing to give in return so any act of mercy can hardly serve to shorten the social distance between the rich and the poor.

This essay looks into the model of almsgiving envisioned in the Parable of the Elm and the Vine in the Shepherd of Hermas (chapter 51) and demonstrates how Hermas postulates the relationship between the rich and the poor as one of mutual  interdependence and partnership in the works of God. It then contrasts Hermas’s vision of the rich-poor relationship with that portrayed in the biblical tradition of “the pious poor” and “the wicked rich,” and the Roman culture of patronage. The essay concludes that the model of mutual interdependence advocated in the Shepherd of Hermas deserves to be given more thought by the churches in Hong Kong, in which membership including both the rich and the poor is even more commonplace now than in ancient times.

Poverty, None of the Church’s Business … !?: Exploring the Theological and Ethical Significance of John Howard Yoder’s Discourse on the Practice of the Lord’s Supper

Vincent C. P. LAU

The discourse on the Lord’s Supper by John Howard Yoder in his Body Politics specifies that both spiritual and ethical significance is indispensable. The latter pertains to the sociological implications of the practice that Jesus’ disciples are required to share their possessions with others who are in need. This is an embodiment of Yahweh’s order of Jubilee: “there should not be any poor among you …” (Dt 15:4 NET). Such kind of sharing and provision of basic daily needs with one another is a mark of the messianic age. The ethical significance of the Lord’s Supper is that the church is called to pay close attention to and provide relief for the needy people as a matter of course. There is thus no excuse for the church to ignore the needs of people around us. The care and love of Christians should not be confined to “insiders,” but also include “outsiders,” not only locally focused but also internationally concerned. The Jubilee 2000 Campaign and the Jubilee Debt Campaign can be regarded as an embodiment of the Christian faith. More importantly, it can serve as an alternative paradigm for global economic practice.
The purposes of this essay are to explore the theological and sociological connotations of the Lord’s Supper of Yoder’s discourse in his book and to explicate the ethical significance of the church derived from the Lord’s Supper on the issue of poverty and the actions of poverty alleviation. The essay consists of four parts: Firstly, the theological concepts of Body Politics are introduced briefly. Secondly, the discourse on and the significance of the Lord’s Supper discussed by Yoder are examined. Thirdly, the theological conceptual relationship among the Lord’s Supper, Jubilee, and messiah is analyzed. Finally, the ethical significance of the Lord’s Supper is scrutinized.

The Relationship between Christian Ethics and the Transformation of Life: A Study of the Role of the Holy Spirit and the Nature of Transformation

Elijah LIANG Yi Li Yah

Since Thomas Aquinas, Christian ethics and virtue ethics have been closely intertwined. In recent discussions, some scholars have even equated Christian ethics with virtue ethics. However, while Christian ethics embodies virtuous qualities, it should not be limited to virtue or theological virtue, as a Christian’s life begins with being crucified and resurrected with Christ, resulting in a new life. Therefore, to truly understand Christian ethics, it is essential to clarify the relationship between this new life and ethics. Otherwise, Christian ethics might devolve into humanistic ethics or become a self-help spiritual growth. This article explores the views of three scholars who emphasize the significance of the Holy Spirit in Christian ethics and delve into anthropology to explore the nature of human transformation and how it relates to being crucified and resurrected with Christ and guided by the Holy Spirit. Furthermore, in order to gain a deeper understanding of the meaning of life, this article also explores the concepts of human creation, fall, and Paul’s discourse on new life in Romans and Galatians from this perspective. Finally, based on our research findings, this article offers substantial ethical application recommendations.