Many books discuss the poor in the New Testament, but few monographs focus on the wealthy or wages. Since he maintains that all twenty-seven NT books discuss wealth, Collins wants to help pastors preach on this basic issue.
After a brief survey of the wealthy persons who aided Paul and Jesus in their ministries, Collins takes up the books in roughly chronological order. Avoiding the proof-texting of the Prosperity Gospel televangelists, Collins locates each text in its historical socioeconomic milieu, in the literary context of the entire book, and in the smaller subsection in which the biblical author has located his text. He also distinguishes between what the text explicitly says and what can be inferred from it, sometimes by reference to similar NT texts, and sometimes by reference to Hellenistic moralists.
Each chapter concludes with a “so what?” section, in which Collins cites contemporary news sources that manifest our neglect of that chapter's teaching, or quotations from religious leaders who witness to it.
An expert on the Corinthian correspondence, Collins finds in these two letters his main themes. There is wealth in the churches (1 Cor 1:26; indeed, all six named members of the Corinthian churches are wealthy). The wealthy abuse the poor, in the law courts (1 Cor 6:1-9a) and at the Eucharist (1 Cor 11:17-22), and so Paul warns against greed (1 Cor 5:11, 6:10) and insists on the right of the laborer to his wages (1 Cor 9:4-10). The way to be free of greed is by the collection for the poor in Jerusalem (1 Cor 16:1-4; 2 Cor 8:1-15). Elsewhere in Paul, Collins finds a mandate to pay taxes (Rom 13:6), the virtue of generosity (Gal 5:22; Phil 4:14-18), and the necessity of paying debts (Phlm 16–17).
These and other themes are then investigated in the rest of the New Testament, where Collins finds abundant material in Luke-Acts, in James, and in 1 Timothy. In all, Collins investigates over a hundred principal texts dealing with wealth in the NT, but his biblical index indicates a mastery of the entire biblical witness.
His last chapter summarizes his investigation: although wealth is a gift of God, it is also seductive. When it becomes the overarching focus of life, it becomes the divinized “Mammon.” Apart from porneia (the amorphous sexual immorality), pleonexia (greed) is the vice most often condemned in the NT as the root of other vices. Wealth finds its proper use in the elimination of need and the establishment of equity for the poor and elderly widows. Taxes are to be paid to civil authorities, and just wages are to be paid to all laborers. Although many men and women use their wealth for the poor, the NT views wealth as a danger. Collins concludes with three challenges that confront the wealthy: failure to care for the poor, defrauding the worker of his wages, and misuse of the judicial system.
Although Collins cannot prove that all twenty-seven NT books deal with wealth or wages (2 and 3 John do not), he has demonstrated his main point, that these topics are as central to the NT moral message as any other.
Some minor flaws in the book: simple scriptural citations in the footnotes should be inserted in parentheses in the text. Among the few typos are some errors in Greek transliteration: etaire for hetaire (109), penikran for penichran (140, 152), apanata for hapanta (194–95).
Exegetes will dispute some of Collins’ exegesis—for example, his link of ta bare in 1 Thessalonians 2:7 to money, or his assertion that Jude 16 speaks of money. But his careful exegesis is especially good at excavating subplots dealing with money in narratives making a different point.
The main problem with the book is its destination. Few are the pastors who know the meaning of Latin captatio benevolentiae, incipt, ad rem, and so on, or the Greek terms such as lemma. Perhaps Collins is looking over his shoulder at exegetes who might read the text. And indeed, they should: Collins illuminates important meanings for exegetes whose interests have overlooked the NT concern with wealth and wages.
This book is highly recommended for undergraduate and graduate libraries and all members of the CTS. Bishops should make it a Christmas gift to all priests.
