Jesus Tradition in Pauline and Pauline Circle

Topic – Pauline Understanding of Economic Mutualism

Introduction
The practice of collecting money at Christian worship services is almost as old as Christianity
itself. Within a few decades of Jesus' death, the apostle Paul initiated a collection of money
from communities he visited to support impoverished Christians in Jerusalem. Paul attached
great significance to this project. With this idea of caring for the communities, we will be
focussing on Paul’s approach to economic mutualism.1

What is Mutualism in economy?

Mutualism develops from a search for equilibrium, for the spontaneous balance of economic
forces. At its most basic, mutualism is an ethical principle at the centre of which is
―mutuality or reciprocity—the Golden Rule.‖ The most important theoretician of mutualism
is, the French anarchist Pierre‐Joseph Proudhon (1809–1865), who developed a unique anti-
authoritarian socialism in which federated workers and craftsmen would exercise local,
horizontal self‐control, freed from the domination of monopoly capital. In Proudhon’s
mutualism, individuals deal with one another as co‐equal producers, as
essentially economic actors, no one empowered to compel obedience.2 Under mutualism,
self-governing producers (either groups or individuals) reject profiteering and exploitation,
and exchange goods and services equitably and fairly through mutually beneficial economic
contracts. Mutualism opposes capitalism and large-scale property ownership (because both
lead to exploitation and inequality) but allows small-scale private property based on use or
possession.3

Understanding Paul’s Economic Mutualism

Justin Meggitt understands the economic arrangements of the Pauline communities as what
he terms 'Christian Mutualism'. His approach may best be set out by quoting two paragraphs
of his work –

"Christian mutualism… emerged to meet a very real need. The mutualism that was practised
appears to have been especially powerful. Two of its features in particular are indicative of its
considerable strength. Firstly, the explicitness of the relationship. Amongst the most
important factors that affect the likelihood and extent of material reciprocation is the degree
to which a relationship is visible for the parties involved. From the apostle's lengthy
discussions of the subject of the collection (2 Cor. 8 and 9), and the open and effective

1
M,Granovetter(1985).Economic action and social structure :The problem of embeddedness.American Journal
of sociology ,91(3),p 481-510.
2
B,Uzzi(1997).Socila Sgtructure and competition in interim networks:The paradox of
embeddedness.Administrative Science Quaterly,42(1),35-67.
3
Powell,W.W.,Koput,K.W.,&Smith_Doerr,L.(1996).Interorgational collaboration and the locus of innovation
:Networks of learning In biotechnology.Administrative Science Quaterly,41(1),116-145
response that the churches made to his appeals, it is clear that Christian mutualism was
indeed a prominent and distinct component of the lives of the Pauline communities.

Secondly, the enmeshment of the theme of economic mutuality in the theological, and in
particular Christological, language of the community also gave substantial weight to this
form of exchange relationship. The theme of mutualism was inseparably bound up with
Paul's participationist, corporate, Christology. For the believers that had salvation were
inexorably joined not only with their Lord but with each other. A similar notion is found in
the recurring Pauline theme of Koinonia - the believers' fellowship with Christ also presumes
fellowship with others.4

Paul’s Concern for Socio-economic Situation of the Communities

Economic justice, in the form of frequent acts of redistribution to ensure equality among his
people, was at the heart of the Bible that Paul grew up reading. The Sabbath cycle ensured
that the poor were not neglected. Every harvest was to be taken in such a way that the crops
at the edge of the fields were to be left for the poor to glean. Every seven years, the land was
to be left fallow, allowing anything that grew on them to be picked by those without fields to
work (Exodus 23:10-11; Leviticus 25:2-7). It was a reminder to the nation that the land
belonged to God and they only worked it as tenants or stewards, managing it for their
landlord: God (Leviticus 25:10-16). Paul absorbed these radical economic values and they
became the bedrock of his understanding of how the Christian community should work. And
while he outlines how the principles of mutuality and equality should work within the
Christian community, he does so because he believes this to be God’s blueprint for human
society everywhere.5

In Galatians 2:10, 5:13-14 and 6:7-10, Paul outlines an ethic based on mutual sharing and
seeking the good of others – especially those in the household of faith. In Philippians 2:1-4,
he argues that we should seek one another’s interests rather than our own, and offers his own
life as an example of being content with our economic circumstances while thanking them for
sharing economically with him while he was in need (Philippians 4:10-20).6

Paul and Collection

The primary purpose of the collection in Jerusalem emphasised by Paul was clearly the
attempt to relieve what appeared to have been a situation of desperate poverty in the
Jerusalem church. There Paul instructs the community–most of whom must have had little
money to spare - to set aside for the project whatever money they could afford on a weekly
basis. In this way, they would be able to raise more money than by relying on a one - time
collection, an option rejected by the apostle. Further information about the collection in
Corinth appears in several places in 2 Corinthians. For Paul, collection was not the simple
transfer of money from the Antioch community to Jerusalem. Instead, Paul attempted to
4
Donald P. Ker, Family Finances: “Kinship” and the Collection- an exploratory paper,
https://biblicalstudies.org.uk/pdf/irish-biblical-studies/25-1_002.pdf, (Accessed on 10/2/24).
5
Simon Jones, What the Apostle Paul says about Economic Justice, whttps://goodfaithmedia.org/what-the-
apostle-paul-says-about-economic-justice-cms-22359/ith permission. (Accessed on 10/2/24).
6
Simon Jones, What the Apostle Paul says... (Accessed on 11/2/24)
involve all of the non-Jewish churches that he founded in the effort. He believed that non-
Jewish believers in those churches owed the Jews a debt of gratitude. In his words: Indeed
they (the non-Jews) owe it to them (members of the Jewish church in Jerusalem); for if the
Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, they ought also to be of service to
them in material things"(Rom. 15:27).7

The most elaborate treatment of the collection is, however, found in 2 Corinthians 8 and 9.
Paul’s insistence on the collection for the saints in Jerusalem goes beyond that particular
matter to include general concerns such as ―the need for generosity (2 Cor. 8:12; 9:5-11), the
goal of equality (2 Cor. 8:13-15) and the need for careful administration of the funds (2 Cor.
8:18-21)‖. Indeed, as Dieter Georgi summarises, ―the principles of representation, vicarious
action, reciprocity, and shared destiny are tightly connected to the concept of a collection for
Jerusalem and its conveyance‖. Paul insisted upon some sort of internal auditing team to
accompany him with the collected money: ―Paul is exceptionally careful to have others
supervise the collection and do what is honourable by human standards‖. In 2 Corinthians
8:18-22 mention is made of two (anonymous) people who were to accompany the collected
money which had to be delivered to Jerusalem.8

One of the most important observations about the collection is to note its interconnectedness
to and centrality within Pauline thought and practice: ―a close relationship between the
collection, its establishment, and its organizational structure, on the one hand, with Paul’s
missionary thinking and strategy on the other‖ said Georgi. The collection therefore served
the purpose of legitimising Paul’s mission to the Gentiles as illustrated by Galatians 2:10,
while it established a vital link to the Jerusalem church and aimed at the unity of and equality
within the body of Christ.9

Conclusion
Paul was so much concern for the economic mutuality during his days. It was especially the
period where the new churches were planted and that the necessity for holding and embracing
the Christian communities of diverse backgrounds was so much crucial. We have learned that
Paul was emphasising collecting money to help uplift the poor in the church. Paul’s idea was
never an encouragement to earn a lot for one’s personal benefits, but for the welfare of all.
The life of sharing, giving and caring for one another on grounds of finances or moral dignity
was the idea of Paul’s economic mutualism. This is what we, even in todays context, are in
need of especially in our social and religious lives. The life of koinonia, living and sharing
one another might not be practical to apply exactly the same as those of the early Christians,
but the motives of it should not die down and that it ought to be carried on.
BIBLIOGRAPHY

7
P,Berneet (1997).The Second Epistle to the Corinthians .The New International commentary on the New
Testament .Eerdmans.
8
M.J.(2005).The Second Epistle to the Corinthians :A commentary on the Greek Text .The New International
Greet Testament Commentary.Eerdmans.
9
R.p,Martin (2014).2 cointhians Tyndale New Testament Commentaries .IVP Academic.
 Granovetter, M. (1985). Economic action and social structure: The problem of
embeddedness. American Journal of Sociology, 91(3).

Uzzi, B. (1997). Social structure and competition in interfirm networks: The paradox of
embeddedness. Administrative Science Quarterly, 42(1).

Powell, W.W., Koput, K.W., & Smith-Doerr, L. (1996). Interorganizational collaboration

and the locus of innovation: Networks of learning in biotechnology. Administrative Science
Quarterly, 41(1).

Barnett, P. (1997). The Second Epistle to the Corinthians. The New International
Commentary on the New Testament. Eerdmans.

Harris, M.J. (2005). The Second Epistle to the Corinthians: A Commentary on the Greek
Text. The New International Greek Testament Commentary. Eerdmans.

Martin, R.P. (2014). 2 Corinthians. Tyndale New Testament Commentaries. IVP Academic.

Webliography

Jones, Simon. What the Apostle Paul says about Economic Justice,
whttps://goodfaithmedia.org/what-the-apostle-paul-says-about-economic-justice-cms-
22359/ith permission.

Ker, Donald P. Family Finances: “Kinship” and the Collection- an exploratory paper,
https://biblicalstudies.org.uk/pdf/irish-biblical-studies/25-1_002.pdf