I'm reading a book by David deSilva entitled "Honor, patronage, kinship and purity." Interesting title is it not? I read this book several years ago, but recently pulled it back out because I was working on 2 Corinthians, specifically in chapters 8 and 9 where Paul is talking about the collection he was making to give to the Jerusalem church. The book actually talks about this same issue because in order to understand the collection and what it meant, it is necessary to understand a bit about the patron-client practice of the first century.
Let me illustrate. Let's say I were to ask you for a loan of say $20,000? Would you give it to me? Probably not. I suspect you might suggest I go to a bank. But in the first century they didn't have banks. But what they did have was a very distinct split between the haves and the have-nots. DeSilva notes that at that time there were limited resources and those who were wealthy tended to be the only ones who had access to those resources. The poor, obviously, did not.
The patron-client system was a system by which those without the resources could get access to them. The patron, or benefactor, would be someone of some status and had access to the resources. A person who found himself in a difficult situation could go to a prospective patron and ask for help. If the patron granted the request, the client would then be indebted to the patron. In fact, in many cases a relationship had just begun. The client repays by bringing honor to the patron through publicly acknowledging what he had done.
The people on the Amphlett Islands, where we work, have a very similar system, though they have no name for it. I recall years ago a man by the name of Kaidiriya came back from a trip to the Trobriand Islands and he had a new sailing canoe. I asked him what he had to pay for a canoe like this. He told me, "Nothing. My friend gave it to me." I was rather surprised at this. I had no idea you could just ask for something like this and a person would just give it for nothing. So I asked why his friend gave it to him for free. His answer was interesting. He simply said, "Because he is my friend." For him that explained it all. For me, I pondered if I had any friends who would give me a new car if I asked for it just because he was my friend? Would you?
What was happening between Kaidiriya and his friend is very much like the patron-client system in the first century. They often referred to such relationships as friendship. This is how Kaidiriya saw it. What I didn't find out till later was that Kaidiriya later gave a valuable stone to his friend. But he was very clear on this that it was not in repayment, rather it was because the man was his friend. To have a relationship with anyone in the village, there is reciprocity.
On the meaning of the Greek word xaris
The Greek word xaris is a very difficult word to translate. In most English translations it is rendered 'grace'. But 'grace' in English doesn't have the same semantic domain or range of meaning that the Greek word has. DeSilva explains that xaris has three basic meanings from which a variety of English words could be used to translate it. First, it can be used to describe an action by the patron which we might translate as 'favor'. It is a gracious act of kindness toward another. Second, it can refer to the gift itself. And finally, it is also used of the response which the client is to give to the patron for the gift. In English we would render it 'gratitude' or 'thankfulness.' So to summarize its use:
1) The gracious act of giving
2) The gift itself
3) The response of gratitude toward the giver
Gumawana has a word that is somewhat similar. For the first one they would say yabobona which as a verb they originally told me meant 'love', but over the years it has become clear to me it means 'to give a gift without expecting anything in return.' As a noun it fits category number 2 above in that it refers to the actual gift given. However the word cannot be used for category number 3. Instead they have to use something like lokagutoki 'thanks'.
In 2 Corinthians 8:1-4 we are told that God had "graced" the Macedonians. In other words, he has given graciously to them enabling them to give graciously. We see all three uses of grace here. God acted in giving (as patron). The gift was enablement to prosper. Their response was an act of service in the form of giving to the collection to be sent to the Jerusalem church.
DeSilva (p. 141) summarizes the implication for us of this idea of 'grace' with these words:
"God has acted generously, and Jesus has granted great and wonderful gifts. These were not earned, but grace is never earned in the ancient world... Once favor has been shown and gifts conferred, however, the result must invariably be that the recipient will show gratitude, will answer grace with grace. The indicative and the imperative of the New Testament are held together by this circle of grace. We must respond generously and fully, for God has given generously and fully."
He then asks the question, "How are Christians directed to respond to the beneficence of God in Christ?" He gives several ways we can respond. First is to thank God for what He has done through His Son Jesus Christ and for what He is doing in our lives.
Second, DeSilva states "It falls to the recipient of favor to testify to the favor and bring honor to the giver." Have you ever thought of proclaiming publicly what God did for you as a way of giving thanks to God? This is what took place in the first century with regard to the patron-client system. The client would proclaim to all what the patron had done. He would honor him in this way. In fact, he looked for ways to bring honor to his patron. In this image God is our patron and we are therefore to bring as much honor to Him as we can.
DeSilva also points out that "Words are not the only medium for increasing God's honor. Jesus directed his followers to pursue a life of good works that would lead those seeing them to 'give honor to your Father who is in heaven' (Mt 5:16)." What we do is also a testimony to God. We don't do these things to earn His favor, rather it is a gracious response to what He has done.
Another response that is typical of patron-client responses is loyalty to the patron. Our loyalty to God can be costly, depending on our circumstances, i.e., when we have to choose between two loyalties, we may suffer for being loyal to our Lord. We know many believers around the world suffer daily because of persecution.
A final response that DeSilva notes is that of "services performed for the patron". Our response to God will include service to Him. He states "IT is here that good works, acts of obedience and the pursuit of virtue are held together inseparably from the reception of God's favor and kindness." He notes that we don't offer our service to gain his favor, rather "they must be offered in grateful response to God."
By understanding the cultural practice of patron-client relationships we can understand better what Paul is saying in the letter to the Corinthians and to us. It expands our understanding of our relationship with God and challenges us to ask some very difficult questions. As clients of this relationship are we showing the gratitude due our patron? Very haunting question.
I encourage you to pick up a copy of DeSilva's book. A very good read.
