In the light of the New Testament's conviction that Jesus Christ died for sins, and that the Cross is a 'once for all' act that makes the Temple cult unnecessary, this challenging work probes the reasons for the emerging doctrine of redemptive almsgiving in early Christianity. Do the New Testament writers themselves (even Jesus!) implicitly endorse the view that a 'supplementary' or alternative means of atonement is necessary? What is the background of this theme in Graeco-Roman sources and in the Hebrew Bible? What are the principal texts in early Christian literature that advocate almsgiving as a 'ransom' for sin? These questions firmly govern this investigation of the social and theological forces that gave legitimacy to a doctrine that at first appears to contradict the primary New Testament soteriology, namely that the death of Jesus Christ is the exclusive means of redemption from sin.

In this volume of essays the Graeco-Roman background and context of early Christianity are explored for significant parallels. From the athlete metaphor in 1 Corinthians 9 to the role of Aphrodite as the goddess of love and sexuality, the important cultural symbols and terminology that the first Christians employed are examined. Garrison maintains that the Graeco-Roman setting of early Christianity is essential to our understanding of the New Testament and the Apostolic Fathers.>

This book is about the theme of innocent suffering in the ancient world. After an introduction to the topic, and an overview of the Greek, Roman and biblical traditions, successive chapters deal with the Iliad (Sarpedon and Hector); Heracles/Hercules; Socrates, the (Roman) Stoics; the Wisdom of Solomon and finally Early Christianity, with a concluding reflection. A rare comparative treatment of a universal theological, philosophical and dramatic problem in the ancient world no less than the modern.