Back to Course

Cultural World of the New Testament

  1. Lesson One
    Honor and Shame in the Greco-Roman World
    8 Activities
    |
    1 Assessment
  2. Lesson Two
    Honor and Shame in 1 Peter
    7 Activities
    |
    1 Assessment
  3. Lesson Three
    Patronage and Reciprocity in the Greco-Roman World
    7 Activities
    |
    1 Assessment
  4. Lesson Four
    Patronage and Reciprocity in Hebrews
    7 Activities
    |
    1 Assessment
  5. Lesson Five
    Kinship and the Household in the Greco-Roman World
    7 Activities
    |
    1 Assessment
  6. Lesson Six
    Kinship and the Household in 1 Peter
    7 Activities
    |
    1 Assessment
  7. Lesson Seven
    Purity and Pollution in the Greco-Roman World
    7 Activities
    |
    1 Assessment
  8. Lesson Eight
    Purity and Pollution in Hebrews
    7 Activities
    |
    1 Assessment
  9. Course Wrap-Up
    Course Completion
    2 Activities
Lesson Progress
0% Complete

The question facing the audience is, What kind of beneficiaries will they prove to be: despicable or noble, ungrateful or reliable? Will they prove to be fruitful soil and receive the greater gifts God has promised because they have proven fit recipients of God’s ongoing favor; or will they prove to be bad soil, which elicits judgment for their failure to value God’s favors and promises sufficiently?

– David deSilva, PhD

In this lesson, you learned how to:

  1. Interpret aspects of patronage and reciprocity in New Testament writings.
  2. Reflect on how patronage and reciprocity in the New Testament shape how we think about and relate to God.
  3. Identify aspects of patronage and reciprocity that can shape relationships in your own community of faith.

Continue to Lesson 5: Kinship and the Household in the Greco-Roman World to learn about kinship and family structures in the New Testament.