Vassiliadis Petros, Grace – Communion – Diaconia. The Social Character of the Pauline programme of Logia (Introduction and Interpretational memorandum to B’ Cor. 8-9), “Biblical Library” series no. 2, Pournaras publications, Thessaloniki 2002, pp. 324.

P. Vassiliadis carries studies and analyses the social dimension of the theological teaching and the multifaceted actions of Apostle Paul and in particular the Pauline program of logia (collections for the poor). 

            The book is divided in two parts. The first part, which is introductory, looks at the practice of logia. In this context initially there is an analysis of the issue of logia in the New Testament in two directions,  a presentation of the course of international research and the New Testament facts in relation to logia. Then follows an examination of parallel religious and social phenomena of Paul’s era and finally there is an examination of the unity of chapters 8 and 9 of Cor B’ in relation to Pauline correspondence with the Church of Corinth.

            The second part of the study is the most extensive, constituted by a hermeneutical paper on B’Cor. 8-9. The author then moves on with the annotation of ch. *, which is an autonomous part of the debate on logia in Cor. B’. and in effect its a letter of recommendation from Paul to the Christians of Corinth. In this part the author presents Pauline views on the ideal of equidistribution of material goods, which the Apostle developed on the basis of Jesus’ example.

            Chapter B’ Cor. 9 also constitutes an autonomous entity in the Cor. B’. Vassiliadis annotates the chapter, in which Paul attempts to convince the Corinthians not simply to participate in the program of the logia, but to behave generously and goodheartedly, since logia is considered essentially a form of worship to God.

            Through his hermeneutical study, Vassiliadis concludes that the Pauline program of logia was mainly of a social nature, that is to say it was the social response of God’s people to the new world introduced through the coming of Christ and aimed at equidistribution and communion of material goods, and claims that the thenceforth rise of Christianity was underpinned by this realistic Pauline solution.