God, Grace, and Equality in 2 Cor. 8.13–14

Abstract

What does ‘equality’ (ἰσότης) mean in 2 Cor. 8.13–14? What is the significance of the phrase ἀλλʼ ἐξ ἰσότητος (8.13)? To date, no one has sufficiently dealt with Paul’s striking use of ἐκ in the phrase ἐξ ἰσότητος. Dieter Georgi sought to explain it by comparing Paul’s use of ἰσότης with Philo’s understanding of the term as a divine cosmic power, but the majority of scholars have rightly rejected this comparison as unconvincing and implausible. However, in so doing, they overlook one of his major insights. Paul wrote ἐξ ἰσότητος (8.13). This article accounts for Paul’s otherwise unexpected use of ἐκ by advancing a new reading of ἀλλʼ ἐξ ἰσότητος (8.13) that takes seriously Paul’s broader theology of the Christ-gift in 2 Cor. 8–9. Contrary to many who reject the theological significance of ἰσότης in 2 Cor. 8.13–14, this article will disclose the nature of equality in Christ, God’s fundamental role in its realization, and its socially disruptive effects on gift-giving relationships in the church. What results is a sociotheological reading of ἰσότης, one that centers on the grace of God in Christ (2 Cor. 8.9).