SELL YOUR POSSESSIONS: CYPRIAN, LUKE, AND WEALTH.

Care for the poor was a major concern of Cyprian, bishop of Carthage, in the mid-third century. Luke's gospel, with its emphasis on wealth and possessions, was an important source of his pastoral exhortations on the topic. This article considers the reading strategies Cyprian employs to appropriate Luke--model, image and direct application--and the themes which emerge in his exegesis--renunciation, reward, reversal, and redemption. It also considers the parable of the Good Samaritan, a key text on love for neighbour which is used by Cyprian, not with regard to those in physical need, but rather the wounded lapsed who required spiritual healing. Cyprian's use of Luke in formulating his wealth ethics contributes to our understanding of the patristic reception of the Third Gospel, as well as early North African exegesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]