In this article, I examine how the apocryphal Acts of John depicts wealthy Christian
converts as part of the “Christianization” of Ephesus. I note how the Acts of John
uses its portrayal of leading citizens not only to critique, but to preserve and
adapt prevailing expectations surrounding Greco-Roman cultic patronage. My
analysis comprises two parts. In the first part, I discuss the ways in which the
Acts of John undermines prevalent Greco-Roman practices of benefaction. I note
that the Acts of John criticizes monetary offerings as part of cultic “exchanges,”
and thus indirectly condemns the patronage of religious institutions by wealthy
benefactors. Relatedly, the Acts of John’s portrait scene, most often analyzed for
its witness to early Christian aniconism, challenges Greco-Roman patronage norms
by questioning the propriety of dedicatory portraits. In the second part, I track the
ways in which the Acts of John preserves and adapts prevailing modes of ancient
benefaction. Specifically, the Acts of John positions domestic hospitality as the
primary means by which wealthy converts ought to support the Christian mission.
Taken together, my two-part examination establishes that the Acts of John both
challenges and redirects prevailing practices of Greco-Roman patronage as part
of a broader articulation of proper Christian piety.